cultural text essay

Cultural Identity Essay

27 August, 2020

12 minutes read

Author:  Elizabeth Brown

No matter where you study, composing essays of any type and complexity is a critical component in any studying program. Most likely, you have already been assigned the task to write a cultural identity essay, which is an essay that has to do a lot with your personality and cultural background. In essence, writing a cultural identity essay is fundamental for providing the reader with an understanding of who you are and which outlook you have. This may include the topics of religion, traditions, ethnicity, race, and so on. So, what shall you do to compose a winning cultural identity essay?

Cultural Identity Paper: Definitions, Goals & Topics 

Before starting off with a cultural identity essay, it is fundamental to uncover what is particular about this type of paper. First and foremost, it will be rather logical to begin with giving a general and straightforward definition of a cultural identity essay. In essence, cultural identity essay implies outlining the role of the culture in defining your outlook, shaping your personality, points of view regarding a multitude of matters, and forming your qualities and beliefs. Given a simpler definition, a cultural identity essay requires you to write about how culture has influenced your personality and yourself in general. So in this kind of essay you as a narrator need to give an understanding of who you are, which strengths you have, and what your solid life position is.

Yet, the goal of a cultural identity essay is not strictly limited to describing who you are and merely outlining your biography. Instead, this type of essay pursues specific objectives, achieving which is a perfect indicator of how high-quality your essay is. Initially, the primary goal implies outlining your cultural focus and why it makes you peculiar. For instance, if you are a french adolescent living in Canada, you may describe what is so special about it: traditions of the community, beliefs, opinions, approaches. Basically, you may talk about the principles of the society as well as its beliefs that made you become the person you are today.

So far, cultural identity is a rather broad topic, so you will likely have a multitude of fascinating ideas for your paper. For instance, some of the most attention-grabbing topics for a personal cultural identity essay are:

• Memorable traditions of your community
• A cultural event that has influenced your personality 
• Influential people in your community
• Locations and places that tell a lot about your culture and identity

Cultural Identity Essay Structure

As you might have already guessed, composing an essay on cultural identity might turn out to be fascinating but somewhat challenging. Even though the spectrum of topics is rather broad, the question of how to create the most appropriate and appealing structure remains open.

Like any other kind of an academic essay, a cultural identity essay must compose of three parts: introduction, body, and concluding remarks. Let’s take a more detailed look at each of the components:

Introduction 

Starting to write an essay is most likely one of the most time-consuming and mind-challenging procedures. Therefore, you can postpone writing your introduction and approach it right after you finish body paragraphs. Nevertheless, you should think of a suitable topic as well as come up with an explicit thesis. At the beginning of the introduction section, give some hints regarding the matter you are going to discuss. You have to mention your thesis statement after you have briefly guided the reader through the topic. You can also think of indicating some vital information about yourself, which is, of course, relevant to the topic you selected.

Your main body should reveal your ideas and arguments. Most likely, it will consist of 3-5 paragraphs that are more or less equal in size. What you have to keep in mind to compose a sound ‘my cultural identity essay’ is the argumentation. In particular, always remember to reveal an argument and back it up with evidence in each body paragraph. And, of course, try to stick to the topic and make sure that you answer the overall question that you stated in your topic. Besides, always keep your thesis statement in mind: make sure that none of its components is left without your attention and argumentation.

Conclusion 

Finally, after you are all finished with body paragraphs and introduction, briefly summarize all the points in your final remarks section. Paraphrase what you have already revealed in the main body, and make sure you logically lead the reader to the overall argument. Indicate your cultural identity once again and draw a bottom line regarding how your culture has influenced your personality.

Best Tips For Writing Cultural Identity Essay

Writing a ‘cultural identity essay about myself’ might be somewhat challenging at first. However, you will no longer struggle if you take a couple of plain tips into consideration. Following the tips below will give you some sound and reasonable cultural identity essay ideas as well as make the writing process much more pleasant:

• Start off by creating an outline. The reason why most students struggle with creating a cultural identity essay lies behind a weak structure. The best way to organize your ideas and let them flow logically is to come up with a helpful outline. Having a reference to build on is incredibly useful, and it allows your essay to look polished.
• Remember to write about yourself. The task of a cultural identity essay implies not focusing on your culture per se, but to talk about how it shaped your personality. So, switch your focus to describing who you are and what your attitudes and positions are. 
• Think of the most fundamental cultural aspects. Needless to say, you first need to come up with a couple of ideas to be based upon in your paper. So, brainstorm all the possible ideas and try to decide which of them deserve the most attention. In essence, try to determine which of the aspects affected your personality the most.
• Edit and proofread before submitting your paper. Of course, the content and the coherence of your essay’s structure play a crucial role. But the grammatical correctness matters a lot too. Even if you are a native speaker, you may still make accidental errors in the text. To avoid the situation when unintentional mistakes spoil the impression from your essay, always double check your cultural identity essay. 

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Cultural Analysis Essay: Topics, Tips, & Example

Writing an essay on cultural issues is an exciting yet a challenging task to complete. Cultural analysis essays are assigned to those who study literature, business, marketing, and social work.

What is a cultural analysis? How to choose a topic for such an assignment? How to write a cultural analysis essay? You’ll find the answers to these questions below. This article contains cultural analysis essay topics, writing tips, together with cultural analysis example added as a bonus.

📝 What Is a Cultural Analysis?

🖊️ how to write a cultural analysis.

• 📃 Choosing a Cultural Analysis Topic?
• 📋 Cultural Analysis Essay Topics

📑 Cultural Analysis: Example of an Essay

🔗 references.

A cultural analysis essay focuses on social and cultural aspects of life : the ways people interact with each other, create communities, etc. It also explains how these interactions are based on the backgrounds and common practices of the participants.

Your cultural analysis essay can be short – for example, a 500-word essay . Or you can go for a long piece of writing. It depends on your topic and the number of arguments you want to cover.

In terms of the style, you can pick an expository , a descriptive , a narrative, or a persuasive type of essay. Your decision will depend on what you aim at when writing this paper.

You might be wondering: how to write a cultural analysis essay? And what exact steps should you take?

• First of all, you need to choose a topic you’re going to explore. It shouldn’t be too broad, as, for example, ‘Culture of Islamic countries.’ It will be best to focus on a particular event or a custom and explore it. Further, we’ll provide you with cultural analysis essay topics.
• Then you can focus on researching, formulating a thesis statement , and creating an outline . The outline is an essential part of your writing, as it helps you to ease the process.
• In the introduction, you should mention your thesis statement and cover what you’re going to discuss in your paper. Remember that it’s vital to intrigue a potential reader in your intro!
• Next, you’re going to focus on the main body . You can split it into several paragraphs. The number of paragraphs will depend on the length of your essay and the number of arguments.
• The conclusion is the last paragraph of your paper. Here, you should confirm your thesis statement by summing up your arguments.

Here , you can learn more about a step-by-step plan for your analytical essay.

📃 Cultural Analysis Topic Ideas: How to Choose

Here, you’ll find three important points that will help you to choose the right topic for your paper.

Cultural Analysis Topics: Point 1

First, choose a society or culture that you want to talk about . Let us take American culture and society as an example.

Cultural Analysis Topics: Point 2

Cultural traditions are reflected in many ways: in literature, cinema, etc. We suggest you use films (this is not boring). You can even write the cultural analysis essay based on your favorite movies.

Cultural Analysis Topics: Point 3

Now, you have to decide on the central issue of your cultural analysis essay . What particular aspect of American culture do you want to discuss, e.g., men/women, drugs, minorities, etc.?

Finally, you need to watch a movie (better twice) that depicts the problem you want to consider . Your major goal boils down to analyzing the film and making the final decision. The question is whether this or that cultural aspect is depicted as it is. This is exactly why the article is called “reflecting the reality.”

As you know, truth is not always shown correctly, especially in movies. For instance, many African Americans living in the United States are depicted as drug pushers or members of some gangs. However, this is not precisely what happens in reality.

Sure, you can take any culture or even sub-culture as the basis of your paper.

📋 80 Cultural Analysis Essay Topics

We’ve prepared 80 exciting topics for your cultural analysis essay. Let’s dive in!

• Changing role of the institution of the family in modern Western society.
• Social Media Role in Promoting Social Change.
• Male and female roles in American society: In the past and nowadays.
• Cultural Changes in America After World War II.
• Cultural stereotypes: How have they occurred?
• A Family System and Social Care Service Users.
• The role of marriage: Western and Eastern countries.
• Cultural Diversity Among the Hispanics.
• How are cultural minorities presented in American media nowadays?
• Cross-Cultural Management Problems.
• The role of traditions in modern American society.
• Role of Social Media in the Curriculum.
• Does the media help in promoting social tolerance?
• Culture and Diversity in Education.
• Origins of racism and discrimination in American society.
• Importance of Social Responsibility.
• The role of migration in modern American culture.
• Intercultural Communication Breakdown.
• New professional ethics in the United States: What has been changed in the last decade?
• A Development of American Society.
• Role of religion in modern American society.
• Social Problem, Its Components and Stages.
• Impact of Latin American culture on US culture.
• Social Media’s Effect on Democracy.

• Cultural unification mechanisms: How does it work?
• The Meaning of Theology for the Present Society.
• Social media and global culture: A myth or reality?
• Gender & Society. Intersectionality and Feminist Activism.
• The role of national cultures.
• Why Make a Step Family a Real Family?
• How is culture used in advertising?
• Hip-Hop in Japan and Cultural Globalization.
• The role of holidays and celebrations in American culture.
• Direct and Indirect Social Influences on a Person.
• Multicultural societies: Positive and negative aspects.
• Gun Control: Social Contract Broken in the US.
• The role of subcultures in American society.
• Freedom Significance: Social and Political Aspects.
• American Revolution and its role in American culture.
• Social Issues: The Uses of Global Poverty.
• World War II and its influence on world culture.
• Effects of Technology on Society.
• The role of religion in Islamic countries.
• Cultural Safety and Transcultural Nursing.
• The role of feminism in American culture.
• American Culture Reflection in Sport.
• The role of feminism in post-Soviet countries.
• Social Media: Ethical Issues and Theories.
• Female and minorities in politics: Why it becomes important nowadays?
• The Effect of Music on Culture.
• Hip hop culture and its influence on American society.
• Effect of Gaming on People’s Social Lives.
• Gender and Social Movements.
• Race relations in the United States: Has the situation improved in the 21st century?
• Heritage and Culture in African American Literature.
• Do social networks support personal identity or suppress it?
• Culture Diversity and Healthcare Delivery in Australia.
• What are the roots of international culture?
• Foreignism, Media, Imperialism Influence on Culture.
• Social networks and its impact on national cultures.
• Family Support and Intervention in Substance Abuse Among Adolescents.
• Mexican culture and its influence on American society.
• Nuclear family : What has changed in the 21st century?
• Science, Technology and Society: Implications for Education.
• Freedom of information and its impact on international culture.
• Popular Music in the Modern Culture.
• Do national cultures lose their significance in the rise of international culture?
• “Religion in Society: A Sociology of Religion” by Ronald Johnstone.
• How did the technological revolution change European culture?
• Rap in American Culture.
• Changing female roles in Islamic countries. For this topic, you can choose two Islamic countries: the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia . And discuss and compare the way female roles are changing.
• Canadian Political Culture.
• Indigenous people and their impact on American culture . Here you can pick one particular area of American culture that indigenous people influenced. It could be, for instance, literature or cinema.
• Social Media Helps to Bridge Divides.
• The influence of religion on modern American politics . For this topic, you can focus on how Bible teachings are reflected in contemporary American laws.
• Social Groups and How They Work.
• American popular culture and reasons for its acceptance worldwide . You can discuss the origins of this phenomenon and why American culture got accepted all over the world.
• Family Structure and Its Effects on Children.
• Fighting gender stereotypes in mass media . For this topic, you can choose European Union and discuss how it fights gender stereotypes and sexism in the media.
• Teen Pregnancy Prevention in Modern Society.

In this section, we’ve prepared a cultural analysis essay example for you.

You’ll see excerpts from an essay on social networks and their influence on national cultures in the table below. We hope you’ll get inspired by your paper!

Social networks and their impact on national cultures

• Ideas for culture essay & paper topics – California State University, Fresno
• Use of social media to promote national culture worldwide – URFU
• Guidelines for academic papers in Literary or Cultural Studies – Stiftung Universität Hildesheim
• The Practice of Cultural Analysis – Stanford University Press
• Film Analysis – The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Write Your Essay | UNSW Current Students
• Writing Across Cultures and Contexts: International Students in the Stanford Study of Writing – Stanford University
• Cross-Cultural Analysis – The University of Alabama

Essays about Culture and Identity: 9 Examples And Prompts

Writing essays about culture and identity will help you explore your understanding of it. Here are examples that will give you inspiration for your next essay.

Culture can refer to customs, traditions, beliefs, lifestyles, laws, artistic expressions, and other elements that cultivate the collective identity. Different cultures are established across nations, regions, communities, and social groups. They are passed on from generation to generation while others evolve or are abolished to give way to modern beliefs and systems.

While our cultural identity begins at home, it changes as we involve ourselves with other groups (friends, educational institutions, social media communities, political groups, etc.) Culture is a very relatable subject as every person is part of a culture or at least can identify with one. Because it spans broad coverage, there are several interesting cultural subjects to write about.

Our culture and identity are dynamic. This is why you may find it challenging to write about it. To spark your inspiration, check out our picks of the best culture essays. 

1. Sweetness and Light by Matthew Arnolds

2. how auto-tune revolutionized the sound of popular music by simon reynolds, 3. how immigration changes language by john mcwhorter, 4. the comfort zone: growing up with charlie brown by jonathan franzen, 5. culture and identity definition by sandra graham, 6. how culture and surroundings influence identity by jeanette lucas, 7. how the food we eat reflects our culture and identity by sophia stephens, 8. identity and culture: my identity, culture, and identity by april casas, 9. how america hinders the cultural identity of their own citizens by seth luna, 1. answer the question, “who am i”, 2. causes of culture shock, 3. your thoughts on dystopia and utopia, 4. gender inequality from a global perspective, 5. the most interesting things you learned from other cultures, 6. the relationship between cultural identity and clothes, 7. describe your culture, 8. what is the importance of honoring your roots , 9. how can a person adapt to a new culture, 10. what artistic works best express your country’s culture, 11. how has social media influenced human interaction, 12. how do you protect the cultures of indigenous peoples, 13. are k-pop and k-drama sensations effectively promoting korea’s culture , 14. what is the importance of cultural diversity.

“… [A]nd when every man may say what he likes, our aspirations ought to be satisfied. But the aspirations of culture, which is the study of perfection, are not satisfied, unless what men say, when they may say what they like, is worth saying,—has good in it, and more good than bad.”

Arnolds compels a re-examination of values at a time when England is leading global industrialization and beginning to believe that greatness is founded on material progress. 

The author elaborates why culture, the strive for a standard of perfection, is not merely driven by scientific passions and, more so, by materialistic affluence. As he esteems religion as “that voice of the deepest human experience” to harmonize men in establishing that ideal society, Arnolds stresses that culture is the effort to “make reason and the will of God prevail” while humanizing gained knowledge to be society’s source of “sweetness and light.”

“Few innovations in sound production have been simultaneously so reviled and so revolutionary. Epoch-defining or epoch-defacing, Auto-Tune is indisputably the sound of the 21st century so far.”

