Concept Applications Blog-C.I.P

For this blog report, we were asked to discuss a specific course concept, then explain how we could use that concept to help us better understand the culture group that we are studying. The cultural group that I chose, Arab-American, have such strong values and traditions that the most logical concept for me to focus on is Arab-American's cultural values. Cultural values are defined by the worldview of a cultural group and its set of deeply held beliefs (Martin and Nakayama p. 100). Based on the definition, one would believe that every member of a particular culture group would have the same cultural values...that is not the case. 
To someone that has no knowledge of Arab-American culture, the idea that they all have the same cultural values would sound correct. With my research I have found that the cultural values and personal values of some Arab-Americans are actually vastly different.
Being half-way through this semester and this course, it is evident that communication and culture go hand and hand. I plan to gain the majority of my knowledge of Arab-American culture by conduction interviews and communicating with individuals of that culture. Each Arab-American I plan to interview have learned the "traditional" cultural values, but has chosen which values they agree with. Some follow all of the traditional values of Arab culture and others have only incorporated a few of those values in their lives. I also plan to interview a white Arab-American; someone who chose to convert and has adopted the Arab values.
I feel that in comparing all aspects of Arab-American culture and their values, I can truly understand this intriguing cultural group.