CULTURAL IMMERSION PROJECT: RESEARCH AND EVENTS PAPER ASSIGNMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
OVERVIEW
This portion of the Cultural Immersion Project Assignment consists of two parts: a research-
based portion and an events-based portion of the approved cultural group you identified in
Week 2 that you will be exploring. This group should be a different ethnicity, religion, and/or
culture that which you identify and/or also must have other significantly different cultural
features (e.g., older persons in nursing homes, children with disabilities, adults with disabilities,
the homeless, Deaf culture, prisoners, military, etc.). In addition, you must have selected a group
with whom you have little or no prior experience and cannot use cultural groups identified in
prior cultural immersion experiences. In other words, the cultural group for all parts of this
Benchmark Cultural Immersion Project must be new for you.
INSTRUCTIONS
Please utilize the guidelines noted below in completing this assignment:
This paper should be approximately 2,200 words (approximately 8-9 pages). Please note
that the quality of your answer is important, and use the approximate words count noted
in each section as you craft your responses for each section.
Please use current APA style which is the 7th edition of the APA publication manual
which includes information on appropriate formatting for section headings (Chapter 2),
levels of headings (Chapter 2), in-text citations (Chapter 8), and references (Chapters 9
and 10). In addition, review the sample professional paper on page 50 for more
information.
Scholarly sources are required and must be published within the last 5 years. A minimum
of six (6) sources are required for this assignment, and you are welcome to use more as
needed in your research.
Acceptable sources include journal articles, scholarly websites, one (1) pertinent chapter
from the McGoldrick et al. supplemental e-book. NOTE: The Hays and Erford textbook
may count as a source.
For the two parts of this assignment, address the following prompts, and organize the paper
based on the prompts using appropriate section heading format:
Research Portion
1. What are four (4) key elements you learned about the culture through your scholarly
research? (approximately 700 words; cite and reference your sources). Please select four (4)
elements from the list below and elaborate on what you learned from the literature:
Inter-group characteristics (compared to other groups) and intra-group characteristics
(differences within the cultural group)
Common attitudes, beliefs, and values relative to the cultural group
Prominent customs, practices, and behaviors
INSTRUCTIONS
OVERVIEW
This portion of the Cultural Immersion Project Assignment consists of two parts: a research-
based portion and an events-based portion of the approved cultural group you identified in
Week 2 that you will be exploring. This group should be a different ethnicity, religion, and/or
culture that which you identify and/or also must have other significantly different cultural
features (e.g., older persons in nursing homes, children with disabilities, adults with disabilities,
the homeless, Deaf culture, prisoners, military, etc.). In addition, you must have selected a group
with whom you have little or no prior experience and cannot use cultural groups identified in
prior cultural immersion experiences. In other words, the cultural group for all parts of this
Benchmark Cultural Immersion Project must be new for you.
INSTRUCTIONS
Please utilize the guidelines noted below in completing this assignment:
This paper should be approximately 2,200 words (approximately 8-9 pages). Please note
that the quality of your answer is important, and use the approximate words count noted
in each section as you craft your responses for each section.
Please use current APA style which is the 7th edition of the APA publication manual
which includes information on appropriate formatting for section headings (Chapter 2),
levels of headings (Chapter 2), in-text citations (Chapter 8), and references (Chapters 9
and 10). In addition, review the sample professional paper on page 50 for more
information.
Scholarly sources are required and must be published within the last 5 years. A minimum
of six (6) sources are required for this assignment, and you are welcome to use more as
needed in your research.
Acceptable sources include journal articles, scholarly websites, one (1) pertinent chapter
from the McGoldrick et al. supplemental e-book. NOTE: The Hays and Erford textbook
may count as a source.
For the two parts of this assignment, address the following prompts, and organize the paper
based on the prompts using appropriate section heading format:
Research Portion
1. What are four (4) key elements you learned about the culture through your scholarly
research? (approximately 700 words; cite and reference your sources). Please select four (4)
elements from the list below and elaborate on what you learned from the literature:
Inter-group characteristics (compared to other groups) and intra-group characteristics
(differences within the cultural group)
Common attitudes, beliefs, and values relative to the cultural group
Prominent customs, practices, and behaviors
CEFS 504
Page 2 of 3
Spirituality and/or religion as appropriate to the cultural groups (Please note that
spirituality/religion may not be a central theme for some populations.)
Key historical events and figures impacting the cultural and societal perceptions of this
group
History/patterns of immigration of this cultural group to the U.S.
2. Historical and Current Oppression (approximately 250 words; cite and reference your
sources).
Please write a summary of the historical and current oppression of the chosen cultural
group. This information is to help understand how oppression has impacted the group.
Ideas to explore can include the effects of oppression and the subtle rules or unwritten
practices of oppression within structures such as companies, schools, organizations, etc.
(Resources are needed to help complete this section.)
