cultural awareness college essay

Cultural Diversity Essay & Community Essay Examples

If you’ve started to research college application requirements for the schools on your list, you might have come across the “cultural diversity essay.” In this guide, we’ll explore the cultural diversity essay in depth. We will compare the cultural diversity essay to the community essay and discuss how to approach these kinds of supplements. We’ll also provide examples of diversity essays and community essay examples. But first, let’s discuss exactly what a cultural diversity essay is. 

The purpose of the cultural diversity essay in college applications is to show the admissions committee what makes you unique. The cultural diversity essay also lets you describe what type of “ diversity ” you would bring to campus.

We’ll also highlight a diversity essay sample for three college applications. These include the Georgetown application essay , Rice application essay , and Williams application essay . We’ll provide examples of diversity essays for each college. Then, for each of these college essays that worked, we will analyze their strengths to help you craft your own essays. 

Finally, we’ll give you some tips on how to write a cultural diversity essay that will make your applications shine. 

But first, let’s explore the types of college essays you might encounter on your college applications. 

Types of College Essays

College application requirements will differ among schools. However, you’ll submit one piece of writing to nearly every school on your list—the personal statement . A strong personal statement can help you stand out in the admissions process. 

So, how do you know what to write about? That depends on the type of college essay included in your college application requirements. 

There are a few main types of college essays that you might encounter in the college admissions process. Theese include the “Why School ” essay, the “Why Major ” essay, and the extracurricular activity essay. This also includes the type of essay we will focus on in this guide—the cultural diversity essay. 

“Why School” essay

The “Why School ” essay is exactly what it sounds like. For this type of college essay, you’ll need to underscore why you want to go to this particular school. 

However, don’t make the mistake of just listing off what you like about the school. Additionally, don’t just reiterate information you can find on their admissions website. Instead, you’ll want to make connections between what the school offers and how you are a great fit for that college community. 

“Why Major” essay

The idea behind the “Why Major ” essay is similar to that of the “Why School ” essay above. However, instead of writing about the school at large, this essay should highlight why you plan to study your chosen major.

There are plenty of directions you could take with this type of essay. For instance, you might describe how you chose this major, what career you plan to pursue upon graduation, or other details.

Extracurricular Activity essay

The extracurricular activity essay asks you to elaborate on one of the activities that you participated in outside of the classroom. 

For this type of college essay, you’ll need to select an extracurricular activity that you pursued while you were in high school. Bonus points if you can tie your extracurricular activity into your future major, career goals, or other extracurricular activities for college. Overall, your extracurricular activity essay should go beyond your activities list. In doing so, it should highlight why your chosen activity matters to you.

Cultural Diversity essay

The cultural diversity essay is your chance to expound upon diversity in all its forms. Before you write your cultural diversity essay, you should ask yourself some key questions. These questions can include: How will you bring diversity to your future college campus? What unique perspective do you bring to the table? 

Another sub-category of the cultural diversity essay is the gender diversity essay. As its name suggests, this essay would center around the author’s gender. This essay would highlight how gender shapes the way the writer understands the world around them. 

Later, we’ll look at examples of diversity essays and other college essays that worked. But before we do, let’s figure out how to identify a cultural diversity essay in the first place. 

How to identify a ‘cultural diversity’ essay

So, you’re wondering how you’ll be able to identify a cultural diversity essay as you review your college application requirements. 

Aside from the major giveaway of having the word “diversity” in the prompt, a cultural diversity essay will ask you to describe what makes you different from other applicants. In other words, what aspects of your unique culture(s) have influenced your perspective and shaped you into who you are today?

Diversity can refer to race, ethnicity, first-generation status, gender, or anything in between. You can write about a myriad of things in a cultural diversity essay. For instance, you might discuss your personal background, identity, values, experiences, or how you’ve overcome challenges in your life. 

However, don’t feel limited in what you can address in a cultural diversity essay. The words “culture” and “diversity” mean different things to different people. Above all, you’ll want your diversity essays for college to be personal and sincere. 

How is a ‘community’ essay different? 

A community essay can also be considered a cultural diversity essay. In fact, you can think of the community essay as a subcategory of the cultural diversity essay. However, there is a key difference between a community essay and a cultural diversity essay, which we will illustrate below. 

You might have already seen some community essay examples while you were researching college application requirements. But how exactly is a community essay different from a cultural diversity essay?

One way to tell the difference between community essay examples and cultural diversity essay examples is by the prompt. A community essay will highlight, well, community . This means it will focus on how your identity will shape your interactions on campus—not just how it informs your own experiences.

Two common forms to look out for

Community essay examples can take two forms. First, you’ll find community essay examples about your past experiences. These let you show the admissions team how you have positively influenced your own community. 

Other community essay examples, however, will focus on the future. These community essay examples will ask you to detail how you will contribute to your future college community. We refer to these as college community essay examples.

In college community essay examples, you’ll see applicants detail how they might interact with their fellow students. These essays may also discuss how students plan to positively contribute to the campus community. 

As we mentioned above, the community essay, along with community essay examples and college community essay examples, fit into the larger category of the cultural diversity essay. Although we do not have specific community essay examples or college community essay examples in this guide, we will continue to highlight the subtle differences between the two. 

Before we continue the discussion of community essay examples and college community essay examples, let’s start with some examples of cultural diversity essay prompts. For each of the cultural diversity essay prompts, we’ll name the institutions that include these diversity essays for college as part of their college application requirements. 

What are some examples of ‘cultural diversity’ essays? 

Now, you have a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the cultural diversity essay and the community essay. So, next, let’s look at some examples of cultural diversity essay prompts.

The prompts below are from the Georgetown application, Rice application, and Williams application, respectively. As we discuss the similarities and differences between prompts, remember the framework we provided above for what constitutes a cultural diversity essay and a community essay. 

Later in this guide, we’ll provide real examples of diversity essays, including Georgetown essay examples, Rice University essay examples, and Williams supplemental essays examples. These are all considered college essays that worked—meaning that the author was accepted into that particular institution. 

Georgetown Supplementals Essays

Later, we’ll look at Georgetown supplemental essay examples. Diversity essays for Georgetown are a product of this prompt: 

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you. 

You might have noticed two keywords in this prompt right away: “diverse” and “community.” These buzzwords indicate that this prompt is a cultural diversity essay. You could even argue that responses to this prompt would result in college community essay examples. After all, the prompt refers to the Georgetown community. 

For this prompt, you’ll want to produce a diversity essay sample that highlights who you are. In order to do that successfully, you’ll need to self-reflect before putting pen to paper. What aspects of your background, personality, or values best describe who you are? How might your presence at Georgetown influence or contribute to their diverse community? 

Additionally, this cultural diversity essay can be personal or creative. So, you have more flexibility with the Georgetown supplemental essays than with other similar diversity essay prompts. Depending on the direction you go, your response to this prompt could be considered a cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or a college community essay. 

Rice University Essays

The current Rice acceptance rate is just 9% , making it a highly selective school. Because the Rice acceptance rate is so low, your personal statement and supplemental essays can make a huge difference. 

The Rice University essay examples we’ll provide below are based on this prompt: 

The quality of Rice’s academic life and the Residential College System are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What personal perspective would you contribute to life at Rice? 

Breaking down the prompt.

Like the prompt above, this cultural diversity essay asks about your “life experiences,” “cultural traditions,” and personal “perspectives.” These phrases indicate a cultural diversity essay. Keep in mind this may not be the exact prompt you’ll have to answer in your own Rice application. However, future Rice prompts will likely follow a similar framework as this diversity essay sample.

Although this prompt is not as flexible as the Georgetown prompt, it does let you discuss aspects of Rice’s academic life and Residential College System that appeal to you. You can also highlight how your experiences have influenced your personal perspective. 

The prompt also asks about how you would contribute to life at Rice. So, your response could also fall in line with college community essay examples. Remember, college community essay examples are another sub-category of community essay examples. Successful college community essay examples will illustrate the ways in which students would contribute to their future campus community. 

Williams Supplemental Essays

Like the Rice acceptance rate, the Williams acceptance rate is also 9% . Because the Williams acceptance rate is so low, you’ll want to pay close attention to the Williams supplemental essays examples as you begin the writing process. 

The Williams supplemental essays examples below are based on this prompt: 

Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entry – a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives, and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the 19 other first-year students in an Entry? What perspective would you add to the conversation with your peer(s)?

Reflecting on the prompt.

Immediately, words like “diverse,” “backgrounds,” “perspectives,” “interests,” and “differentiate” should stand out to you. These keywords highlight the fact that this is a cultural diversity essay. Similar to the Rice essay, this may not be the exact prompt you’ll face on your Williams application. However, we can still learn from it.

Like the Georgetown essay, this prompt requires you to put in some self-reflection before you start writing. What aspects of your background differentiate you from other people? How would these differences impact your interactions with peers? 

This prompt also touches on the “student community” and how you would “add to the conversation with your peer(s).” By extension, any strong responses to this prompt could also be considered as college community essay examples. 

Community Essays

All of the prompts above mention campus community. So, you could argue that they are also examples of community essays. 

Like we mentioned above, you can think of community essays as a subcategory of the cultural diversity essay. If the prompt alludes to the campus community, or if your response is centered on how you would interact within that community, your essay likely falls into the world of college community essay examples. 

Regardless of what you would classify the essay as, all successful essays will be thoughtful, personal, and rich with details. We’ll show you examples of this in our “college essays that worked” section below. 

Which schools require a cultural diversity or community essay? 

Besides Georgetown, Rice, and Williams, many other college applications require a cultural diversity essay or community essay. In fact, from the Ivy League to HBCUs and state schools, the cultural diversity essay is a staple across college applications. 

Although we will not provide a diversity essay sample for each of the colleges below, it is helpful to read the prompts. This will build your familiarity with other college applications that require a cultural diversity essay or community essay. Some schools that require a cultural diversity essay or community essay include New York University , Duke University , Harvard University , Johns Hopkins University , and University of Michigan . 

New York University

NYU listed a cultural diversity essay as part of its 2022-2023 college application requirements. Here is the prompt:

NYU was founded on the belief that a student’s identity should not dictate the ability for them to access higher education. That sense of opportunity for all students, of all backgrounds, remains a part of who we are today and a critical part of what makes us a world class university. Our community embraces diversity, in all its forms, as a cornerstone of the NYU experience. We would like to better understand how your experiences would help us to shape and grow our diverse community.

Duke university.

Duke is well-known for its community essay: 

What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there’s something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well.

