Consciousness-Raising
Book Club

4th Tuesday of every month. See our Calendar for related links.

5:30pm PT/ 8:30pm ET and all times in between.

Our focus will be on multicultural literature, both fiction and non-fiction, to increase cultural awareness and encourage dialogue around this topic.

What is multicultural literature? Multicultural literature includes literature about people who are considered outside of the mainstream of society and have been in some manner marginalized. This includes people from diverse cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds. Multicultural literature increases cultural awareness, humility, knowledge, and appreciation of cultural diversity and differences.

What is culture? An integrated pattern of thoughts, communications, actions, customs, beliefs, values, and institutions associated wholly or partially with race, ethnicity, or linguistic groups, as well as with religious, spiritual, biological, geographical, or sociopolitical characteristics. Culture is a dynamic and evolving construct. Individuals may identify with multiple cultures over the course of their lifespan.

What is cultural diversity? Differences in race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexual identity, socioeconomic status, physical ability, language, beliefs, values, behavior patterns, or customs among various groups within a community, organization, or nation. 

What is cultural awareness? The reflective process of continued self-examination of our own cultural biases. Cultural awareness also involves being aware of the documented impacts of oppression of other cultures. It means we increase our cultural knowledge by being a lifelong learner of other cultures. We are open to changing our biased cultural attitudes.

What is cultural humility? A life-long process of self-reflection and self-critique whereby we learn other cultural beliefs and identities, starting with an examination of our own beliefs and cultural identities. Cultural humility also encourages developing a respectful attitude toward diverse points of view. In order to practice true cultural humility, a person must also be aware of and sensitive to historic realities like legacies of violence and oppression against certain groups of people.