Events Portion
You will attend and participate in two (2) events related to your selected cultural group, and
these events can include (but not limited to) activities such as religious/faith services, community
organization meetings, volunteer work with homeless shelters or food kitchens, attendance at
support group meetings, fund-raising events, school-related meetings/activities, etc. The key
thing is that these activities focus on the chosen cultural group and that you can learn
about them through these activities. (NOTE: Eating at ethnic restaurants does not count as an
event. In addition, each event must be distinct and have a qualitatively different experience
than the other. For example, attendance at two different faith/religious services would count as
one event as they are similar experiences.)
Your total participation for the events should be for (4) hours (approximately two (2) hours per
event) where you engage in learning more about your chosen cultural group. Please note that if
you choose to attend a faith/religious service, do not be surprised if the service is longer than
anticipated and if you are invited for a meal afterwards. Hospitality for such events is common
for many cultural groups, and it may be insulting if you do not eat with them following the
service. For such instances, the church service and the meal would count as one event.
With any activity, it is important that you interact with members of the cultural group to develop
an understanding of the event and the motivations of individuals in participating in them.
Consider some of the following factors as you think about this portion: purpose of the activity or
event; cultural underpinnings for the events, possible religious/faith influences for event; and
social/political/economic beliefs or values.
Events section prompts
Identify the two attended events and describe your experience of these events.
(approximately 250 words)
How did your participation in these events impact you emotionally? In other words, how
did you respond as you engaged with and learned more about the cultural group? Why do
you think you responded this way? (approximately 350 words)
Page 2 of 3
Spirituality and/or religion as appropriate to the cultural groups (Please note that
spirituality/religion may not be a central theme for some populations.)
Key historical events and figures impacting the cultural and societal perceptions of this
group
History/patterns of immigration of this cultural group to the U.S.
2. Historical and Current Oppression (approximately 250 words; cite and reference your
sources).
Please write a summary of the historical and current oppression of the chosen cultural
group. This information is to help understand how oppression has impacted the group.
Ideas to explore can include the effects of oppression and the subtle rules or unwritten
practices of oppression within structures such as companies, schools, organizations, etc.
(Resources are needed to help complete this section.)
Events Portion
You will attend and participate in two (2) events related to your selected cultural group, and
these events can include (but not limited to) activities such as religious/faith services, community
organization meetings, volunteer work with homeless shelters or food kitchens, attendance at
support group meetings, fund-raising events, school-related meetings/activities, etc. The key
thing is that these activities focus on the chosen cultural group and that you can learn
about them through these activities. (NOTE: Eating at ethnic restaurants does not count as an
event. In addition, each event must be distinct and have a qualitatively different experience
than the other. For example, attendance at two different faith/religious services would count as
one event as they are similar experiences.)
Your total participation for the events should be for (4) hours (approximately two (2) hours per
event) where you engage in learning more about your chosen cultural group. Please note that if
you choose to attend a faith/religious service, do not be surprised if the service is longer than
anticipated and if you are invited for a meal afterwards. Hospitality for such events is common
for many cultural groups, and it may be insulting if you do not eat with them following the
service. For such instances, the church service and the meal would count as one event.
With any activity, it is important that you interact with members of the cultural group to develop
an understanding of the event and the motivations of individuals in participating in them.
Consider some of the following factors as you think about this portion: purpose of the activity or
event; cultural underpinnings for the events, possible religious/faith influences for event; and
social/political/economic beliefs or values.
Events section prompts
Identify the two attended events and describe your experience of these events.
(approximately 250 words)
How did your participation in these events impact you emotionally? In other words, how
did you respond as you engaged with and learned more about the cultural group? Why do
you think you responded this way? (approximately 350 words)
CEFS 504
Page 3 of 3
What are three (3) key things you learned about the culture through these events that
was not reflected in your research? What makes these three learned elements significant
for the culture? (approximately 350 words)
Among the major counseling theories (psychodynamic, Adlerian, existential, person-
centered, Gestalt, cognitive-behavioral, reality, behavior, family systems, etc.), what are
two (2) theories that have been empirically validated as effective with the selected group?
What are the characteristics of these two (2) theories that make them effective?
(Resources are needed to help complete this section.) (approximately 300 words; cite and
reference your source(s) that is used for this question)
Note that the research and events portion of the project is necessary for completion of the final
portion of this immersion project. Organize all the notes and resources you have gathered thus
far to enable you to easily accomplish the interview portion of this project.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool
Page 3 of 3
What are three (3) key things you learned about the culture through these events that
was not reflected in your research? What makes these three learned elements significant
for the culture? (approximately 350 words)
Among the major counseling theories (psychodynamic, Adlerian, existential, person-
centered, Gestalt, cognitive-behavioral, reality, behavior, family systems, etc.), what are
two (2) theories that have been empirically validated as effective with the selected group?
What are the characteristics of these two (2) theories that make them effective?
(Resources are needed to help complete this section.) (approximately 300 words; cite and
reference your source(s) that is used for this question)
Note that the research and events portion of the project is necessary for completion of the final
portion of this immersion project. Organize all the notes and resources you have gathered thus
far to enable you to easily accomplish the interview portion of this project.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool