Worldviews Basics
What is a worldview
A way a person or group understands and explains the world and their place in it
Question: What is culture?
Answer: The shared beliefs, values, traditions, language, and way of life of a group.
Question: What is identity?
Answer: How a person sees and defines themselves.
Question: What is a key feature of many Indigenous worldviews?
Answer: A strong connection to the land and community.
Question: What is a worldview conflict?
Answer: A conflict caused by different beliefs and values.
Name two factors that shape a person’s worldview.
Culture, family, experiences, religion, language, or education.
Question: How does religion influence worldview?
Answer: It shapes beliefs about life, morality, and how people should live.
Question: Name three things that influence identity.
Answer: Family, culture, worldview, language, beliefs, or experiences.
Question: How do Indigenous worldviews generally view nature?
Answer: As living, interconnected, and deserving of respect.
Question: What is colonization?
Answer: When one group takes control of another group’s land and people.
How do experiences influence worldview?
Experiences can change beliefs, values, and how someone views others and the world.
Question: Why is language important to culture and worldview?
Answer: Language shapes thinking and helps pass beliefs and traditions to future generations.
Question: How are identity and worldview connected?
Answer: Worldview shapes identity, and identity influences how someone sees the world.
Question: What was a common belief in traditional European worldviews?
Answer: Land could be owned and controlled for progress and wealth.
Question: How were residential schools an example of worldview conflict?
Answer: They tried to replace Indigenous cultures and beliefs with European ones.
Question: Why can two people living in the same country have different worldviews?
Answer: Because they may have different cultures, experiences, beliefs, and backgrounds.
Question: How do traditions help maintain a worldview?
Answer: They pass values and beliefs from one generation to the next.
Question: Can identity change over time? Explain.
Answer: Yes, identity can change as people grow and gain new experiences.
Question: How did Indigenous and European views of land differ?
Answer: Indigenous peoples saw land as shared and sacred, Europeans saw it as property.
Question: What were some effects of residential schools on Indigenous peoples?
Answer: Loss of language and culture, trauma, and long-term harm to communities.
Question: Explain why worldviews are not fixed.
Answer: Worldviews can change over time as people learn new information and have new experiences.
Question: Explain how culture and worldview influence daily decisions.
Answer: They affect choices about behavior, relationships, and what people consider right or wrong.
Question: Why might someone struggle with identity when exposed to conflicting worldviews?
Answer: Different beliefs and values can cause confusion about who they are and what they believe.
Question: Explain how these differing worldviews led to conflict in Canada.
Answer: Europeans imposed their beliefs, ignoring Indigenous worldviews, leading to loss of land and culture.
Question: How can understanding different worldviews help reduce conflict today?
Answer: It promotes respect, empathy, and peaceful cooperation.