Cultural X-Rays

Each student created a personal cultural x-ray using an outline of a body shape with a large heart inside. The metaphor of an x-ray highlights the need to understand what is on the outside, the visible culture, as well as the inside of each of person’s cultural being, the invisible culture.

Visible Culture 
On the outside of their bodies, students created labels and drawings to describe the behaviors, appearance, and other aspects of their identities that others can observe or easily determine.

Invisible Culture 
On the heart shape inside their x-ray, students placed the values and beliefs that they hold in their hearts and that may not be immediately evident to others around them.

Through creating Cultural X-rays, students come to:

• Recognize their multiple cultural identities
• Develop conceptual understandings of culture
• Raise awareness of how and why culture matters to each person