Reynolds shows how Auto-Tune has shaped a pop music genre that has cut across cultures. The article maps out the music landscape Auto-Tune created and examines its impact on the culture of song productions and the modern taste for music. While the author debunks accusations that Auto-Tune destroyed the “natural” process of creating music, he also points out that the technology earned its reverence with big thanks to society’s current custom of using technology to hide blemishes and other imperfections.

Looking for more? Check out these essays about culture shock .

“… [T]he heavy immigration that countries like Italy are experiencing will almost certainly birth new kinds of Italian that are rich with slang, somewhat less elaborate than the standard, and… widely considered signs of linguistic deterioration, heralding a future where the “original” standard language no longer exists.”

American linguist McWhorter pacifies fears over the death of “standard” languages amid the wave of immigration to Europe. On the contrary, language is a vital expression of a culture, and for some, preserving is tantamount to upholding a cultural standard. 

However, instead of seeing the rise of new “multiethnolects” such as the Black English in America and Kiezdeutsch in Germany as threats to language and culture, McWhorter sees them as a new way to communicate and better understand the social groups that forayed these new languages.

“I wonder why “cartoonish” remains such a pejorative. It took me half my life to achieve seeing my parents as cartoons. And to become more perfectly a cartoon myself: what a victory that would be.”

This essay begins with a huge fight between Franzen’s brother and father to show how the cultural generation gap sweeping the 60s has hit closer to home. This generation gap, where young adults were rejecting the elders’ old ways in pursuit of a new and better culture, will also be the reason why his family ends up drifting apart. Throughout the essay, Franzen treads this difficult phase in his youth while narrating fondly how Peanuts, a pop culture icon at the time, was his source of escape. 

“…Culture is… your background… and Identity is formed where you belong to… Leopold Sedar Senghor and Shirley Geok-Lin Lim both talks about how culture and identity can impact… society…”

In this essay, Graham uses “To New York” by Senghor and “Learning To Love America” by Lim as two pieces of literature that effectively describe the role of culture and identity to traveling individuals. 

The author refers to Sengho’s reminder that people can adapt but must not forget their culture even if they go to a different place or country. On the other hand, Lim discusses immigrants’ struggle to have double identities.

“Culture is something that surrounds all of us and progress to shape our lives every day… Identity is illustrated as the state of mind in which someone or something distinguishes their own character traits that lead to determining who they really are, what they represent.”

Lucas is keen on giving examples of how his culture and surroundings influence an individual’s identity. She refers to Kothari’s “If you are what you eat, then what am I?” which discusses Kothari’s search for her identity depending on what food she eats. Food defines a person’s culture and identity, so Kothari believes that eating food from different countries will change his identity.

Lucas also refers to “Down These Mean Streets” by Piri Thomas, which argues how different cultural and environmental factors affect us. Because of what we encounter, there is a possibility that we will become someone who we are not. 

“What we grow is who we are. What we buy is who we are. What we eat is who we are.”

Stephens’ essay teaches its readers that the food we grow and eat defines us as a person. She explains that growing a crop and harvesting it takes a lot of effort, dedication, and patience, which mirrors our identity. 

Another metaphor she used is planting rice: it takes skills and knowledge to make it grow. Cooking rice is more accessible than cultivating it – you can quickly cook rice by boiling it in water. This reflects people rich in culture and tradition but who lives simpler life. 

“Every single one has their own unique identity and culture. Culture plays a big role in shaping your identity. Culture is what made me the person I am today and determines who or what I choose to associate myself with.”

Casas starts her piece by questioning who she is. In trying to learn and define who she is, she writes down and describes herself and her personality throughout the essay. Finally, she concludes that her culture is a big part of her identity, and she must understand it to understand herself.

“When it comes to these stereotypes we place on each other, a lot of the time, we succumb to the stereotypes given to us. And our cultural identity is shaped by these expectations and labels others give us. That is why negative stereotypes sometimes become true for a whole group or community.”

In this essay, Luna talks about how negative stereotyping in the United States led to moral distortion. For example, Americans are assumed to be ignorant of other countries’ cultures, making it difficult to understand other people’s cultures and lifestyles. 

She believes that stereotyping can significantly affect an individual or group’s identity. She suggests Americans should improve their intellectual competence by being sensitive to other people’s cultures.

14 Prompts on Essays about Culture and Identity

You can discuss many things on the subject of culture and identity. To give you a starting point, here are some prompts to help you write an exciting essay about culture. 

If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips and our round-up of the best essay checkers .

Understanding your personality is vital since continuous interaction with others can affect your personality. Write about your culture and identity; what is your personality? How do you define yourself? Everyone is unique, so by writing an essay about who you are, you’ll be able to understand why you act a certain way and connect with readers who have the same values. 

Here’s a guide on writing a descriptive essay to effectively relay your experience to your readers.

Sometimes, people need to get out of their comfort zone and interact with other individuals with different cultures, beliefs, or traditions. This is to broaden one’s perspective about the world. Aside from discussing what you’ve learned in that journey, you can also focus on the bits that shocked you. 

You can talk about a tradition or value that you found so bizarre because it differs from your culture. Then add how you processed it and finally adapted to it.

Dystopia and Utopia are both imagined worlds. Dystopia is a world where people live in the worst or most unfavorable conditions, while Utopia is the opposite. 

You can write an essay about what you think a Dystopian or Utopian world may look like, how these societies will affect their citizens, etc. Then, consider what personality citizens of each world may have to depend on the two worlds’ cultures.

Today, more and more people are fighting for others to accept or at least respect the LGBTQ+ community. However, countries, territories, and religions still question their rights.

In your essay, you can talk about why these institutions react the way they do and how culture dictates someone’s identity in the wrong way. Before creating your own, feel free to read other essays and articles to learn more about the global gender inequality issue. 

The world has diverse cultures, traditions, and values. When you travel to a new place, learning and writing about your firsthand experiences with unique cultures and rituals will always be an interesting read.

In this prompt, you’ll research other cultures and how they shaped their group’s identity. Then, write about the most exciting aspects you’ve learned, why you found them fascinating, and how they differ from your culture.

Those proud of their culture will wear clothes inspired by them. Some wear the same clothes even if they aren’t from the same culture. The debate over cultural appropriation and culture appreciation is still a hot topic. 

In this essay, you may start with the traditions of your community or observances your family celebrates and gathers for. Then, elaborate on their origins and describe how your community or family is preserving these practices. 

Learning about your roots, ancestors, and family cultures can help strengthen your understanding of your identity and foster respect for other cultures. Explore this topic and offer examples of what others have learned. Has the journey always been a positive experience? Delve into this question for an engaging and interesting essay.

When a person moves country, it can be challenging to adapt to a new culture. If there are new people at work or school, you can interview them and ask how they are coping with their new environment. How different is this from what they have been used to, and what unique traditions do they find interesting?

Focus on an art piece that is a source of pride and identity to your country’s culture, much like the Tinikling of the Philippines or the Matryoshka dolls of Russia. Explore its origins and evolution up to its current manifestation and highlight efforts that are striving to protect and promote these artistic works.

The older generation did not have computers in their teen years. Ask about how they dated in their younger years and how they made friends. Contrast how the younger generation is building their social networks today. Write what culture of socialization works better for you and explain why.

Take in-depth navigation of existing policies that protect indigenous peoples. Are they sufficient to serve these communities needs, and are they being implemented effectively? There is also the challenge of balancing the protection of these traditions against the need to protect the environment, as some indigenous practices add to the carbon footprint. How is your government dealing with this challenge?

A large population is now riding the Hallyu or the Korean pop culture, with many falling in love with the artists and Korea’s food, language, and traditional events. Research how certain Korean films, TV series, or music have effectively attracted fans to experience Korea’s culture. Write about what countries can learn from Korea in promoting their own cultures.

Environments that embrace cultural diversity are productive and innovative. To start your essay, assess how diverse your workplace or school is. Then, write your personal experiences where working with co-workers or classmates from different cultures led to new and innovative ideas and projects. Combine this with the personal experiences of your boss or the principal to see how your environment benefits from hosting a melting pot of cultures.

If you aim for your article to effectively change readers’ perspectives and align with your opinion, read our guide to achieving persuasive writing . 

• 3a- Examining Culture as Text

Cultural texts are those objects, actions, and behaviors that reveal cultural meanings.  A photo is an image, but is also a cultural text, a picture with cultural information beyond just the picture itself.  Food and clothing also suggest cultural information, and it doesn’t stop there. The entire place and space, all of the people and interaction, all of the rituals and rules and the various forms in which they manifest themselves, are “readable” texts, suitable for observation and analysis by the ethnographer and writer – namely by you.

This initial description of a cultural text may make it seem as though everything is a cultural text.  While, in some sense true, this doesn’t mean that every text has particular cultural relevance.  Sometimes, a book is just a book is just a book, a picture just a picture.  The difference between a relevant cultural text, (one that has connection with your project), and an irrelevant cultural text, (one that may have nothing to do with your project), has to do with the meaning transferred to that text by the people who create and/or use the text.  The relevance of any particular cultural text will be determined as you conduct your research.  But, even before you work on determining whether a cultural text has particular relevance, you need to know and understand how to identify and analyze a cultural text.

Identification of a cultural text is relatively easy.  Take a look around the room or place you are in right now and briefly catalog the people and/or things you see. These objects and actions are cultural texts.  In traditional American college classroom, there are some cultural texts that are fairly standard: tables and chairs or desks; bright lighting; black or white board to write on.  Your classroom may also be a ‘smart room’, complete with a computer or LCD projector.  There may be windows, one or two doors.  The floor may or may not be carpeted.  There will also be the presence of decoration—paint, tile, etc.  A space may or may not be void of people, who are also considered to be cultural texts.  Their actions, arrangements and demographics reflect how the space is used.  What is in a space and what happens in the space are all cultural texts that are available for analysis. In other words, the space and objects within it are “readable” cultural texts.  They say something about the purpose, needs, and perhaps even values and beliefs of the people who occupy it.

The identification of cultural texts will be absolutely necessary, but they are fairly easy to identify once you get the hang of it.  The real work of ethnographic research is the analysis of these cultural texts once you spot them.  If your classroom is traditional, there will be places for people to sit, and surfaces on which to write.  What we may not all share is the form of these seats and surfaces and the formation of these seats in the room.  Look around and take note: Are there individual desks, or tables and chairs?  Can you move seats into different arrangements?  Are there computers?  How are the desks arranged?  Where do the students sit?  Where does the instructor sit/stand?

Analysis can be challenging because we have all agreed to the meanings; we take them for granted.  For example, it is most likely that you have never entered a classroom and been all that confused about where you should sit or what part of the space is intended for the instructor.  It is also most probably true that whether the classroom desks are arranged in rows, or in a circle, students will always leave the “front” of the room for the instructor and arrange themselves at a distance from the instructor.  There is an invisible buffer zone around the teacher space that students seem to acknowledge, yet it is not something they discuss and agree on before they enter the room. These things speak to the strong message of hierarchy and authority sent through the way the furniture is organized in the classroom space and how well it connects to the students’ existing beliefs about the positions they and their teachers occupy in that space.  This larger observation, then, one that goes beyond the mere description of what happens to suggest a reason why this is how and why certain behavior occurs, is the starting point for cultural analysis.

The analysis continues as you work to ask even more questions:  Are there any works of art or books or media that provide insight into the values and ideas of the people there? How do your classmates or other people around you present themselves through their clothing? What messages are you “reading” from them? How might they be “reading” you?  These types of questions are really just the beginning as you identify the variety of cultural texts available to you in your research. As a researcher, you will be working to uncover the stories and deeper meaning in artifacts (things) and behaviors.

Artifacts at a site may seem so “normal” to the people who use them that they don’t even realize they carry any meaning. As reader and researcher of cultural texts (artifacts, styles, rituals, behaviors, expressions, etc.), you will have to interpret as you observe while attempting at the same time to understand how the community you are observing interprets their own cultural patterns. Whether you are an insider (a member of the community) or an outsider (an observer of the community), when you present your ethnographic research, you will attempt to tell the story of how things look from the inside. It is important to remember that each viewpoint you encounter (including your own) is one way of seeing and interpreting things, not the way of seeing and interpreting things.

Returning to the instance of the classroom, consider the following questions:

• Why are the desks arranged as they are?  What does that say about the power dynamic in the classroom?
• Why do you already know where to sit and what it means to sit in the front, middle or back of the classroom?
• Where have you chosen to sit?  Where have you been assigned to sit?  How has this experience affected your feelings about school in general?
• What was your favorite/worst class in high school?  How was the room arranged/decorated?  Can you reach any conclusions about the relevance of design or decoration?

As you try to piece together the complexity of what it all means, you can and should engage in the process of double and triple checking your own interpretations of information at your site by delving into other insider and outsider perspectives and complimenting it with secondary sources of information; in ethnographic research this is called triangulation. Imagine a triangle with three points: first, your interpretation; second, the interpretation of the people who belong to the site community; third, the interpretation of other outside observers/scholars (secondary sources). Somewhere in the middle of the triangle made by those three points, you will complete your reading of the cultural texts at your site and find the “partial-truths,” your own perspective, of your ethnography.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• 1a- Connecting to Ethnographic Writing
• 1b- Identifying with Ethnographic Writing
• 1c- Rhetorical Strate­gies for Ethnographic Writing
• 2a- Writerly Ethos
• 2b- Under­stand­ing Pla­gia­rism
• 2c- Eth­i­cal Conun­drums in Com­munity Research
• 3b- Selecting a Research Site
• 3c- Access to Your Research Site
• 3d- Rhetorical Strategies for Research Proposals
• 4a- Rhetorical Strategies for Writing Observations
• 4b- Considering Types of Fieldnotes
• 4c- Expanding and Revising Fieldnotes and Observations
• 5a- Searching for Sources: Keywords, Databases, Catalogs, and Shelves
• 5b- Ethical Considerations when Conducting Research of Secondary Sources
• 5c- Impact of Technology on Conducting Research of Secondary Sources
• 5d- Sorting Sources and Eating Books
• 5e- Popular Culture Source Material
• 5f- Summarizing Sources
• 5g- Building an Annotated Bibliography
• 6a- Introducing your Research
• 6b- Presenting the Methodology and Focus
• 6c- Selecting Examples and Evidence
• 6d- Selecting Effective Secondary Source Evidence
• 6e- Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Documenting Source Material
• 6f- Concluding in a Meaningful Way
• 6g- Reviewing and Revising Your Essay
• Supplemental Modules
• How to Use this Textbook
• Teaching with EC
• How to Become a Contributing Author

Cultural Identity Essay: Writing Guidelines for an A+ Paper

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Writing a cultural identity essay is an exciting academic exercise that allows students to develop and utilize critical thinking, reflective, and analytical skills. Unlike a standard essay, this type of paper requires learners to use first-person language throughout. In essence, such a composition is about writers and what makes them identify with a particular societal orientation. Further on, they should choose a specific identity and focus on it throughout their texts. Moreover, authors should reflect and brainstorm, use the “show, not tell” method, utilize transitions to create a natural flow of ideas, and proofread their papers to eliminate mistakes and errors. Hence, students need to learn how to write a cultural identity essay correctly to provide high-quality papers to their readers.

