1. My Cultural and Personal Identity
Mentee Guide Week 2
The Vira I. Heinz Program for Women in Global Leadership

2. What is Culture?
*take a few moments to discuss your opinions
The total of the inherited ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge, which constitute the shared bases of social action (World Dictionary, 2010).
The behaviors, beliefs, and characteristics of a particular social, ethnic, or age group (Dictionary.com, 2011).
The values, customs, and symbols associated with each society (DuBois & Miley, 2005).
Mini Discussion: Do you agree with these definitions? Why or why not?
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3. Ten Cultural Clusters Anglo Latin Europe Nordic Europe Germanic Europe
Eastern Europe
Confucian Asia
Southern Asia
Middle East
Sub-Saharan Africa
Latin America
The Vira I. Heinz Program for Women in Global Leadership

4. Similar Traits of Different Cultural Clusters
Language * Religion * Tradition * Foods * Clothing * Recreation * Education * Values
10 Cultural Clusters:
Anglo
Latin Europe
Nordic Europe
Germanic Europe
Eastern Europe
Confucian Asia
Southern Asia
Middle East
Sub-Saharan Africa
Latin America
Mini Discussion: In which culture will you study this summer? What do you know about the traits of this culture?
The Vira I. Heinz Program for Women in Global Leadership

5. Similar Traits of Different Cultural Clusters
Power Distance : The degree to which a culture expects power to be distributed equally.
Uncertainty Avoidance: Relies on social norms, rules, and procedures to alleviate unpredictability of future events.
Humane Orientation: Encourages and rewards individuals for being fair, altruistic, generous, caring, and kind to others.
Collectivism I (institutional collectivism): Practices encourage and reward collective distribution of resources and collective action.
Collectivism II (in-group collectivism): Express pride, loyalty, and cohesiveness in their organizations or families.
Assertiveness: Are assertive, confrontational, and aggressive in their relationships with others.
Gender Egalitarianism: Minimizes gender inequality.
Future Orientation: Engage in future-oriented behaviors such as delaying gratification, planning, and investing in the future.
Performance Orientation: Encourages and rewards group members for performance improvement and excellence.
The Vira I. Heinz Program for Women in Global Leadership

6. My Cultural Identity Tradition You
Reflect on and share with each other what your cultural identity is. Feel free to use the supplemental worksheet.
Performance Orientation
Religion
Gender Egalitarianism
Class
Food Preferences
Gender
You
Assertiveness
Power Distance
Native Language
Uncertainty Avoidance
Tradition
Future Orientation
Ethnicity
Human Orientation
Traditions
The Vira I. Heinz Program for Women in Global Leadership

7. My Personal Identity You I am a good friend I love to cook
Reflect on and share with each other what your personal identity is. Feel free to use the supplemental worksheet.
I am a good friend
I love to cook
I am an aspiring educator
I am a student
You
I am a leader
I am a poet
I am passionate about the environment
I am a runner
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8. Reflection on Identity
What is the difference between cultural identity and personal identity?
Does your cultural identity completely dictate your personal identity?
General
How has your cultural and personal identity shaped your worldview?
About You
How can you respect someone’s culture while remembering that they are also an individual?
Critical Thinking
The Vira I. Heinz Program for Women in Global Leadership

9. Peer-to-Peer Discussion
Why is understanding and respecting different cultures important, especially if you are traveling to them?
* Please take a few minutes to discuss the above question
The Vira I. Heinz Program for Women in Global Leadership