Description
Write an essay based on the requirements and the interview.This is a study on communication. Study the differences between people. Mention the content of the interview in your essay.The interviewer is a black African and a Christian. When a foreigner studies in Macao, his religious concept differs from the local cultural tradition
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Embracing Difference Interview Assignment
Overview of Basic Requirements:
• 5-6 pages, double spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, 1 inch margins
• APA style (special attention to title page, headings, pagination, references, etc.)
• Minimum of 8 scholarly sources
• Due November 29th uploaded to Canvas by 11.59pm
• Points: 150
Assignment Overview:
Communication students, and those specifically engaged in journalism, are often required to
identify a variety of participants for projects. For this project, you will need to identify someone
who has experienced any sort of difference. So how do we identify someone who is different? For
example, in China, although the term “foreigner” is a collective term for those who are not Chinese,
the experience of foreigners varies. A foreigner from Canada may have a different experience from
a foreigner from Nigeria for example. A person who is multiracial may also have an experience
that is different. However difference is not limited to nationality or race, but also comes in other
forms, such as one’s social class, sexuality, religion, age, physical or mental capabilities among
other aspects. If you took my 4265 Gender and Comm course, you are not allowed to use gender
or sexuality as the basis for difference in this class. Identify someone, who feels comfortable to
engage in an interview about their difference. Their true name does not need to be revealed for
purposes of privacy. Please refrain from interviewing friends who have gone overseas to study.
Please also try to refrain from interviewing other close friends and relatives. The purpose of the
exercise is to challenge yourself to identify and engage with someone who you consider to be
“different” from yourself, one whose lived experiences are not the same as yours in any way. If
you attended the Gender 4265 class, please do not engage the same person, or any of the others
who had participated in that project. Please find someone else. This activity also seeks to boost
your confidence when engaging with others you are unfamiliar with while also honing your
interview skills.
This project is solely for class purposes and the content from these interviews MUST not be used
for any other reasons. Please explicitly state that their participation is completely voluntary and
that any information shared is solely for class purposes. Many times difference is difficult to
discuss for a variety of reasons.
We are often faced with confronting our own stereotypes and “Thinking Under the Influence” of
dominant beliefs” (Allen, 65). As students of communication, we will be exposed to readings and
films that discuss difference, but engaging with someone who has experienced or continues to live
with difference is ultimately an eye opening experience. Upon completion of the interview, you
will need to hand in your notes and your recording. Please also submit a list of the final interview
questions that you used for the interview. If necessary, you can conduct the interview in Chinese,
depending on who the person is. Based on your findings, you will need to select three themes that
were raised in the interview to reflect on further. I am noticing that many people are relying on
translation devices, AI and other online tools to write their papers. Doing so now, will only make
you a weaker student in graduate school. So try to hone and practice your writing skills now as
opposed to later. You may think I don’t know when you copy excessively or use these devices, but
using words you cannot pronounce or do not know the meaning of is a clear indicator that you
either used translation devices, you are plagiarizing or that someone else did your work for you.
As UCD students you can take advantage of the writing center both in Denver and at ICB. Use the
tools at your disposal.
The purpose of this paper is to utilize communication through the interview process, to identify
learn and to embrace difference (LOC#8). In doing so, you will critically analyze this interview
and the issues/ themes/aspects chosen (LOC#5) while employing communication theories,
principles and concepts (LOC#2). Your analysis may also result in you posing additional societal
questions which further illustrates your ability to engage in communication inquiry (LOC#3). You
will need to make reference to the text and to conduct additional research from six external
academic sources.
In addition to these themes and your analysis, I would like you to write a brief personal reflection,
where you share your own personal thoughts on this interview process. What did you learn from
this experience? Did this encourage you to reflect on other aspects of your life? Was there anything
else interesting from the interview that you did not get a chance to analyze/incorporate as a part of
your paper? After your personal reflection, you may pose your questions. Your personal reflection
and questions should be a part of your conclusion. As you wrap up and conclude your paper, you
should summarize your main points once more and then end with the questions that you are posing.
These questions should be thought provoking and could potentially serve as an area for future
research.
Your interview & reflection paper are to be done individually.
Prior to arranging a time for the interview, please ensure that you explain the purpose of the
assignment to the interviewee. Explain that the interview is completely confidential and it does not
require their real name, or photo. However, ask for their consent to do an audio recording for notetaking purposes that you will use to complete your assignment. I will also ask you to submit a link
to your audio-recording of your interview for verification purposes, to ensure that you actually
completed the interview as opposed to fabricating the experience. You can use baidu net disk or
wetransfer or a program like that.