General Aspects

Students undertake different writing exercises in their learning environments to develop their critical thinking, reflective, and analytical skills. Basically, one of these exercises is academic writing, and among different types of essays that students write is a cultural identity paper. In this case, it is a type of essay where authors write about their culture, which entails exploring and explaining a real significance of their ethnic roots. Moreover, there are numerous topics that instructors may require students to write about in such documents. In principle, some assignment prompts fall under different disciplines, such as religion, socio-economic status, family, education, ethnicity, and business. Besides, the main defining features of such a composition are what aspects make authors know that they are writing in this type of essay. In turn, these features include language, nationality, gender, history, upbringing, and religion, among many others.

What Is a Cultural Identity Essay and Its Purpose

According to its definition, a cultural identity essay is a reflective and analytical piece of writing that explores an individual’s unique ethnic background, experiences, and influences. The main purpose of writing a cultural identity essay is to explore and articulate various elements of culture that constitute one’s life, such as ethnicity, traditions, language, customs, and values (Greetham, 2023). Through this paper, writers engage in self-examination, present their ethnic narrative, and offer more insights into a uniqueness and complexity of their experiences. Moreover, such a composition promotes self-awareness and allows individuals to acknowledge and appreciate their roots while also recognizing a unique diversity of experiences within their social group. By sharing these experiences and reflections, both a particular writer and his or her readers to recognize various complexities and richness of ethnic identities, highlighting a real importance of cultural heritage in shaping who they are (Wallace, 2021). In terms of pages and words, the length of a cultural identity essay depends on academic levels, specific assignment requirements, academic standards, and a depth of analysis, while general guidelines are:

High School

• Length: 1-2 pages
• Word Count: 250-500 words

College (Undergraduate)

• Length: 3-5 pages
• Word Count: 750-1,250 words

University (Bachelor)

• Length: 5-7 pages
• Word Count: 1,250-1,750 words

Master’s

• Length: 8-12 pages
• Word Count: 2,000-3,000 words
• Length: 12-20+ pages
• Word Count: 3,000-5,000+ words

Note: Some sections of a cultural identity essay can be added, deleted, or combined with each other. In writing, people explain their cultural identity by describing a unique mix of traditions, values, language, and personal experiences that have shaped their beliefs and sense of self.

Generally, a cultural identity essay is similar to a standard academic paper regarding its structure and outline. However, a central point of difference is a specific topic to write about. In this case, a cultural identity essay is a reflective exploration of how people’s ethnicities, family traditions, languages, and personal experiences have shaped their beliefs, values, and sense of self (Spelic, 2019). While standard academic papers, such as argumentative, persuasive, and informative essays, require learners to use third-person language, such a composition requires them to use first-person language. As such, authors should use the word “I” throughout to show a target audience that they are writing from their perspective. Indeed, this aspect is a primary objective of such an essay – to give a writer’s perspective concerning his or her culture (Davies et al., 2019). Besides, another point of difference between such an essay and other papers is that the former does not require writers to utilize external sources but to write from a personal viewpoint.

Examples of Cultural Identity Prompts

Cultural Orientation and Socialization in a Learning Environment

Here, this prompt may require students to discuss an actual significance of culture in education, focusing on ethnic heritage and socialization. As such, this topic requires writers to reflect on how culture influences behavior in a learning environment.

The Impact of Culture Change on Family

Here, a writing assignment may require students to explore and discuss how culture impacts a family unit. Moreover, a central theme is a family, and a student’s mission would be to explain how culture in all its dynamics affects families in diverse settings.

The Role of Language in Building an Ethnic Identity

Here, instructions may require students to explore and explain a particular significance of language in ethnic heritage. Hence, writers should focus on explaining a specific place of culture in a sociology discipline, focusing on a direct connection between language and cultural orientation.

The Significance of Culture in a Globalized Economy

Here, such a prompt may require students to explore and discuss how culture affects individuals and businesses in today’s connected world. Besides, a student’s task would be to explain how culture, in all its dynamics, such as language, is essential in business for individuals and enterprises.

How Culture Influences Relations in the Workplace

Here, an essay prompt may require students to explore and explain how culture, in all its dynamics, affects or influences social relations at the workplace. In turn, a particular task of writers, for example, would be to focus on how human resource (HR) departments can use culture to enrich workplace relations.

The Place of Culture in Individuals’ Self-Concept

Here, an analysis of a theme may require students to reflect on how their ethnic orientation has affected their self-concept. Moreover, a student’s task would be to discuss how culture and its dynamics enable individuals to build a strong or weak understanding of themselves.

The Importance of Cultural Orientation in a Multicultural Environment

Here, assignment writing instructions may require students to explore and discuss how their ethnic orientation enables them to operate in a culturally diverse environment, such as a school or workplace. In this case, a student’s task would be to explain how identity characteristics, such as language and religion, facilitate or hamper social competency in a multicultural setting. 

How Global Conflicts Disturb Ethnic Identity for Refugees

Here, this prompt example may require students to explore and explain how conflicts in today’s world, such as civil unrest, affect a unique identity heritage of those who flee to foreign countries. As such, a student’s task would be to explain how one’s culture is affected in a new environment with totally different social dynamics.

The Challenges of Acculturation

Here, this kind of prompt may require students to explore and explain possible challenges that individuals face in identifying with a dominant culture. In particular, a student’s task would be to explain a specific significance of a dominant culture and what those from other cultures that try to identify with it must confront.

Host Country Culture and Multinational Enterprises

Here, this essay prompt sample may require students to explore and explain how a host country’s culture affects expatriates working for multinational corporations. Besides, a student’s task would be to show how one’s culture defines their behaviors and how that can be affected in a new environment with new social characteristics.

Compare and Contrast Native Culture and Dominant Culture in the United States

Here, such instructions require students to explain specific areas of similarity and difference between a Native culture and a dominant culture. In turn, a student’s task would be to define both a Native culture and a dominant culture and help a target audience to understand whether they mean the same thing. Hence, whether they do or do not, students should elaborate.

The Objective of Acculturation

Here, this prompt example requires students to explore and explain why people prefer to identify with a dominant culture. Moreover, a student’s task would be to note some advantages of a dominant culture over others and possible opportunities that one may access to identify with this dominant culture.

The Challenges That the LGBTQ Community Faces in the Modern World

Here, essay prompt instructions require students to explore and discuss potential challenges that lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people face in their normal day-to-day activities. In this case, a student’s task would be to explain an uniqueness of a LGBTQ community and how stereotyping makes their lives miserable in an environment where people are intolerant of different personalities and viewpoints.

Dangers of Cultural Intolerance in the Health Care System

Here, assignment instructions may require students to explore and discuss how nurses who are intolerant of social differences may jeopardize patients’ lives.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Acculturation

Here, such a prompt requires students to discuss some pros and cons of identifying with a dominant culture.

How to Know

Key defining features of a cultural identity essay give students a particular indication that they need to write this kind of paper. For example, cultural identity is important because it shapes people’s traditions, customs, languages, family practices, historical backgrounds, values, beliefs, personal experiences, and sense of belonging, fostering self-awareness and promoting a deeper understanding and appreciation of lifestyle diversity (Heersmink, 2021). Hence, when students read instructions regarding their essay topics they need to write about, they should identify one or several defining elements. In turn, these elements include language, nationality, religion, ethnicity, and gender.

Steps on How to Write a Cultural Identity Essay

To write a cultural identity essay, people reflect on and describe some significant aspects of their ethnic backgrounds, such as traditions, language, and experiences, and analyze how they have influenced their worldview. In turn, common steps for writing a good cultural identity essay are:

• Understand an Assignment: Read and comprehend an essay’s prompt to ensure you meet all requirements.
• Choose a Focus: Select specific aspects of your ethnic heritage to highlight in your essay.
• Conduct Research: Gather information about your ancestral background and its historical context.
• Brainstorm and Outline: Reflect on your cultural experiences and organize your thoughts into an outline.
• Write a Strong Introduction:   Write an engaging opening with a hook, background information, and a thesis statement.
• Develop Body Paragraphs: Discuss each aspect of your ethnic heritage with personal examples and reflections.
• Incorporate Cultural Influences: Explore an actual role of family, community, and society in shaping your social orientation.
• Address Challenges and Pride: Highlight any challenges faced and express pride in your actual roots.
• Write a Logical Conclusion: Summarize key points, restate a central thesis, and offer final thoughts on identity heritage.
• Revise and Edit: Review for coherence, clarity, and errors, and make revisions based on feedback.

As stated previously, a primary point of similarity between a cultural identity essay and standard papers is its writing structure and outline. In this case, to start a cultural identity essay, people begin with an engaging hook, provide background context on their ethnic heritage, and present a clear thesis statement that outlines main aspects of their roots they will explore further (Spelic, 2019). Basically, this structure and outline comprise three main sections: introduction, body, and conclusion. Like in all other papers, writing such a composition requires students to address specific issues, which are, in essence, a defining characteristics of an essay’s structure and outline. In turn, some examples of sentence starters for beginning a cultural identity essay include:

• Growing up in a household where [specific cultural practices] were a daily routine, my ethnic heritage was shaped by specific traditions and values of my [ethnicity/nationality] heritage.
• A rich picture of my lifestyle is woven from diverse threads of my family’s history, which includes [briefly mention key ethnic elements].
• From a young age, I was impressed by unique customs of my [specific social group], where celebrations and rituals played a crucial role in shaping my sense of self.
• My journey to understanding my cultural roots began with shared stories that my grandparents told me about their experiences in [country/region], which instilled in me a deep appreciation for our heritage.
• A direct connection between [ethnicity] and [ethnicity] cultures in my upbringing provided me with a unique perspective on life and allowed me to embrace my complex heritage.
• Living in a multicultural community, I was constantly surrounded by different traditions and practices, which enriched my understanding of my own ethnic identity.
• Reflecting on my childhood, I realized that cultural festivals and family gatherings we celebrated were essential in fostering a strong connection to my [specific culture] roots.
• A particular influence of my ancestral background on my personal values and beliefs is profound, as it has shaped my worldview and interactions with others in significant ways.
• As a child of immigrants, my life was shaped by blending my parents’ homeland traditions with new cultural norms of our adopted country.
• Understanding and embracing my ethnic roots has been a continuous journey, marked by moments of both pride and challenge, as I strive to honor my heritage while finding my place in a current world.

Introduction and Its Defining Characteristics

An introduction is the first paragraph of a cultural identity essay. Here, students introduce themselves to a target audience, giving a brief background of their ethnic heritage. Moreover, rules of academic writing dictate that this part should not exceed 10 percent of a whole word count of an entire paper (Greetham, 2023). In this case, writers should be brief and concise. Then, the most prominent component of this section is a thesis, a statement that appears at the end of an introduction paragraph and whose objective is to indicate a writer’s mission. In summary, the introduction part’s defining features are a writer’s background and thesis statement. In turn, the former gives a hint about a writer, and the latter provides a target audience with insight into a author’s objective in writing a cultural identity essay.

Body Paragraphs

A body element of a cultural identity essay is the most significant section of a paper and takes the largest part. Generally, writers use several paragraphs to advance different arguments on their ethnic heritage to explain specific concepts (Karjalainen, 2020). In writing a cultural identity essay, authors can use different paragraphs to explain important aspects of their ethnic heritage. Nonetheless, what determines the number of paragraphs and the content of each is a paper topic (Greetham, 2023). Besides, the most prominent defining features of a essay’s body are paragraphs, with each advancing a unique concept about a writer’s ethnic heritage. In turn, paragraphs are where writers provide real-life experiences and other personal anecdotes or examples that help a target audience to develop a deeper understanding of authors from a cultural perspective.

A conclusion part is the last section of a cultural identity essay. In particular, writers restate a thesis statement and summarize main points from body paragraphs (Greetham, 2023). Moreover, authors provide concluding remarks about a topic, which is mostly an objective personal opinion. In summary, the conclusion part’s defining features are a restatement of a thesis, a summary of main points, and writer’s final thoughts about a topic.

Outline Template

I. Introduction

A. Hook statement/sentence. B. Background information. C. A thesis statement that covers main ideas from 1 to X in one sentence.

II. Body Paragraphs

A. Idea 1 B. Idea 2 … X. Idea X

III. Conclusion

A. Restating a thesis statement. B. Summary of the main points from A to X. C. Final thoughts.

An Example of a Cultural Identity Essay

Topic: Identifying as a Naturalist

Introduction Sample

The period of birth marks the beginning of one’s identity, with culture playing a significant role. However, from the stage of adolescence going forward, individuals begin to recognize and understand their cultural makeup. In my case, I have come to discover my love for nature, an aspect that I believe has made me a naturalist both in belief and action.

Examples of Body Paragraphs

Idea 1: Parents

Parents play a critical role in shaping a cultural and personal identity of their children. In my case, it is my mother who has instilled in me a love for nature. Although I may not say exactly when this love started, I can only reason that since it was ingrained in me since childhood, it has developed gradually.

Idea 2: Naturalism

Today, naturalism defines my interactions with people and the environment. In short, I can say it shapes my worldview. As a lover of nature herself, my mother had this habit of taking me outdoors when I was a toddler. I have seen family photographs of my mother walking through parks and forests holding my hand. What is noticeable in these pictures besides my mother and me is the tree cover that gives the setting such a lovely sight. Moreover, I can now understand why I seem more conversant with the names and species of flowers, trees, and birds than my siblings- my mother was the influence. In turn, my siblings and friends make a joke that I have developed a strong love for nature to the point of identifying myself with the environment. Hence, the basis for this argument is my love for the green color, where even my clothes and toys are mostly green.

Conclusion Sample

Naturally, human beings behave in line with their cultural background and orientation. Basically, this behavior is what determines or reflects their ethnic identity. In turn, my intense love for nature underscores my naturalist identity. While I may not tell the stage in life when I assumed this identity, I know my mother has played a significant role in shaping it, and this is since childhood.

What to Include

Common Mistakes

• Lack of Focus: Failing to narrow down an essay to specific aspects of cultural identity, leading to an unclear narrative.
• Vague Thesis Statement: Providing a weak or unclear thesis statement, which makes it difficult for readers to understand an essay’s main argument.
• Insufficient Personal Reflection: Neglecting to include personal examples and reflections, which are crucial for illustrating an actual impact of ethnic heritage.
• Overgeneralization: Making broad and unsupported statements about specific groups rather than focusing on personal and specific experiences.
• Ignoring Historical Context: Failing to provide historical or ethnic background that can help readers to understand a real significance of certain traditions or practices.
• Poor Organization: Structuring an essay poorly, resulting in an illogical and difficult-to-follow narrative.
• Lack of Depth: Addressing ethnic heritage without explaining how it shapes beliefs, values, and behaviors.
• Cultural Stereotyping: Relying on stereotypes or clichés rather than presenting a personal perspective on ethnic roots.
• Inadequate Conclusion: Providing a weak conclusion that does not effectively summarize main points or reflect on a real significance of a particular ethnic heritage.
• Ignoring Feedback and Revision: Failing to seek feedback from others or revise a cultural identity essay, which can leave writing errors and unclear sections unaddressed.

Like any standard paper, writing a cultural identity essay allows students to build essential skills, such as critical thinking, reflective, and analytical skills. In this case, a real essence of such a paper is to provide a writer’s cultural identity, background, or orientation. As such, in order to learn how to write a good cultural identity essay, students should master following tips:

• Decide where to focus. Culture is a broad topic, and deciding what to focus on is essential in producing such an essay. Basically, one may have several ethnic identities, and addressing all may lead to inconclusive explanations.
• Reflect and brainstorm. Given a close link between one’s cultural orientation and personal experiences, learners need to reflect on experiences that would provide a target audience with an accurate picture of their ethnic heritage.
• Adopt a “Show, not tell” approach by providing vivid details about one’s experiences. Using personal anecdotes may be effective in accomplishing this objective.
• Use transitions , such as “therefore,” “thus,” ” additionally,” and “furthermore,” to enhance a natural and logical flow throughout an essay.
• Stay personal by using first-person language to describe one’s background and experiences.
• Proofread a final document to eliminate spelling and grammatical mistakes and other notable errors, such as an inconsistent life storyline.

