The following article was written by  supreme writers

Before I started the course I was aware that culture shapes our behavioral patterns to a large extent. Coming to the US, I was going to the melting pot where ethnicity and color do not matter and where all people are joined in the mutual desire to attain the American Dream. I must admit those were my teenager and idealized notions of America and cultural diversity but they were shaped by stereotypes I was exposed to. Having taken the course, I wanted to deepen my understanding of cultural diversity by taking the multicultural perspective. Before I started, my assumptions about other cultures were somewhat stereotypical and mostly theoretical. One needs not only to come close in order to see another culture but also come in a non-judgmental and non-prejudiced way whereas many cultural assumptions and stereotypes are judgmental and prejudiced.

I started the course with very rudimentary knowledge on cultural diversity. Basically I knew my Taiwanese culture deeply and had a general notion of other cultures being different. I didn't know how exactly they were different and I didn't really realize to what extent culture shapes my ideas and notions of the world. Prior to a more conscious approach to one's own worldview people usually believe that their cultural perception is 'natural' and common. Therefore, my venture into a new sociological discipline started with the delineation between universal and relative inherent in each culture. First, we started with Culture Identity Exploration. It was a necessary activity because it grounded me in terms of theory and definitions. I used my own identity, which I know very well from within, as a starting point to explore other cultures and identities. However, the course materials did not allow me to slip into generalizations. Coming from an Eastern Confucian culture it is easy to generalize that my values ​​are collectivism and piety (Cohen et al., 2016, p. 1236). Reading theoretical works I began to see nuances and found out how to name them. I began learning how not to ascribe certain features simply because a person belongs to a certain culture. Now I see that my own Confucian-Taiwanese identity has both collectivistic and individualistic features, rigorous religious rituals and a pull to gender freedom, etc. This realization of my own diversity within my identity prompts me not to limit people in their manifestation and display of cultural identity. Coming from an Eastern Confucian culture it is easy to generalize that my values ​​are collectivism and piety (Cohen et al., 2016, p. 1236). Reading theoretical works I began to see nuances and found out how to name them. I began learning how not to ascribe certain features simply because a person belongs to a certain culture. Now I see that my own Confucian-Taiwanese identity has both collectivistic and individualistic features, rigorous religious rituals and a pull to gender freedom, etc. This realization of my own diversity within my identity prompts me not to limit people in their manifestation and display of cultural identity. Coming from an Eastern Confucian culture it is easy to generalize that my values ​​are collectivism and piety (Cohen et al., 2016, p. 1236). Reading theoretical works I began to see nuances and found out how to name them. I began learning how not to ascribe certain features simply because a person belongs to a certain culture. Now I see that my own Confucian-Taiwanese identity has both collectivistic and individualistic features, rigorous religious rituals and a pull to gender freedom, etc. This realization of my own diversity within my identity prompts me not to limit people in their manifestation and display of cultural identity. I began learning how not to ascribe certain features simply because a person belongs to a certain culture. Now I see that my own Confucian-Taiwanese identity has both collectivistic and individualistic features, rigorous religious rituals and a pull to gender freedom, etc. This realization of my own diversity within my identity prompts me not to limit people in their manifestation and display of cultural identity. I began learning how not to ascribe certain features simply because a person belongs to a certain culture. Now I see that my own Confucian-Taiwanese identity has both collectivistic and individualistic features, rigorous religious rituals and a pull to gender freedom, etc. This realization of my own diversity within my identity prompts me not to limit people in their manifestation and display of cultural identity.

Choosing the African American culture to study during the course, I wanted to examine more closely details and nuances of the worldview shaped by the experience of African Americans. Prior to the course I knew the general notions of institutionalized racism and historical cases of racial discrimination. Upon a multifaceted approach of the course I began to understand a day-to-day experience of Black men and women slightly better. We started with watching Get Out . As an artistic representation, it was easy to follow narration which drove home the main idea of ​​race still remaining a crucial characteristic for defining people's attitude to each other. However, I learned through the interviews with two African American males that they do not dramatize their own clashes or discordances with the mainstream culture. My interviewees revealed that they had adapted to the environment and now try to keep their close circle harmonious and conflict-free. It is their way to shield themselves from the impact. I understand that one can adapt and get used to many things. However, A Day In Life activity highlighted uncomfortable and plainly wrong attitudes that African Americans come across in their daily lives simply on the grounds of the color of their skin.

Building on the theme of skin color, I found the subject of body image intriguing. Living under the pressure from idealized media images I could not even imagine what exactly is relevant for African Americans. Or, to say it differently, I did not think that African Americans can see as culturally meaningful anything other than whiteness and skinniness. At least these are the characteristics hammered into heads of all females worldwide. In Asia, for example women are very preoccupied to keep their skin as white as possible. However, I was surprised to find out that African American females are also more interested in skin tones and hair texture rather than in staying thin (Capodilupo, 2015, p. 268). It was new information for me to learn that African American women compete more with other African American women and do not take white women as their ideals.