Please ensure that you get the interviewee’s willful permission to conduct the interview. If the
person is reluctant to participate in the interview, please do not coerce them to do so. Identify
another more willing candidate.
Once you have identified the person, please ask them if they would be willing to have the interview
recorded (audio only). Please assure them that the recording is strictly for a class assignment and
will not be used for any other purposes. Once they have accepted, please ask them to verbally
confirm their acceptance on the recording before you proceed with the questions. It does not matter
what language the interview is conducted in, I will have translation assistance to ensure that the
clip submitted is authentically an interview.
Here is a list of potential questions that you may consider. The following is just a sample. Please
note that the questions that are relevant to the aspect of difference that you choose to explore will
differ.
1) You may ask any combination of the following questions and note your interviewee’s
responses:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
Can you tell me about yourself? Where you are from?
Can you briefly tell me about your childhood?
What was your relationship like with your parents?
When did you decide that you wanted to study/work in your current field?
What has the experience been like?
Are you satisfied/ dissatisfied with this choice?
Are you married? How would you describe your current home life?
Feel free to add any questions that may be relevant to you getting to know the person a bit more.
The next segment of the interview, involves the aspect of “difference” that you intend to ask more
about. Please remember that sharing one’s personal history can be difficult for some people. Try
to probe gently but respectfully. The following is an example based on the interviewee being a
foreigner. Your interviewee DOES NOT have to be a foreigner, but the person engaged for this
interview must consider themselves “different” from the “mainstream” population in some way.
This difference may be based on social class, gender, ability, sexuality, race, religious beliefs,
identity or any other perceived difference. You are not allowed to interview members of your
immediate family as the purpose of the assignment is also geared towards you genuinely learning
about someone else’s experience, someone who you are unfamiliar with. If you choose to interview
a foreigner, you cannot approach ICB lecturers. You are welcome to interview someone who is
Chinese and to conduct the interview in Chinese.
The following questions can be of assistance if you choose to interview a foreigner:
a) When and why did you decide to come to China?
b) What has the experience been like?
c) Being a foreigner, do you think locals interact with you differently?
d) What are some of the challenges of being a foreigner in China?
e) Have you ever been so frustrated with a situation that you thought of returning
home? Can you describe the situation and how you felt?
f) Do you think you have been treated differently based on your race? Can you give
an example?
g) Do you have any other foreign friends who are not the same race as you? Have
you heard of them being treated differently in any way?
h) Has your experience changed after Covid-19? Please explain
i) Is there any other information related to your treatment in China as a foreigner
that you would like to share?
Have your interviewees explain their answers and feel free to probe for themes and patterns. We
ask that you look for and share interesting and unique insight into perceptions about what your
interviewee thinks and communicates to you during the interview discussion. Please feel free to
adjust these questions and to think of additional questions that are better suited to the three (3)
issues/themes/aspects you are exploring.
Once you have completed the interview you will need to identify three (3) themes/issues/aspects
that you wish to explore in your paper. Please remember to connect these to course concepts and
to your external research.
Submission Requirements:
•
•
•
•
5-6 page paper in APA format
A final list of interview questions used
A copy of notes taken during the interview
A link to the interview
Evaluation Rubric
I. Content (140 points)
Evaluation of this area is based on the following:
Appropriate issues/themes/aspects that were clearly identified and shaped in a well-articulated thesis
statement that illustrates what areas of these three issues/themes/aspects you are exploring. The
introduction elaborates sufficiently on these three areas before further development in the body of
the paper
15
Each issue/theme/aspect is thoroughly explained with relevant and sufficient examples from the
interview, while providing some of your own insight/interpretation of these examples.
50
Analysis utilizes course material by including connections to concepts highlighted in the text & at
least 8 external academic sources. This illustrates understanding of course concepts. Concepts &
external sources are used effectively to demonstrate and to link key ideas
50
Personal Reflection: Include a brief personal reflection, where you share your own personal
thoughts on this interview process. What did you learn from this experience? Did this encourage you
to reflect on other aspects of your life? Was there anything else interesting from the interview that
you did not get a chance to analyze/incorporate as a part of your paper? Is there anything else you
would like to share or for me to know about what you experienced as you conducted this
assignment?
As you wrap up and conclude your paper, summarize the main points discussed previously and then
identify multiple questions that were related to the issues/themes/aspects that were left unanswered.