Davies, S. R., Halpern, M., Horst, M., Kirby, D., & Lewenstein, B. (2019). Science stories as culture: Experience, identity, narrative and emotion in public communication of science. Journal of Science Communication , 18 (05), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.18050201

Greetham, B. (2023). How to write better essays . Bloomsbury Academic.

Heersmink, R. (2021). Materialised identities: Cultural identity, collective memory, and artifacts. Review of Philosophy and Psychology , 14 (1), 249–265. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13164-021-00570-5

Karjalainen, H. (2020). Cultural identity and its impact on today’s multicultural organizations. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management , 20 (2), 249–262. https://doi.org/10.1177/1470595820944207

Spelic, S. (2019). Care at the core conversational essays on identity, education and power . Tredition.

Wallace, K. (2021). Network self: Relation, process, and personal identity . Routlage.

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Culture as Text: Reading and Interpreting Cultures

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Introduction: History, Culture, and Text

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This book presents the agenda for the “new cultural history”. It specifically explores the models that have already been proposed for the history of culture. Concrete examples of the new kinds of work that are currently under way are also provided. Additionally, it tries to illustrate how a new generation of historians of culture uses literary techniques and approaches to develop new materials and methods of analysis. The linguistic analogy establishes representation as a problem which historians can no longer avoid. It is shown that the accent in cultural history is on close examination—of texts, of pictures, and of actions—and on open-mindedness to what those examinations will reveal, rather than on elaboration of new master narratives or social theories to replace the materialist reductionism of Marxism and the Annales school. Finally, an overview of the chapters included in this book is given.

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• Casnig, J. (2009). Metonymy. [Online]. Available at: http://knowgramming. com/metonymy. htm Accessed on: May 28 2010 Chon, M. and Arzt, D. (2005).
• Walking while Muslim. [Online]. Available at: http://www. law. syr. edu/Pdfs/0WWM_ChonArzt. pdf Accessed on: May 28 2010.
• Meginsson, D. (2007). Connotations and Denotations. [Online]. Available at: http://www. writingcentre. uottawa. ca/hypergrammar/conndeno. html Accessed on: May 28 2010 Vanhoozer, K. , Anderson, C. , and Sleasman, M. (2007).
• Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends. Michigan: Baker Publishing Group. Washington University Film and Media Archive. (1985).
• Interview with Rosa Parks. [Online]. Available at: http://digital. wustl. edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx? c=eop;cc=eop;rgn=main;view=text;idno=par0015. 0895. 080 Accessed on: May 28 2010. Word Reference. Com. (2010).
• Connotation. [Online]. Available at: http://www. wordreference. com/definition/connotation Accessed on: May 28 2010.

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What Is Culture Essay Writing – Expert’s Guide

• Essay Tips&Tricks
• Essay Writing Guides

Culture is an important component of human life, which helps to find like-minded people. We should not forget that culture can be expressed in different situations, such as food, music, outlook on life, and even clothing. It is important to understand that despite differences in different cultures, you should always respect and be friendly to others.

Culture Essay Explained

To begin with, let’s figure out what a culture essay is. Simply put, this is a kind of description of a culture, starting from your thoughts and opinions. In society, culture helps to understand what norms exist for people. You can write culture essays on completely different topics related to culture because it manifests itself in all components of our lives. These are dances, art, technology, and even music.

Culture determines what is acceptable and what is unacceptable in any society. Based on this, it can be understood that a culture essay is a popular writing style because it can describe your personal opinion about culture and express your thoughts and views.

What Is the Importance of Culture in Human Life?

Culture plays a very important role in our life. It helps people to ensure social well-being in society and find like-minded people. Culture in society is one of the main life factors that help people express their education and development. You can understand a cultured person or not by the way he communicates with people in society.

For many people, culture is as important a factor as their personal lives and family values. Watching people, you might notice that people who adhere to the same culture immediately have an inextricable connection and many common interests because such people are connected not only by common views on the world but also by tastes in food, traditions, and much more.

How to Write a Culture Essay Outline

To write a successful culture essay, it is important to understand where to start and stick to a clear plan. A writing plan should be in each piece so the reader can understand and navigate the article’s essence.

This is especially true for a research paper and an argumentative essay because, in such reports, you must specifically describe the subject of research and argue your conclusions. But writing structure is just as important for culture essays, so here are the important steps in writing a plan:

First, you need to consider the introduction because it is regarded as one of the most important parts of the essay. Here you should present the most important information discussed in the main part so that the reader is interested and wants to read the text further.

Create a short thesis with which you will convey the essence of the essay to the audience and briefly express your opinion on this topic.

Work on the basic information you will be using. It is very important to write about those things that are interesting to you and that you understand. Suppose this is a new topic for you. In that case, it is best to check the integrity of the information on several sources several times so as not to misinform the reader and arouse the desired interest in your article.

Write your findings. In many essay examples, the author writes his conclusion based on personal experience and thoughts. Never try to write similarly. For a successful culture essay conclusion, noting how you feel and conveying your emotions from personal experience and knowledge is important.

Writing an Introduction to a Culture Essay

The introduction is one of the most important parts of any essay. When starting to write an introduction, you should already understand what you will talk to the reader about in the future. It is important to remember that the information you use in this section should be discussed in the main part and be argued with facts and supported by your real-life examples.

Writing an introduction is often difficult and energy-consuming for a writer because this paragraph should contain only the most important information from your text that will be able to interest the reader.

To make it easier, you can write the introduction after you’ve completed the main text, but it’s important to decide on the topic and abstract first. For example, at the beginning of the culture essay, you need to tell the audience about the issue you will be discussing and then familiarize the readers with the thesis.

Next, talk with the reader about your opinion on this topic and tell a little about yourself so that people can imagine the person who writes about the issue of interest to them.

Writing a Body of a Culture Essay

The body of your culture essay should introduce the reader to the culture you are researching. Therefore, it is important to convey all the emotions when writing so that people have a clear picture and understanding of the culture. A culture essay is a combination of a descriptive essay and an argumentative essay where you also describe and argue your opinion on a given topic.

The body of your essay may include several paragraphs and headings. In each paragraph, you will describe different aspects of this culture and your arguments for them. This section should explain to the reader why you have chosen this particular topic for writing so that people clearly understand your interest in the topic of culture.

Using personal examples and arguments from your life best draws the reader. It is important to write in a language understandable to the reader. Try to use simple, uncomplicated phrases with which you will arouse confidence and pleasant emotions in your audience. Imagine that you are talking to a reader. Writing an essay is a simple and accessible language that will help connect the reader and keep them interested.

Writing a Conclusion for a Culture Essay

After you have written the main part of your essay, you should summarize all of the above. To do this, you must analyze all the information and briefly state it to the reader. It is important not to deviate from your opinion and only try to back it up with appropriate phrases. In conclusion, you can once again repeat your statement about this culture or emphasize its main nuances.

In many essay examples, the authors write a huge paragraph with conclusions, touching on other topics there that have nothing to do with this, so you shouldn’t do it because, in conclusion, the main thing is to write it short and clear so that the reader can immediately understand the whole essence of what you wrote on this section.

Try to choose the right words and not pour water just like that. The main thing in this paragraph is the logical compilation of the results of all of the above.

The Most Interesting Cultural Topics

Culture essays are one of the best ways to do personal research about culture. In this kind of descriptive essay, you can analyze a huge number of topics and traditions of a particular culture and learn about the cultural origins of different types of people.

When choosing a topic for writing a culture essay, you need to be very serious and try to select the case that you will be interested in discussing, and you can describe all aspects of culture in such colors so that the reader can share your point of view and get carried away reading the article. So here are some interesting topics to talk about in your culture essay:

• Similarities between different cultures
• The influence of religion on culture
• The difference between the cultures of other continents
• Gender characteristics and the impact of cultures on them
• The role of culture in the personal growth of a person
• Popular cultures
• How is the Internet changing culture?

Tips for Writing a Successful Culture Essay

It’s no secret that before you start writing an essay, you need to create a so-called draft, in which you indicate for yourself all the most important points of the article and determine the sequence in which information is presented.

In a culture essay, it is important to adhere to the structure for the reader to understand what you are writing about. Here are some tips on how to make your essay successful and interesting:

Be Responsible in Your Topic Selection Process

The cultural topic is very relevant and extensive, so you should have no problem choosing. However, suppose you cannot decide which topic you would like to consider. In that case, you have the opportunity to look at a list of interesting and relevant issues on the Internet and then write an essay with a personal opinion on this matter. You can read other essay examples, but the main thing is not to use another author’s opinion in your article; this essay should be written based on personal experience and your own opinion.

Choosing a topic can seem quite complicated because you have to decide what you will have to communicate with your readers about, having previously studied all the nuances and made certain personal conclusions about it.

Make Sure to Express Your Unique Views

Culture essay aims to express personal views and thoughts on the topic you are discussing. Therefore, try to describe your opinion and understanding of this topic as clearly and reasonably as possible.

Despite this, you can use knowledge and information from other sources, but if you use it in your text, it is important to indicate exactly where you got this information from so that no plagiarism is detected during the critical writing report assessment, which is very important for an essay of this kind.

Avoid Repetition

For example, if you use the same phrase several times in the text, the best option would be to rephrase it so that it does not change its meaning but sounds different at the same time.

Use Only Proven Information

Imagine that you are writing a research paper and carefully studying the chosen topic. In no case do not use fictitious facts in the text. Instead, only reliable information should be supported by your arguments.

Utilize Linear Writing Style

Use the linear writing style of the culture essay. This will help the reader to read your article in a logical and structured way continuously.

Write a Clear Thesis and Stick To Your Position Throughout the Essay

Write in plain language that is easy for the reader to understand. Do not use complicated terms and phrases. The reader should feel as if you are talking to him.

Example of a Culture Essay and Essay Writing Services

We will look at the culture essay, which reveals the meaning of culture and how it changes and develops in the modern world. This one of the decent essay examples discusses how culture affects our lives and explains how different cultures exist worldwide.

Introduction

1.1 Definition of the term “Culture”

1.2 A story about the origin of culture and its development

1.3 Thesis: Culture is one of the main factors in our life and the lives of every person. Although culture changes over time, it remains in each of us

• What does culture mean?

2.1 Culture reflects the inner qualities of a person

2.2 Culture develops according to the development in our life

• Differences between different cultures

3.1 What are the differences, and why do you need to understand cultural differences

• What is the purpose of culture in human life?

Culture is a kind of collection of all parts of society. This is a huge complex of different beliefs and thoughts of people that were created over time. Culture can change depending on the other factors that influence it, as it keeps up with the times, and we all know that concepts and views can change over time. Each country has its own culture and traditions, and people in different countries express themselves in this way.

Having studied the culture of another country, you can understand the way of thinking of the people who live there and understand their values. To understand a person of another nation, it is enough to study his culture in detail.

Since culture is an indicator of human fulfillment, it can change at different times and places and remain individual for each nation.

What Does Culture Mean?

Culture describes the concepts and attitudes of people in different groups. People themselves create their own culture, this does not happen immediately, but after a long time, despite this, it exists. Other groups of people can be of the same culture, but they will still have completely different views on life and concepts. In the process of life, a person’s opinions and thoughts may change, but faith in one’s culture remains unchanged.

Differences Between Different Cultures

The differences between different cultures can depend on many factors, personal moral principles, political views, and even differences in musical tastes or food tastes. For example, in many countries, people do not eat pork meat, while in others, it is the norm. Therefore, when communicating in or coming into a society where there are people of other cultural concepts, it is important to consider other people’s interests so that respect appears in the group.

Understanding cultural differences of this kind will help to find mutual understanding among people and make them a single whole. Each person must respect the culture and views of other people, and only then will understanding and love reign in our world.

What Is the Purpose of Culture in Human Life?

Culture is important in all moments of human life, especially when you are in society. For example, when you come to a new job, you find yourself in a team where everyone has different thoughts and views. Therefore, it is important to respect the opinions of other people and in no case try to prove your point of view to others. Culture is also very important because, to some extent, it helps to find like-minded people and create a warm and friendly atmosphere in society.

If you have any difficulties writing a culture essay, you can always turn to essay writing service , where you will meet real professionals who will answer all your questions and do the hard work for you at an excellent price and in a short time. Moreover, you can be sure that each author has a degree in the field of culture, and your essay will be written with high quality and success.

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Table of contents

Cultural Diversity Essay & Community Essay Examples

If you’ve started to research college application requirements for the schools on your list, you might have come across the “cultural diversity essay.” In this guide, we’ll explore the cultural diversity essay in depth. We will compare the cultural diversity essay to the community essay and discuss how to approach these kinds of supplements. We’ll also provide examples of diversity essays and community essay examples. But first, let’s discuss exactly what a cultural diversity essay is. 

The purpose of the cultural diversity essay in college applications is to show the admissions committee what makes you unique. The cultural diversity essay also lets you describe what type of “ diversity ” you would bring to campus.

We’ll also highlight a diversity essay sample for three college applications. These include the Georgetown application essay , Rice application essay , and Williams application essay . We’ll provide examples of diversity essays for each college. Then, for each of these college essays that worked, we will analyze their strengths to help you craft your own essays. 

Finally, we’ll give you some tips on how to write a cultural diversity essay that will make your applications shine. 

But first, let’s explore the types of college essays you might encounter on your college applications. 

Types of College Essays

College application requirements will differ among schools. However, you’ll submit one piece of writing to nearly every school on your list—the personal statement . A strong personal statement can help you stand out in the admissions process. 

So, how do you know what to write about? That depends on the type of college essay included in your college application requirements. 

There are a few main types of college essays that you might encounter in the college admissions process. Theese include the “Why School ” essay, the “Why Major ” essay, and the extracurricular activity essay. This also includes the type of essay we will focus on in this guide—the cultural diversity essay. 

“Why School” essay

The “Why School ” essay is exactly what it sounds like. For this type of college essay, you’ll need to underscore why you want to go to this particular school. 

However, don’t make the mistake of just listing off what you like about the school. Additionally, don’t just reiterate information you can find on their admissions website. Instead, you’ll want to make connections between what the school offers and how you are a great fit for that college community. 

“Why Major” essay

The idea behind the “Why Major ” essay is similar to that of the “Why School ” essay above. However, instead of writing about the school at large, this essay should highlight why you plan to study your chosen major.

There are plenty of directions you could take with this type of essay. For instance, you might describe how you chose this major, what career you plan to pursue upon graduation, or other details.

Extracurricular Activity essay

The extracurricular activity essay asks you to elaborate on one of the activities that you participated in outside of the classroom. 

For this type of college essay, you’ll need to select an extracurricular activity that you pursued while you were in high school. Bonus points if you can tie your extracurricular activity into your future major, career goals, or other extracurricular activities for college. Overall, your extracurricular activity essay should go beyond your activities list. In doing so, it should highlight why your chosen activity matters to you.

Cultural Diversity essay

The cultural diversity essay is your chance to expound upon diversity in all its forms. Before you write your cultural diversity essay, you should ask yourself some key questions. These questions can include: How will you bring diversity to your future college campus? What unique perspective do you bring to the table? 

