Exercise 8: Cultural Lens
Public health is devoted to promoting equity and inclusion for all people. We live in diverse communities and often
interact with people who are both similar and different from us. The goal of this assignment is to think about who
we most interact with in our daily lives. As we think about these interactions, you will indicate the race, ethnicity,
and gender for different types of people in your life.
To help define and describe these terms, please refer to the following:
Race refers to a narrow description of groups of people based on physical/biological attributes. Some examples
include: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian,
Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific
Islander, Two or more Races, White, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, etc.
Ethnicity is a broader term that refers to groups that share common cultural identities based on shared culture,
religion, language, nationality, customs, etc. Some examples include: Hispanic, non-Hispanic, German, Tagalog,
etc.
Gender is socially constructed and refers to the roles, norms, and behaviors one's society expects of individuals
(traditionally based on their sex). Gender can change over time and differs across societies. Some examples include:
female, male, non-binary, agender, Two-Spirit, etc.
Directions: Provide an answer identifying race, ethnicity, and gender for each of the following statements. If you are
unsure, write N/A. Be sure to answer the reflection questions on page two.
Race
Ethnicity
Gender
I identify as
White
Non-Hispanic
Female
My family members are mostly
White
Non-Hispanic
Female
My neighbors (or roommates) are
mostly
White
Non-Hispanic
Female
My doctor is
White
Non-Hispanic
Female
My dentist is
White
Non-Hispanic
Male
My boss is
N/A
N/A
N/A
My co-workers are mostly
N/A
N/A
N/A
My friends are mostly
Black and White
Non-Hispanic
Female
The author of the last book I read is
White
Non-Hispanic
Male
The actors in the last movie I saw
were mostly
White
Non-Hispanic
Female
The actors in my favorite show are
mostly
White
Non-Hispanic
Female
My favorite musician/band is/are
mostly
White
Non-Hispanic
Male
The last person to visit my house
was
White
Non-Hispanic
Male
My classmates are mostly
Very Diverse
Very Diverse
Very Diverse
My teachers are mostly
White
Non-Hispanic
Female
