Ask other students at school or friends at work if they have an older relative from another country. Ask your parents or family members if they know anyone who fits the profile. Go to a cultural center, temple, ethnic store, or other site where people from another country gather. Many are happy to educate you about their culture. Find an ESL class for adult students or a volunteer group that works with immigrants. Go to a department or center that teaches other languages. Instructors there may be native speakers from another country. Your paper should be 2 pages long, double spaced and should be written in an essay form! In your paper you should use theory from our lectures or textbook (if applicable), and try to compare for example your informant’s cultural traditions to your cultural traditions (this should be a cultural and not individual comparison). Set #1 -FAMILY/DOMESTIC LIFE/GENDER ROLES 1. Are marriages or introductions arranged? 2. Do most people stay married out of love, necessity, or a combination of these? 3. Who lived in your household when you were a child? 4. Who earned the money? 5. What type of jobs did your parents and relatives have? 6. Who did what work around the house? 7. Who prepared the food and how was it served? 8. Who took care of you when you were small? 9. Would you describe any differences you have noticed between the way children are raised in the U.S. and in your country? (or rephrase if you are from another country and interviewing someone from the U.S.) 10. What did you learn about the appropriate roles for men and women? 11. How do you feel about this now? 12. Why have your attitudes changed or remained the same? 13. What games did you play as a child? 14. Who did you usually play with? 15. At what age are children expected to help with work around the house? 16.What type of work or chores do children do? 17.At what age do people begin work outside the home for wages? Is this the same for men and women? 18. When are children expected to move out of the parents’ home? 19. What methods do people use to control the behavior of family members? (e.g. guilt, shame, punishment, praise, reinforcement or payment, Logic, threats,love, exclusion, manipulation, go-betweens) 20.Do family members work together and are family businesses common? 21. Do family members typically live close to each other – in the same house, compound or neighborhood? 22. What type of secrets do family members keep from outsiders? 23. Would you describe the culture as patrilineal (father’s side of the family most important), matrilineal (mother’s side) or bilateral? 24. Are families nuclear or extended in residence and authority? 25. Who are the authority figures within the family 26. Are social activities mostly family or friends? 27. Are social activities all male or all female or mixed? 28. Are social activities usually all ages or age-segregated? 29.. Do most people maintain friendships throughout their lives or change friends frequently? 30. Are friendships based on proximity, similarity, family ties, or what? 31. When making a decision, do you think a person should consider their own needs first or the needs of your family or the needs of their community? 32. Why are those needs more important? Set #2 -RELIGION/VALUES/TRADITIONS 1. What are some of the major beliefs in your religion? 2. What are the some of the special ceremonies? 3. What are your views on non-believers? 4. Who do you worship? 5. What is it appropriate to pray for? 6. How does one pray? 7. What are the rules about attendance at a temple or organized service? 8. How have your religious beliefs or practices changed over time? 9. What are some of your primary values or beliefs? 10. How many others in your culture share these values? 11. What traditions is your culture known for? 12. What are the special celebrations or holidays? 13. What rituals surround the birth of a new baby? (Describe what happens when a baby is born) 14. What happens when someone reaches puberty? 15. How do you know when someone has reached adulthood and what is different in their life? 16. What are some of the rituals related to eating (e.g. prayer, special foods that are “made clean” by religious leaders, etc.)? 17. What are some of the rituals related to bedtime? 18. What are some of the rituals related to death? (Describe what happens when someone dies) 19. What are some of the rituals related to marriage? (Describe what happens when a couple gets married) 20. What type of clothing is considered traditional for males and females? 21. What are traditional visual art forms? 22. What are the traditional performing arts? 23. Describe thing that are forbidden or taboo in your culture. 24.Are their foods that are forbidden? 25.Are there rules against divorce? 26.Are there rules related to who you can or can’t marry? 27.Are there any taboos related to places certain people can’t go to? 28.Are there taboos related to certain objects some people shouldn’t handle or use? 29. Would you say your culture values harmony or speaking your mind? 30. Interdependence or independence? 31. Tradition or progress? 32. Individual or the group? 33. Obedience or free will? 34. Passive or assertive behavior? 35. What have you been taught about expressing your emotions? 36. What are you supposed to do when you are angry? 37. What are you supposed to do when you are afraid? 38.What are the Male/female differences in expressing emotions? 39. Who were the heroes/heroines you were encouraged to admire when you were young? 40. What did these heroes/heroines do to earn your respect? 41. How would you describe the “ideal person” in your culture? 42. Tell one or two or your favorite stories from childhood (these could be oral, written, movies or TV, religious or secular)