Perhaps an issue came up that the person was unwilling to discuss, you could pose these questions
10
15
and perhaps try to identify why in your opinion these areas may have been difficult to talk about.
The conclusion should be well written.
Total: 140
II. Composition, Organization & Addressed all Components of the Assignment (5 points)
Evaluation of this area is based on the following:
Thesis stated in first two paragraphs, then expanded and supported throughout.
1
Solid organization including a succinct preview, signposts, and clear, effective, and
polished beginning, body, and end.
1
Well-thought-out and clearly presented arguments backed by sound reasoning, relevant
examples, quotations, and evidence.
1
Accurate use of references, quotes, paraphrases to back up statements, concepts,
arguments, and conclusions.
1
Addresses all aspects of assignment thoroughly, accurately, and clearly connects them to
each other and the rest of the text.
1
Submitted the paper (that includes the themes, analysis, personal reflection & questions
posed) notes, recording and a list of the questions used.
TOTAL
5
Comments:
III. Mechanics (5 points possible)
Issues with paragraphing.
1
Issues with tense-use or consistency.
1
Issues with correct use of articles (the, a/an)
1
Issues with singular/plural construction.
1
Issues with formatting and/or citations.
1
TOTAL
5
Comments:
Total (150 Points Possible)
General Comments:
LET US BRAINSTORM QUESTIONS!
Religion (Christian/Buddhist/ Muslim (Islam etc.)
1. Special food culture & reasons behind this? Religious/Social/Cultural significance
2. How did you learn about this religion, was it a part of your childhood? Are you able to
practice in China? Are there regular gatherings? If so, where?
3. Have you ever encountered any obstacles in terms of your religion? Both in China or
abroad? Have y
4. Do you have a memorable experience with people from another religion, whether
positive or negative? Describe what this experience was and how it made you feel.
5. Asking for an explanation of key core beliefs and how these beliefs guides the person in
their lives
6. Have you ever been treated negatively because of your beliefs? Explain the situation and
how you felt.
7. Does this religion require you to do anything or follow any rules？If yes, what are they?
Social Class
1. Ask about their childhood, their parents. What jobs did their parents have? Their
grandparents etc.
2. What were your childhood dreams? What did you want to become when you grew up?
3. How old were you when you first went to school?
4. What is highest level of education?
5. Are you married and how did you meet your current partner?
6. What was your first job and why did you have to do it?
7. How often do you shop for basic necessities and approx. how much do you spend on
food, utilities, rent etc. per month.
8. How do commute to work? How far do you live from work?
9. Do you have any side jobs in addition to your main job?
Different Ability (physical) mental, neurological (autism)
1. What age were you when you first discovered this different ability? Were you born with
this?
2. Did this affect your childhood? If so, how did this affect your childhood?
3. Have you experienced any unfair treatment as a child or an adult? If so by whom?
4. Have you ever felt discriminated against in any other social settings?
5. How have you been able to overcome this “different ability” ? Have you had any support
or where do you go for support?
6. Are there any governmental facilities that you use that have beneficial? Or do you think
more could be done? If so what would you like to see done?
7. Has your educational experience been different in any way?
Sexual Orientation
1. When did you first realize that your sexual orientation was different from what society
perceives as the norm?
2. What event/occurrence/ made you realize this? And when, where and how did this
happen?
3. Have you come out to your parents, friends, employer? Etc.
4. Does sexual orientation impact who you become friends with?
5. Have you struggled with your identity in any way? If so, how did you overcome this or
have you overcome this?
6. Is there anything/experience/role model etc. in your childhood that may have impacted yo
ur gender identity & your sexual identity? Are you open about these aspects of your life
with your parents? Were they supportive or did they encourage you to change in any way
7. Do you feel comfortable sharing with others your sexual orientation? Or do you prefer ke
eping it to yourself?
8. Have you thought about your future plans? What would you do if your parents asked you
to marry and have children?
Other areas of Difference
Ability (physical, mental health issues, neurological and developmental issues e.g. autism)
Gender identity
Age (but not close relatives like your grandparents or their friends)
Life experience (refugees)
Trauma (rape/any form of abuse whether physical or emotional)
NB. These are questions to get you started. You can think of your own questions. As you
conduct the interview, think of how this person’s experience might be related or connected to
any of our class content. Also consider your own thoughts and reactions to the person’s life
etc. For example, are you “Thinking Under the Influence” in any way? If you are, what were
you thinking about in relation to your interview? How has the interview either solidified or
changed your previous thoughts?