A top-ranked Ivy League institution, Harvard University also has a cultural diversity essay as part of its college application requirements: 

Harvard has long recognized the importance of student body diversity of all kinds. We welcome you to write about distinctive aspects of your background, personal development, or the intellectual interests you might bring to your Harvard classmates.

Johns hopkins university.

The Johns Hopkins supplement is another example of a cultural diversity essay: 

Founded in the spirit of exploration and discovery, Johns Hopkins University encourages students to share their perspectives, develop their interests, and pursue new experiences. Use this space to share something you’d like the admissions committee to know about you (your interests, your background, your identity, or your community), and how it has shaped what you want to get out of your college experience at Hopkins. 

University of michigan.

The University of Michigan requires a community essay for its application: 

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong and describe that community and your place within it. 

Community essay examples.

The Duke and Michigan prompts are perfect illustrations of community essay examples. However, they have some critical differences. So, if you apply to both of these schools, you’ll have to change the way you approach either of these community essays. 

The Duke prompt asks you to highlight why you are a good match for the Duke community. You’ll also see this prompt in other community essay examples. To write a successful response to this prompt, you’ll need to reference offerings specific to Duke (or whichever college requires this essay). In order to know what to reference, you’ll need to do your research before you start writing. 

Consider the following questions as you write your diversity essay sample if the prompt is similar to Duke University’s

• What values does this college community have? 
• How do these tie in with what you value? 
• Is there something that this college offers that matches your interests, personality, or background?  

On the other hand, the Michigan essay prompt asks you to describe a community that you belong to as well as your place within that community. This is another variation of the prompt for community essay examples. 

To write a successful response to this prompt, you’ll need to identify a community that you belong to. Then, you’ll need to think critically about how you interact with that community. 

Below are some questions to consider as you write your diversity essay sample for colleges like Michigan: 

• Out of all the communities you belong to, which can you highlight in your response? 
• How have you impacted this community? 
• How has this community impacted you?

Now, in the next few sections, we’ll dive into the Georgetown supplemental essay examples, the Rice university essay examples, and the Williams supplemental essays examples. After each diversity essay sample, we’ll include a breakdown of why these are considered college essays that worked. 

Georgetown Essay Examples

As a reminder, the Georgetown essay examples respond to this prompt: 

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.

Here is the excerpt of the diversity essay sample from our Georgetown essay examples: 

Georgetown University Essay Example

The best thing I ever did was skip eight days of school in a row. Despite the protests of teachers over missed class time, I told them that the world is my classroom. The lessons I remember most are those that took place during my annual family vacation to coastal Maine. That rural world is the most authentic and incredible classroom where learning simply happens and becomes exponential. 

Years ago, as I hunted through the rocks and seaweed for seaglass and mussels, I befriended a Maine local hauling her battered kayak on the shore. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I had found a kindred spirit in Jeanne. Jeanne is a year-round resident who is more than the hard working, rugged Mainer that meets the eye; reserved and humble in nature, she is a wealth of knowledge and is self-taught through necessity. With thoughtful attention to detail, I engineered a primitive ramp made of driftwood and a pulley system to haul her kayak up the cliff. We diligently figured out complex problems and developed solutions through trial and error.

After running out of conventional materials, I recycled and reimagined items that had washed ashore. We expected to succeed, but were not afraid to fail. Working with Jeanne has been the best classroom in the world; without textbooks or technology, she has made a difference in my life. Whether building a basic irrigation system for her organic garden or installing solar panels to harness the sun’s energy, every project has shown me the value of taking action and making an impact. Each year brings a different project with new excitement and unique challenges. My resourcefulness, problem solving ability, and innovative thinking have advanced under her tutelage. 

While exploring the rocky coast of Maine, I embrace every experience as an unparalleled educational opportunity that transcends any classroom environment. I discovered that firsthand experience and real-world application of science are my best teachers. In school, applications of complex calculations and abstract theories are sometimes obscured by grades and structure. In Maine, I expand my love of science and renourish my curious spirit. I am a highly independent, frugal, resilient Mainer living as a southern girl in NC. 

Why this essay worked

This is one of the Georgetown supplemental essay examples that works, and here’s why. The author starts the essay with an interesting hook, which makes the reader want to learn more about this person and their perspective. 

Throughout the essay, the author illustrates their intellectual curiosity. From befriending Jeanne and creating a pulley system to engineering other projects on the rocky coast of Maine, the author demonstrates how they welcome challenges and work to solve problems. 

Further, the author mentions values that matter to them—taking action and making an impact. Both facets are also part of Georgetown’s core values . By making these connections in their essay, the author shows the admissions committee exactly how they would be a great fit for the Georgetown community. 

Finally, the author uses their experience in Maine to showcase their love of science, which is likely the field they will study at Georgetown. Like this writer, you should try to include most important parts of your identity into your essay. This includes things like life experiences, passions, majors, extracurricular activities for college, and more. 

Rice University Essay Examples

The Rice University essay examples are from this prompt: 

The quality of Rice’s academic life and the Residential College System are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What personal perspective would you contribute to life at Rice? (500-word limit)

Rice university essay example.

Like every applicant, I also have a story to share. A story that makes me who I am and consists of chapters about my life experiences and adventures. Having been born in a different country, my journey to America was one of the most difficult things I had ever experienced. Everything felt different. The atmosphere, the places, the food, and especially the people. Everywhere I looked, I saw something new. Although it was a bit overwhelming, one thing had not changed.

The caring nature of the people was still prevalent in everyday interactions. I was overwhelmed by how supportive and understanding people were of one another. Whether it is race, religion, or culture, everyone was accepted and appreciated. I knew that I could be whoever I wanted to be and that the only limitation was my imagination. Through hard work and persistence I put my all in everything that I did. I get this work ethic from my father since he is living proof that anything can be accomplished with continued determination. Listening to the childhood stories he told me, my dad would reminisce about how he was born in an impoverished area in a third world country during a turbulent and unpredictable time.

Even with a passion for learning, he had to work a laborious job in an attempt to help his parents make ends meet. He talked about how he would study under the street lights when the power went out at home. His parents wanted something better for him, as did he. Not living in America changed nothing about their work ethic. His parents continued to work hard daily, in an attempt to provide for their son. My dad worked and studied countless hours, paying his way through school with jobs and scholarships. His efforts paid off when he finally moved to America and opened his own business. None of it would have been possible without tremendous effort and dedication needed for a better life, values that are instilled within me as well, and this is the perspective that I wish to bring to Rice. 

This diversity essay sample references the author’s unique life experiences and personal perspective, which makes it one example of college essays that worked. The author begins the essay by alluding to their unique story—they were born in a different country and then came to America. Instead of facing this change as a challenge, the author shows how this new experience helped them to feel comfortable with all kinds of people. They also highlight how their diversity was accepted and appreciated. 

Additionally, the author incorporates information about their father’s story, which helps to frame their own values and where those values came from. The values that they chose to highlight also fall in line with the values of the Rice community. 

Williams Supplemental Essay Examples

Let’s read the prompt that inspired so many strong Williams supplemental essays examples again: 

Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entry—a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the 19 other first-year students in an entry? What perspective(s) would you add to the conversation with your peers?

Williams college essay example.

Through the flow in my head

See you clad in red

But not just the clothes

It’s your whole being

Covering in this sickening blanket

Of heat and pain

Are you in agony, I wonder?

Is this the hell they told me about?

Have we been condemned?

Reduced to nothing but pain

At least we have each other

In our envelopes of crimson

I try in vain

“Take my hands” I shriek

“Let’s protect each other, 

You and me, through this hell”

My body contorts

And deforms into nothingness

You remain the same

Clad in red

With faraway eyes

You, like a statue

Your eyes fixed somewhere else

You never see me

Just the red briefcase in your heart

We aren’t together

It’s always been me alone

While you stand there, aloof, with the briefcase in your heart.

I wrote this poem the day my prayer request for the Uighur Muslims got denied at school. At the time, I was stunned. I was taught to have empathy for those around me. Yet, that empathy disappears when told to extend it to someone different. I can’t comprehend this contradiction and I refuse to. 

At Williams, I hope to become a Community Engagement Fellow at the Davis Center. I hope to use Williams’ support for social justice and advocacy to educate my fellow classmates on social issues around the world. Williams students are not just scholars but also leaders and changemakers. Together, we can strive to better the world through advocacy.

Human’s capability for love is endless. We just need to open our hearts to everyone. 

It’s time to let the briefcase go and look at those around us with our real human eyes.

We see you now. Please forgive us.

As we mentioned above, the Williams acceptance rate is incredibly low. This makes the supplemental essay that much more important. 

This diversity essay sample works because it is personal and memorable. The author chooses to start the essay off with a poem. Which, if done right, will immediately grab the reader’s attention. 

Further, the author contextualizes the poem by explaining the circumstances surrounding it—they wrote it in response to a prayer request that was denied at school. In doing so, they also highlight their own values of empathy and embracing diversity. 

Finally, the author ends their cultural diversity essay by describing what excites them about Williams. They also discuss how they see themselves interacting within the Williams community. This is a key piece of the essay, as it helps the reader understand how the author would be a good fit for Williams. 

The examples provided within this essay also touch on issues that are important to the author, which provides a glimpse into the type of student the author would be on campus. Additionally, this response shows what potential extracurricular activities for college the author might be interested in pursuing while at Williams. 

How to Write a Cultural Diversity Essay

You want your diversity essay to stand out from any other diversity essay sample. But how do you write a successful cultural diversity essay? 

First, consider what pieces of your identity you want to highlight in your essay. Of course, race and ethnicity are important facets of diversity. However, there are plenty of other factors to consider. 

As you brainstorm, think outside the box to figure out what aspects of your identity help make up who you are. Because identity and diversity fall on a spectrum, there is no right or wrong answer here. 

Fit your ideas to the specific school

Once you’ve decided on what you want to represent in your cultural diversity essay, think about how that fits into the college of your choice. Use your cultural diversity essay to make connections to the school. If your college has specific values or programs that align with your identity, then include them in your cultural diversity essay! 

Above all, you should write about something that is important to you. Your cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or community essay will succeed if you are passionate about your topic and willing to get personal. 

Additional Tips for Community & Cultural Diversity Essays

1. start early.

In order to create the strongest diversity essay possible, you’ll want to start early. Filling out college applications is already a time-consuming process. So, you can cut back on additional stress and anxiety by writing your cultural diversity essay as early as possible. 

2. Brainstorm

Writing a cultural diversity essay or community essay is a personal process. To set yourself up for success, take time to brainstorm and reflect on your topic. Overall, you want your cultural diversity essay to be a good indication of who you are and what makes you a unique applicant. 

