Free Essay

Cultural Interview Questions

In: Social Issues

Submitted By boxxjetson
Words 1772
Pages 8
Cultural Interview Questions…

1. What is your definition of “culture?”
a. Culture is a way of life which is determined by particular social customs, family tradition, and anything else that makes a person, family or group unique.

2. How do you define “family?”
a. Family has two different meanings to me, you have your biological family, those who share your DNA. Your other family are those individuals you’ve built a bond with that can’t be broken. It’s stronger than a friendship.

3. Who holds the most “status” in your family? Why?
a. The man because he is directly under Allah, it is the Muslim belief that he is our direct link to Allah. The man is the provider, supporter, educator and protector. I was always taught to find a husband who can support you and your family in the way that the patriarch could. So that in the event of a tragedy, if something were to happen to me, I know I left my family in good hands.

4. How do you define success?
a. Success is self-defined. Some people may view success as having a huge home with a white picket fence and a ton of money. However, in the Nation of Islam, success is fulfilling your sole purpose on earth. Your sole purpose is to be discussed between you and the divine ruler. Success is also being able to maintain a balance in life. Mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally.

5. Do you consider your parents to be successful?
a. Yes. They are successful in terms of following the correct path which will lead them fulfilling their sole purpose in life. My mom feels as if it is her purpose to open her own bakery and she is on the right track of doing so. My father’s purpose in life is to educate others about the Nation of Islam and he has been fulfilling his calling for many years.

6. How important is education in your family?
a. Education is VERY important in the Nation of Islam. However, we don’t believe in the European educational system AT ALL. This is because the curriculum is set up in a way where students are unable to express creativity, and suppresses their ability to actively imagine. It is based on memorization and obedience rather than comprehension and understanding. They also don’t teach you anything worth learning. Yes math is cool but not over and over again. What about the essentials? Stuff you need to know before you enter the real world like filing taxes, buying/owning homes, opening your own business, etc.

7. Is punctuality important to you? Why or why not?
a. Yes punctuality is important because it shows that you have respect for your own time as well as others’. It shows that you’re a responsible individual. You can tell a lot about someone’s character by their punctuality. My mother always told me that if you’re early youre on time and if youre on time youre late.

8. What is the most important meal of the day?
a. Dinner because in the Nation of Islam you are only supposed to eat one meal a day. That meal must be consumed after the sunsets but before the sun rises. We don’t believe in eating a lot throughout the day because we dont believe in gluttony or over burdening the stomach. You only get one.

9. Do you eat foods that are indigenous to your culture? Why or why not? If you answered yes, name some of the foods that you eat. If you answered no, what types of foods do you eat?
a. The only food that I eat which is indigenous to my culture are navy beans because they are a staple in the Islamic culture because they are the healthiest beans for you. They can be made in the form of soup, pies, cake, cheesecake and chips. Other than that I typically eat Italian because pasta makes my soul glow.

10. How important is religion in your family? Why ?
a. Yes be we don’t technically consider it a religion. We like to refer to it as a way of life. Being a muslim means one who does the will of God in all aspects of life. This is important because it has instilled strong moral values within us. Its not just about going to the mosque every Sunday or praying once in a while, its about committing yourself to fulfill your righteous destiny.

11. Do you plan to pass this on to your children? Why or why not?
a. I will pass down the same values and lessons that I’ve learned. However I will not force them to follow a religion. I wont speak of religion, I will just pass down knowledge and wisdom.

12. Are the roles of men and women specifically defined in your family? If so, what are they?
a. Yes. The man is acts in more of a provider capacity and the woman nurtures the children and takes care of homely duties. However they aren’t restricted to those roles. Circumstances can change or switch at any time.

13. Define and describe the most important (or most celebrated) holiday of your culture.
a. Saviours’ Day is the most important and celebrated holiday in my culture. It is held annually during the last week of February and the location is contingent upon largest venue size. Hundreds of thousands of people gather from many different places to come and have fellowship, participate in various educational workshops, enjoy musical performances, view historical exhibits pertaining to the Nation of Islam and there is also a children’s village where kids enjoy the festivities as well. On that Sunday, there is a keynote address given by the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. His messages are always powerful, inspirational and captivating. A unique part about Saviours’ Day is that is open to anyone, even non-muslims.