The challenges of studying as a foreigner in Macau, China
(religious and cultural)：
1. Can you tell me more about yourself？
My name is philipp ver boa. I am kept fer and um I am 22 years old. I’m studying in
Macau communication and creative media. My bachelor’s degree um I am passionate
about music. I’m a musician, I’m an artist and I’m very extroverted, I’m very social. I
also very confident in, in, in outgoing but at the same time um I’m very hopeful and
thoughtful of people’s feelings and things. I can be too much for certain people there
are two less but yeah that’s me. I mean that’s a bit of me.
2. What is your species?
My species, what is this species? Okay if you mean race, I am African, I’m black African.
If by species you mean a sign, I massage serious.
3. What made you decide to study in China?
Well, my parents had already visited China and Macau before, and they thought it was
a good place for me to come to study because there was a good level of education. It
both Macau in Mainland China are very safe places, um, to be. And you know, we’ve
had, especially here Macau we’ve had, we have a connection, you know, with the
Portuguese speaking world. So, there’s a lot of people here that speak Portuguese as
well. So, it’s, it’s a culturally I wouldn’t be so displaced. And for the fact that there was
a scholarship, you know, so it’s, it was a great opportunity.
4. In the process of contact with Chinese students, what are your different feelings
in terms of living habits？
Well, my contact with Chinese students, I would say it’s a positive and so, so, um, I’ve
met a lot of Chinese students and most of them are very quiet, very uh, shy, especially
around foreigners and around international students. Maybe because they’d speak most
of them don’t speak English, you know on a, on a good conversational level. So, they’re
like embarrassed speak English. But others might be just the fact that they’re not used
to speaking much in school. I think the Chinese school system is very exams, very
reading oriented so they don’t learn to speak to speak, not only speak um English but
speak up. You know uh even in presentations you can feel that they’re kind of shy in
terms of expressing themselves.
5. Talk about what you find most unacceptable in relation to the local culture.
One of the things that I think it’s unacceptable about the local culture is the fact that
maca is a country that is trying to open himself to the world and they still have people
that have daily contact with tourists like merchants’ ants and stuff, even taxi drivers that
speak zero English. So literally if you from outside of here and you come here and you
don’t speak Cantonese or Chinese with you, which you don’t have to because it’s a
language that’s only spoken in China and you don’t use it pretty much anywhere else.
So it’s like, and if you’re on vacation you’re not going to learn a language in two days.
So pretty much they some merchants and some people in restaurants and shops, they
just speak zero English. I think they’re not obliged to have good English to speak good
English, but at least some basic conversational English so they can get along with
tourists. That would be alright.
6. To some extent, what is the biggest challenge for you to study in China?
I think one of the biggest challenges I faced since coming to Macau, China in general,
it’s um, the fact that most students don’t speak English on a conversation on a good
conversational level. So pretty much uh, they’re not able to express themselves. And
when you must do group work, when you must do any type of sort of work that includes
collaboration. Ah, it’s hard for foreign students that don’t speak Chinese or Mandarin or
Cantonese because you don’t get to connect, you know and there’s a there those open
ways to a lot of misunderstandings and a little friction necessary friction. Sometimes
that would be erased if we were if they spoke a bit more of English or I spoke their
language as well.
7. In terms of religious belief, whether you get a comfortable environment？
I was raised Catholic, Christian, Catholic and that’s what I’m the most comfortable at.
Say I don’t go to the mass anymore, but that’s the religion I feel I feel the most
comfortable with because it’s, it’s the one I know more about. But um, here Macau you
have Catholic churches, you know close to, you know mixing with not mixing but you
know close by Buddhist temple. So, I’ve grown and even travel around Asia. I’ve grown
to be comfortable around Buddhist temples and that Buddhism itself seems a very
interesting religion, and I would like to get to know more about. I did a bit in, I did a
bit you know went to, I went to one temple in Taiwan, and I loved it. So, I feel
comfortable around the religions that are present here in Macau.
8. If you are sick or have a difficult time, what is your biggest obstacle to tackling
a challenge?
If I’m sick, depending on what, what type of disease or virus or what is the degree of
sickness that I have, I will try to search for health for the health services as fast as
possible. If it’s grave, ah yeah, or if I’m having a difficult time in general in life, I will
try to call my friends. If they can help me solve it, I will go to the college and my parents
as well.