Regarding religion I learned that it is not a homogeneous category. As a Buddhist, I know that there are many directions of Buddhism. Even though we, Buddhists, all have the same terms and practices, they are slightly different in composition, rituals, in the set and number of venerated figures and many other aspects (Cohen et al., 2016). Similarly, I was ready to find certain diversity within Catholicism and Protestantism in America. After I talked to my interviewees and read course materials I saw the mutual influence of culture and religion. For example, American Protestantism is considered individualistic but I can see that on the one hand, it is part of the Protestant makeup, while on the other hand,

Regarding gender differences, I was tremendously surprised to read that the collectivist countries (usually Asian) have a less pronounced gender difference than more egalitarian individualist countries (Guimand et a., 2007). Frankly I did not notice this effect. However, if it truly exists, it can be explained by an emphasis on within-gender comparisons rather than between-gender comparisons, which reduces gender differences. Furthermore, all data for analysis are taken from self-representation and people can often internalize gender stereotypes and think of themselves what they are not.

Learning about different cultures and getting ready to use this knowledge in counseling I understand that I want to keep the middle ground without slipping into taking either a too universalistic or too relativistic stance on multiculturalism. A counselor needs to avoid taking a radically relativist approach to each culture because indeed cultures share many similar elements with each other. For example, there is no need to change treatment programs or educational curricula completely for different cultures. On the other hand, a counselor cannot and should not take a universalist approach and regard all cultures, ages, sexes in the same way (Pedersen, 1991). Obviously social backgrounds, experience, culture, religion, gender, and age are responsible for various worldviews and it should be taken into consideration in the process of counseling.

I am thankful for my fate and for the fact that I come from a supportive and loving family. I believe it is my solid and valuable background that will come in handy in any profession, but especially in counseling. People need to see solid support and valuable recommendations in their counselors. Therefore, I think that I already have this basis. However, there are many other skills and requirements that I need to acquire and develop. Studying multiculturalism and delicate cultural differences will allow me to make correct decisions in the matters related to politically correct behaviors. Political correctness has become a delicate issue. And overall cultural diversity is an issue that many people struggle to deal with. Not all want to get into details and get to know the intricacies of interracial and interethnic communication. However, it is a necessary and urgent skill. As a counselor, I need to master it.

Given the growing globalization, it is crucially important to develop intercultural competence for all people. However, the profession of counselor that I chose especially needs such skills. I am learning it even now, as I come across many international students from different countries and backgrounds, but I still clearly lack many elements of intercultural competence. The course helped me see the road I need to take. Coming from a monocultural background and having lived for several years in another culture, I can see that I developed cross-cultural mental models. In many aspects it is thanks to globalized culture we all live in where even in Taiwan I could watch Hollywood movies and listen to American and European songs. It affected my cultural awareness to a certain extent. At least I could have pictured an American-style birthday party before I came to the US and saw it with my own eyes. In Taiwan we do not celebrate birthdays this way. Actually the majority of the Taiwanese do not celebrate their birthdays. However, I need to move to intercultural development in my levels of understanding and abilities to find solutions to intercultural problems (Nardon, 2017). Reflection is the first stage in acquiring intercultural competence. It is not enough to see differences. One needs to learn to critically examine situations so that it could be possible to get culturally-related lessons from them. I need to move to intercultural development in my levels of understanding and abilities to find solutions to intercultural problems (Nardon, 2017). Reflection is the first stage in acquiring intercultural competence. It is not enough to see differences. One needs to learn to critically examine situations so that it could be possible to get culturally-related lessons from them. I need to move to intercultural development in my levels of understanding and abilities to find solutions to intercultural problems (Nardon, 2017). Reflection is the first stage in acquiring intercultural competence. It is not enough to see differences. One needs to learn to critically examine situations so that it could be possible to get culturally-related lessons from them.

Developing reflection and critical perception of cultural situation is impacting my own culture. I need to constantly value and revalue cultural assumptions and ideas that I have taken for granted. I know that coming into contact with other cultures will challenge my understanding of who I am. So far, during the interviews and activities, I questioned my assumptions and tried to be as effective to other people as possible. However, I cannot say that I had learned something so mind-blowing and groundbreaking that I did not know what to do with it. All the information I learned was valuable and a lot of it was new. I mean that I am ready that my image of a well-educated student who does her homework diligently and does her best in mastering intercultural competence can be shattered with some situations in the future. So far my efforts brought me the necessary result. However, there can be details I overlooked. Anyway we have taken the course for one semester and there is a lot of material left to be explored and studied.

What I like about this course and sociology in general is that it gets me to develop a habit to examine my own thinking about social interactions. Alongside gender and age assumptions, it includes intercultural competence too. I guess I have already gotten used to questioning my cultural assumptions on a regular basis. I also like that intercultural differences are visible and should be examined in the most mundane situations. One does not need to look for some extraordinary cases to study them. The course on multiculturalism was very useful for me as an individual and as a would-be counselor. I studied theoretical premises and got practical activities to exemplify some of the new concepts and ideas. Additionally, studying cultural differences is an immensely captivating subject.