Travel Tales: Can Experiencing Different Cultures in This City and Around the World Pull us Out of the Era of Ultra-polarization?

June 9, 2024 

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Discussion Questions

Please discuss the questions in any order you'd like.
Numbers are just there for easier reference. 

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1. Have you experienced cultures different than you own via travelling? Where? How different were the other cultures? How similar were they?​ Have you ever lived longer term in another culture?

2. Have you experienced cultures different than your own in this city or province?

3. What sorts of negative and positive impacts are we seeing from tourism locally? Consider what you've observed in both the city and in provincial and national parks.

4. What are your considerations when choosing another place in Canada or another country to visit?

5. Are you aware of both the positive and negative influences of travel to the places you've visited? How do you navigate the negative impacts on other parts of the world? How do you weigh the positives?

6. Have you experienced other cultures via social media, mainstream media, entertainment or other means that don't require leaving your home?

7. What have other cultures taught you about your own perspectives and identity?

8. Can cultural intermixing reduce polarization? Have you seen this happen? 

9. Are you familiar with the differences between multicultural societies (like Canada with its "cultural mosaic" aspiration) versus monocultures (like the US's "melting pot" aspiration)?

10. There is are socioeconomic barriers to travel - even for things like day-tripping or camping within this province. Are there ways we can reduce these financial barriers?