Another sub-category of the cultural diversity essay is the gender diversity essay. As its name suggests, this essay would center around the author’s gender. This essay would highlight how gender shapes the way the writer understands the world around them. 

Later, we’ll look at examples of diversity essays and other college essays that worked. But before we do, let’s figure out how to identify a cultural diversity essay in the first place. 

How to identify a ‘cultural diversity’ essay

So, you’re wondering how you’ll be able to identify a cultural diversity essay as you review your college application requirements. 

Aside from the major giveaway of having the word “diversity” in the prompt, a cultural diversity essay will ask you to describe what makes you different from other applicants. In other words, what aspects of your unique culture(s) have influenced your perspective and shaped you into who you are today?

Diversity can refer to race, ethnicity, first-generation status, gender, or anything in between. You can write about a myriad of things in a cultural diversity essay. For instance, you might discuss your personal background, identity, values, experiences, or how you’ve overcome challenges in your life. 

However, don’t feel limited in what you can address in a cultural diversity essay. The words “culture” and “diversity” mean different things to different people. Above all, you’ll want your diversity essays for college to be personal and sincere. 

How is a ‘community’ essay different? 

A community essay can also be considered a cultural diversity essay. In fact, you can think of the community essay as a subcategory of the cultural diversity essay. However, there is a key difference between a community essay and a cultural diversity essay, which we will illustrate below. 

You might have already seen some community essay examples while you were researching college application requirements. But how exactly is a community essay different from a cultural diversity essay?

One way to tell the difference between community essay examples and cultural diversity essay examples is by the prompt. A community essay will highlight, well, community . This means it will focus on how your identity will shape your interactions on campus—not just how it informs your own experiences.

Two common forms to look out for

Community essay examples can take two forms. First, you’ll find community essay examples about your past experiences. These let you show the admissions team how you have positively influenced your own community. 

Other community essay examples, however, will focus on the future. These community essay examples will ask you to detail how you will contribute to your future college community. We refer to these as college community essay examples.

In college community essay examples, you’ll see applicants detail how they might interact with their fellow students. These essays may also discuss how students plan to positively contribute to the campus community. 

As we mentioned above, the community essay, along with community essay examples and college community essay examples, fit into the larger category of the cultural diversity essay. Although we do not have specific community essay examples or college community essay examples in this guide, we will continue to highlight the subtle differences between the two. 

Before we continue the discussion of community essay examples and college community essay examples, let’s start with some examples of cultural diversity essay prompts. For each of the cultural diversity essay prompts, we’ll name the institutions that include these diversity essays for college as part of their college application requirements. 

What are some examples of ‘cultural diversity’ essays? 

Now, you have a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the cultural diversity essay and the community essay. So, next, let’s look at some examples of cultural diversity essay prompts.

The prompts below are from the Georgetown application, Rice application, and Williams application, respectively. As we discuss the similarities and differences between prompts, remember the framework we provided above for what constitutes a cultural diversity essay and a community essay. 

Later in this guide, we’ll provide real examples of diversity essays, including Georgetown essay examples, Rice University essay examples, and Williams supplemental essays examples. These are all considered college essays that worked—meaning that the author was accepted into that particular institution. 

Georgetown Supplementals Essays

Later, we’ll look at Georgetown supplemental essay examples. Diversity essays for Georgetown are a product of this prompt: 

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you. 

You might have noticed two keywords in this prompt right away: “diverse” and “community.” These buzzwords indicate that this prompt is a cultural diversity essay. You could even argue that responses to this prompt would result in college community essay examples. After all, the prompt refers to the Georgetown community. 

For this prompt, you’ll want to produce a diversity essay sample that highlights who you are. In order to do that successfully, you’ll need to self-reflect before putting pen to paper. What aspects of your background, personality, or values best describe who you are? How might your presence at Georgetown influence or contribute to their diverse community? 

Additionally, this cultural diversity essay can be personal or creative. So, you have more flexibility with the Georgetown supplemental essays than with other similar diversity essay prompts. Depending on the direction you go, your response to this prompt could be considered a cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or a college community essay. 

Rice University Essays

The current Rice acceptance rate is just 9% , making it a highly selective school. Because the Rice acceptance rate is so low, your personal statement and supplemental essays can make a huge difference. 

The Rice University essay examples we’ll provide below are based on this prompt: 

The quality of Rice’s academic life and the Residential College System are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What personal perspective would you contribute to life at Rice? 

Breaking down the prompt.

Like the prompt above, this cultural diversity essay asks about your “life experiences,” “cultural traditions,” and personal “perspectives.” These phrases indicate a cultural diversity essay. Keep in mind this may not be the exact prompt you’ll have to answer in your own Rice application. However, future Rice prompts will likely follow a similar framework as this diversity essay sample.

Although this prompt is not as flexible as the Georgetown prompt, it does let you discuss aspects of Rice’s academic life and Residential College System that appeal to you. You can also highlight how your experiences have influenced your personal perspective. 

The prompt also asks about how you would contribute to life at Rice. So, your response could also fall in line with college community essay examples. Remember, college community essay examples are another sub-category of community essay examples. Successful college community essay examples will illustrate the ways in which students would contribute to their future campus community. 

Williams Supplemental Essays

Like the Rice acceptance rate, the Williams acceptance rate is also 9% . Because the Williams acceptance rate is so low, you’ll want to pay close attention to the Williams supplemental essays examples as you begin the writing process. 

The Williams supplemental essays examples below are based on this prompt: 

Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entry – a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives, and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the 19 other first-year students in an Entry? What perspective would you add to the conversation with your peer(s)?

Reflecting on the prompt.

Immediately, words like “diverse,” “backgrounds,” “perspectives,” “interests,” and “differentiate” should stand out to you. These keywords highlight the fact that this is a cultural diversity essay. Similar to the Rice essay, this may not be the exact prompt you’ll face on your Williams application. However, we can still learn from it.

Like the Georgetown essay, this prompt requires you to put in some self-reflection before you start writing. What aspects of your background differentiate you from other people? How would these differences impact your interactions with peers? 

This prompt also touches on the “student community” and how you would “add to the conversation with your peer(s).” By extension, any strong responses to this prompt could also be considered as college community essay examples. 

Community Essays

All of the prompts above mention campus community. So, you could argue that they are also examples of community essays. 

Like we mentioned above, you can think of community essays as a subcategory of the cultural diversity essay. If the prompt alludes to the campus community, or if your response is centered on how you would interact within that community, your essay likely falls into the world of college community essay examples. 

Regardless of what you would classify the essay as, all successful essays will be thoughtful, personal, and rich with details. We’ll show you examples of this in our “college essays that worked” section below. 

Which schools require a cultural diversity or community essay? 

Besides Georgetown, Rice, and Williams, many other college applications require a cultural diversity essay or community essay. In fact, from the Ivy League to HBCUs and state schools, the cultural diversity essay is a staple across college applications. 

Although we will not provide a diversity essay sample for each of the colleges below, it is helpful to read the prompts. This will build your familiarity with other college applications that require a cultural diversity essay or community essay. Some schools that require a cultural diversity essay or community essay include New York University , Duke University , Harvard University , Johns Hopkins University , and University of Michigan . 

New York University

NYU listed a cultural diversity essay as part of its 2022-2023 college application requirements. Here is the prompt:

NYU was founded on the belief that a student’s identity should not dictate the ability for them to access higher education. That sense of opportunity for all students, of all backgrounds, remains a part of who we are today and a critical part of what makes us a world class university. Our community embraces diversity, in all its forms, as a cornerstone of the NYU experience. We would like to better understand how your experiences would help us to shape and grow our diverse community.

Duke university.

Duke is well-known for its community essay: 

What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there’s something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well.

A top-ranked Ivy League institution, Harvard University also has a cultural diversity essay as part of its college application requirements: 

Harvard has long recognized the importance of student body diversity of all kinds. We welcome you to write about distinctive aspects of your background, personal development, or the intellectual interests you might bring to your Harvard classmates.

Johns hopkins university.

The Johns Hopkins supplement is another example of a cultural diversity essay: 

Founded in the spirit of exploration and discovery, Johns Hopkins University encourages students to share their perspectives, develop their interests, and pursue new experiences. Use this space to share something you’d like the admissions committee to know about you (your interests, your background, your identity, or your community), and how it has shaped what you want to get out of your college experience at Hopkins. 

University of michigan.

The University of Michigan requires a community essay for its application: 

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong and describe that community and your place within it. 

Community essay examples.

The Duke and Michigan prompts are perfect illustrations of community essay examples. However, they have some critical differences. So, if you apply to both of these schools, you’ll have to change the way you approach either of these community essays. 

The Duke prompt asks you to highlight why you are a good match for the Duke community. You’ll also see this prompt in other community essay examples. To write a successful response to this prompt, you’ll need to reference offerings specific to Duke (or whichever college requires this essay). In order to know what to reference, you’ll need to do your research before you start writing. 

Consider the following questions as you write your diversity essay sample if the prompt is similar to Duke University’s

• What values does this college community have? 
• How do these tie in with what you value? 
• Is there something that this college offers that matches your interests, personality, or background?  

On the other hand, the Michigan essay prompt asks you to describe a community that you belong to as well as your place within that community. This is another variation of the prompt for community essay examples. 

To write a successful response to this prompt, you’ll need to identify a community that you belong to. Then, you’ll need to think critically about how you interact with that community. 

Below are some questions to consider as you write your diversity essay sample for colleges like Michigan: 

• Out of all the communities you belong to, which can you highlight in your response? 
• How have you impacted this community? 
• How has this community impacted you?

Now, in the next few sections, we’ll dive into the Georgetown supplemental essay examples, the Rice university essay examples, and the Williams supplemental essays examples. After each diversity essay sample, we’ll include a breakdown of why these are considered college essays that worked. 

Georgetown Essay Examples

As a reminder, the Georgetown essay examples respond to this prompt: 

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.

Here is the excerpt of the diversity essay sample from our Georgetown essay examples: 

Georgetown University Essay Example

The best thing I ever did was skip eight days of school in a row. Despite the protests of teachers over missed class time, I told them that the world is my classroom. The lessons I remember most are those that took place during my annual family vacation to coastal Maine. That rural world is the most authentic and incredible classroom where learning simply happens and becomes exponential. 

Years ago, as I hunted through the rocks and seaweed for seaglass and mussels, I befriended a Maine local hauling her battered kayak on the shore. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I had found a kindred spirit in Jeanne. Jeanne is a year-round resident who is more than the hard working, rugged Mainer that meets the eye; reserved and humble in nature, she is a wealth of knowledge and is self-taught through necessity. With thoughtful attention to detail, I engineered a primitive ramp made of driftwood and a pulley system to haul her kayak up the cliff. We diligently figured out complex problems and developed solutions through trial and error.

After running out of conventional materials, I recycled and reimagined items that had washed ashore. We expected to succeed, but were not afraid to fail. Working with Jeanne has been the best classroom in the world; without textbooks or technology, she has made a difference in my life. Whether building a basic irrigation system for her organic garden or installing solar panels to harness the sun’s energy, every project has shown me the value of taking action and making an impact. Each year brings a different project with new excitement and unique challenges. My resourcefulness, problem solving ability, and innovative thinking have advanced under her tutelage. 

While exploring the rocky coast of Maine, I embrace every experience as an unparalleled educational opportunity that transcends any classroom environment. I discovered that firsthand experience and real-world application of science are my best teachers. In school, applications of complex calculations and abstract theories are sometimes obscured by grades and structure. In Maine, I expand my love of science and renourish my curious spirit. I am a highly independent, frugal, resilient Mainer living as a southern girl in NC. 

Why this essay worked

This is one of the Georgetown supplemental essay examples that works, and here’s why. The author starts the essay with an interesting hook, which makes the reader want to learn more about this person and their perspective. 

Throughout the essay, the author illustrates their intellectual curiosity. From befriending Jeanne and creating a pulley system to engineering other projects on the rocky coast of Maine, the author demonstrates how they welcome challenges and work to solve problems. 

Further, the author mentions values that matter to them—taking action and making an impact. Both facets are also part of Georgetown’s core values . By making these connections in their essay, the author shows the admissions committee exactly how they would be a great fit for the Georgetown community. 

Finally, the author uses their experience in Maine to showcase their love of science, which is likely the field they will study at Georgetown. Like this writer, you should try to include most important parts of your identity into your essay. This includes things like life experiences, passions, majors, extracurricular activities for college, and more. 

Rice University Essay Examples

The Rice University essay examples are from this prompt: 

The quality of Rice’s academic life and the Residential College System are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What personal perspective would you contribute to life at Rice? (500-word limit)

Rice university essay example.

Like every applicant, I also have a story to share. A story that makes me who I am and consists of chapters about my life experiences and adventures. Having been born in a different country, my journey to America was one of the most difficult things I had ever experienced. Everything felt different. The atmosphere, the places, the food, and especially the people. Everywhere I looked, I saw something new. Although it was a bit overwhelming, one thing had not changed.

The caring nature of the people was still prevalent in everyday interactions. I was overwhelmed by how supportive and understanding people were of one another. Whether it is race, religion, or culture, everyone was accepted and appreciated. I knew that I could be whoever I wanted to be and that the only limitation was my imagination. Through hard work and persistence I put my all in everything that I did. I get this work ethic from my father since he is living proof that anything can be accomplished with continued determination. Listening to the childhood stories he told me, my dad would reminisce about how he was born in an impoverished area in a third world country during a turbulent and unpredictable time.

Even with a passion for learning, he had to work a laborious job in an attempt to help his parents make ends meet. He talked about how he would study under the street lights when the power went out at home. His parents wanted something better for him, as did he. Not living in America changed nothing about their work ethic. His parents continued to work hard daily, in an attempt to provide for their son. My dad worked and studied countless hours, paying his way through school with jobs and scholarships. His efforts paid off when he finally moved to America and opened his own business. None of it would have been possible without tremendous effort and dedication needed for a better life, values that are instilled within me as well, and this is the perspective that I wish to bring to Rice. 

This diversity essay sample references the author’s unique life experiences and personal perspective, which makes it one example of college essays that worked. The author begins the essay by alluding to their unique story—they were born in a different country and then came to America. Instead of facing this change as a challenge, the author shows how this new experience helped them to feel comfortable with all kinds of people. They also highlight how their diversity was accepted and appreciated. 

Additionally, the author incorporates information about their father’s story, which helps to frame their own values and where those values came from. The values that they chose to highlight also fall in line with the values of the Rice community. 

Williams Supplemental Essay Examples

Let’s read the prompt that inspired so many strong Williams supplemental essays examples again: 

Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entry—a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the 19 other first-year students in an entry? What perspective(s) would you add to the conversation with your peers?

Williams college essay example.

Through the flow in my head

See you clad in red

But not just the clothes

It’s your whole being

Covering in this sickening blanket

Of heat and pain

Are you in agony, I wonder?

Is this the hell they told me about?

Have we been condemned?

Reduced to nothing but pain

At least we have each other

In our envelopes of crimson

I try in vain

“Take my hands” I shriek

“Let’s protect each other, 

You and me, through this hell”

My body contorts

And deforms into nothingness

You remain the same

Clad in red

With faraway eyes

You, like a statue

Your eyes fixed somewhere else

You never see me

Just the red briefcase in your heart

We aren’t together

It’s always been me alone

While you stand there, aloof, with the briefcase in your heart.