14. How is physical contact viewed in your culture?
a. Men and women aren’t allowed to touch unless they are married just as a form of respect. Men treat the women as well as the body of a woman with the utmost respect. He is encouraged to put her on a pedestal and treat her like a queen. In the mosque men and women aren’t allowed to sit in the same section as each other because the temptation can be considered as a distraction.

15. What is considered most disrespectful in your culture?
a. Having the knowledge and the teachings from the Nation of Islam without passing it on to others is considered extremely disrespectful in my culture. Our purpose in life is to gain knowledge and wisdom and to pass it on to others so that it may uplift them in hopes that they will pass the same knowledge, wisdom and uplift onto others.

16. What is considered most respectful in your culture?
a. Respect for the black woman is considered respectful in our culture. She must be treated as a queen because believe a nation can rise no higher than its woman.

17. What would you say is, from your perspective, the most commonly held misconception about people of your culture?
a. There are A LOT of misconceptions about the Nation of Islam. One misconception is that all Muslims are terrorists. That is literally the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. A Muslim cannot be a terrorist because murder is not in the will of God. Any individual who participates in an act of terrorism is technically not a Muslim because those actions aren’t supported by God.

18. Have you ever experienced discrimination? In what form?
a. Yes, being a young Black Muslim woman in America, I experience discrimination in forms of age, race, gender and religion. When I was younger and attended grade school, there were some kids who would pull of my head scarf in form of a prank. I didn’t take it personal though, there was just a barrier between us which came from a lack of understanding. I never blamed them however, I blamed the parents.

19. What can be done about discrimination and prejudice, in your opinion?
a. The barriers must be broken down. We as a society must be more understanding toward those who are different. We must be more open minded about conversing with others across cultures. Cross cultural interviews are a good start because it gives you the opportunity to learn about someone else’s values while teaching them about yours in a judge-free zone.

20. Do young people today have a sense of culture?
a. Yes I believe we are involving into a new culture which blends all of the cultures. As the generations progress so does the level of understanding. However it is still important not to lose sight of our own cultures and the lives our ancestors have laid for us. You never want to forget where you come from.

21. What is the best thing about living in the USA?
a. The only good thing about living in the USA is that my friends and family are here. If I had enough money to move everyone to a different country, I would be out of here in no time.

22. What is the worst thing about living in the USA?
a. The bigotry, the sexism and the way the economy is set up. Racism is too prevalent in America, there should be more understanding. Women are too undervalued in this nation. We are always objectified and viewed as sexual beings. The economy is terrible due to the power elite. Why should most of the wealth be in the hands of 1% of the nation’s population? Yet everyone is created equal?

23. Have you ever felt excluded based on your culture?
a. I feel excluded every year during Christmas time. I always have to hear about my friends bragging about what they received, the dinner they had, and the good times they shared with family members in front of a fireplace.

24. Do you remember excluding others based on Culture?
a. No I am very opened to different people from different walks of life. I do my best to make others feel involved and appreciated because I know what it feels like to be excluded. I would hate for anyone else to endure that feeling.

Is there anything you would like others to know that we have not included here about you or your culture…..

Thank you- is there anything else you would like to share? Thank you for allowing me to share my side of the story and providing me with a voice

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Apa 360 Interview

...Ethnographic Interview Paper Assignment Purpose: Purpose of this assignment is to develop a comprehensive insight of another culture and its influence on an individual’s psychological process – therefore, how does a particular culture(s) influence an individual’s cognition, emotion, motivation, behavior, self-concept, etc. Exploring/challenging personal assumptions and feelings about a particular culture and its members. Instructions: CHOOSE A CULTURAL SCENE WITH WHICH YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR. Choose someone to interview who is quite different from you primarily in some cultural domain. As expected, this person must identify as an Asian American. This person cannot be a family member or a close friend. Tell him/her that the interview is a class project, that his/her name will be kept confidential, and that you are interested in learning about his/her experiences and thoughts about his/her cultural background. Tell your interviewee that you would like to conduct the interview in a setting that s/he finds comfortable (e.g., workplace, home, coffee shop, etc.). BEFORE THE INTERVIEW, formulate general questions that you will ask your interviewee. Your questions should be based on two themes: 1) relevant background information such as age, gender, family, occupational, and immigrant history, and 2) specific cultural scene of interest. For example, if you are interested in the racial identity development of an Asian American college student. You might want to...

