In my culture which is Sesotho culture, there is a string emphasis on respecting elders and valuing their wisdom. From a young, I was taught to listen attentively to the advice and guidance of those who are older than me or even the guidance of older members of the community. This belief instilled in me has become a sense of humility and reverence for those who lived longer and experienced more than I have. It also fostered a deep appreciation for intergenerational knowledge transfer, recognizing the importance of preserving traditions and passing down ancestral wisdom. Another core value is collectivism over individualism that is ingrained in my cultural upbringing. In my community, the well-being of the group is prioritized over personal interests. This collective mind-set promotes cooperation, solidarity and mutual support among community members. Growing up, I learned the importance of contributing to the common good and fostering harmonious relationships within the community. This belief has shaped my worldview by instilling a sense of responsibility towards others and cultivating empathy and compassion for those around me.

Gender Roles When one talks about gender, everyone seem to not exactly understand what difference it makes to know the biological and cultural influences does it have. The answer to that is that we should look how gender roles throughout history and other cultures compare to our own. After all, if something is completely biological, we humans, we would expect it to exist since from birth of humanity and be the same everywhere. But not many gender norms are the same. The truth is, some of the norms that seem innate and automatic to us might seem unnatural and absurd to people from other cultures. Here are some examples of gender roles. Most common example of a gender role a woman’s place is in the kitchen. The idea that “a woman’s place is in the kitchen” is one of the most common gender roles. It is a stereotype that has been perpetuated for centuries and has its roots in the idea that women are naturally suited to domestic work. However, this stereotype is not supported by history but in fact men have played an important role in cooking and food preparation. In recent years, there has been a shift towards more gender-neutral roles and expectations. The second one is sensitivity meaning men don’t cry but women do. The idea that “men don’t cry, women do” is another common gender role. It is a stereotype that has been perpetuated for centuries and has its roots in the idea that men should be strong and unemotional. However, this stereotype is not supported by history. But throughout history men have cried and expressed their emotions just as much as women. Now any people reject the idea of crying as a sign of weakness and believe that everyone can express their emotions regardless of their gender. Ardner (1985) is known for her work on gender and social inequality. These ideas have helped to shift the way that people think about gender roles and norms in contemporary society. Rather than seeing gender as a fixed identity or role, many people now view it as something that is fluid and constantly changing. Her work has been influential in shaping the way that people think about gender roles and norms in contemporary society. References Barodia, S. (2015). Gender Sensitization and Education

Family dinner Usually in my family I am the one who cook because of two reasons, first one is because my mom come home tired from work and second one is because I am her only daughter. But during recess my mom decided to make dinner that day, it was a good thing because I actually missed her cooking. When is family dinner at my home we make sure that me and my brother make sure the house is clean. My mom was making all my favourite food which made me happy because it made me feel like home, feel the love and warmth of my family. What I observed in this dinner is that my father and mother we just happy to see me yet having to hide their hidden feelings of what really happened when I was away. It started as a peaceful dinner but as time went on, so you know that there is no peaceful black family dinner there is always drama, that is when on that table that my father hasn’t been going to work, so my mother being a black woman she would just remind my father that he should remember that there are many things to pay for like debts, policies and my brothers’ school fees. So I saw in my father’s face that the anger and being ashamed that when in those situations he would just go and watch some TV to destruct himself from my mother. What is fanny is that my mother seeing my father like that she would apologies to him and after that they will just joke about that. As for my brothers, the two youngest they will just play without care in the world which bring us joy as for the second born, he would just ask about music and girls which is very normal for a 15 year old. But what can I say I love them so. That is when I realized that in my family everything is a joke because we always look for positive energy in every situation as long as we stay together as a family. After the dinner what happened was that we would say what we appreciate in life so that we can thankful, what they were thankful for was to see their daughter have reached the tertiary level. That is when I realized in everything you do you must always think about your family and know where come from also where are you going. All I am saying socializing is very important because we will never be forever be the same because of new challenges or growing up as people but keep in mind family is very important.

Learning Activity 1 Reflecting on my own assumptions and how they contribute into creating “otherness” has been an enlightening journey. Drawing from the insightful parodic example found in works such as Binyavanga Wainana’s “How to Write About Africa”, Horace Miner’s “Body Ritual Among the Nacirema”, and also TEDTalks by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Chimene Suleyman BaRT-Williams, I have come to recognize the distinction yet pervasive nature of stereotypes and stigmatizations. In such a way that I realized that even with the best intentions, my language and perceptions can be accidently preserve stereotypes. Positive stereotypes, in example certain cultures associating with exoticism or even mysticism, can be as harmful as negative ones. For example, having to assume all individuals from a specific culture possess inmate spiritual wisdom oversimplifies their identities and overlooks their individual complexities. However, negative stereotypes can often come from a place of ignorance or fear leading to distortion of the entire communities or even identities. Miner’s ironical portrayal of the Nacirema emphasize how unfamiliarity with cultural practices can lead to absurd misinterpretations. Same goes to Wainana’s parody exposing the tendency of depict Africa through a narrow lens of poverty, war and even exotic wildlife, in exchange of disregarding its diverse people and rich heritage. I have learned also the dangers of the “single story” and the importance of diversifying narrative through Ngozi and Bart-Williams’ TEDTalks. By reducing individuals or culture to a single narrative, it shows we risk dehumanizing them and perpetuating harmful stereotypes. Bart-Williams’ emphasis on changing our mental “channels” produced deeply, urging me to actively seek out diverse perspectives and challenge my assumptions. In reflecting on my own assumptions, I have realized that the need for continuous introspection and humility. Acknowledging my biases and actively striving to unlearn stereotypes is very much crucial in fostering empathy and understanding. By embracing the complexity and diversity of human experiences, we can move beyond the constraints of “otherness” and foster genuine connection based on mutual respect and appreciation.