Reflection Paper – Being Different
Go to a place where you are different from the majority of people present (e.g., a rich poor, Asian-American, Hispanic, Caucasian, African American, etc., neighborhood; a mental health facility; a welfare office; a senior citizen’s center; a LGBT agency, etc.). Spend several hours in this place, observing those around you. Pay attention to what you see, hear, smell, etc., and to your feelings about being in this environment. The visit to the location must take place no earlier than a month before the assignment is due.
- The first paragraph should be a brief description of the place you visited. Include a term identifying the majority population where you were (e.g., poor, Asian-American, etc.). The rest of the paper should be a coherent essay in which you discuss how it felt to be different, as well as what the experience taught or reminded you about being different in this society. Your essay should conclude with a discussion of the implications all this has for working and living in a diverse society.