The reason why I chose this course initially was just because it was a requirement to complete the degree. I didn’t have much interest in the humanities. But this course really changed a lot of my ideas and made me look deeper into our relationship with society and culture. I participated in civic activities and completed religious experiences. To be honest, if it was not required by this course, I would never have taken the chance to visit a Hindu temple or learn more about Native American rights.
I was born in Taiwan and moved to the United States about four years ago. My identity gives me different perspective while learning in this course. COVID-19 caused a pandemic all over the world which has also caused conflicts among people from different countries or backgrounds. I feel deeply that the disease is only one of the reasons these disputes are happening. In the course, we learned how to use critical thinking to look at new information. This helps me to question my pre-conceived knowledge when faced with something that is different from my culture and national conditions. I have also learned how to maintain respect and openness, instead of criticizing everything according to these stereotypes.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in her talk “The danger of a single story” says, "My roommate had a single story of Africa: a single story of catastrophe. In this single story, there was no possibility of Africans being similar to her in any way, no possibility of feelings more complex than pity, no possibility of a connection as human equals" (Adichie 4:42). The greatest gain from this course is that I walked out of my comfort zone to better understand what is happening around us. In terms of cultural and ethnic differences, through understanding and tolerance, we can achieve the ideal of peaceful coexistence. Just because the problems in society are not visible to you, does not mean that they are not happening; this includes, but is not limited to, issues around LGBT, feminism, immigration and war. When politicians pass laws that threaten personal freedom or civil rights, each of us has the ability to exercise our civil rights and fight for what is right. This is the power that true democracy grants us, and we are obligated to use it so that every voice is heard and every person is protected.
Source Adichie, Chimamanda. “The danger of a single story.” TED. July. 2019. Lecture.