I wrote this poem the day my prayer request for the Uighur Muslims got denied at school. At the time, I was stunned. I was taught to have empathy for those around me. Yet, that empathy disappears when told to extend it to someone different. I can’t comprehend this contradiction and I refuse to. 

At Williams, I hope to become a Community Engagement Fellow at the Davis Center. I hope to use Williams’ support for social justice and advocacy to educate my fellow classmates on social issues around the world. Williams students are not just scholars but also leaders and changemakers. Together, we can strive to better the world through advocacy.

Human’s capability for love is endless. We just need to open our hearts to everyone. 

It’s time to let the briefcase go and look at those around us with our real human eyes.

We see you now. Please forgive us.

As we mentioned above, the Williams acceptance rate is incredibly low. This makes the supplemental essay that much more important. 

This diversity essay sample works because it is personal and memorable. The author chooses to start the essay off with a poem. Which, if done right, will immediately grab the reader’s attention. 

Further, the author contextualizes the poem by explaining the circumstances surrounding it—they wrote it in response to a prayer request that was denied at school. In doing so, they also highlight their own values of empathy and embracing diversity. 

Finally, the author ends their cultural diversity essay by describing what excites them about Williams. They also discuss how they see themselves interacting within the Williams community. This is a key piece of the essay, as it helps the reader understand how the author would be a good fit for Williams. 

The examples provided within this essay also touch on issues that are important to the author, which provides a glimpse into the type of student the author would be on campus. Additionally, this response shows what potential extracurricular activities for college the author might be interested in pursuing while at Williams. 

How to Write a Cultural Diversity Essay

You want your diversity essay to stand out from any other diversity essay sample. But how do you write a successful cultural diversity essay? 

First, consider what pieces of your identity you want to highlight in your essay. Of course, race and ethnicity are important facets of diversity. However, there are plenty of other factors to consider. 

As you brainstorm, think outside the box to figure out what aspects of your identity help make up who you are. Because identity and diversity fall on a spectrum, there is no right or wrong answer here. 

Fit your ideas to the specific school

Once you’ve decided on what you want to represent in your cultural diversity essay, think about how that fits into the college of your choice. Use your cultural diversity essay to make connections to the school. If your college has specific values or programs that align with your identity, then include them in your cultural diversity essay! 

Above all, you should write about something that is important to you. Your cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or community essay will succeed if you are passionate about your topic and willing to get personal. 

Additional Tips for Community & Cultural Diversity Essays

1. start early.

In order to create the strongest diversity essay possible, you’ll want to start early. Filling out college applications is already a time-consuming process. So, you can cut back on additional stress and anxiety by writing your cultural diversity essay as early as possible. 

2. Brainstorm

Writing a cultural diversity essay or community essay is a personal process. To set yourself up for success, take time to brainstorm and reflect on your topic. Overall, you want your cultural diversity essay to be a good indication of who you are and what makes you a unique applicant. 

3. Proofread

We can’t stress this final tip enough. Be sure to proofread your cultural diversity essay before you hit the submit button. Additionally, you can read your essay aloud to hear how it flows. You can also can ask someone you trust, like your college advisor or a teacher, to help proofread your essay as well.

Other CollegeAdvisor Essay Resources to Explore

Looking for additional resources on supplemental essays for the colleges we mentioned above? Do you need help with incorporating extracurricular activities for college into your essays or crafting a strong diversity essay sample? We’ve got you covered. 

Our how to get into Georgetown guide covers additional tips on how to approach the supplemental diversity essay. If you’re wondering how to write about community in your essay, check out our campus community article for an insider’s perspective on Williams College.

Want to learn strategies for writing compelling cultural diversity essays? Check out this Q&A webinar, featuring a former Georgetown admissions officer. And, if you’re still unsure of what to highlight in your community essay, try getting inspiration from a virtual college tour . 

Cultural Diversity Essay & Community Essay Examples – Final Thoughts

Your supplemental essays are an important piece of the college application puzzle. With colleges becoming more competitive than ever, you’ll want to do everything you can to create a strong candidate profile. This includes writing well-crafted responses for a cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or community essay. 

We hope our cultural diversity essay guide helped you learn more about this common type of supplemental essay. As you are writing your own cultural diversity essay or community essay, use the essay examples from Georgetown, Rice, and Williams above as your guide. 

Getting into top schools takes a lot more than a strong resume. Writing specific, thoughtful, and personal responses for a cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or community essay will put you one step closer to maximizing your chances of admission. Good luck!

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Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Race and Ethnicity — Cultural Identity

Essays on Cultural Identity

What makes a good cultural identity essay topics.

When it comes to writing a cultural identity essay, choosing the right topic is crucial. A good essay topic should be thought-provoking, unique, and relevant to today's society. It should also allow for in-depth exploration and analysis. In this section, we will discuss What Makes a Good cultural identity essay topic and provide recommendations on how to brainstorm and choose an essay topic.

When brainstorming essay topics, it's important to consider your own interests and experiences. Reflect on your own cultural background and think about topics that resonate with you personally. Additionally, consider current events and societal issues that are relevant to cultural identity. This can help you choose a topic that is both timely and impactful.

Another important factor to consider when choosing a cultural identity essay topic is the level of complexity and depth it offers. A good essay topic should allow for meaningful exploration and analysis, rather than just surface-level discussion. Look for topics that are multi-dimensional and can be approached from various angles.

In addition, consider the potential impact of the topic. A good cultural identity essay topic should have significance and relevance beyond just the individual writer. It should be able to engage readers and provoke thoughtful discussion.

Overall, a good cultural identity essay topic should be personal, relevant, complex, and impactful. It should allow for in-depth exploration and analysis, and resonate with both the writer and the reader.

Best Cultural Identity Essay Topics

• The impact of globalization on cultural identity
• The role of language in shaping cultural identity
• Cultural appropriation in the fashion industry
• The influence of social media on cultural identity
• The interplay between religion and cultural identity
• The portrayal of cultural identity in literature and film
• The significance of traditional food in cultural identity
• The impact of immigration on cultural identity
• The evolution of cultural identity in the digital age
• The intersection of gender and cultural identity
• The role of education in shaping cultural identity
• The representation of cultural identity in art and music
• The impact of colonialism on cultural identity
• The influence of technology on cultural identity
• The role of family in shaping cultural identity
• The impact of cultural identity on mental health
• The relationship between cultural identity and national identity
• The significance of cultural festivals in shaping identity
• The impact of cultural identity on social justice movements
• The portrayal of cultural identity in the media

Cultural Identity essay topics Prompts

• Imagine a world where cultural identity is completely fluid and constantly changing. How would this impact society and individual experiences?
• Write about a time when you felt a strong connection to your cultural identity. What was the experience like, and how did it shape your sense of self?
• Consider the role of language in shaping cultural identity. How does language influence the way we perceive ourselves and others?
• Explore the concept of cultural hybridity and its impact on individual and collective identity.
• Reflect on the ways in which cultural identity can be both a source of pride and a source of conflict. How can individuals navigate these complexities in today's world?

Choosing a cultural identity essay topic is an important step in the writing process. By considering your own experiences, the complexity of the topic, and its potential impact, you can choose a topic that is both engaging and meaningful. With the recommendations and list of topics provided in this article, you are well-equipped to begin your exploration of cultural identity through writing.

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The Impact of Globalization to Cultural Identity

A topic of cultural identity in gene yang’s american born chinese, the theme of sruggling with cultural identity: the inheritance of loss by karen desi, the connection of food and identity, unique culture of nicaragua, egypt, mexico, and united states: understanding cultural similarities and differences, analyzing cultural systems through a sociologist perspective, benefits of cross-culture awareness, understanding the significance of personal identity, the role of student life in the identity formation, a shared national identity of britain in the period 1830-1951, puerto rican identity in the united states, the culture of canada, the national and cultural identity in children's films toy story 3 and spirited away, experiencing different cultures: my personal experience, living in the czech republic, the role of cultural norm in formulating a person’s identity, african music as a part of social and cultural context, complexities of cultural identity in frozen river, relation of cultural industries and cultural heritage.

Cultural identity is a part of a person's identity, or their self-conception and self-perception, and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality or any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture.

There are three pieces that make up a person's cultural identity, these are cultural knowledge, category label, and social connections.

1. Schwartz, S. J., Zamboanga, B. L., & Weisskirch, R. S. (2008). Broadening the study of the self: Integrating the study of personal identity and cultural identity. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2(2), 635-651. (https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2008.00077.x) 2. Hall, S. (1989). Cultural identity and cinematic representation. Framework: The Journal of Cinema and Media, (36), 68-81. (https://www.jstor.org/stable/44111666) 3. Bhugra, D. (2004). Migration, distress and cultural identity. British medical bulletin, 69(1), 129-141. (https://academic.oup.com/bmb/article/69/1/129/523340) 4. Jo Hatch, M., & Schultz, M. (1997). Relations between organizational culture, identity and image. European Journal of marketing, 31(5/6), 356-365. (https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/eb060636/full/html) 5. Lucy, S. (2007). Ethnic and cultural identities. In Archaeology of Identity (pp. 96-119). Routledge. (https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203087572-10/ethnic-cultural-identities-sam-lucy) 6. Karst, K. L. (1985). Paths to belonging: The constitution and cultural identity. NCL Rev., 64, 303. (https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/nclr64&div=21&id=&page=) 7. Otcu, B. (2010). Heritage language maintenance and cultural identity formation: The case of a Turkish Saturday school in New York City. Heritage Language Journal, 7(2), 273-298. (https://brill.com/view/journals/hlj/7/2/article-p273_6.xml) 8. Schachter, E. P. (2005). Context and identity formation: A theoretical analysis and a case study. Journal of Adolescent Research, 20(3), 375-395. (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0743558405275172) 9. Hall, S., & Ghazoul, F. (2012). Cultural identity and diaspora. Alif: Journal of Comparative Poetics, (32), 257-258. (https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA302403835&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=11108673&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7E81809ec)

Relevant topics

• American Identity
• Indigenous People
• Intercultural Communication
• Mexican American
• Physical Appearance
• African American
• Cultural Appropriation
• Personal Identity
• Effects of Social Media

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• How to Write a Diversity Essay | Tips & Examples

How to Write a Diversity Essay | Tips & Examples

Published on November 1, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on May 31, 2023.

Table of contents

What is a diversity essay, identify how you will enrich the campus community, share stories about your lived experience, explain how your background or identity has affected your life, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Diversity essays ask students to highlight an important aspect of their identity, background, culture, experience, viewpoints, beliefs, skills, passions, goals, etc.

Diversity essays can come in many forms. Some scholarships are offered specifically for students who come from an underrepresented background or identity in higher education. At highly competitive schools, supplemental diversity essays require students to address how they will enhance the student body with a unique perspective, identity, or background.

In the Common Application and applications for several other colleges, some main essay prompts ask about how your background, identity, or experience has affected you.

Why schools want a diversity essay

Many universities believe a student body representing different perspectives, beliefs, identities, and backgrounds will enhance the campus learning and community experience.

Admissions officers are interested in hearing about how your unique background, identity, beliefs, culture, or characteristics will enrich the campus community.

Through the diversity essay, admissions officers want students to articulate the following:

• What makes them different from other applicants
• Stories related to their background, identity, or experience
• How their unique lived experience has affected their outlook, activities, and goals

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Think about what aspects of your identity or background make you unique, and choose one that has significantly impacted your life.

For some students, it may be easy to identify what sets them apart from their peers. But if you’re having trouble identifying what makes you different from other applicants, consider your life from an outsider’s perspective. Don’t presume your lived experiences are normal or boring just because you’re used to them.

Some examples of identities or experiences that you might write about include the following:

• Race/ethnicity
• Gender identity
• Sexual orientation
• Nationality
• Socioeconomic status
• Immigration background
• Religion/belief system
• Place of residence
• Family circumstances
• Extracurricular activities related to diversity

Include vulnerable, authentic stories about your lived experiences. Maintain focus on your experience rather than going into too much detail comparing yourself to others or describing their experiences.

Keep the focus on you

Tell a story about how your background, identity, or experience has impacted you. While you can briefly mention another person’s experience to provide context, be sure to keep the essay focused on you. Admissions officers are mostly interested in learning about your lived experience, not anyone else’s.

When I was a baby, my grandmother took me in, even though that meant postponing her retirement and continuing to work full-time at the local hairdresser. Even working every shift she could, she never missed a single school play or soccer game.

She and I had a really special bond, even creating our own special language to leave each other secret notes and messages. She always pushed me to succeed in school, and celebrated every academic achievement like it was worthy of a Nobel Prize. Every month, any leftover tip money she received at work went to a special 509 savings plan for my college education.

When I was in the 10th grade, my grandmother was diagnosed with ALS. We didn’t have health insurance, and what began with quitting soccer eventually led to dropping out of school as her condition worsened. In between her doctor’s appointments, keeping the house tidy, and keeping her comfortable, I took advantage of those few free moments to study for the GED.

In school pictures at Raleigh Elementary School, you could immediately spot me as “that Asian girl.” At lunch, I used to bring leftover fun see noodles, but after my classmates remarked how they smelled disgusting, I begged my mom to make a “regular” lunch of sliced bread, mayonnaise, and deli meat.

Although born and raised in North Carolina, I felt a cultural obligation to learn my “mother tongue” and reconnect with my “homeland.” After two years of all-day Saturday Chinese school, I finally visited Beijing for the first time, expecting I would finally belong. While my face initially assured locals of my Chinese identity, the moment I spoke, my cover was blown. My Chinese was littered with tonal errors, and I was instantly labeled as an “ABC,” American-born Chinese.

I felt culturally homeless.

Speak from your own experience

Highlight your actions, difficulties, and feelings rather than comparing yourself to others. While it may be tempting to write about how you have been more or less fortunate than those around you, keep the focus on you and your unique experiences, as shown below.

I began to despair when the FAFSA website once again filled with red error messages.

I had been at the local library for hours and hadn’t even been able to finish the form, much less the other to-do items for my application.

I am the first person in my family to even consider going to college. My parents work two jobs each, but even then, it’s sometimes very hard to make ends meet. Rather than playing soccer or competing in speech and debate, I help my family by taking care of my younger siblings after school and on the weekends.

“We only speak one language here. Speak proper English!” roared a store owner when I had attempted to buy bread and accidentally used the wrong preposition.

In middle school, I had relentlessly studied English grammar textbooks and received the highest marks.

Leaving Seoul was hard, but living in West Orange, New Jersey was much harder一especially navigating everyday communication with Americans.

After sharing relevant personal stories, make sure to provide insight into how your lived experience has influenced your perspective, activities, and goals. You should also explain how your background led you to apply to this university and why you’re a good fit.

Include your outlook, actions, and goals

Conclude your essay with an insight about how your background or identity has affected your outlook, actions, and goals. You should include specific actions and activities that you have done as a result of your insight.

One night, before the midnight premiere of Avengers: Endgame , I stopped by my best friend Maria’s house. Her mother prepared tamales, churros, and Mexican hot chocolate, packing them all neatly in an Igloo lunch box. As we sat in the line snaking around the AMC theater, I thought back to when Maria and I took salsa classes together and when we belted out Selena’s “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” at karaoke. In that moment, as I munched on a chicken tamale, I realized how much I admired the beauty, complexity, and joy in Maria’s culture but had suppressed and devalued my own.