3. Proofread

We can’t stress this final tip enough. Be sure to proofread your cultural diversity essay before you hit the submit button. Additionally, you can read your essay aloud to hear how it flows. You can also can ask someone you trust, like your college advisor or a teacher, to help proofread your essay as well.

Other CollegeAdvisor Essay Resources to Explore

Looking for additional resources on supplemental essays for the colleges we mentioned above? Do you need help with incorporating extracurricular activities for college into your essays or crafting a strong diversity essay sample? We’ve got you covered. 

Our how to get into Georgetown guide covers additional tips on how to approach the supplemental diversity essay. If you’re wondering how to write about community in your essay, check out our campus community article for an insider’s perspective on Williams College.

Want to learn strategies for writing compelling cultural diversity essays? Check out this Q&A webinar, featuring a former Georgetown admissions officer. And, if you’re still unsure of what to highlight in your community essay, try getting inspiration from a virtual college tour . 

Cultural Diversity Essay & Community Essay Examples – Final Thoughts

Your supplemental essays are an important piece of the college application puzzle. With colleges becoming more competitive than ever, you’ll want to do everything you can to create a strong candidate profile. This includes writing well-crafted responses for a cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or community essay. 

We hope our cultural diversity essay guide helped you learn more about this common type of supplemental essay. As you are writing your own cultural diversity essay or community essay, use the essay examples from Georgetown, Rice, and Williams above as your guide. 

Getting into top schools takes a lot more than a strong resume. Writing specific, thoughtful, and personal responses for a cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or community essay will put you one step closer to maximizing your chances of admission. Good luck!

CollegeAdvisor.com is here to help you with every aspect of the college admissions process. From taking a gap year to completing enrollment , we’re here to help. Register today to receive one-on-one support from an admissions expert as you begin your college application journey.

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Cultural Identity Essay

27 August, 2020

12 minutes read

Author:  Elizabeth Brown

No matter where you study, composing essays of any type and complexity is a critical component in any studying program. Most likely, you have already been assigned the task to write a cultural identity essay, which is an essay that has to do a lot with your personality and cultural background. In essence, writing a cultural identity essay is fundamental for providing the reader with an understanding of who you are and which outlook you have. This may include the topics of religion, traditions, ethnicity, race, and so on. So, what shall you do to compose a winning cultural identity essay?

Cultural Identity Paper: Definitions, Goals & Topics 

Before starting off with a cultural identity essay, it is fundamental to uncover what is particular about this type of paper. First and foremost, it will be rather logical to begin with giving a general and straightforward definition of a cultural identity essay. In essence, cultural identity essay implies outlining the role of the culture in defining your outlook, shaping your personality, points of view regarding a multitude of matters, and forming your qualities and beliefs. Given a simpler definition, a cultural identity essay requires you to write about how culture has influenced your personality and yourself in general. So in this kind of essay you as a narrator need to give an understanding of who you are, which strengths you have, and what your solid life position is.

Yet, the goal of a cultural identity essay is not strictly limited to describing who you are and merely outlining your biography. Instead, this type of essay pursues specific objectives, achieving which is a perfect indicator of how high-quality your essay is. Initially, the primary goal implies outlining your cultural focus and why it makes you peculiar. For instance, if you are a french adolescent living in Canada, you may describe what is so special about it: traditions of the community, beliefs, opinions, approaches. Basically, you may talk about the principles of the society as well as its beliefs that made you become the person you are today.

So far, cultural identity is a rather broad topic, so you will likely have a multitude of fascinating ideas for your paper. For instance, some of the most attention-grabbing topics for a personal cultural identity essay are:

• Memorable traditions of your community
• A cultural event that has influenced your personality 
• Influential people in your community
• Locations and places that tell a lot about your culture and identity

Cultural Identity Essay Structure

As you might have already guessed, composing an essay on cultural identity might turn out to be fascinating but somewhat challenging. Even though the spectrum of topics is rather broad, the question of how to create the most appropriate and appealing structure remains open.

Like any other kind of an academic essay, a cultural identity essay must compose of three parts: introduction, body, and concluding remarks. Let’s take a more detailed look at each of the components:

Introduction 

Starting to write an essay is most likely one of the most time-consuming and mind-challenging procedures. Therefore, you can postpone writing your introduction and approach it right after you finish body paragraphs. Nevertheless, you should think of a suitable topic as well as come up with an explicit thesis. At the beginning of the introduction section, give some hints regarding the matter you are going to discuss. You have to mention your thesis statement after you have briefly guided the reader through the topic. You can also think of indicating some vital information about yourself, which is, of course, relevant to the topic you selected.

Your main body should reveal your ideas and arguments. Most likely, it will consist of 3-5 paragraphs that are more or less equal in size. What you have to keep in mind to compose a sound ‘my cultural identity essay’ is the argumentation. In particular, always remember to reveal an argument and back it up with evidence in each body paragraph. And, of course, try to stick to the topic and make sure that you answer the overall question that you stated in your topic. Besides, always keep your thesis statement in mind: make sure that none of its components is left without your attention and argumentation.

Conclusion 

Finally, after you are all finished with body paragraphs and introduction, briefly summarize all the points in your final remarks section. Paraphrase what you have already revealed in the main body, and make sure you logically lead the reader to the overall argument. Indicate your cultural identity once again and draw a bottom line regarding how your culture has influenced your personality.

Best Tips For Writing Cultural Identity Essay

Writing a ‘cultural identity essay about myself’ might be somewhat challenging at first. However, you will no longer struggle if you take a couple of plain tips into consideration. Following the tips below will give you some sound and reasonable cultural identity essay ideas as well as make the writing process much more pleasant:

• Start off by creating an outline. The reason why most students struggle with creating a cultural identity essay lies behind a weak structure. The best way to organize your ideas and let them flow logically is to come up with a helpful outline. Having a reference to build on is incredibly useful, and it allows your essay to look polished.
• Remember to write about yourself. The task of a cultural identity essay implies not focusing on your culture per se, but to talk about how it shaped your personality. So, switch your focus to describing who you are and what your attitudes and positions are. 
• Think of the most fundamental cultural aspects. Needless to say, you first need to come up with a couple of ideas to be based upon in your paper. So, brainstorm all the possible ideas and try to decide which of them deserve the most attention. In essence, try to determine which of the aspects affected your personality the most.
• Edit and proofread before submitting your paper. Of course, the content and the coherence of your essay’s structure play a crucial role. But the grammatical correctness matters a lot too. Even if you are a native speaker, you may still make accidental errors in the text. To avoid the situation when unintentional mistakes spoil the impression from your essay, always double check your cultural identity essay. 

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College Essays

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Emory University is a prestigious private university ranked within the top 25 universities nationwide . To apply here, you'll have to submit your transcripts, SAT or ACT scores, and a few essays. But what do you actually have to write for your Emory essays?

Below, we present to you this year's Emory University essay prompts and offer you tips for figuring out which prompts you should choose for your application. We will also look at admissions officers' feedback for real Emory essays that worked.

Let's get started!

Feature Image: Nrbelex /Wikimedia Commons

What Are the Emory Essays?

All first-year applicants to Emory must submit one longer essay in response to either the Common Application or Coalition Application essay prompts and two short answers as part of the Emory supplement . For the first Emory essay, you must respond to the single prompt provided, and for the second essay, you can choose any one of the five prompts listed.

Here are the Emory University essay prompts for the 2022-23 application cycle:

Academics Essay (200 words max)

What academic areas are you interested in exploring in college?

Reflections Essay: Respond to one of the following (150 words max)

Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.

When was the last time you questioned something that you had thought to be true?

If you could witness a historic event (past, present, or future) first-hand, what would it be, and why?

Share a time when you were awestruck.

Which book, character, song, monologue, or piece of work (fiction or non-fiction) seems made for you? Why?

Fortunately, Emory offers a little advice on how you should answer these essay prompts: "We encourage you to be thoughtful and not stress about what the right answer might be. We simply want to get to know you better."

Now, let's take a closer look at each of the Emory University essay prompts.

How to Write the Emory Academics Essay

This is standard college essay prompt, asking you to elaborate on your academic plans. Emory is asking this because they want to get a better understanding of what you plan on studying in college and why you're excited about it. Students who have a solid plan for college and are genuinely passionate about their academics are more likely to do well in college and after graduation, and they're more likely to be involved on campus and give back as an alum.

As a reminder, this prompt is required for all applicants, and you can write up to 200 words.

So, what should you write about? Start with describing the academic area(s) you plan on focusing on in college. Then, dive into it more. If you want to major in biology, what areas of biology are you most interested in? What about these topics excites you? What career are you hoping to pursue with a biology degree? Are there internships/research opportunities you hope to do? You don't need to include all those parts, but be sure to give an in-depth answer that makes it clear what your academic interests and plans are.

But what if you don't know what you want to study? That's OK; this isn't a binding document that requires you to follow up on what you write about. Choose an area or areas that you're thinking about, and go with that. Don't write that you have no idea what you're going to study because that can cause Emory to worry that you won't be interested in your studies/won't be able to commit to anything.

How to Write the "Reflections" Emory Essay

For this essay, you'll have to select one prompt to answer (out of five possible prompts). These prompts are pretty varied, but they all ask you to reflect on something meaningful to you and that has helped you become the person you are today , whether that's an experience you had, an insight you gained, or a field you're passionate about.

As a reminder, your essay must be no longer than 150 words.

Now then, let's go through the "Reflection" Emory University essay prompts one at a time and give you tips on how to answer each of them effectively.

"Reflections" Emory Essay Prompt 1: Cultural Sensitivity

Emory is a competitive school and admits students from all over the world. In order to be a good member of the Emory community, you'll need to understand and thrive in a diverse environment. To that end, this essay gives you the opportunity to showcase your cultural sensitivity.

But what is cultural awareness? The National Center for Cultural Competence defines cultural awareness as "being cognizant, observant, and conscious of similarities and differences among and between cultural groups." So to answer this prompt, you'll have to share an experience where your understanding of cultural awareness grew.

A good place to start is to think about your experiences with people from different cultures. When have you been in this situation before? And what did you learn?

On the other hand, you may be a member of a cultural minority in the United States. If you are, this would be a great prompt to talk about how that has impacted you, and how that has shaped your own unique understanding of how cultural awareness works in American society.