Words: 1165 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Selection of Global Leadership

...global leadership, the interview comes to the forefront. Of all of the tools available to a manager during the selection process the interview, if handled correctly, will be the most beneficial when selecting potential employees. The culture of the interviewee and the interviewer, if different, will be a definite barrier when it comes to the interview process. Many factors come into play when deciding what methods to use during an interview process. Cultural differences play a huge role in deciding what interviewing method a manager will use during an interview of a potential employee. If a manager is not able to deal with the cultural differences between himself and the interviewee then the interview will probably not go well. In this case he might want to get someone that will be able to deal with the cultural differences and be able to notice the subtle nuances such as eye contact and certain mannerisms that mean different things in different cultures. Many non-verbal forms of communications will have to be understood if the interview is to go smoothly. If hiring someone is not possible, cultural awareness or other cultural training might be utilized before any interviews are to occur. Making sure that an interviewer is thoroughly prepared before the interview happens will be a key to having the right employee hired. An understanding of the native language will also go a long way in making the interview process smoother. For example, if an interview is occurring in Japan...

Words: 836 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Business Ethics

...Project Paper The Role of Cultural Values in Business Ethics: the case of ICT companies Muhammad Fikri Bin Ahmad (1022133) (Email:fikriahmad91@gmail.com) Mohamad Amali Bin Maulan (1013901) (Email: aku_amali@yahoo.com) Muhammad Muslim Bin Samsudin(1012545) (Email: aim_messi@yahoo.com) Tengku Muhammad Ihsan bin Tengku Hishamuddin (1027923) (Email: ihsan_libra@hotmail.com) MGT 3020 Business Ethics Section 1 IIUM Gombak 15th June 2011 The Role of Cultural Values in Business Ethics: the case of ICT companies Tengku Muhammad Ihsan Bin Tengku Hishamuddin, Mohamad Amali bin Maulan, Muhammad Muslim Bin Samsudin, Muhammad Fikri Bin Ahmad Kuliyyah of Economics And Management Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia, Gombak, Malaysia. ABSTRACT Purpose-This paper aims to obtain views in ICT company regarding the role of cultural values in company performance in terms of customer satisfaction, skills in solving problems and capability in adopting new technologies and its influence to people behavior in terms of innovativeness and motivation. This paper also contributes to the discussion of cultural values in business ethics. Methodology-Data are collected through one on one interviewing process with 15 managers. Findings-The two main findings are firstly identified the moderating effects association between cultures in Malaysia with ICT company performance in terms of profit, customer satisfaction and capability in solving problems and adopting...

Words: 6332 - Pages: 26

Premium Essay

Culture Teaching Questionnaire

...consisted of two parts. Questions in the first part were put up to evaluate student’s performance with regard to verbal behaviour (such as expressing gratitude, asking for help greetings etc.) and non-verbal behaviour (such as postures, gestures, eye contact etc. The later part consisted of four Open-ended Questions. The test was designed in accordance with the sociolinguistic framework (Zehenya, et al. 1990). Teacher’s Interview An interview was taken from the five teachers of English Department at Aligarh Muslim University. In the interview, the author inquired their attitudes towards culture teaching, perceptions of the present methodology and the present state of culture teaching. The interview...

