Fourteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

Can incentivizing a visual journal, used to record cultural experiences, foster empathy and be a catalyst for tolerance and acceptance? Most college students are in a unique and pivotal point in their life’s journey. Living on or near a college campus gives them access to insightful cultural experiences, discussions, and performances that can broaden the mind, challenge perceptions, and open doors to a lifelong interest in diversity. It is believed that meaningful exposure to new, different and alternative ideas, cultures, lifestyles and good-old-fashioned listening can open up lines of communication and understanding that is essential for the empathy needed to dissolve hate and divisiveness. Understanding others who are different than ourselves, builds harmony and strengthens the skills necessary to work across boundaries in gender, race, sexual orientation, religion and political affiliation, allowing us to become better global citizens. In this paper, I discuss how a low cost field journal and moderate incentives can energize rural college students to step out of their comfort zones to engage in cultural events, broaden their world view, and better understand the people around them. The Culturelougue Experience is an experimental attempt to boost participation in cultural programming while proactively cultivating global acceptance. The Culturelogue Experience is the latest effort from Replace-the-Hate. Replace-the-Hate is a grassroots effort lead by design educators, to build communal ties, renounce hate and rejoice in diversity through creative expressions and community art making workshops.