[Ailist] Re: Meaning Making

[Jerry M. Kaiser]

Hi, Bill.

I do have an exercise I¹m really fond of...and it¹s multi-sensory.

I teach an upper-level health professions course titled ³Health Issues in a
Multicultural Society² at San Jose State . The goal of the course is to
develop culturally competent and (more important to me) caring health
professionals who will, increasingly, interact with people different from
themselves.

My class, itself, is multicultural, with students representing 29 countries.
I start the semester with dyadic interviews, there¹s a substantial amount of
work describing self and family in the context of the 12 domains of culture
which are the foundation of the text, and a lot of individual and group
discussion.

However, the exercise which provides the most ³meaning making² is our ethnic
food festival, when students each bring a sample of the food of their
heritage. Even if their family has been here since the American Revolution
(as a few, in fact, have), their goal is to bring a food which represents
their culture of origin; and, preferably, which has some cultural
significance (ceremonial, etc.) which, along with the ingredients, they can
describe to the class. Out of consideration for their time and money, I
request only that they bring enough for a small taste; however, although
some purchase it, most students make their dish...and bring enough to feed
everyone.   

So we have students from Poland sampling red rice from Guam, Mexicans
tasting Hmong sausage from Laos, Swedes trying Filipino pancit...

The activity (passed down from other instructors of the course) is always a
hit on many levels. One student, whose family is Spanish, made Spanish rice
for the first time. She talked about how proud her mother was of her.
Students who are ³picky² talked about how they¹d never have tried some of
the dishes in a restaurant...and how the activity opened up a new world for
them. Others beamed when classmates asked for their recipes. Many asked if
we could do this again, and one suggested that each make something from a
culture foreign to them (we will...on the last day of class).

You can look at the ³meaning making² of an activity like this on many
levels. As an exercise in appreciation and bonding, it¹s magical. And, of
course, as a ³breaking of bread², it¹s timeless. If you think about it, is
there anything throughout history that has created more appreciation and
meaning? 

Best wishes,
Jerry Kaiser

Jerry M. Kaiser
CaringMatters
455 Huckleberry Lane, Boulder Creek, CA 95006

831-338-3165
http://www.caringmatters.com
http://caringmatters.blogspot.com/

"He is the best physician who is the most ingenious inspirer of hope."
Samuel Taylor Coleridge

> Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2008 16:08:31 -0700
> From: "Bill Scott" <wjs.consulting at shaw.ca>
> Subject: [Ailist] Meaning Making Exercise?
> Hello all,
> 
> Im teaching a fourth year university level course that is focusing on
> the use of appreciative process in groups and teams.
> 
> I want to do a segment on meaning making and I was wondering if anyone
> had developed an exercise that they are really fond of. I have the
> students do appreciative interviews with one another and do thematic
> analysis of the data that they have captured  and of course, this
> includes meaning making. But Im wondering if anyone has developed a
> standalone exercise that emphasizes the point of meaning making.
> 


--