Words: 1059 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Hlt 324v Week 2 Complete Latest

...2 Discussion 1 From your readings, which cultural difference would be most challenging for you to understand? Why? How would you prepare to work with individuals from this culture in order to respect their culture? HLT 324V Week 2 Discussion 2 If health care practitioners cannot communicate to the patients in their language, how important is it to find a translator? Whose problem is it, the health care provider’s or the patient’s? Why? HLT 324V Week 2 Family Interview – Compare and Contrast Cultures Paper Family Roles and Organization, Work Attitudes, and Communication It is important to identify and understand your own family culture in order to be able to understand and respect other cultures. Interview a family member, and an individual from another culture with which you are unfamiliar. Some examples of an individual from another culture to consider for the assignment include a neighbor, coworker, patient, or friend. Please inform the individuals of the purpose of this assignment and make sure you receive their consent. Interviews: Review the “Family Interview” template prior to the interview. Additional space is designated on the template for you to create three additional questions to ask both interviewees (family member and person from another culture). Additional questions should be relevant to the readings or discussion and should provide value to the interview by helping to understand culture. Some of the questions may include: 1. Family beliefs: Have they...

Words: 1605 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Managing a Culturally Diverse Organization

...Cultural diversity in organizations A study on the view and management on cultural diversity Authors: Supervisor: Dhakshayene Holmgren Anneli Jonsson Maj- Britt Johansson- Lindfors Student Umeå School of Business and Economics Spring semester 2013 Master thesis, two-year, 15 hp ABSTRACT Cultural diversity is a subject that has been getting growing attention not just internationally but also in Sweden in the 21st century. The globalization of economies and the migration has dramatically increased opportunities while also affecting organizations in a manner that it requires it to be more open and accommodative towards a heterogeneous working environment. Unfortunately many companies do not see the advantages that cultural diversity could bring and how a well managed cultural diversity could essentially achieve competitive edge in the market. Therefore there is little is to be found regarding how organizations today view and manage a culturally diverse workforce, especially in a Swedish working environment. The lack of this type of research in a Swedish context creates a possible research gap and leads to this study in investigating the organizations in Västerbotten and their view and management of cultural diversity. Thus the research question: How do Swedish organizations view and manage cultural diversity? In order to gain insights in to this question, previous research has been investigated and some main theories have been selected. Through this it has been found...

Words: 49151 - Pages: 197

Premium Essay

Nursing Rua Nr 302

...of both subjective and objective data. The data collected are used to determine areas of need or problems to be addressed by the nursing care plan. This assignment will focus on collecting subjective assessment data, synthesizing the data, and on identifying health/wellness priorities based on the findings. The purpose of the assignment is two-fold:   To recognize the interrelationships of subjective data (physiological, psychosocial, cultural/spiritual, and developmental) affecting health and wellness To reflect on the interactive process between self and client when conducting a health assessment COURSE OUTCOMES This assignment enables the student to meet the following course outcomes: CO 2. Utilize prior knowledge of theories and principles of nursing and related disciplines to integrate clinical judgment in professional decision-making and implementation of nursing process while obtaining a physical assessment. (PO 4, 8) CO 3. Recognize the influence that developmental stages have on physical, psychosocial, cultural, and spiritual functioning (PO 1) CO 4. Utilize effective communication when performing a health assessment. (PO 3) CO 6. Identify teaching/learning needs from the health history of an individual. (PO 2, 3) DUE DATE: Please See Course Calendar. TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE: 50 points. PREPARING THE ASSIGNMENT: A Health History Worksheet that can be used to help you organize the Family Medical History information you will obtain from the Adult...

Words: 1661 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Marriag

...country's 80 ethnic groups being associated with unique sounds. The main sport in Ethiopia is football(soccer). The best-known Ethiopia cuisine consists of various vegetable or meat side dishes and entrées, usually a wat, or thick stew, served atop injera, a large sourdough flatbread made of teff flour. One does not eat with utensils, but instead uses injera to scoop up the entrées and side dishes. Character: Radiet is 16 years old and has come to the states to get a better education and to have a family. She has been brought up without a family. Her dream is to have a good education and to explore another country. She is looking for a cultural change and value dimension through the different cultures. Interviewer: My interviewer is Kathryn Sorrels. He wrote the intercultural communication book for our class. There is an interview so that he can see how Radiet interacts though both cultures. View of coming to America: Radiet has told me that coming to the states was a huge change for her. She said that everything was really huge even they people. The weirdest thing for was the rules in a household. The food...

