Reflection On Cultural Identity

My values, beliefs, morals and cultural views have been shaped over my life by many things. Personal influences such as friends, family, social media and the news media have been the most influential in shaping my attitudes and beliefs when it came to Aboriginal and Toress Strait Islanders. However, as I entered adulthood and found myself in amongst new circles of friends, work colleagues and a new career my views and opinions began to change.
Growing up my close family members were not very open minded to other cultures, religions or nationalities. We were taught at an early age that Aboriginal and Toress Strait Islanders were dangerous, that we should avoid making friends with them, that we would only see ourselves getting into trouble should be choosing to associate with them. Along with this came stories, subjective experiences of family and friends that had negative experiences with those of Aboriginal or Toress Strait descent. As a young child right through my teen years, the views and opinions that were cast onto me stayed in the forefront of my mind when I met new people and …show more content…
More precisely during my pursuing a qualification in Children’s Services I was challenged to reflect on my cultural identity and how I saw myself as culturally aware and culturally safe with the focus being the aboriginal and Toress Strait Islander cultures. During the years I studied and worked closely with families of many diverse cultures and backgrounds, I began to see the beliefs, attitudes and opinions that I had formed as an adolescent were founded on the view, opinions, attitudes and what I can only assume was false or over exaggerated recounts of conflict. Following this self-realisation, I began to see the Aboriginal and Toress Strait Islander cultures in a whole new