The following semester, I joined Model UN. Since then, I have learned how to proudly represent other countries and have gained cultural perspectives other than my own. I now understand that all cultures, including my own, are equal. I still struggle with small triggers, like when I go through airport security and feel a suspicious glance toward me, or when I feel self-conscious for bringing kabsa to school lunch. But in the future, I hope to study and work in international relations to continue learning about other cultures and impart a positive impression of Saudi culture to the world.

The smell of the early morning dew and the welcoming whinnies of my family’s horses are some of my most treasured childhood memories. To this day, our farm remains so rural that we do not have broadband access, and we’re too far away from the closest town for the postal service to reach us.

Going to school regularly was always a struggle: between the unceasing demands of the farm and our lack of connectivity, it was hard to keep up with my studies. Despite being a voracious reader, avid amateur chemist, and active participant in the classroom, emergencies and unforeseen events at the farm meant that I had a lot of unexcused absences.

Although it had challenges, my upbringing taught me resilience, the value of hard work, and the importance of family. Staying up all night to watch a foal being born, successfully saving the animals from a minor fire, and finding ways to soothe a nervous mare afraid of thunder have led to an unbreakable family bond.

Our farm is my family’s birthright and our livelihood, and I am eager to learn how to ensure the farm’s financial and technological success for future generations. In college, I am looking forward to joining a chapter of Future Farmers of America and studying agricultural business to carry my family’s legacy forward.

Tailor your answer to the university

After explaining how your identity or background will enrich the university’s existing student body, you can mention the university organizations, groups, or courses in which you’re interested.

Maybe a larger public school setting will allow you to broaden your community, or a small liberal arts college has a specialized program that will give you space to discover your voice and identity. Perhaps this particular university has an active affinity group you’d like to join.

Demonstrating how a university’s specific programs or clubs are relevant to you can show that you’ve done your research and would be a great addition to the university.

At the University of Michigan Engineering, I want to study engineering not only to emulate my mother’s achievements and strength, but also to forge my own path as an engineer with disabilities. I appreciate the University of Michigan’s long-standing dedication to supporting students with disabilities in ways ranging from accessible housing to assistive technology. At the University of Michigan Engineering, I want to receive a top-notch education and use it to inspire others to strive for their best, regardless of their circumstances.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Transition words
• Passive voice
• Paraphrasing

 Communication

• How to end an email
• Ms, mrs, miss
• How to start an email
• I hope this email finds you well
• Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

• Personal pronouns
• Conjunctions

In addition to your main college essay , some schools and scholarships may ask for a supplementary essay focused on an aspect of your identity or background. This is sometimes called a diversity essay .

Many universities believe a student body composed of different perspectives, beliefs, identities, and backgrounds will enhance the campus learning and community experience.

Admissions officers are interested in hearing about how your unique background, identity, beliefs, culture, or characteristics will enrich the campus community, which is why they assign a diversity essay .

To write an effective diversity essay , include vulnerable, authentic stories about your unique identity, background, or perspective. Provide insight into how your lived experience has influenced your outlook, activities, and goals. If relevant, you should also mention how your background has led you to apply for this university and why you’re a good fit.

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Cultural Analysis Essays: What to Focus on

Are you struggling with a cultural analysis essay? Can you not understand where to start and what to focus on? It is pretty weird that a teacher has not provided necessary specifications, because cultural analysis essays can actually be devoted to many different issues.

Yet, the main principle of writing cultural analysis essays remains the same. You need to analyze something referring to its cultural aspect. Let us introduce you a couple of examples and pointers for writing your cultural analysis essay.

📝 Essays on cultural diversity

📃 essays on cultural differences, 📄 deaf culture essays, 📑 analyzing cultural aspects in movies.

This is one of the popular topics today that students have to address. Our society and world in general become more and more culturally diverse and cosmopolitan. How do all these cultures interact? Answer this question in your essay on cultural diversity.

If you choose this option, you will have to compare two particular cultures. For instance, you may discuss cultural differences between America and India or America and China.

Explain what deaf culture is all about, signs deaf people use, schools they go to, their entertainment, and so on. By the way, some people believe that deaf culture does not exist. Express your opinion about this issue in the deaf culture essay.

This is one of the most fascinating ways to complete cultural analysis essays. It is not a secret that films reflect culture of different countries. What movies do you think are best at reflecting American culture?

Take them as examples for your cultural analysis essay, explain what particular cultural aspect they are about (men or women in society, drugs, or any other social problem), and finally tell whether it is really so in reality.

Probably, you will find our next articles about “Proud to Be a Canadian” essays and a Geography essay useful too.

Assessing Cultural Relevance: Exploring Personal Connections to a Text

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

As a class, students evaluate a nonfiction or realistic fiction text for its cultural relevance to themselves personally and as a group. They first write about a story that they identify with and share their responses as a group. As a class, they then analyze the cultural relevance of a selected text using an online tool. After completing this full-class activity, students search for additional, relevant texts; each choose one; and write reviews of the texts that they choose. Selected texts can be any nonfiction or realistic fiction piece—books, documentaries, television programs, and films and students are encouraged to choose texts that are personally relevant to themselves and their peers. This lesson is an especially powerful choice for English language learners.

From Theory to Practice

Reading texts that are culturally relevant is vitally important to all students, but especially so for language learners. When students see themselves in a text, they connect with the text in significant ways that lead to deeper comprehension. Yvonne Freeman and David Freeman explain that such language learners "easily construct meaning from a text that contains familiar elements because their background knowledge helps them make predictions and inferences about the story" (7). This lesson plan draws on the explanation of cultural relevance outlined by Freeman and Freeman, including using an evaluative rubric based on that in their work, to encourage students to look for texts that engage them more deeply because of cultural connections to the students' lives. Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
• 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
• 9. Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles.
• 10. Students whose first language is not English make use of their first language to develop competency in the English language arts and to develop understanding of content across the curriculum.
• 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
• 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

¡Sí Se Puede! Yes, We Can! Janitor Strike in L.A. (optional)

• Gathering Evidence of Cultural Relevance
• Student Reflection Sheet
• Components of Your Cultural Relevance Review
• Cultural Relevance Review Guidelines
• Model Cultural Relevance Essay
• Checklist for Cultural Relevance Review
• Cultural Relevance Rubric

Preparation

• Choose a text to use as a model for this lesson. You will work through the analysis of the text as a class to demonstrate the activity that students will complete. Choose a book, film, or television program that everyone in the class is familiar with, OR choose a picture book that you can read to the class before completing the analysis.
• Realistic Fiction , from ALA’s Teen Read Week 2005 Booklists
• Nonfiction , also from ALA’s Teen Read Week 2005 Booklists
• Books of Humor for Teens , from GoodReads
• Great Gay Teen Books , from author Alex Sanchez
• Disaster Booklist , from ALA
• Diaries and Letters , from the Austin Public Library
• Realistic Fiction for Teens , from Plymouth Library
• DIARIES/LETTERS/JOURNALS , from the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library
• Documentaries and realistic films and television programs are also appropriate for this lesson. You might gather films such as The Mystery of Love , The New Americans , When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts , and Super Size Me . You might ask students to brainstorm a list of current television shows and movies that have a realistic and reasonably modern setting.
• If desired, obtain a copy of ¡Sí Se Puede! Yes, We Can! Janitor Strike in L.A. (Cinco Puntos Press, 2002) by Diana Cohn to read to the class during Session Four. This book is the focus of the Model Cultural Relevance Essay , so making students familiar with the book will increase their understanding of how the book fulfills the requirements for the writing assignment. Alternatively, you might write your own model essay, focusing on a book that students are already familiar with.
• If students have access to computers, they can complete the online rubric and print their own customized version of the questions for gathering evidence. If computers are not available, make copies of the PDF version of the Cultural Relevance Rubric and the Gathering Evidence of Cultural Relevance handout for each student. You may also make overhead transparencies of the documents to use during class sessions as you demonstrate and discuss the analysis process.
• Make copies of the handouts for the lesson.
• Test the Cultural Relevance Rubric on your computers to familiarize yourself with the tool and ensure that you have the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in from the technical support page.

Student Objectives

Students will

• assess the cultural relevance of texts, individually and as a group.
• identify texts with higher levels of cultural relevance.
• write process-based reviews of the texts, focusing on cultural relevance.
• present their reviews to the class.

Session One

In two or three sentences, describe a time when you read, viewed, or listened to a story that included events or characters you identified with. Then draw a line across the page, and write about how it felt to read a story that you identified with. Think about how the ways that the story and your life or experiences were alike. How did the similarities influence your understanding of the story?

• Read the writing prompt to the class. Define any unfamiliar words, and provide a personal example for students. You might write your example on the board or an overhead transparency to provide a model for the class.
• Answer any questions that they have about the informal writing, and then allow the class 5–10 minutes to compose their answers in their journals.
• As students write, help any individual class members who need additional support.
• Once students have had a chance to gather their ideas, ask the class to share experiences that they remembered. The goal is to have students recognize how personal connections to a text affect their comprehension.
• If you have chosen a picture book, take time to read the book to the class.
• If you have chosen a video of some kind, show the piece to the class.
• If you have chosen a song, play the song for the class.
• If you have chosen a novel or nonfiction book that the class, ask students to recall the key details from the text (e.g., people, events, symbols).
• Pass out copies of the PDF version of the Cultural Relevance Rubric for students to refer to as you discuss the book.
• Discuss each of the elements on the Rubric .
• The differences among the three levels of relevance may be too subtle for students to notice; so take time to point out how the three levels differ.
• To emphasize the differences, you can have students underline or highlight the differences among the choices on the Rubric (e.g., very much like, not at all like, some similarities and some differences).
• Emphasize that all of the rubric responses follow the same order, with those most like the student appearing first and those least like the student appearing last.
• Display the Online Cultural Relevance Rubric using an LCD projector.
• Analyze the cultural relevance of the text that you are using as an example, working through the prompts in the Online Cultural Relevance Rubric . If computers are not available, you can work through the PDF version of the Rubric instead.
• For “Your Name” students will enter their own names.
• For “Whose work are your reviewing?” students will type the name of the author, performer, director, or producer of the text they are examining.
• For each question, students choose the sentence that best describes the text by clicking on it.
• For each question, students can enter any notes or an explanation of their choice in the additional comments section below the rubric choices.
• Once all the rubric elements are answered, demonstrate how to print the chart and the feedback. Students will use both printouts as they work on their review.
• Once you have completed the rubric for the example text, review the choices and ask the class to use the details to determine whether the text is culturally relevant. It's quite possible that the text will be more relevant to some students than to others.
• Explain the project that the class will complete: students will search for additional, relevant texts; each choose one; and write reviews of the texts that they choose.
• Remind students to bring their copies of the PDF version of the Rubric to the next session to use for reference.

Session Two

• Gather students in a location with texts that they can choose among, whether the school library, the classroom library, or a local public library. If library resources are not available, students can complete the process of choosing a text independently.
• Review the PDF version of the Rubric , and generally discuss what makes a text culturally relevant to a reader.
• Explain that students are to choose a text during this session that they will evaluate for cultural relevance.
• If the librarian has pointers or possible texts to share with the class, allow time for presentation of these resources.
• Allow the rest of the session for students to find their texts and begin exploring them (e.g., reading, listening, viewing).
• As students search for their texts, provide feedback and support as appropriate.
• At the end of the session, provide a due date for students to have completed their texts. On the due date, explain that the class will complete the Online Cultural Relevance Rubric and begin writing their reviews. Allow enough time for students to complete their reading, listening, or viewing before the next session.

Session Three

• Before this lesson, students will have completed their texts, and they will be ready to analyze those texts for cultural relevance.
• Ask students to bring copies of the text to this session for reference.
• Remind students of the assignment they will be completing: students will search for additional, relevant texts; each choose one; and write reviews of the texts that they choose.
• Display the Online Cultural Relevance Rubric using an LCD projector. If computers are not available for students, they can work through the PDF version of the Rubric instead.
• Once all the rubric elements are answered, demonstrate how to print the chart and the feedback. Students will use both printouts as they work on their reviews.
• Provide support as students work on their analysis. Remind them to print both the chart and the feedback when they complete the Online Rubric .

If students did not use the online rubric, pass out the Gathering Evidence of Cultural Relevance for them to use as they gather details for their reviews. Note that the questions on the Feedback printout are specific for the rubric response that students choose. The Gathering Evidence of Cultural Relevance handout uses generic questions that will fit with whatever rubric response students choose.

• Ask students to complete the feedback questions if they have used the Online Rubric or the Gathering Evidence of Cultural Relevance handout if they are working with the PDF version of the Rubric .

Session Four

• Review the activity that students are completing: they are analyzing texts for cultural relevance and writing reviews that discuss their findings.
• Invite students to share details from their reading and analysis. You can begin discussion by asking students whether the texts that they reviewed seemed culturally relevant.
• As students share their assessment, ask them to provide details that support their position. Through this process, students begin thinking through the information that they will include in their reviews.
• After students have shared for a few minutes, explain that the class is going to read an example review that students can use as a model for their own writing.
• If desired, you can read ¡Sí Se Puede! Yes, We Can! Janitor Strike in L.A. (Cinco Puntos Press, 2002), the picture book that is the focus of the model essay, aloud to the class.
• After reading the book and discussing any immediate reactions that students have, quickly assess the cultural relevance of the book using the PDF version of the Rubric .
• Pass out copies of the Model Cultural Relevance Essay , and read the essay aloud to the class.
• Ask students to identify details in the essay that came from the book, and write their observations on the board or on chart paper.
• Once students finish sharing observations, pass out the Components of Your Cultural Relevance Review and Cultural Relevance Review Guidelines handouts.
• Read through the two handouts, identifying aspects of the model essay that meet the criteria for the assignment. Refer to the list of details that students identified after hearing the essay as you work through the handouts.
• If time allows, work together or in small groups to create thesis statements, following the structure of the thesis in the Model Cultural Relevance Essay .
• For homework, ask students to begin drafting their reviews, bringing at least a thesis statement to the next session. Students may also want to explore Websites on book reviews and sample book reviews, such as  Finding Book Reviews –Stauffer Library Reference or Write a Book Review before beginning to write their own.

Session Five

• Arrange students in small, mixed language groups, and ask group members to share their thesis statements with one another.
• As they listen, ask group members to consider whether the thesis clearly states the writer’s opinion of the cultural relevance of the text.
• Encourage students to share their plans for the remainder of the essay as they talk about their thesis statements.
• Review the expectations for the assignment, using the Components of Your Cultural Relevance Review and Cultural Relevance Review Guidelines handouts as well as the Model Cultural Relevance Essay .
• Following a process approach, spend the reminder of the class session in response and revision.
• Remind students to return to their printouts from the Online Rubric or to their responses to the PDF version of the Rubric and the Gathering Evidence of Cultural Relevance handout for evidence and details to support their position on the text.
• As students compose, note problems and challenges that they face to determine how much additional guidance is needed. Provide individual instruction as well as small group or whole class mini-lessons as appropriate.
• Add writing sessions at this point if necessary for students to complete their drafts.
• Ask students to come to the next class session with a complete draft of their review ready to share with others in class. Explain that students will have time to revise their work after the next class session before submitting their final drafts for teacher feedback.