Words: 1438 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Advanced Communications

...Final Paper: Oral History Interview Paper Throughout the course, you will be exploring various aspects of culture and intercultural communications. Your final assignment in this course will be to conduct an extensive oral history interview with a person who is somewhat older than you and from a culture or subgroup that you are not a member of. This person can be a relative or acquaintance who is from a different generation. It can be someone who immigrated to this country either recently or some time ago. Or, it can be someone who belongs to a different subgroup from you and whose cultural experiences you believe would be very different from your own. Obtain permission from the person you are interviewing to record the conversation (either an audio or a video and audio recording) or to take handwritten notes during the interview. Your overarching goals during the oral history interview are as follows: 1. To learn more about the culture and subcultures to which your interview subject belongs. 2. To determine what issues they encountered in terms of intercultural communications. 3. To relate concepts you have studied in this course to the experiences of this person. After you have conducted the interview, review your recording or your notes and write a six- to eight-page paper (excluding a title page and a reference page), in which you discuss aspects of this person's culture and/or subcultures and communication issues related to his or her cultural identity. In the paper...

Words: 1077 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Glt1

...considered one of the most reliable methods in researching the study of society. Surveys Surveys come in the form of questionnaires, interviews, or telephone poll. These methods allow researchers to ask specific questions on variety of topics; then analyze the data collected and find specific patterns (Crossman, 2014). Questionnaires are distributed to a large group of individuals usually through the mail or email, and are made up of open-ended questions. Interviews are typically face-to-face or by telephone, this method allows the individual to give more detail to their answers. A telephone poll contains pre-defined questions on a specific product or service, most often used to obtain the consumer’s opinion on that product or service. Surveys are the best method of collecting statistical information quickly from a large number of individuals. The results are often unbiased as most often the data is submitted anonymously. Cultural anthropology is the study of the development of human cultures throughout history. A cultural anthropologist studies cultures by engaging in ethnography (field work) and ethnology (cross-cultural comparison). Two forms of research methods used in anthropology are cross-cultural analysis and participant observation. Cross-Cultural Analysis Cross-Cultural Analysis statistically compares cultural traits among groups of human being. This method...

Words: 565 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Culture

...considered the heartbeat of the community’’ Jennifer L. Gilliard1,3 and Rita A. Moore2 This article investigates how culture shapes instruction in three early care and education programs on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Interviews with eight early childhood teachers as well as classroom observations were conducted. The investigation is framed by the following research question: How does the culture of the family and community shape curriculum? Data analysis suggested that ongoing communication with parents and community about teaching within a culturally relevant context, building a sense of belongingness and community through ritual, and respecting children, families, and community were essential to defining the Native American Indian culture within these early learning programs. KEY WORDS: culture; in; tribal; early; education; programs. INTRODUCTION Instruction informed by children’s home and community culture is critical to supporting a sense of belongingness that ultimately impacts academic achievement (Banks, 2002; Osterman, 2000). American school populations are increasingly diversified with immigrants and English language learners; but American teachers are over 90% European American (Nieto, 2000). Educators who are from different cultural perspectives than those present in the families and communities of the children they teach, ‘‘may 1 Department of Education, Early Childhood Division, The University of Montana – Western, 710 S. Atlantic Street, Dillon,...

Words: 5663 - Pages: 23

Premium Essay

My Work

...developing countries and from them, reshaping the world’s economic boundaries. Trends notwithstanding, researchers suggest that, overall, the expected financial benefits of M&As are often not recognized. The highest rate of failures has been linked mainly to the fact that “M&As are still designed with business organization and financial fit as primary conditions, leaving psychological and cultural issues as secondary concerns”. While as new countries start out into the free-market economic system, paying attention to cultural factors in IM&As is becoming essential. The wider cultural gap and the current trend of IM&Asbetween developed and developing countries increases the urgency of understanding the effects of civilization on the dynamics of IM&As and on issues such as corporate organization and local adaptation strategy. The present research is designed in response to this shortcoming. It examines the effects of culture on the outcome of IM&As and the variability of these effects during the different phases of an IM&A. The research focuses on the international aspect of cultural conflicts—the differentiating factor between domestic mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and IM&As. It measures success from an organization’s internal perspective, comparing what the IM&A, at inception, was expected to achieve and what it achieved several years later. This approach is different from the standard one of evaluating success based on market reaction to the IM&A—an external measure...

