Running head: REPORT ON WALT KOWALSKI
Report on Walt Kowalski
Team B
University of Phoenix
Cultural Diversity and Special Populations
BSHS 422
October 12, 2009
According to Kiosk (2006), “Culture is an important guiding force in individuals' life and it shapes not only their perceptions, but their relationships with people and the world around them. Culture, in some ways, defines and organizes reality for people” (Kiosk, 2006). “An individual’s lifestyle, guiding beliefs and basic assumptions about life are also affected by culture” (Kiosk, 2006). Cultural diversity covers the entire range of the human experiences. The film Gran Torino is an excellent film that portrays the differences in culture. This film
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Walt has to realize that he does not have to like everybody but he does need to be respectful of people as an individual and this will help him understand that his way is not the only way.
Culturally Competent Strategies The cultural composition of America is rapidly changing. Researchers estimate that by the year 2050 more than half of the nation’s population is comprised of people from different ethnic and cultural minority groups (Guzman, Hill-Menson, & Greve, 2007). The trend of greater cultural and ethnic diversity in America has resulted in a change in the cultural dynamics and complexities in many communities and neighborhoods across the country. Neighborhoods once segregated by race and ethnicity, such as Walt Kowalski’s, have become more diverse in both race and ethnicity. Despite an increase in the cultural makeup of many neighborhoods, racism, bias, and prejudice still exist in many (Guzman et. al., 2007). For this reason, many people like Walt Kowalski need to gain the necessary skills to develop cultural competence, allowing them to interact positively with people from other cultural backgrounds. One way to develop cultural competence for a man like Walt Kowalski is to assist him in gaining a better understanding of himself and the Asian culture of his neighbors. To help Walt better understand the root of his prejudice outlook, the writers
I now understand the sociological components that are at work in his decision making. Also, I now see how these sociological components influence and interact with each other. For example, Walt’s social stratification, influences his choice towards deviant behavior. His social networks aided his deviant behavior, but he also faced stratifications for his actions. I learned that there are a lot of factors that influenced what he did, and I see that its deeper than just the television show, these elements are embedded in our society and the same factors can influence our
The aim of this paper is to study the interpersonal communication taking place in a cultured shocked neighborhood. The findings of these studies are applied to the film Grand Torino. In addition, this study will discuss the communication styles applied by the characters of the movie. I believe they are essential to understanding the reasons why in general individuals are racists, stereotypical and unable to adapt to different cultures as well as living with those who are different to us. We will first examine how Walt’s character adapts to the cultural
America is greatly influenced and enhanced by the many versatile cultures which inhabit it. Cultural diversity has added to our economy in such a way that it brings innovated ideas and contact structures throughout the world. International cuisines have come to America through subcultures, have expanded the food industry, and have allowed English Americans to try new foods and flavors. Immigrants have brought with them religious values that greatly differ and vary from those at which were natural in the main stream American culture. The educational development through foreign nationals has led America, as a nation, to excel and be deemed one of the most intelligent nations in the world! Consequently, the subcultures have kept our
Sample Report for EFP1 Task 2. This report is intentionally incomplete. It should be used
The book also explores how despite immigration seeing as a normality in the Silicon Valley area, most of the interaction is shaped by differences in ethnic and racial traits. Jimenez explains that “the way that interviewees articulated the “us” and “them” in their lives comported with social-scientific research that emphasizes ethnic and racial differences as sources of both unity and division” (Jimenez, 2017). Although the cultural diversity is so ingrained in the community of Silicon Valley, this diversity is also a constant reminder of the racial and ethnic differences in the community which could sometimes generate negative outcomes. It does not only serve as a source of unity, like with the mixed culture it generates, but it also could
and to build a world culture of human beings who resolve disputes in ways that
“We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we are all human race” - Kofi Annan. This quote said by Kofi Annan explains perfectly how not all people have to be of the same background or even the same culture but everyone is still a human being so you can not treat them as any less. America is a melting pot because of all the different cultures in the US today. Also, the US is working on rights for all by making it more convenient for people who do not speak English to have the same rights. While some people believe diversity separates a country, it can be argued that diversity creates unity because today the US is a melting pot, and they are working on rights for all.
Many ethnic groups reside and persist in America. Minority groups are misunderstood and undervalued in today’s society. There are many cultures, history, social relations, religious traditions, and linguistic aspects enduring in our country because of our abundant diversity. Two minority groups that are misconstrued are African Americans and Asian Americans. These two groups of people have many differences, but also have a few commonalities. African Americans and Asian Americans influence society in the United States in multiple ways, for example specifically in educational settings. Unfortunately, the dominant group, Caucasians, have difficulties
Another scene in which the character of Walt deals with the prejudices of ageist yet
I would like to consider my cultural heritage as diverse, but this is far from reality. Over the years as I matured through my teenage years, I was exposed to different cultures by life experiences and travel. I struggled to create both a personal and cultural identity while trying to adjust to my sight loss and with the support of my family I traveled overseas to experience other cultures for the first time. My family opened up their home to a foreign exchange program in turn allowing me the opportunity to travel over to Europe at the age of 16 years old. This opportunity started the slow progression of experiences that would open my mind to others who are unlike myself, especially traveling to a strange place and feeling different in
The concept of globalization, which is the increasing integration and interdependence of different countries from one another in terms of economic, communication, and technological aspects, leads one to address the concept of cultural diversity or multiculturalism. Cultural diversity in the health-care system touches lives of many Americans in one way or another. No matter what our own cultural background is, when we go receive medical care, we may encounter a care giver who comes from a different cultural background than ours(Naylor 1997,291).. In the concept of cultural diversity, it can be recognized that two terms are equally important. The first concept is culture, which refers to the total way of life of individuals, and the unique
Since I started this class, I have a learned a great deal about cultural diversity in the classroom and abroad. My perspective has changed slightly but my knowledge of this subject has improved. In my family, my father taught me about the civil rights movement and the evils of segregation in the U.S. My parents taught me to be tolerant of all humans, no matter what they look like, how they dress, or their sexual orientation. My family has always been liberal thinkers who taught me the dark history of racism and bigotry in this country. As an educator I would be accepting to all race, creeds, and religious peoples.
Walt’s oldest son and his wife bring birthday gifts for Walt they think are thoughtful and will make Walt’s life “easier.” Entirely out of touch with Walt and his goals and values, the gifts and retirement home suggestions are rejected, as is their presence. “No one can say we didn’t try” (Eastwood, 2008), but the audience knows better. Had they been more perceptive years ago about Walt’s communication/language culture, their presence would have been the best gift
Every culture has its own views of health care, diseases, and medical interventions. The way people of a given culture view health care affects how they handle themselves when they fall ill. For instance, the Asian culture believes that illnesses are caused by supernatural phenomena, which should be diagnosed and treated by means of spiritual healing or traditional herbs. Physicians and other medical practitioners should try to understand the cultural beliefs of their patients to handle them appropriately.
By the year 2050, nonwhites will represent close to half of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau projections. By 2005, the ethnic minority share of the workforce is expected to grow to 28 percent, up from 18 percent in 1980 and 22 percent in 1990. Although the African American population is now the largest minority group, the Hispanic and Asian populations are growing much faster. In 1994, the African American population was estimated to be 33 million, or 12.7 percent of the total population, up from 11.7 percent in 1980.