Session Six

• Gather students and answer any basic questions that they have about the rough drafts that they have brought to the session.
• Pass out copies of the Checklist for Cultural Relevance Review and go over the questions, drawing connections to the information on the Components of Your Cultural Relevance Review and Cultural Relevance Review Guidelines handouts.
• Return to the Model Cultural Relevance Essay , and use the Checklist for Cultural Relevance Review as a class to check the content of the model.
• If students identify aspects of the Model Cultural Relevance Essay that they would change, discuss revision strategies. As appropriate demonstrate revision strategies in the context of the Model .
• Once the class finishes reviewing the Model Essay , arrange students in pairs and ask them to exchange and review each other’s papers using the Checklist for Cultural Relevance Review .
• Circulate among pairs, providing feedback and support as appropriate.
• Once pairs finish the feedback process, they can work together to discuss and try revision strategies. If desired, students can work in groups of four or six as they revise their essays so that additional support and feedback is possible.
• Ask students to be ready to submit a copy of their finished review at the beginning of the next class session.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• Grade the review as a complete writing assignment, using the requirements on the Checklist for Cultural Relevance Review to guide feedback.
• Students can assess their own work and learning by completing the Student Reflection Questions that are handed in with the review.
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Electrifying guide to a cultural identity essay.

“The beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people.” A simple statement but carrying worth centuries and decades of wisdom. In layman’s language, the account would mean that without diversity, then the world would be one boring place to stay.

Imagine the world with only men, or women, or even animals from one place alone. It wouldn’t have been impressive as it is now with people from all walks of life. And robots are also joining the community, adding to the diversity of this blooming planet, earth. 

So, what is culture? Simply put, it denotes the ways of life of different people. It can be in various aspects, such as the following:

• Social relations

These are just but a few of how different people differ from each other. Now, to what brought you here, what is a cultural identity essay?

Definition of a Cultural Identity Essay

A cultural identity paper is one that brings out the identity of a person concerning the place where they grew up, religion, economic, or family status. Cultural identity, therefore, means a group of people that one can identify within his/her essay. But wait, there’s more!

Structure of a Cultural Identity Essay

Essays about cultural identity take the same format as other types of academic essay assignments. So, what’s the catch?

The main difference between a cultural identity essay and the other types is that it, unlike the others, it uses the first-person pronoun (I and We). 

To add on that, hardly will students be required to do citations of sources because this paper is more of personal experiences. Students will, therefore, need to have substantial background information to come up with an outstanding cultural identity paper.

The MLA formatting style takes center stage in this type of essay. One would need to be creative enough and have sufficient information to convince the reader. Here are some sources you could use for your cultural identity essay:

• Your parents (preferably the grandparents)
• Television documentaries on culture
• History books in libraries

Bear in mind that all these sources should be operating or found in your national or locality. Let me tell you why.

People who are from a particular area understand their culture and heritage than those from outside. Can a visitor to come to your house for the first time and know what is under your bed? I bet no. 

The crucial differences which distinguish human societies and human beings are not biological. They are cultural. Ruth Benedict.

Are you ready for some cultural identity essay ideas? Then, move that scroll wheel downwards.

Cultural Identity Essay Ideas for You!

The ideas are so many ideas that you can choose from for your essay on cultural identity. A starting point would be asking yourself, “What is my cultural identity?”. You can consider the following ideas:

• An experience that you went through
• The story behind a specific famous locality
• The impact of a particular culture
• A common practice among people and where it originated from
• Think of one particular language and trace its roots
• How have the people around you influenced you?
• What kinds of food do you eat differently from others, and why?
• How do you feel when sited with a person of a different race?
• How do you dress, and why?
• The impact your religion has had on you
• What activities did you engage in as a child?

Again the ideas are not limited to what I have listed above. Have you ever watched a football derby, let’s say between Barcelona and Real Madrid? Do you see the number of spectators in attendance? Well, the ideas for essays about identity are more than that.

You may also make use of the numerous cultural identity essay examples found on the internet to generate more ideas. We advise you to take a look at racism essay topics .

And as if that’s not enough, let me share some tips that will help a long way in cranking up your next cultural identity essay.

Great Tips for an Excellent Essay on Cultural Identity

Let’s get down to them right away.

• Significant on personal experiences unless stated otherwise
• Make use of linking words
• Use vivid description
• MLA formatting
• Don’t assume, every detail matters

Although these are general tips, their application in your essay will make a high impact on your grades. Now, this is important.

How Would you Describe your Cultural Identity?

A vivid description of the use of personal experiences is the most recommended way that you can use.

What Are Examples of Cultural Identity?

They include nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, and locality, just but a few to mention.

Why is Having a Cultural Identity Important?

It gives people a sense of belonging to a particular social or ethnic group. Cultural identity also contributes to acknowledging and balancing the beliefs and values of other people and their cultures.

Difference Between Culture and Identity?

Culture is a way of life of a particular group of people, whereas identity is the knowledge of who you are as a person. 

It is as simple and straightforward as that. A cultural identity essay would not take you more than an hour to complete with the tips and outline given above. Take one of the recommended ideas above and start writing an essay on it. You will be amazed at how far you’ve improved your skills in cultural identity essays.

We know that writing an essay for your college assignment would prove tough for you, especially without an excellent writing service . Dubious websites would lure you into giving them your work and later disappoint you with low quality work at high rates. However, with us, we offer professional writers with years of expertise and a proven track record from our thousands of clients.

Cultures around the World Descriptive Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Culture is the way of life of a given people. It entails how people behave and perceive different life issues. It includes aspects like religion, customs, language, beliefs, food among others. Culture varies from one place to the other depending on the circumstances surrounding a place such as climate and environment and how people perceive things.

The difference between cultures brings about the issue of culture shock. Culture shock is experienced differently by various people and is believed to be temporary. In this assignment, I will give my experience and how culture shock affected me.

It was last year when I decided to have a change of environment; after having a very tight school schedule. I held the idea that spending my summer on a farm far away from the busy city life would be a relief to me. Since childhood, I had spent my life in the city and hence I was used to city life and all the attributes that go along with it. This made the countryside look so different for me in regard to various aspects including the environment, the customs, the food taken, the values and beliefs among other things.

The first thing that gave me problems was the environment and climate in the new place. Initially, I found it interesting due to the fact that it was free from congestion and pollution and everything seemed cool.

It was however very cold, which made me to clad in warm clothing so as to put up with the weather. Communication is another concept that was so different. Unlike in the city, respect in the countryside was a key issue especially when interacting with people who are much older. I had to be taught the words I would use when addressing older people.

Although it sounded awkward, I had no choice but to learn. Shaking hands was also important since you had to show concern to the other person. People had to engage in lengthy conversations whenever they met differing to the city life where they just say hello and leave. Food and how meals were taken was also amazing. Most of the food offered to me was very unfamiliar; some tasting okay while others were just unbearable. Meals were taken many times a day and people took time together.

This is unlike in the city where everyone is rushing and taking a meal together as a family is rare. Some customs in the countryside also seemed unbearable, for instance, having to work hard for specified duration of time and having resting hours. It is a relaxed experience compared to the busy lifestyle in the city. Generally, some of the feelings that I experienced as a result of culture shock include feeling out and misunderstood, frustration, anxiety, homesickness and worse still developing a negative attitude towards the new culture.

It is evident that culture shock is a reality that people have to face from time to time as they encounter different cultures that are markedly different from theirs. This is mainly because of the differences that exist in regard to values and beliefs. All in all, culture shock is temporary and requires just some time before one adjusts and thus move away from the confusion.

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IvyPanda. (2018, October 11). Cultures around the World. https://ivypanda.com/essays/cultures-around-the-world/

"Cultures around the World." IvyPanda , 11 Oct. 2018, ivypanda.com/essays/cultures-around-the-world/.

IvyPanda . (2018) 'Cultures around the World'. 11 October.

IvyPanda . 2018. "Cultures around the World." October 11, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/cultures-around-the-world/.

1. IvyPanda . "Cultures around the World." October 11, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/cultures-around-the-world/.

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IvyPanda . "Cultures around the World." October 11, 2018. https://ivypanda.com/essays/cultures-around-the-world/.

How To Tackle The Weirdest Supplemental Essay Prompts For This Application Cycle

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Writing the college essay

How do you write a letter to a friend that shows you’re a good candidate for the University of Pennsylvania? What reading list will help the Columbia University admissions committee understand your interdisciplinary interests? How can you convey your desire to attend Yale by inventing a course description for a topic you’re interested in studying?

These are the challenges students must overcome when writing their supplemental essays . Supplemental essays are a critical component of college applications—like the personal statement, they provide students with the opportunity to showcase their authentic voice and perspective beyond the quantitative elements of their applications. However, unlike the personal essay, supplemental essays allow colleges to read students’ responses to targeted prompts and evaluate their candidacy for their specific institution. For this reason, supplemental essay prompts are often abstract, requiring students to get creative, read between the lines, and ditch the traditional essay-writing format when crafting their responses.

While many schools simply want to know “why do you want to attend our school?” others break the mold, inviting students to think outside of the box and answer prompts that are original, head-scratching, or downright weird. This year, the following five colleges pushed students to get creative—if you’re struggling to rise to the challenge, here are some tips for tackling their unique prompts:

University of Chicago

Prompt: We’re all familiar with green-eyed envy or feeling blue, but what about being “caught purple-handed”? Or “tickled orange”? Give an old color-infused expression a new hue and tell us what it represents. – Inspired by Ramsey Bottorff, Class of 2026

What Makes it Unique: No discussion of unique supplemental essay prompts would be complete without mentioning the University of Chicago, a school notorious for its puzzling and original prompts (perhaps the most well-known of these has been the recurring prompt “Find x”). This prompt challenges you to invent a new color-based expression, encouraging both linguistic creativity and a deep dive into the emotional or cultural connotations of color. It’s a prompt that allows you to play with language, think abstractly, and show off your ability to forge connections between concepts that aren’t typically linked—all qualities that likewise demonstrate your preparedness for UChicago’s unique academic environment.

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How to Answer it: While it may be easy to get distracted by the open-ended nature of the prompt, remember that both the substance and structure of your response should give some insight into your personality, perspective, and characteristics. With this in mind, begin by considering the emotions, experiences, or ideas that most resonate with you. Then, use your imagination to consider how a specific color could represent that feeling or concept. Remember that the prompt is ultimately an opportunity to showcase your creativity and original way of looking at the world, so your explanation does not need to be unnecessarily deep or complex—if you have a playful personality, convey your playfulness in your response; if you are known for your sarcasm, consider how you can weave in your biting wit; if you are an amateur poet, consider how you might take inspiration from poetry as you write, or offer a response in the form of a poem.

The goal is to take a familiar concept and turn it into something new and meaningful through a creative lens. Use this essay to showcase your ability to think inventively and to draw surprising connections between language and life.

Harvard University

Prompt: Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you.

What Makes it Unique: This prompt is unique in both form and substance—first, you only have 150 words to write about all 3 things. Consider using a form other than a traditional essay or short answer response, such as a bullet list or short letter. Additionally, note that the things your roommate might like to learn about you do not necessarily overlap with the things you would traditionally share with an admissions committee. The aim of the prompt is to get to know your quirks and foibles—who are you as a person and a friend? What distinguishes you outside of academics and accolades?

How to Answer it: First and foremost, feel free to get creative with your response to this prompt. While you are producing a supplemental essay and thus a professional piece of writing, the prompt invites you to share more personal qualities, and you should aim to demonstrate your unique characteristics in your own voice. Consider things such as: How would your friends describe you? What funny stories do your parents and siblings share that encapsulate your personality? Or, consider what someone might want to know about living with you: do you snore? Do you have a collection of vintage posters? Are you particularly fastidious? While these may seem like trivial things to mention, the true creativity is in how you connect these qualities to deeper truths about yourself—perhaps your sleepwalking is consistent with your reputation for being the first to raise your hand in class or speak up about a cause you’re passionate about. Perhaps your living conditions are a metaphor for how your brain works—though it looks like a mess to everyone else, you have a place for everything and know exactly where to find it. Whatever qualities you choose, embrace the opportunity to think outside of the box and showcase something that admissions officers won’t learn about anywhere else on your application.

University of Pennsylvania

Prompt: Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge.

What Makes it Unique: Breaking from the traditional essay format, this supplement invites you to write directly to a third party in the form of a 150-200 word long letter. The challenge in answering this distinct prompt is to remember that your letter should say as much about you, your unique qualities and what you value as it does about the recipient—all while not seeming overly boastful or contrived.

How to Answer it: As you select a recipient, consider the relationships that have been most formative in your high school experience—writing to someone who has played a large part in your story will allow the admissions committee some insight into your development and the meaningful relationships that guided you on your journey. Once you’ve identified the person, craft a thank-you note that is specific and heartfelt—unlike other essays, this prompt invites you to be sentimental and emotional, as long as doing so would authentically convey your feelings of gratitude. Describe the impact they’ve had on you, what you’ve learned from them, and how their influence has shaped your path. For example, if you’re thanking a teacher, don’t just say they helped you become a better student—explain how their encouragement gave you the confidence to pursue your passions. Keep the tone sincere and personal, avoid clichés and focus on the unique role this person has played in your life.

University of Notre Dame

Prompt: What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you?

What Makes it Unique: This prompt is unique in that it invites students to share something about themselves by reflecting on someone else’s words in 50-100 words.

How to Answer it: The key to answering this prompt is to avoid focusing too much on the complement itself and instead focus on your response to receiving it and why it was so important to you. Note that this prompt is not an opportunity to brag about your achievements, but instead to showcase what truly matters to you. Select a compliment that truly speaks to who you are and what you value. It could be related to your character, work ethic, kindness, creativity, or any other quality that you hold in high regard. The compliment doesn’t have to be grand or come from someone with authority—it could be something small but significant that left a lasting impression on you, or it could have particular meaning for you because it came from someone you didn’t expect it to come from. Be brief in setting the stage and explaining the context of the compliment—what is most important is your reflection on its significance and how it shaped your understanding of yourself.

Stanford University

Prompt: List five things that are important to you.

What Makes it Unique: This prompt’s simplicity is what makes it so challenging. Stanford asks for a list, not an essay, which means you have very limited space (50 words) to convey something meaningful about yourself. Additionally, the prompt does not specify what these “things” must be—they could be a physical item, an idea, a concept, or even a pastime. Whatever you choose, these five items should add depth to your identity, values, and priorities.

How to Answer it: Start by brainstorming what matters most to you—these could be values, activities, people, places, or even abstract concepts. The key is to choose items or concepts that, when considered together, provide a comprehensive snapshot of who you are. For example, you might select something tangible and specific such as “an antique telescope gifted by my grandfather” alongside something conceptual such as “the willingness to admit when you’re wrong.” The beauty of this prompt is that it doesn’t require complex sentences or elaborate explanations—just a clear and honest reflection of what you hold dear. Be thoughtful in your selections, and use this prompt to showcase your creativity and core values.

While the supplemental essays should convey something meaningful about you, your values, and your unique qualifications for the university to which you are applying, the best essays are those that are playful, original, and unexpected. By starting early and taking the time to draft and revise their ideas, students can showcase their authentic personalities and distinguish themselves from other applicants through their supplemental essays.

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‘Shoot Me Up With a Big One’: The Pain of Matthew Perry’s Last Days

Court papers show that Mr. Perry, the “Friends” star who had long struggled with addiction, was increasingly taking ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, in the days before he died.

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On the day Matthew Perry died , his live-in personal assistant gave him his first ketamine shot of the morning at around 8:30 a.m. About four hours later, while Mr. Perry watched a movie at his home in Los Angeles, the assistant gave him another injection.

It was only about 40 minutes later that Mr. Perry wanted another shot, the assistant, Kenneth Iwamasa, recalled in a plea agreement that he signed.

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