Regardless of which strategy you choose, you'll need to demonstrate your ability to learn from others and your capacity to be thoughtful about your own actions. The kiss of death for this prompt? Bragging. No one is perfectly culturally aware: developing our cultural sensitivity is a lifetime process. Acting like you've got it all figured out isn't going to impress anyone, especially admissions counselors.

Should You Choose This Prompt?

Do you have a good understanding of diversity and what it means to be "culturally sensitive"? This goes beyond just knowing the definitions of these terms. Have you had experiences where diversity played a key role? You'll need real, first-hand experience if you want to tackle this prompt well. If you haven't had that, then this might not be the best prompt for you.

Tips for Answering This Prompt

• Be honest and specific about your experience. Do not make something up to try and answer this prompt! Additionally, make sure you're being honest about the experience in general. Don't try and make yourself into the "hero" of the situation. Instead, admissions counselors want to see that you can be thoughtful about cultural differences, and that you've learned something about being part of a diverse community.
• Explain how this will make you a better Emory student. Like we mentioned earlier, Emory is a diverse campus. How will you bring what you've learned about cultural awareness to Emory? Explain how what you've learned has prepared you for your Emory experience, and touch on how your experience will help you be a better member of the Emory community.

"Reflections" Emory Essay Prompt 2: Questioning Beliefs

Emory uses this question to get to know more about your opinions and how you have learned to think more objectively .

In other words, the admissions committee wants to see how you have become more open-minded and that you are ready and willing to explore outside your safe comfort zone. Are you intellectually curious? Are you willing to admit when you're wrong?

This is the type of student Emory is looking for—someone who can be honest and open with themselves , who is introspective and always willing to learn.

If you can easily think of a time when you questioned any major beliefs you used to hold—whether it was something religious, political, or otherwise highly personal—this would be a great prompt to choose for your first Emory essay.

For example, maybe you used to eat meat but became a vegetarian after visiting a slaughterhouse as part of a school trip.

Or maybe you used to think that libraries were completely useless and should simply go away. But after getting help from a kind librarian one day, you realized that libraries are necessary to have in society, especially considering that people of lower-income backgrounds typically do not have easy access to computers, books, and other repositories of knowledge.

• Follow a clear structure. Present what you used to believe, explain what or who caused you to question this belief, and finally clarify how this process has (positively) impacted you.
• Focus on a unique moment from your life. Don't just talk about how you used to believe in Santa Claus and eventually grew out of it—most, if not all, of us have had similar experiences. Try to find something unique to you and that will set you apart from other applicants.
• Think beyond religion and spirituality. It's not inherently bad to write an essay about how you used to practice a certain religion and now practice another one or none at all, but don't feel limited to only topics regarding faith or religion just because this prompt is asking about your beliefs!

"Tell Us About You" Emory Essay Prompt 3: Historic Event

This next Emory essay prompt is a fun and interesting way for admissions officers to get a clearer sense of what your interests, passions, and values are .

There are no limits to what you can put down here—you could focus on a big event from as recent as the late 20th century, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, or something that happened thousands of years ago, such as the building of the great Egyptian pyramids.

Your goal should be to choose something that highlights a critical aspect of your personality and/or interests.

For instance, perhaps you want to minor in architectural studies, which is why you're so fascinated with how the pyramids were constructed. Or maybe your mother was present when the Berlin Wall fell and you'd love to have seen her expression of joy at having helped reunite her country.

Is there a specific moment from the past that you have always wished to see because it genuinely interests, excites, or fascinates you? Is there a certain event from history that means something special to you and/or your family, and that you wish you could have actually been there for?

If you answered yes to one of these questions, then this would be a great prompt to choose for your second Emory essay.

• Describe the event in detail. Before you jump into the "why" part of your essay, take care to set up the details of the scene by using literary devices such as images and metaphors. Doing this will show admissions officers that you're passionate about both this event and the details of how it happened.
• Clearly and cogently explain why this event is so important to you on a personal level. Once you've set up your essay with some details of the event, it's time to dive into the "why" with full force. A historic event could be special to you for a number of reasons: for example, maybe you've got a burning desire to study physics at Emory after learning about the Wright brothers' first successful flight.
• Try to find a more positive or empowering event. While it's not off the table to write about horrible (but important to know) things that have happened, such as the assassination of JFK or the Holocaust, make sure you manage to tie this back to yourself in a meaningful, positive way. For example, maybe you've always felt that witnessing the Holocaust with your own eyes could help you better relate to your great-grandparents who suffered through it.

"Reflections" Emory Essay Prompt 4: Awe

The purpose of this essay prompt is for the admissions committee to understand what really moves you.

To answer this prompt, think back to the times when you were overcome with a sense of wonder or awe. Did it happen when you reached the summit of a long hike and stared at the vista surrounding you? Or when you heard a particular piece of music for the first time? Or when you traveled to a new city that's nothing like your hometown?

As you think about what to write about here, remember that the most powerful answers will involve telling a story of some kind. Let's say you were awestruck the first time you got a clear view of the Milky Way Galaxy. You were ten years old, on a camping trip with your dad, and, since you'd grown up in the city, you'd never seen so many stars before. The sight of all of them made you appreciate the vastness of the universe, and ever since you've had a passion for outer space. Including those details will make your essay more memorable and unique to you.

As you tell the story, always remember to connect it to the most important part of your essay: your discussion of who you are as a person and what about you makes you a good fit for Emory.  In this example, you could say that you use that memory to remind yourself you're just a single person in a vast place, and it helps you stay humble and put your challenges into perspective.

This prompt is great for people who've experienced awe that caused some sort of change in their lives . If you're a thoughtful person who can reflect on that experience in positive ways, then this prompt is a good fit for you!

• Pick one experience and focus on that. Even if you regularly feel awe when you fly in an airplane, pick one specific example and focus on that for this essay. Discussing a single experience will make it easier for you to tell a story as well as keep within the wordcount for this essay. 
• Think about the long-term impact it had on you. In the moment you felt awe, but what were the lasting impacts of the experience? How did feeling awestruck convince you to change yourself/your plans/your view of the world? Emory wants to see the bigger picture in all of this, so make sure you include that in your essay. 

"Reflections" Emory Essay Prompt 5: Artistic Representation

The point of this prompt is for Emory to get a clearer, more holistic sense of not just who you are, but also how you see yourself. What qualities do you feel represent your personality? Your goals? Your best traits? Your challenges?

Remember that you should aim to tell the admissions committee something new and unique about yourself that they haven't yet gleaned from your application or other essays.

When thinking of how a piece of art represents you, don't think literally—try to go beyond generic and superficial traits and think about the deeper meaning and symbolism that speaks to you.

For example, maybe you've always felt a strong connection to the character of Forrest Gump—not because you literally fought in a war, started a restaurant, and met the president, but because you were always supported by your family, especially your mom, and believed that your optimism and positive outlook is what ultimately helped you attain some of your biggest goals in life so far.

My recommendation is to choose this prompt only if you can immediately come up with a specific piece of art or character you've always felt a strong personal attachment to. Remember that it's not just about something you like but something that truly gets across the essence of who you are .

If nothing comes to mind right away, it's probably best to go with another prompt. You don't want to write this essay and have it feel heavily forced or contrived!

• Choose a topic that emphasizes your most prominent and best qualities. Obviously, you don't want to compare yourself to something or someone that's notoriously corrupt, bigoted, immoral, mean, or unlikable. The point here is to show the Emory admissions committee key positive traits you have, such as your selflessness or ability to see the best in everyone.
• Avoid exaggeration. No matter how strong of a connection you might feel to Batman, your life is most certainly not a carbon copy of his. Don't hyperbolize any traits you (think you) share with your character or art piece by making ridiculous claims, such as how you're a real-life superhero or secret genius.
• Don't just choose something because it's famous or "impressive." If you've never actually read Great Expectations or have but never had any real connection to it, Emory admissions officers will be able to tell. So don't worry—it's OK to pick something that's less well-known or not very intellectual or scholarly, just as long as you can cogently explain how this piece of art or character encapsulates you .

Admissions Feedback for Emory Essays That Worked

One thing that can really help you while applying to Emory is seeing examples of real Emory essays that worked and secured students admission. Fortunately, the official Emory website has an entire series dedicated to going over their applicants' best personal essays .

The downside is that these are all for the Common App/Coalition App essay prompts, so they are a lot longer and do not respond directly to any of the short-answer supplemental questions above.

Still, you can use these essay examples and their feedback from admissions officers to get a better sense of what to write about, how you can effectively structure your thoughts, and what Emory is ultimately hoping to learn about you through your writing .

We've consolidated the most important ideas from admissions officers' feedback for you. Here's a basic overview of what Emory is looking for in your essays:

• "Expressive language," "interesting vocabulary," and showing instead of telling
• A sense of maturity
• Clear connections between your interests, experiences, and/or goals
• Authenticity
• The ability to reflect on your experiences (and learn from them)
• Either a unique topic or a unique approach to a more common topic

Make sure your Emory essays have most (ideally all!) of these essential qualities.

How to Write the Emory Essays: 4 Essential Tips

Here are four tips to keep in mind as you write your Emory University supplemental essays.

#1: Write Concisely

You have just 200 and 150 words for the supplemental Emory essays, so don't waste space— include only the most essential facts and information you want to present to the admissions committee .

Use these essays as an opportunity to practice writing more succinctly. Take your time to try to cut out any irrelevant or ineffective words or phrases that don't answer the prompt or reveal anything important or unique about you.

#2: Be Highly Specific

Don't make the mistake many students make by not being specific enough in your college essays—especially considering how little space you have for the Emory essays!

The trick here is to not dawdle in your writing : get straight to the point and overarching topic of your essay, and then dive right in so that you're fully answering the question.

To truly make your writing come alive, you must home in on the most essential info about yourself. Use examples, anecdotes, and plenty of details to paint an accurate picture of who you are and how you see yourself.

#3: Avoid Repeating Yourself

You have to write two short essays for the Emory supplement and one longer essay in response to one of the Common App or Coalition App prompts. Because some of these Emory University essay prompts are similar to the Common App/Coalition App ones, you'll want to check that you're not repeating anything you already wrote .

The point of all these essays is to give you the chance to introduce a range of different, but equally important, sides of yourself. Repeating yourself shows a lack of creative thinking and will most certainly not leave a good impression on the Emory admissions committee.

#4: Don't Forget to Proofread

Last, but certainly not least, remember to edit and proofread your Emory essays several times before you submit them with your application.

Once you've got a rough draft finished, put it away and don't look at it. After a few days, take it out and reread it, looking for areas that feel out of place, irrelevant, or unclear, and tweak as needed.

