Semester #3A

Description: 

This event details my first visit to the Natural History Museum of Utah near the University of Utah. We started at the top of the building and worked our way down. First was the history of those who lived in Utah before us, the American Indians. The number of plaques and items to read here outnumber everything else we saw that day. After that, we saw current and extinct animals living in Utah, cool rocks, fossils, bugs, the impact of human civilization on geography, earthquake simulators, and activities meant to help us visualize the importance of structural integrity. I learned a lot that day, but I'd be lying if I said I remembered most of it. Rather than what I learned, I recall how I felt about what I saw.

Reflection: 

My husband and I are the type of people who move slowly through exhibits like these. We enjoy looking at and talking about everything we see. Our conversations usually sound like both of us excitedly discussing/debating about what we saw. This wasn't the case for the first area,  which detailed the history of the American Indians of Utah. My husband, Joe, spent much of his life among American Indians. The number of plaques in this area detailing information and stories outnumbered all of the other areas of the museum. Joe stopped to read each one, sometimes stopping to think. At times, he would tell me relevant experiences or stories he was told, but otherwise, he was silent.

After that area, we resumed our regular chatter, but I was curious: Why did he stop to read each one? Later, he told me that he just wanted to learn more and that learning more about the community was important to him. At that moment, I didn't catch how significant that statement was. He spent a considerable amount of time among the American Indian community and still felt a desire to learn more.

As his wife, I feel pride in knowing him, but as a social work major, I admire his eagerness to expand his knowledge. Being a multiculturally competent social worker requires always being willing to learn and remain a student of culture, history, and human stories forever. Sometimes, I feel overconfident in my knowledge of a subject because of my experience. I must resist the temptations of complacency and pride to remain in a state of constant learning. 

Since this trip, I've designed goals inspired by my professional ethics classes to improve my multicultural competency as a future provider. Due to the private nature of these goals, I will only provide some details. I want to increase my cultural competence by attending informative events and surrounding myself with individuals comfortable with differences. By doing these, I can recognize where my and others' cultural beliefs align and where they differ. I have more goals, objectives, and desired learning outcomes, but I know this. I will work to develop my ability to live by the platinum rule, to treat others as they want to be treated.

This may be an interesting lesson from a history museum; however, some lessons appear where you least expect them. That, too, is another lesson for me.