Culture and Belonging

Culture and Belonging: Work Both Challenging and Rewarding

Music is a powerful tool to bring people together and a distinct marker of unique cultures. Dr. Scott Sexton, music educator and educator of future music educators, helps us find the quickest entry points to Culture and Belonging through music in our fourth episode of the podcast. Dr. Sexton sees culture as a means to find common ground and move towards belonging. He tells us about his work in places like Bosnia and South Africa to use music for peace-building in the decades-old wake of war and racial unrest.

Culture and Belonging: Become Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

For our third episode of Culture and Belonging, we asked Dr. Stephen Carmody, an associate professor of anthropology, to talk to us about how he defines culture and belonging. Anthropology is the study of the origin and development of human societies and cultures, and our conversation delves into the concept of becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable and focuses on how anthropologists seek commonalities and shared humanity within diversity. When we see things in another culture that we don’t understand, it can be helpful to remember that those differences are likely representative of things we actually do know.
 

Culture and Belonging: Humility and Willingness to Listen

On our second episode of Culture and Belonging, we’ll hear from history instructor Joe McCall, a self-proclaimed frustrated Latin scholar, about how he defines culture in the context of advocating for international students and colleagues. Joe will help us try to answer the question, “What role does religion play in a culturally diverse environment?” Conflict is part of life, but humility and being willing to listen to others can go a long way towards developing trust as we build community in any setting.

Culture and Belonging ”A Seat at the Table”

In a professional environment of increasing cultural diversity, what can administrators do to make sure everyone feels included? On the flip side, how can individuals speak up and make themselves heard?
On this very first episode of culture and belonging, we’ll talk with Dr. Dionne Rosser-Mims, Vice-Chancellor of Troy University’s Phenix City Campus. Together, we’ll try to answer these questions, as Dr. Rosser-Mims shares her insights and experiences.