Lastly, give your draft to someone you trust , such as a teacher or parent, and have them read it over and give you some feedback. Ask them to also correct it for any technical or stylistic errors.

Do all this and you should have one unforgettable Emory essay ready to go!

What's Next?

Curious about what it takes to get into Emory as a freshman? Check out our Emory admission requirements page to learn the average GPA and SAT/ACT scores of admitted applicants.

Interested in applying to colleges in the South? Our expert guide walks you through all the very best schools in the South, including Emory .

Did you know that Emory University is one of a select number of schools that offers full-ride scholarships? To see even more colleges that do this, take a look at our complete list .

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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Cultural Awareness—How to Be More Culturally Aware & Improve Your Relationships

Wendy Wisner is a health and parenting writer, lactation consultant (IBCLC), and mom to two awesome sons.

Ivy Kwong, LMFT, is a psychotherapist specializing in relationships, love and intimacy, trauma and codependency, and AAPI mental health.  

The Importance of Cultural Awareness

How to be more culturally aware, what if i say the wrong thing, cultural awareness and sensitivity in intercultural/interracial relationships, can i ask someone to help me learn about their culture, pitfalls of not developing cultural awareness.

Cultural awareness, sometimes referred to as  cultural sensitivity , is defined by the NCCC (National Center for Cultural Competence) as being cognizant, observant, and conscious of the similarities and differences among and between cultural groups.

Becoming more culturally aware is a continual process and it can help to have curiosity, an open mind, a willingness to ask questions, a desire to learn about the differences that exist between cultures, and an openness to becoming conscious of one’s own culturally shaped values, beliefs, perceptions, and biases.

The Value of Cultural Awareness

Cultural awareness is important because it allows us to see and respect other perspectives and to appreciate the inherent value of people who are different than we are. It leads to better relationships, healthier work environments, and a stronger, more compassionate society.

Read on to learn more about cultural awareness, including the impacts it can have, how to become more culturally aware, how to approach conversations about cultural awareness, and how to address cultural awareness in intercultural relationships.

Cultural awareness involves learning about cultures that are different from your own. But it’s also about being respectful about these differences, says  Natalie Page  Ed.D., chief diversity officer at Saint Xavier University in Chicago. “It’s about being sensitive to the similarities and differences that can exist between different cultures and using this sensitivity to effectively communicate without prejudice and racism,” she explains.

5 Reasons Why Cultural Awareness Is Important

Here are five reasons why it’s important to become more culturally aware:

• When you strive to become more culturally aware, you gain knowledge and information about different cultures, which leads to greater cultural competence, says Dr. Page
• Engaging in cultural awareness makes you more sensitive to the differences between cultures that are different than your own, Dr. Page says; you also become less judgmental of people who are different than you.
• Studies have found that greater cultural awareness in the workplace leads to an overall better workplace culture for everyone involved.
• Research has found that cultural awareness creates better outcomes for people in healthcare environments, and in other environments where people are receiving care from others.
• According to Nika White, PhD, author of Inclusion Uncomplicated: A Transformative Guide to Simplify DEI , cultural awareness can improve your interpersonal relationships. “Just like any other relationship, you must understand their culture to truly understand someone’s lived experiences and how they show up to the world,” Dr. White describes.

Knowing about the importance of being more culturally aware is one thing, but actually taking steps to do so is something else.

It’s about being sensitive to the similarities and differences that can exist between different cultures and using this sensitivity to effectively communicate without prejudice and racism.

Here are a few tips for how to go about becoming more culturally aware.

Understand That It’s a Process

“Becoming culturally aware is a process that is fluid, birthed out of a desire to learn more about other cultures,” says Dr. Page.

She says it can be helpful to study the model laid out by Dr. Ibram Kendi, the author of How To Be An Antiracist . Dr. Kendi says that there are basically three paths to growing cultural awareness:

• “The first is moving from the fear zone, where you are afraid and would rather stay in your own culture comfort zone,” Dr. Page describes.
• Next is moving into the learning zone, where you strive to learn about different cultures, how people acquire their cultures, and culture's important role in personal identities, practices, and mental and physical health of individuals and communities. The learning zone can also include becoming more aware of your own culturally shaped values, beliefs, and biases and how they impact the way you see yourself and others.
• “The last phase is the growth zone, where you grow in racial advocacy and allyship,” says Dr. Page.

Ask Questions

Dr. White says that asking questions is a vital part of becoming more culturally aware. You can start by asking yourself some important questions, such as: “How is my culture affecting how I interact with and perceive others?” Dr. White suggests.

You can also respectfully ask others about their lives. But make sure the exchanges aren’t one-sided, she recommends: when you ask others about their cultures, tell them about yours, too. “Tell your own stories to engage, build relationships, find common ground, and become more culturally aware of someone from a different culture,” she says.

Educate Yourself and Do the Work

There’s no way around it: if you want to become more culturally aware, you need to take action and educate yourself.

“Don’t lean on assumptions,” says Dr. White. “Actually research cultures different from yours.” This can help you become more aware of how culture affects every aspect of your life and the lives of others. In addition to research, educating yourself often involves seeking and participating in meaningful interactions with people of differing cultural backgrounds. “Expand your network to include people from different cultures into your circle,” Dr. White recommends.

Study the Cultural Competence Continuum Model

The Cultural Competence Continuum Model is an assessment tool that helps us understand where people are on their journey to becoming more culturally competent.

Different people fall into various categories along the continuum. Categories include cultural destructiveness, cultural incapacity, cultural blindness, cultural pre-competence, cultural competence, and cultural proficiency.

Studying this model can help us become more aware of the process of moving toward more cultural sensitivity, and become more patient with ourselves and others as we move through the process.

Acknowledge Your Own Bias

We all have our own biases when it comes to cultural awareness, because we all begin by looking at the world and at others through our own cultural lens.

It is important to acknowledge this as it can help us see how our cultural  biases  may prevent us from being as culturally sensitive as we wish to be.

Often, people don’t want to address topics having to do with culture or race because they are afraid they will say the wrong thing or make a mistake while talking to someone.

The truth is, most people make mistakes on their journey toward cultural awareness, and that’s understandable, says Dr. Page.

“If you make a mistake, simply apologize and let the person that you may have offended know that you are learning and be open to any suggestions they may have,” she recommends. Sometimes it even makes sense to apologize in advance, if you are saying something you are unsure of. You can say, “I may have this wrong, so I apologize beforehand but…” Dr. Page suggests. “The key is to be sincere in your conversations and always open to learning from others,” she says.

Making mistakes is a necessary part of the learning process and it is important to approach these topics and conversations with shared respect, compassion, and grace.

If you are in a relationship with someone who is of a different race or culture than you, it’s important to have open, honest discussions about this. “If a person is going to grow in interracial and intercultural relationships, you have to step out of your cultural comfort zone and seek an understanding about other cultures,” says Dr. Page.

Questions to Ask Someone to Learn About Their Culture

Having a genuine discussion with someone about your differences can feel awkward, and it can be helpful to kick-start the conversation with a few open-ended questions. Dr. White shared some helpful questions:

• Can you tell me about your culture?
• Tell me a little something about how you were raised?
• What role does religion play in your life?

Here are some additional questions that could be asked with respect and consent, to another (and also to yourself!):

• What holidays and celebrations are important in your culture?
• What customs and etiquette are important in your culture?
• What is your favorite food in your culture?
• Is religion an important part of life in your culture? If so, what religion do people practice most often and why do you think that is?
• How do you express your cultural identity?
• What stereotypes or misconceptions do people from your culture often face and what do you wish more people knew?
• Is there anything about your culture that you find challenging?
• How has your culture changed over time?
• How do you think your culture has influenced your personal values and beliefs?
• What is the importance of family in your culture?

One of the important ways to develop culture awareness is to educate yourself about other cultures. Learning directly from people of different cultures is a fantastic way to get authentic information. But it’s important to engage in conversations with others about their cultures in respectful , appropriate manners.

When you decide to ask others about their culture, be mindful that they may not want to answer, and know that that’s okay, says Dr. White. It’s also important to make the conversation a two-way street. Don’t just ask them about their culture—talk about your culture as well. “Share your culture first to model the behavior and let others know it is safe to talk about their culture,” Dr. White suggests.

Finally, make sure to take it upon yourself to do some of the work. “Once you learn of someone’s culture you wish to cultivate a relationship with, do your homework to learn as much as you can,” Dr. White says. Don't simply rely on others to educate you—this may be seen as insensitive, Dr. White says.

The main pitfalls of not developing cultural awareness is that we don’t expand our understanding of other cultures, we don’t deepen our relationship with people who are different than we are, and that we risk continuing to have a narrow view of the world around us. 

“We live in an ever-changing diverse world,” Dr. Page says. “We rob ourselves when we only hang out with people from our cultural groups. We have to branch out and experience the beauty that others bring.”

Angelis T. In search of cultural competence . Monitor on Psychology. 2015;46(3):64.

Shepherd SM, Willis-Esqueda C, Newton D, et al. The challenge of cultural competence in the workplace: perspectives of healthcare providers . BMC Health Services Research. 2019;19:135. doi:10.1186/s12913-019-3959-7

Kaihlanen AM., Hietapakka L, Heponiemi T. Increasing cultural awareness: qualitative study of nurses’ perceptions about cultural competence training . BMC Nursing. 2019;18(38). doi:10.1186/s12912-019-0363-x

Calkins H. How You Can Be More Culturally Competent . Good Practice. 2020:13-16.

Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Improving Cultural Competence .

By Wendy Wisner Wendy Wisner is a health and parenting writer, lactation consultant (IBCLC), and mom to two awesome sons.

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Best Culture Essay Examples

Cultural awareness.

787 words | 3 page(s)

This assignment will be about cultural awareness. It will discuss bullet points outlined in the instructions and then close with some gains and new awareness brought up from personal growth as well as what has been learned during the duration of taking this course. Let’s begin about where I originally came from as it is important to the entire message within this paper.

I grew up in a very small town in the flat and desolate state of Kansas. If there was such thing as culture it probably revolved around sports and religion. Growing up there was television, but it never does it justice in comparison to real life. When I did finally move to a larger city, it was very shocking to see other cultures moving about, going about their daily lives. What is interesting is in the beginning you don’t really know how to act. I felt like a foreigner in my own country. It should be stated that outlook has vastly changed over the course of fifteen years.

