It is New to Me

  Attend an event that you would not normally attend where you will be in the minority in some way. This could include attending a religious service of a different faith, a concert with unfamiliar music, a trip to a grocery store that specializes in non-American cuisine, a restaurant that serves food that you would never dream of eating, volunteering at a homeless shelter, etc Part 1: Write Write a three to four-page paper reflecting on this experience. Document the experience: Explain why you selected the venue/event/group. Describe the people that you encountered, and summarize what actually happened during the experience. Analyze the situation and your perceptions: How were you different from the larger group? Did you have any pre-existing assumptions, biases, or stereotypes before engaging in this activity? How do you think these may have influenced your perceptions initially? Did your perceptions change? Analyze your experience in terms of the stages of perception described in the text. Did you feel you were treated differently than the others in attendance and if so, do you think this assessment is accurate? Perhaps it is, but also consider what perceptual limits may have been influencing your experience. Could it have been a combination of both? Include an introduction and a conclusion. Include citations from the text where necessary.