Why Do You Care Who I Date?
This module will allow for exploration of the issues, both affirming and challenging, that are faced by individuals who choose to date across cultures. This module includes dating persons from groups different from one's own, including but not limited to different races, ethnicities, religions, countries of origin, languages, social backgrounds, age, and abilities. This might also include choosing to date someone with a sexual orientation that does not match the norm in one's social context. It is all about having close, intimate relationships with those who society (parents, friends, coworkers, etc.) might view as odd or unacceptable. In understanding the nuances of "unexpected" or "unanticipated" dating choices, it is hoped participants will be better informed, open-minded, accepting and supportive of others who make those choices, if not more accepting of themselves.
OBJECTIVES:
- Be better informed about challenges faced by those who defy social expectations in their dating practices
- Be better informed about positive aspects of dating counter to social expectations
- Identify one way to be supportive of a person who chooses to date whomever they like.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
- What experiences have you had dating someone who was different from what society (your parents, friends, co-workers) might have expected you to?
- What were their reactions?
- Were you affirmed in your decision or derided?
- How did you feel based on the reactions you received?
- What did you do or say to express your thoughts and feelings?
- How did this experience affect your relationship with your family, friends, coworkers?
- How did it affect your relationship with the person you were dating, if at all?
- What other challenges, if any, did you face dating the person?
- How did you handle those challenges?
- Would you do anything differently now?
- What did you learn about the other person's culture in your experience?
- What did you learn about yourself in that experience?
- How was your relationship with that person affirmed or encouraged?
- What happened to that relationship?
- Would you do anything differently now? If so, what? If not, why not?
- What advice would you give to someone else who was choosing to date someone outside of the cultural norm?
- What do you do or could you do to be supportive of someone else making the decision to date someone from a different culture or outside of the acceptable cultural norms?
POST EVENT EVALUATION Links to an external site.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
“What is the BIGGEST problem when dating someone from another country?” (4:12) cc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOdJ4l5IRFk&t=171s
Links to an external site.
“Global Relationships: Intercultural couples talk about dating” (5:37) cc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzvLYhbBlYo
Links to an external site.
“Interracial Couples: Our Stories/Newsbeat Documentaries (16:57) cc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-KyMHsx0W8
Links to an external site.
“Struggles You Only Discover in Your First Same-Sex Relationship”
(3:04) cc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXRXqN77CvM “8 Unique LGBTQ Dating Problems” (6:12) cc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJlNY5q7AL4
Links to an external site.