What I learned intellectually

The main takeaway from this course has to do a lot with my sense of self and uncovering my own identity, but at the same time it has provided me with a wider perspective and understanding of the world around me that I may not have previously had. I would say that I sometimes get so caught up in my football, friends and university that I completely forget about everything else happening around me, which would unfortunately make me somewhat out of touch or “living in a bubble”. What I love about this class is that every reading, discussion or video forces me to reflect and think. 

We went through types of oppression and learned to apply them to different situations or groups. We watched a youtube video called “Legos and the 4 I’s of Oppression” which simply explained the concepts and examples by using legos/toys. It helped me understand that oppression isn’t just an act of discrimination from one individual to another but that it’s present everywhere around us. It opened my eyes to how common it actually is and how normalized it has become in our society. 

The readings ‘Don’t ask Where I’m from, Ask Where I’m Local’ and ‘The Danger of a Single Story’ taught me that a person’s identity is more than just a label or story. I learned that our identities are shaped by our experiences, relationships, and the places we live, which reminded me of how important it is to actually live life. The idea of a single story also showed me how focusing on only one aspect of a person or culture can lead to stereotypes and incorrect assumptions, which shows just how easy it is to misjudge someone based on first impressions or background without understanding their experiences first. 

We’ve also covered some more sensitive topics regarding war, poverty and refugees through the ‘SPENT’ and BBC Syrian journey game. The 2 games helped me understand the situations much better, by having us make the same decisions as those in poverty and displacement, really showing us how difficult these circumstances are and what people are forced to go through daily. They educated me on the conflicts but also really got in touch with my emotions.

I want to learn more about the extent of how people’s backgrounds, experiences and relationships  affect their opinions and I want to become more aware of my own biases and learn how to stop making assumptions about others before actually getting to know them. During Soliya, I hope to hear different perspectives and expand my understanding about the world outside my own bubble. 

What I learned about myself 

I think so far a very big portion of our classes is based on identity and finding a bit more about who you actually are. I found that a lot of the games that we play, not only help us figure out who we are, but also allow us to appreciate ourselves more. For example, there were a few games where we’d share a specific situation we went through and how we handled it. Usually, I wouldn’t really take notice of my actions, but after sharing it and saying it out loud, it felt like I revealed a new characteristic or aspect of my personality that I hadn’t acknowledged before. It helped me slowly uncover my personality more and more, things that were there that I never noticed, which made me see myself in a more positive way. 

Something I noticed about myself through the activities is how negative I was and how one dimensional or “football-focused” my life was. I hadn’t really thought about myself outside of football and had trouble recognizing the positive attributes I had. Doing these exercises helped me become aware of what I was outside of my sport. A question or thought I have for myself is what would life look like if I began living to my full potential? If I pursued my more hobbies, educated myself on more topics, and made the most of my time doing the things I loved outside of football. 

Based on my identity and life experiences I think that I would be able to interact with people from different cultural backgrounds. I’ve got to know people from all types of backgrounds and places through football so I don’t think I’d have an issue communicating or understanding them. Soliya would definitely help me step out of my bubble, broaden my understanding of global events and expose me to different experiences and perspectives.

What I learned in terms of interactions with others 

Interacting with people of different cultures or beliefs requires an open mind, willingness to listen and active listening. I also personally feel that it’s important to show the person that you are invested in what they are saying through body language, signals and language. Certain actions may give someone the impression that you are not open to understanding and make them feel like they are not heard. One question I have is how I can handle disagreements about sensitive topics without judging people too quickly. Through Soliya, I hope to broaden my understanding of different cultures, learn how to communicate respectfully even when I disagree with someone, and become more comfortable having conversations with people whose experiences and beliefs differ from mine. I also want to become more aware of my prejudices and learn to stop making assumptions or associations.

Discussing Sensitive topics in Soliya 

I think that emotions are bound to get involved when discussing controversial topics such as Palestine or the current war in the middle east due to the sensitivity and seriousness of the topic. Differences in opinions or perspectives may result in conflict between people. So if I were leading the discussion, I would want to make sure that everyone gets a fair chance to voice their opinions openly and comfortably. Each participant would be given a notepad to write down any comments, questions or responses to other peoples remarks and when everyone’s done speaking we can go around again and discuss whatever follow up questions we may have. I may need someone to help manage the room and make sure people stay in line.