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I would say there have been many internal hurdles that were faced early on with basic interactions with other cultures. Every culture has minor nuances, and some may practice other moral codes than some other. Luckily I was blessed with the ability of silent observation and so I would take in the actions of mannerisms of other cultures, while silently formulating my own opinions. By doing this it allowed me to adjust to any awkward situations, without making a scene. Although the drawback to this is that sometimes it causes a person to make too many assumptions, and that is the foundation for prejudices and stereotypes. Although in contrast stereotypes have to exist based on some reoccurring pattern; we are just a society of: guilt by association.

Another way to overcome this is to simply take an interest in other cultures. Traveling and diverse schools are a great way to integrate one’s self into other cultures first hand. Traveling abroad puts you out of your element, and makes you humble and vulnerable; the only option you have is to adapt and accept. The same rule applies in any large city in the United States. Places like New York, L.A., San Francisco are melting pots which have hosted diverse cultures since they were first founded.

In today’s society you have to let go of biases, they will only hold you back. Racism, or prejudices in the workplace will get you no where and you be legally terminated from jobs based on racist behavior. The country has adopted a no tolerance to this now as it should be. In regards to a managerial role involving biases, you have to look beyond that. Focus on the qualifications and skills of the candidate, and most importantly how personable they are in relation to working well in a team. Culture, religion, sex, sexual preference, race, or gender should not even be a factor.

This course has taught me a lot in regards to dealing with cultural diversity in the workplace. With all of the examples used during this course it is actually quite sickening to think about how things used to be done in the workplace. We as a society seem so modern in comparison to only 50 years ago. One great example of workplace evolution is the C.I.A. In the 1940’s nearly no women held any position of authority, and were used as spies. Fast forward to current times and now the C.I.A. is made up of nearly all women, with the number two in charge being a woman.

You can also be legally sued or terminated for any type of discrimination. In this tough economy it would be wise to keep any negative opinions of any other culture or sexual orientation out of the equation, lest you be fired and probably blacklisted from trying to find any other type of work. People work better together if they know they can be comfortable and free. While this doesn’t give anybody the right to push their beliefs or sexual preferences upon anyone, especially in the workplace, but if they or I conduct myself in a professional manner befitting of the workplace; than that should be fine. In the end even outside of the workplace you will be a better person for not making assumptions or casting discrimination upon any race or gender. It is the right way to live, to accept people from all walks of live. America was founded on immigrants from other places, so the fact that the country has had a history of racism and discrimination is contradictory to the whole premise of the country in the first place.

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How to Write the Emory University Essays 2023-2024

Emory University has two required essay prompts for applicants, one of which is the same question for all applicants with the other having six different options for applicants to choose from. The prompts are relatively short, clocking in at 200 words and 150 words, respectively, which means every word counts towards making your application stand out.

Read these Emory essay examples to inspire your writing.

Emory University Supplemental Essay Prompts

Prompt 1: What academic areas are you interested in exploring at Emory University and why? (200 words)

Prompt 2:  Please answer one of the following questions: (150 words)

• Option A: Which book, character, song, monologue, or other creative work (fiction or non-fiction) seems made for you? Why?
• Option B: Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness.
• Option C: Emory University aspires for all students to flourish on campus. Reflect on what flourishing at Emory means to you.
• Option D: Emory University’s core mission calls for service to humanity. Share how you might personally contribute to this mission.
• Option E: Emory University has a strong commitment to building community. Tell us about a community you have been part of where your participation helped to change or shape the community for the better.
• Option F: Reflection is a central tenet of Emory University’s values. Craft a personal email giving advice to yourself in your first year of high school.

Before You Begin

As Emory’s website states in regard to these essays, “ We encourage you to be thoughtful and not stress about what the right answer might be. We simply want to get to know you better.” This space is an opportunity for you to present yourself as a complex and unique human being.

Remember that before reading your essays and recommendations, your admissions officers will only have seen data points and test scores that describe you. While these numbers are important, you are so much more than a test score . Admission officers want to sympathize with you. They want to root for. They want you to give them a reason to admit you. And this is such a great place for you to give them one! Don’t be afraid to be your true, gloriously weird self.

It’s worth noting that the word limit for these essays is only 150 words. That’s not a lot of space, so the name of the game is brevity . This is not the place for purple prose or modifiers — instead of very hungry, try famished. Consider using sprinted instead of ran as fast as possible. It may seem like a small change, but every word is important here. We recommend that you try to get as close to the 150 word count as possible, and stay within 10-15 words of the limit. 

What academic areas are you interested in exploring in college? (200 words)

This is a very straightforward “ Why This Major? ” prompt that should follow the typical structure for an essay of this archetype. A good response needs to do three things: (1) show your interest in the major through an experience, (2) explain how the major will help you achieve your goals, and (3) demonstrate what resources at the school will help you achieve your goals.

1. Show your interest in the major

You want to start your essay by showing admissions officers your excitement and engagement in the major you have chosen. What positive (or even negative) experiences have you had with this subject that have influenced you? 

A student interested in Creative Writing might talk about how she sees characters in people walking down the street, mythical lands in the places she’s traveled, and new stories that must be told whenever she listens to conversations around her. 

A student interested in Nutrition Science could describe how understanding the science behind the food he ate through independent research helped him turn around his life and lose weight. The easiest way to convey your interest is to use a strong, detailed, and meaningful anecdote.

2. Explain how this major will help you

What do you want to be when you grow up? It’s okay to not know exactly what you want, but you should have a pretty decent idea of what field you are interested in or what type of work you see yourself enjoying. 

If you know that you want to generate cleaner forms of energy to solve the climate crisis, you would mention how majoring in Environmental Sciences will teach you not only the ecological origins of issues facing the world, but how to think creatively to develop feasible solutions. 

Maybe you’re not sure what you want to do, but you are deeply concerned by racial injustice. You could describe how the African American Studies major will allow you to learn about the history of oppression in this country, so you can gain a better understanding of where you could devote your time to do the most good one day. For this section, it’s important you establish a link between your current interests and your future.

3. Demonstrate how Emory can help you

This final step shows the admissions officers that you are genuinely interested in their school and took the time to do outside research. You will want to include resources (classes, professors, research opportunities, study abroad, extracurriculars, etc) that are specific and unique to Emory that you plan to take advantage of while on campus. Just casually mentioning three different resources you will use doesn’t add anything to your essay. You need to connect these resources to your future goals by elaborating on how they will help you. 

For example, a student who is fascinated by the economic causes of war could say they want to work with Professor Caroline Fohlin on her research of pre-war Germany to learn how the economy can predict conflicts. 

Another student who wants to apply AI to smart homes one day would write about their excitement to take the Artificial Intelligence class at Emory since it is solely dedicated to a topic they are interested in. Remember, what you choose to highlight should align with your reasons for applying to this major in the first place.

You can think of the entire essay like a bridge. On one side you have your past experiences and passion for a topic. On the other side, your future career goals and aspirations await you. The only way to get to the other side is by studying your intended major at Emory and utilizing the resources available to you, or crossing the bridge.

Prompt 2, Option A

Which book, character, song, monologue, or piece of work (fiction or non-fiction)  seems made for you why (150 words).

This is a great prompt for people who have a piece of media that they feel really strongly about—and let’s face it, most of us are at least a little obsessed with some kind of media. Think about a piece of media that you feel like you can identify with on a deep, personal level. You should then go a step further and think about why you identify so strongly with that person or thing. What does it say about you? 

Once you have your what (or who) and your why , search for an anecdote that explains your personal connection to this piece of media. For example, maybe you really identify with Katniss Everdeen (your who ) because you’re super protective of your little sister (your why ), so then you can tell the story about that time that you drove 45 minutes late at night to pick your sister up because she was uncomfortable at a party. The more specific the anecdote, the more the admissions officers will get to know you (“Wow what a responsible and selfless sibling this applicant is!”). 

A really easy trap to fall into with a prompt like this is to give the answer that you think admissions officers are looking for. Like maybe you think the admissions officers are looking for you to say that you just love studying so much , so you choose Hermione Granger even though you don’t even like Harry Potter. As in life, you should always be true to yourself in your essays because a) you’re amazing as you are, so you should let people get to know the real you and b) admissions officers will be able to identify essays that are not authentic, so writing a disingenuous response will only reflect poorly on you.

Prompt 2, Option B

Reflect on a personal experience where you intentionally expanded your cultural awareness. (150 words).

This prompt is ideal for those who have prioritize cultural sensitivity and/or have engaged with people from diverse backgrounds, as you are being asked to think about a time when you intentionally expanded your horizons, and how that deliberate action catalyzed your growth.

So, think of a time when you consciously made the decision to expand your cultural awareness. For example, perhaps your lab partner was a foreign exchange student whose first language was not English, and rather than simply getting through the term as best you could, you used it as an opportunity to recognize your privilege as a native English speaker, and appreciate the culture of a non-English speaking country.

Do be careful that you don’t come across as self-absorbed by suggesting this experience taught you everything there is to know about cultural awareness. Admissions officers aren’t expecting that, and if anything taking that stance could make you come across as naive to the world’s complexity. Instead, acknowledge that you will never know everything there is to know about other cultures, but you are committed to continually growing and learning, as that openness is what colleges do value.

Along those same lines, as you brainstorm, keep in mind that college essays, like any other genre of writing, have cliches . Many applicants have had a “voluntourism” experience — that is, a service trip that benefited the student more than the community they were visiting. Not only are voluntourism stories cliche, they can also make you sound privileged and condescending. Every admissions officer has read countless “I was there to teach them, but really they taught me” essays. 

That said, you can still talk about your service trip experience! Just try to put a unique spin on it, by focusing on a personal anecdote that only happened to you. The more specific, the better. Acknowledge your privilege and explain how you grew from it, and make sure your reader comes away actually knowing something substantive about your personality, not just that you once spent a month in Thailand.

Finally, with a prompt like this, it’s easy to accidentally spend too much of the essay talking about someone else (such as your lab partner). But remember that you only have 150 words, and ultimately you’re the one applying to Emory, so you should be the protagonist of this story. If you’re wondering if you’ve fallen into the trap of spending too much time describing someone else, look at your verbs. You should be the subject of most of those verbs, because you are the star of the story.

For example, you might consider changing “My lab partner taught me about her culture and allowed me to grow” to “By engaging in vulnerable conversations about the challenges of communicating in a new setting, I became more empathetic to the challenges non-native English speakers face every day in the United States.”

Prompt 2, Option C

Emory university aspires for all students to flourish on campus. reflect on what flourishing at emory means to you. (150 words).

