Student Number: 590108
Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
CED- 555
Human Relations Skills
Master of Arts – Community College Education Program
Central Michigan University
Global Campus, Humber Cohort
Toronto, Ontario
February 08th 2014
Dr. Steven Shiendling
Cultural Awareness
The various cultural memberships
1. Greek/Albanian culture
2. Greek Orthodox religion
3. Male Gender
4. Heterosexual orientation
5. Matrimonial Culture ( a male and female)
6. Fatherhood (1 child )
7. Newcomer
8. Student culture
9. College instructor
10. TTC rider (Transportation)
11. Hiker
12. Polychromic culture
13. Credit Card Culture
Advantages of being from a Greek/Albanian culture
I enjoy the benefits of having a small nuclear family but at the same time the comfort and support of an extended one. Living in Canada has cut the ties of the extended family to some extend and I attend more to the needs of my family. The way my family functions is that of a traditional one (typical for Greek, Italian, Albanian) where the father is the head of the family and the mother is its heart. We have clear roles in the family even when it comes to domestic work which helps a lot in terms of relationships. Back home I was the one chopping wood and most of the time would do the shopping. In Canada, my wife does most of the laundry and dishwashing. I do most of the cooking and shopping. Being an Albanian means that you have a good understanding of what it means to be a good neighbour to a Muslim, Catholic and Orthodox. The religious tolerance is something that Albanians have enjoyed for centuries. It also nourishes the value of a friend which is embodied in their code called “BESA”. (a BESA friend is a friend that you have come to an agreement with a him/her, usually during a teenage time to help each other and support each other all your life. A BESA friend is sometimes more important than siblings. He/she is
References: Herberg, D. Chave. (1993). Frameworks for cultural and racial diversity: teaching and learning for practitioners. Toronto: Canadian Scholars ' Press. Canadian Counselling Association (1999). Code of ethics . Ottawa, ON: Author. Canadian Psychological Association. (1996). Guidelines for non-discriminatory practice. Ottawa,ON: Author. Vicente , G. (2013). Within group counsellors and barriers. Helping Professionals, Retrieved from https://www.problemgambling.ca/en/resourcesforprofessionals/pages/withingroupcounsellorsandbarriers.aspx Arthur, N., & Stewart, J. 2007 Jan 30. Multicultural Counselling in the New Millennium: Introduction to the Special Theme Issue. Canadian Journal of Counselling New York Times: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/02/05/my-husbands-things/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0