9. Do you think that after studying in China, you are different from your friends
in your own country？
Well, totally different because my friends mostly study in Europe, in Portugal and the
United States and, and, you know, in Europe in general. So, me having studied in China
and being in Asia, it gives me a total different perspective of and in the world I’m dealing
with a total different culture with, you know, people that you know have different habits
and in different religion and different foods and stuff like that. So, um, I, I’m totally
getting in an experience that’s different from what they’re getting.
10. During your study, have you ever encountered any bias against you because of
your group or beliefs?
Yes, I’ve encountered a lot of bias, especially because people don’t know much about
Africa. And so they make up a lot of ideas that are not necessarily true that are maybe
not necessarily they, maybe they might not be necessarily bad, but it’s still a bias, is still
an opinion that’s based on maybe what they’ve seen on TV or what the media is just
showing them, which n doesn’t necessarily a correspond to what our culture and our
people and our habits really are.
11. Do you think it is easy to accept the culture and beliefs of a people? What do
you think?
Yes, I do think it’s easy. I think depending on your level of openness, their level of um,
in terms of mindset, in terms of open openness, in terms of your mindset. Ah, it can be
quite easy in and pre, pretty much interesting and a lot interesting to get to know other
people’s cultures and beliefs and habits, and you might like it or not, you might find
yourself interested in it or in learning more, getting to know more about it or not. But
just having that openness to, to, to understand and to and to be curious about you know
new other cultures and other people from other places. That’s noble and I think that’s
where that’s what we’re here on earthed for. We’re here to learn about each other in in
live with each other.
12. Do you think different groups and cultures have an impact on your life?
No, in terms of influence, yes, because, um, I grew up in a very globalized world and I
grew up pretty much in the inside of the Internet, an era. So, a lot of my musical and
artistic influences are from other parts of the world, you know, United States, Europe,
Brazil, Latin America, Africa itself. So sometimes I have AI feel like a lot of different
cultures have impacted my life, my way of thinking, my way of in my habits as well.
Of course, especially as a musician, I listen and appreciate music from musicians from
all over the world, from Asia to Europe to Latin America and Africa as well. So, I think
culture, a lot of cultures have impacted me in my music.
13. Were there instances where your race or religious beliefs affected your
academic opportunities or interactions with professors and peers?
Very few religious know, but there were very few times where my race was when I felt
that my race, uh, was um, impeding or preventing me from accessing any opportunities
or hindering any interactions between me and professors and my peers. But especially
this last semester, I kind of felt that my not just my race, but the fact of being a foreigner,
a kind of make it hard to interact and collaborate with other local students in a specific
group project. And I felt that um, expectations, and stereotypes of race were got in the
way, maybe of how they perceived me after the after the project.
14. Did you actively seek out or participate in religious communities while in China?
Not really, because I don’t necessarily participate in religious cults or masses or
something like that anymore. Um, so I never, I never seek out. I mean I’ve been to
beauties temples, but it was like I was, it was visiting. I was passing by and there was
a cult going on and I stayed a bit. It was amazing. I loved it. It was very interesting, but
it wasn’t something that I seek out. So, I feel like my relationship with God and with
spirituality is a bit more personal. So as of this, as of now, this moment in my life, now
I don’t feel the need to seek out religious communities for that, maybe in the future, you
never know.
15. How did the Chinese educational system accommodate diversity and inclusion,
considering your background?
Well, in terms of high school, I don’t know much about it, but I just know that depending
on your racial background, or maybe your racial or maybe your cultural background,
you would study in a different type of school. That’s the way Macau found of kind of
including everybody you know dealing with the accommodating diversity. You know
the students in terms of university, especially university of Macau where I’m studying.
I feel that the English me the having English as the main mean of instruction. It’s already
a good step into accommodating new cultures into opening local people’s minds to a
broader perspective, have a broader perspective in the world and, and about their future.
And the fact that there’s foreign students and foreign teachers as well, makes the campus
a bit more of more multicultural and which is a great step towards accommodating
diversity, I think.
16. What do you think is the biggest difference between the education you received
before coming to China and the education in China?
I think the biggest difference is the fact that in giver in my country the educational
system, it’s more um, person based is more individual based. It’s more about expressing
yourself. It’s more about, um, you are understanding the toxic in the subject by being
able to explain them verbally. Be keep were very verbal people. So, I think our
education is very verbally oriented. A lot of presentations in a lot of class discussions.
We’re for very young. We’re very excited to have our own opinion, to build our opinions
on things, to be able to articulate and verbalize things. I think in China it’s totally the
opposite. You just must study hard and memorize things and pass the exams. You don’t
really have to develop any personal skills or.
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