In this “Core Skill: Intercultural Competence,” I have chosen a paper from my 12-week
Introduction to Sociology course. Titled “Assignment Option 3: Diversity Interview,” this
artifact was APA based, consisting of discussion between me and my friend, Stephanie Delgado, on culture and diversity. The major theme of this assignment was to explore what diversity meant to someone else. So, as an Asian American student, I decided to interview my friend who is a Hispanic American student. At first, it felt like a daunting task to dive deep into an assignment—however, throughout the interview, I found myself intrigued with the interviewee’s responses. For example, when asked what diversity meant to her, Stephanie replied with, “It means to be different and embracing those differences with other people. I.e. peers. It's like a salad.” While simple, this analogy helped me to reflect on the special term. After about thirty minutes of interviewing Stephanie, and seeing her perspective as a gay Hispanic female, I learned not only more of my friend, but also the ability to reflect on diverse members of other
cultures.
 

For my first goal, I focused on mastering critical reflection, specifically advocating for other cultures. After our talks of how her individual characteristics affected her academic, personal, and professional life, I thought about how vital it was for society to be aware of other cultures. While one culture may be taught one way, another goes by other standards. By advocating for a different culture than my own just by writing this essay, I feel that I was successful in this goal.

 

For my second goal, I focused on mastering cultural objectivity. Throughout this artifact, I was careful not to place assumptions on other cultures. While I did share my own experiences, it was more of a reflection on the questions that were asked. For example, Stephanie has experienced a challenge of her intelligence being undermined due to her race. However, I added that my intelligence is usually overestimated in society. With more questions on her family’s values influencing her life, I was able to gain more insight into her culture, all without a bias. This artifact from SOC-210 was a special one for me. I truly enjoyed putting together this interview and left with knowledge on diversity. I believe that learning about different terms of cultures, such as non-material culture, the interview came to be less of a challenge than what I had expected. Leaving this course and artifact, I know that I will be able to apply intercultural competence skills throughout the rest of my academic and professional career.