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Rethinking 'Us' & 'Them': Integration and Diversity in Europe
Torsten Schubert
02. Jul 2017 10:33 Uhr
Kapitel 1 › Journal Assignment for Chapter 1:
Do you feel like part of the 'Us' or the 'Them'?
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Do you feel like part of the 'Us' or the 'Them'?
Tell us: Where do you fall on the ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ spectrum?
In this chapter, you've seen many examples of how diversity is understood and contested in Germany and Canada. We imagine you may want to comment on what you've heard and maybe even share your personal experiences. The 'Us' & 'Them' course community would love to hear from you:
Here are some guiding questions to draw from:
- How is diversity perceived in your country?
- How are the communities you identify with (race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, sex, gender...) represented in media and public life?
- What examples can you mention or find that indicate your inclusion or exclusion from mainstream society?
- What experiences have you had where others perceived you in a certain way based on how you look or where you come from? Were these correct or incorrect?
- Does your country recognize itself as a country of immigration and in which ways? Do you see your country as a country of immigration?
Now what?
Click 'Start in Journal', and fill out the entry. How you do this is up to you: You can use just words, or add pictures or links to articles or videos to highlight your point!
Is this journal assignment required?
No! Nothing in our course is 'required', and there are no grades, but we encourage you to reflect on these topics and share if you feel comfortable, so that others in the course can benefit from your experiences.
Always "us"
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For me its always "us". I lived in different countries and traveled a lot as a journalist. No matter where I was, some people helped me out, showed me their country, let me even live with them. I always found support, it was never a question of nationality, religion or skin color. Of course there were unfriendly people, too. Like in my homeland Germany, there are a lot of people in the world, who are afraid of strangers and changes. But I hope, they will never rule the world, because that would mean the end of curiosity and development. So let it always be "us" instead of "them".
Hi Torsten, thanks a lot for your entry. The topic of travel is interesting as it definitely can open up people's horizons but is unfortunately not accessible for everyone. Did you find that people in other countries were quick to put you in a box for being German?
The idea of discovering new cultures and communities within one's home city/country has always been something that I've been curious about, if it's possible for people to become more open minded within their own borders even if they can't travel to other places.
Hello Sophia, thanks for your comment.
Yes, sometimes I was in trouble, just because for being German. The most swearword for a German is of course "racist". Often, when I did not do what another want me doing, for example something to buy from him. But as I wrote in my Logbuch, a lot of people all over the world were very kind to me.
You are right, today one can discover foreign cultures in one's home country. A few weeks ago, I joined a night in a Moschee to celebrate Ramadan. And I invited a family from Iran to dinner, cause I work with their son. This are small steps to cross the borders between different cultures. But I'm afraid, it is not near to normal in our society. There will be a lot of work, to bring people from different cultures together.