Katelyn_CP_IE_#5

I came a bit late to the workshop on February 12^th because I was buying markers—I thought that we were going to be finishing our boards entirely this day. I discussed the layout of our board with Amaly and Shazia, which went smoothly, and then we talked about WHY it’s important to be aware of cultural differences, as well as HOW it can affect teaching. For most things, we all agreed that we should know the host-culture so that we do not accidentally offend or upset someone, and so that in teaching, I know how I should and should not act in a certain situation. I mentioned that I personally wouldn't want to offend someone’s religion on accident while teaching—such as, I wouldn't greet a male colleague or coworker by hugging them or patting their back or something, in Pakistan—but Shazia insisted that it wasn't the religious culture of Pakistan, it was the culture of all Muslim countries. I agreed with this, and said it is probably the case, but that religion is still affecting the culture. This got us talking about co-habiting with the opposite gender before marriage, and arranged marriages (you can marry for love/choice in Pakistan, which surprised Amaly), but it all kept going back to Shazia saying it wasn't Pakistani culture, which confused me. After class, Shazia made me ask members of other Muslim countries if it’s the same in their nations, and they confirmed it, but they also agreed that the religion influences the culture of their own lands.