Words: 3556 - Pages: 15

Free Essay

Woman Expt

...KYMENLAAKSON AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU University of Applied Sciences Degree Programme in International Business ALLISON HOUSE THE CHALLENGES OF WOMEN EXPATRIATES REGARDING INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENT Bachelor’s Thesis 2013 1 ABSTRACT KYMMENLAAKSON AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU University of Applied Sciences Degree Programme in International Business House, Allison The Challenges of Women Expatriates Regarding International Assignment Bachelor’s Thesis 74 pages including 12 pages of appendices Supervisor Minna Söderqvist, Principal Lecturer Commissioned by Charlotte Regional Partnership September 2012 Keywords female expatriate, international assignment, male trailing spouse, career advancement, glass ceiling, repatriation With the ever-increasing amount of global business conducted in today’s world, the need for expatriate assignments on behalf of the workplace is increasing also. There is a deficit in the amount of female managers currently on international assignment. The primary objective of this thesis was to identify the challenges facing women, which would have prevented more women from embracing international assignments, and to more thoroughly explore stated challenges in order to pinpoint possible smallscale solutions. The thesis was based on IHRM. The main research method was a collective case study, which consisted mainly of dual perspective qualitative research. The primary conclusions of this thesis are that with additional...

Words: 16867 - Pages: 68

Free Essay

Paper 2

...Below are key definitions (terms) & concepts from the assigned readings and lecture slides. You should be familiar with them for Exam 1. The key definitions / concepts are not intended to be an all inclusive list of what will be on the exam. I also included the pages of the chapters that will be covered on the exam. I will not ask questions from chapter pages that do not fall in the ranges listed below. I will not ask questions from the “Skills & Best Practices” & “Hands On Exercises” sections in the OB textbook. I will not ask questions from the “HR How To”, “eHRM”, “Did You Know”, “Best Practices” & “HR Oops” sections of the HR textbook. Make sure you download the post-lecture slides from Carmen On page 4 of this study guide I have provided some example questions. Remember the likely sources of exam material: • Material Found in Book & Slides (found both places) – MOST LIKELY • Material Found Only In Slides (I have placed an ASTERISK on slides with non-book content that is exam material) • Material Found Only In Book (e.g. definitions, frameworks,…) Strategy & Strategic OB: K&K Chapter 1: Definitions (key terms): contingency approach, human capital, management, organizational behavior, social capital, Theory Y, total quality management Reading: p.5-16 (just the top of 16) Key concepts Human Relations Movement Theory X, Theory Y Total Quality Management Deming’s 85-15 Rule Contingency Approach Human Capital Social Capital Congruence...

Words: 834 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Cultural Influences on Consumer Behaviour

...Svensson (2014); Eat the food, drink the booze and settle the deal! Abstract Background: China is today regarded as Sweden’s most important business partner in Asia. Even if there are cultural differences between Sweden and China the intercultural distance has successively decreased. One of the reasons is the globalisation. Another reason is the consecutive development of Swedish-Chinese relations. The interpretation from common understanding has increased the level of trade between the nations. There is an on-going development of business co-operation between Sweden and China. The Purpose: This Bachelor Thesis will examine the differences between the SwedishChinese business culture and how the cultural differences affect the Swedish B2B in China. The purpose is formulated by the basis of our main research questions; “How do Swedish B2B companies perceive the cultural differences between the Swedish and Chinese way of doing business?“ and “how do Swedish companies operating in China deal with business cultural diversity in China?” Theoretical Framework: The basis of our Bachelor Thesis examines the theories within cultural dimension. The theoretical framework is based on proven studies from e.g. Hofstede’s Five Dimensions, Trompenaars Cultural Diversity, CVS, the GLOBE Study, Cross-Cultural- Communication & Adaptation and Guanxi. Methodology: We have used an abductive approach with the basis of...

Words: 36242 - Pages: 145