This is a variation on a typical “ Why This College? ” essay, but rather than simply asking you why you want to attend Emory, the prompt instead asks what it means to “flourish” at Emory – essentially, what it means to be an Emory student. As such, this is a great prompt to answer for students with an unusually special connection to or interest in Emory, particularly those who want to showcase that Emory is one of their top choices without necessarily applying Early Decision.

This question requires both self-reflection, like any college essay, and a bit of research. Start with the self-reflection, by asking yourself what you hope to gain from your college experience. This can be at Emory specifically, or just at college in general. Are you hoping to find your passion? Do you already know what you want to do and want to connect with professors and mentors in your field of interest? Do you hope to get involved in tons of student organizations and extracurriculars on campus? Or start your own? Really imagine your dream life at college, and think about what makes you most excited to start your journey in higher education.

Once you feel like you have a grasp on why you want to attend college in general, it’s time to narrow your focus to Emory in particular. Browse the school’s website, to find different resources Emory has to help you reach your goals. For example, if you’re interested in studying film, you could write about the “Emory Cinematheque”, a series of professional film screenings open to all Emory students that features various directors, genres, and eras of film. 

To avoid simply name-dropping something that sounds cool, make sure you expand on exactly how a particular resource would help you reach your goals. In this example, you could write about how the Emory Cinematheque and related opportunities would help you synthesize your class material in new and exciting ways, and give you insight into films and media that you previously haven’t encountered.

The last and most important thing to keep in mind when answering this prompt is that you must address the word “flourishing”. Reflect on what that word means to you, and make sure to go into some depth–your goal in this essay is to distinguish yourself from other applicants, and just saying you want to get good grades won’t do that. Rather, what particular skills do you hope to gain that you haven’t already learned in high school? What experiences do you hope to have that are going to move you closer to your personal and professional goals? The more specific you can be, the better. To give you an idea of what we’re talking about here, here’s an example of what you could write, based off the example given above:

“ Engaging with resources such as the Emory Cinematheque would give me access to knowledge I wouldn’t otherwise encounter, and connect with people who can offer different perspectives on that knowledge. Flourishing on campus means being unafraid of the unknown, so that I can take full advantage of the innumerable resources available at Emory that will help me become an iconoclastic yet conscientious film director one day.”

Prompt 2, Option D

Emory university’s core mission calls for service to humanity. share how you might personally contribute to this mission. (150 words).

This is a standard “ Community Service ” essay, which asks you to share how you will embody Emory’s commitment to community service and humanitarian efforts. It’s a great option if you have a robust history with community service, or even just one experience that was highly formative.

Brainstorming Your Topic:

Research opportunities for service that already exist at Emory. The school’s website summarizes service opportunities for students, from break trips, to organized volunteer efforts in Atlanta, to service trips abroad. 

You can also think about things you’re personally invested in, even if nothing on Emory’s site quite aligns with it. For example, if you’re passionate about children’s literacy, maybe you want to talk about your goal of organizing a book drive for elementary school students in Atlanta.

Remember you’re not expected to save the world in your response. In fact, the simpler and more feasible your proposed service opportunity is, perhaps the better. Emory admissions wants to hear what you’re genuinely most interested in, and how you will actually make an impact in the Emory community, and writing about something you could realistically accomplish in college will answer those questions better than saying you’d like to wipe out world hunger.

Tips for Writing Your Essay:

Once you have an idea of what you want to write about, it’s time to organize it into a response. The best way to start is by sharing a little bit about yourself and your connection with community service. This can come in the form of a personal anecdote about a time you volunteered, an issue you’ve encountered in your community or elsewhere that has inspired you, or something you’ve found on Emory’s website that resonates with you on a personal level.

After you share your personal connection with service, tie in the initiative you brainstormed, while also explaining the importance of service to your life as a whole. Here’s an example of how to do that:

“I grew up in a town bordering the Ohio River, well-regarded as the most polluted river in America. As such, I’ve been involved with sustainability efforts since I was little. My parents would take me on river sweeps,’ where we’d travel up and down the river, clearing the water of any debris or litter we could find. At first I thought of it as just a family bonding activity, but now I see environmental service as the foundation upon which my future, and the future of the world, depends. At Emory, I will remain committed to building towards a greener future, by rallying my peers for river sweeps at the Chattahoochee, joining Emory’s various sustainability organizations such as AltKEY, and using my electives to take courses in the Environmental Sciences program. I’m ready to make an impact not just on the community where I grew up, but on Atlanta as well, and eventually, communities all across the country.”

Mistakes to Avoid:

One of the biggest mistakes students make in “Community Service” essays is talking about yourself as a savior to an “underprivileged” community or a community “in need”. Doing so paints a self-aggrandizing portrait of your efforts, which can make admissions officers question your motivation for engaging in service work. To avoid this, focus less on the differences, economic or otherwise, between yourself and the community you helped, and more on what you learned from the experience, rather than projecting an exaggerated sense of gratitude onto the recipients of your service work.

Prompt 2, Option E

Emory university has a strong commitment to building community. tell us about a community you have been part of where your participation helped to change or shape the community for the better. (150 words).

This prompt tasks you with describing a community that has both helped you grow, and given you the opportunity to shape its future. Unlike the previous prompt, this is not a “ Community Service ” essay, as your job is not to talk about how you served a community, but rather how you fit into one.

“Community” can be defined in many different ways. It can be an extracurricular that you’ve been involved with for many years, an aspect of your identity that you feel is important to you, a cultural, religious, or ethnic background you share with others, or something else you’ve sought out as a way to belong. Community is what you define it as, so don’t limit yourself when brainstorming your topic. Instead, think about what you would say to someone who asked you to introduce yourself and explain the kind of things you’re interested in. What comes to mind? What could you not imagine living without? Or, who could you not imagine living without?

You could also approach the prompt by thinking about some of your personal achievements that you’ve been proud of. This is a two-pronged prompt: you’re tasked with describing not just a community you’re a part of, but also your own contributions to that community. If anything, the second piece of the prompt is the more important one, as Emory admissions officers want to know how you’ll contribute to their overall campus community and the smaller communities that exist all across the college. So it’s imperative that whichever community you choose to write about is one that you’ve been actively engaging with for some time.

As such, it’s perhaps better to do away with writing about family or anything else that you don’t plan to take with you to Emory. While sharing that you and your family’s weekly Shabbat dinners have been a stable outlet for you to lean on your family and get in touch with your religion and wider religious community shows a thoughtful, touching sentimentality, it doesn’t actively exemplify how you’ve changed or shaped a community at large. 

That being said, perhaps you’ve invited friends from school to your dinners, or attended some of theirs. You could write about how what started as a family tradition eventually led you into a much broader community, and how you hope to attend Shabbat at Emory Hillel to broaden your Jewish community even further.

As with many other prompts, starting with an anecdote is a surefire way to quickly engage the reader and put them into your shoes. You can write about the time you found or joined the community, a time you felt most proud of your community, or a time you felt most indebted to or grateful for your community. Whatever you choose to do, remember details – what did you see, feel, taste, smell, and so on and so forth.

“ Standing on stage, with our foreheads sweating under the bright spotlights, I looked around at my castmates and felt I was home.”

Without having to say it explicitly, it’s obvious that the student’s chosen community is a theater group, and that the community gives the student a sense of great pride and comfort. Now it’s time to dive into greater detail about the significance of this community.

“But it’s hard not to think about how recently I was a freshman in the ensemble, feeling in over my head, not knowing a single soul, but feeling they were all more talented than me. But the seniors, who were all cast as leads, made it a point to make me and the other freshman feel not just included, but like an essential part of the machine.”

Here, the student starts to explain not just what the community is, but how it has helped them grow, and which lessons they’ll take from their experiences in it to college. To continue answering these more specific questions, they might go on to say something like:

“ When I became an upperclassman myself, I knew I had big shoes to fill. Whether it be by organizing movie nights outside rehearsal, having younger cast members lead warmups, or even just encouraging the cast to sit together at lunch, my goal is that whenever any member of our group looks at the stage, they’ll know they’re a part of a community that will last forever.”

Prompt 2, Option F

Reflection is a central tenet of emory university’s values. craft a personal email giving advice to yourself in your first year of high school. (150 words).

This is an open-ended prompt that gives you the chance to reflect upon your high school experience, both its triumphs and failures. The purpose of this prompt is to show the admissions reader your growth throughout high school and how you would approach it differently, if at all, if given a second chance.

The prompt may initially feel overbearingly profound, but your answer can really be quite simple. The more honest you are in your response, the more accurate a picture you will paint for Emory admissions officers, and while it may feel strange to show vulnerability to a complete stranger, remember that you’re not expected to have all the answers–you’re simply being asked to give advice to a past version of yourself.

That being said, it’s important to show perspective throughout your response. What lessons has high school taught you? Which moments were most pivotal? What aspects or experiences will you carry forward into college? Most specifically, reflect on your freshman year and what assumptions about high school you had that may have proved to be inaccurate. What fears did you have going in? Where did you find community, and how did you find it? What obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them? There are so many routes to follow when answering this prompt, which is exactly why it’s so important to be genuine, as if you try to write “what they want to see”, you’ll be cutting yourself off from some promising approaches.

Unlike many of the other options here, your letter requires no introduction or conclusion, connection to Emory or college in general, or acknowledgment that it’s even hypothetical. Treat the prompt as reality, and write exactly as if you were writing to your freshman year self.

Due to its informal structure, don’t be afraid to incorporate niche aspects of your personality, or even a touch of sarcasm or some other distinctive tone, into your letter. In fact, we recommend doing so as much as you can, as that will showcase a side of you that probably doesn’t show up anywhere else in your application. Whether by relying on humor, sincerity, or bluntness, make this response truly your own. Certainly, keep in mind that the people reading your essay will be complete strangers, but as long as you aren’t saying anything offensive, get in touch with what you would actually say to your past self. For example:

“Dear Robby,

I know how you must be feeling. I know, because, well, I’m you. You’re wide awake, watching Steph Curry highlights at 3 am while trying (and failing) to imagine him as an anxious teenager before his first day of high school. Unfortunately, I have to be honest with you–even now, you’re no closer to being the greatest shooter of all time. Actually, you’re probably further away… you ended up as the manager of the team, not the star. Sorry about that. But that shows what you have become: unafraid to embrace an unexpected path forward, and humble enough to contribute to things you love in a way that won’t make any headlines. So try to get some sleep tonight. Most of us will never be Steph, but nobody would ever know how many points he scored if his manager wasn’t keeping track.

Love, Yourself”

Where to Get Your Emory Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your Emory essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools.  Find the right advisor for you  to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Ethnicity — Cultural Autobiography: A Tapestry of Identity

Cultural Autobiography: a Tapestry of Identity

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Words: 840 |

Published: Jun 6, 2024

Words: 840 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Table of contents

The roots of family, community influence, education and cultural awareness, personal experiences and self-reflection.

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About Cultural Awareness

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Increasing Cultural Awareness in Healthcare Essay (Critical Writing)

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Introduction

Importance of education, on-field training, promotion of personal exposure, resources and action items.

Despite the recent tendency of offsetting globalization due to the pandemic, the international movement of people still exists, and the cultural diversity will remain. The recipients of healthcare include representatives of numerous ethnicities, social affiliations, and other groups. Equal indiscriminate treatment of all patients can lead to conflicts between practitioners and clients, which may result in negative care outcomes. Promoting cultural awareness is essential in creating a medical environment that respects diverse identities.

People carry their personal beliefs and experiences into all spheres of life, including work. One of the ways to develop a culturally sensitive environment is to select health professionals who have received training in intercultural communication. The more culturally competent the medical staff is, the fewer conflicts would arise out of misunderstanding on the basis of gender, race, age, sexuality, or culture. The administration of a healthcare organization can adjust its hiring policy accordingly.

Another venue for cultural promotion in healthcare is to actively propagate the inclusion of cultural training in education. Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare organizations can influence medical educational establishments to correct the curricula to cover cultural sensitivity. For instance, introducing corresponding subjects with mandatory completion or having cross-cultural practice may increase future health professionals’ understanding of sensitive areas. Subsequently, it will lead to an overall friendlier medical environment when the students graduate and start working.

The deficit of cultural competence in healthcare will not be resolved by proper education alone. Current practitioners are going to stay in the field of patient care, even though a large number of them do not satisfy the requirements posed by modern diversity. A logical solution to the issue would be improving the skills of the active workforce. According to Henderson et al. (2018), “instead of focusing on training, cultural competency in community healthcare implies that one must attempt to develop a higher level of moral reasoning in community practitioners” (p. 611). By combining the immediate patient care experience with the knowledge relating to diversity issues, it is possible to make the healthcare setting more culturally sensitive.

Educating the already working practitioners may even provide better results than accentuating changes in the curriculum. For instance, Govere and Govere (2016) write that “a systematic review of 34 studies by Beach et al. (2005) found that training improved knowledge in 17 of 19 studies and skills and attitudes in 21 of 25 studies” (p. 408). As a result, implementing educational courses for the staff during their workdays can foster cultural sensitivity in healthcare.

Another way of enhancing personnel’s communicative skills is by influencing their experiences outside of the work. Anyone who is exposed to foreign or unfamiliar groups, whether they are social, ethnic, sexual, or cultural, is more tolerant and welcoming of people of different backgrounds. Therefore, the administration of an organization can encourage their subordinates to establish cross-cultural connections on their own, for example, by offering vacations in foreign countries.

There is also research that proves that the inclusion of communication with people with different social orientations elevates cultural sensitivity at work. A study by Gözüm et al. (2020) delved into the causes of low cultural competence in hospitals. Their findings asserted that “health professionals’ frequently establishing contact with friends or neighbors from different cultures in their private lives was one of the major factors positively affecting cultural competency levels” (p. 15). Subsequently, promoting personal exposure is a viable way of making healthcare organizations appreciate differences.

Changes in group behavior are accomplished via properly motivating its members. A healthcare organization possesses resources, which can compel the staff to adopt a less rigid view of other identities. Santana et al. (2018) argue for the adoption of a person-centered-care, which acknowledges patients’ gender, sexuality, race, and culture. The researchers point that an organization can “provide adequate incentives in payment programs; celebrate small wins and victories to ensure resources for staff to practice PCC” (p. 432). Ultimately, the employee policy decides the staff’s attitude to patients.

As for the actual steps an organization can take to strengthen cultural sensitivity, there are three major initiatives. According to Hollinger-Smith, entities can involve their members in “assessing their perceptions of cultural problems and conflicts, and plan how they should be fixed” (p. 8). She also argues for the adoption of policies respecting cultural differences, for instance, by adjusting when and how meals are served according to respective traditions. Finally, an organization can provide the working personnel with information on cultural subtleties, which may complicate communication.

Altogether, it is evident that in order to make the healthcare setting more appreciative of differences, it is necessary to work with the working staff. Promoting cultural education will make medical graduates more competent. Administrations can set up courses for the medical staff, which would raise their awareness. Encouraging personal first-hand experience of communicating with various identities will help in culturally sensitive patient care. Overall, healthcare organizations should create conditions motivating health professionals to increase their cultural competence.

Govere, L., & Govere, E. M. (2016). How effective is cultural competence training of healthcare providers on improving patient satisfaction of minority groups? A systematic review of literature. Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing , 13 (6), 402-410.

Gözüm, S., Tuzcu, A., & Yurt, S. (2020). Developing a cultural competency scale for primary health care professionals. Studies in Psychology . 1-22. Web.

Henderson, S., Horne, M., Hills, R., & Kendall, E. (2018). Cultural competence in healthcare in the community: A concept analysis. Health & Social Care in the Community , 26 (4), 590-603. Web.

Hollinger-Smith, L. (n.d.). Diversity & cultural competency in health care settings. Mather. Web.

Santana, M. J., Manalili, K., Jolley, R. J., Zelinsky, S., Quan, H., & Lu, M. (2018). How to practice person‐centred care: A conceptual framework. Health Expectations , 21 (2), 429-440. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2023, January 23). Increasing Cultural Awareness in Healthcare. https://ivypanda.com/essays/increasing-cultural-awareness-in-healthcare/

"Increasing Cultural Awareness in Healthcare." IvyPanda , 23 Jan. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/increasing-cultural-awareness-in-healthcare/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Increasing Cultural Awareness in Healthcare'. 23 January.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Increasing Cultural Awareness in Healthcare." January 23, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/increasing-cultural-awareness-in-healthcare/.

1. IvyPanda . "Increasing Cultural Awareness in Healthcare." January 23, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/increasing-cultural-awareness-in-healthcare/.

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IvyPanda . "Increasing Cultural Awareness in Healthcare." January 23, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/increasing-cultural-awareness-in-healthcare/.

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Cultural Awareness

Updated 10 November 2022

Subject Communication

Downloads 30

Category Culture ,  Sociology

Topic American Culture ,  Cultural Competence

Cultural Competence

Cultural competence is the ability of people from various cultural backgrounds to communicate effectively with one another. It primarily entails comprehending people of various ages, abilities, races, gender, and national origin, among other things.

American Culture

The American culture, for example, is competent and encourages material accumulation, religious freedom, individualism, and equal opportunity for all people (Hecht et al., 2012).

Traditional African American Ideals

On the other hand, traditional African American ideals include traditional kinship, spiritual principles, community versus person thought, and holistic thinking, among others. In a case study, this paper examines African American cultural competence by assessing how a more profound cultural awareness may have affected the teacher's responses.

Case Study 3.8: African American Cultural Competence

In the case study 3.8 which talks more about the African American culture, the time frame is based on the early childhood education of eight years old Jamal who is a student at Simpson Elementary school.

Jamal's Disruptive Behavior

Jamal is very disrespectful to his teacher Ms. Anderson since he fails to complete his classwork on the required time. Moreover, Jamal could engage in other activities like sharpening the pencil or talking to classmates thus obstructing other students during the learning hours. This behavior greatly annoyed the teacher who assumed that Jamal had no interest in academics.

Teacher's Perception and Recommendation

She ended up developing a perception that the curriculum of Simpson school surpassed Jamal's ability and recommended a referral to a special education learning center where Jamal could improve on his studies and behaviors.

Parents' Rejection and Test Results

Despite the fact that Ms. Anderson recommended the referral of Jamal to a special school to improve his studies, Jamal's parents, on the other hand, did not adhere to this idea. This is because the parents believed that their child was bright and energetic enough to excel in the same school. However, the parents accepted to let Jamal tested for any complications by the school psychologists, Dr. Mann. After the test, it was found that Jamal had a special gift and this was the reason for his argumentative nature in class. Dr. Mann recommended that Jamal should be transferred to a challenging environment that would stimulate him academically.

Ms. Anderson's Work Ethics

Also, Ms. Anderson had good working ethics as far as being a teacher is concerned. This is because before making the final decision of transferring Jamal to a special learning center, she decided that Jamal should be tested for any complications. In contrast to this, Ms. Anderson portrayed poor qualities of a teacher by giving up easily on Jamal when she recommended his transfer to a special learning center instead of trying to develop a way to improve on Jamal's character.

Peer Pressure and African American Culture

As far as work ethics of Ms. Anderson is concerned, peer pressure in African American culture is a major factor that leads to poor performance of the students. Peer pressure mainly affects the male child who at most times work hard to be assimilated in the peer group other than working hard in academics. This leads to their underperformance as peer pressure rewards underachievement at all times.

Recommendations for the Teacher

Furthermore, the teacher seems to be in a dilemma whether to adapt to Jamal's behavior or to nurture him to change and become a better student and adapt to the curriculum of Simpson school. However, the teacher seems to rely more on referring the student to a special learning center other than focusing on how to nurture the student. To help the teacher out of this dilemma, it is advisable for the teacher to develop a good and healthy relationship with the student (Hecht et al., 2012). This is because most students work hard when they have respect for the teacher and after they have created a good rapport with each other. Also, creating a good relationship will enable the teacher to understand the student well and work on the negative aspects of the student (Lynch et al., 2013).

African American Communication

The African American communication is mainly the verbal communication which has been drawn from their origin, the West African culture. Their communication styles mainly include The oral tradition, call and reaction patterns, the use of idiomatic expressions, vocal variation and the use of nonverbal communication e.g. gestures to intensify the meaning of the message being passed from one person to another.

It is worth noting that cultural competence plays a vital role in helping people of different cultural backgrounds to relate well with each other. In African American culture, they mainly embrace the traditional values like kinship and traditional religious beliefs. In addition, they use the verbal type of communication such as the use of idiomatic expressions and vocal variation, an oral tradition among others. In a school situation, the teachers have to create a good relationship with their students since they come from different cultural backgrounds and they need to understand each other well.

Hecht, M. L., Collier, M. J., & Ribeau, S. A. (2012). African American communication: Ethnic identity and cultural interpretation. Sage Publications, Inc.

Lynch, E. W., & Hanson, M. J. (2013). Developing cross-cultural competence: A guide for working with young children and their families. Paul H. Brookes Publishing.

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