ATA4

These ads are nothing short of offensive.  It seems the fashion industry, cologne and cosmetics are the markets responsible for many of these sexually explicit ads, although others exist.  The Dolce-Gabbana ads have to be the most controversial ads of the ones I discovered.  Not only sexually explicit, these ads actually romanticize gang rape and submission, among both females and males.  It seems like these ads are a tradition in the United States, evolving into more and more exploitation and are even banned in other countries for how grotesque they have become.

Ads such as these could redefine our understanding of sexuality and lead to very unhealthy behaviors including but not limited to: eating disorders, sexual promiscuity, and self-loathing.  What these corporations understand all too well is it is easier to sell products to people who do not love themselves.  If you feel beautiful and sexy as you are, you do not need to spend your hard earned money on a product marketed to make you believe it will give you all the things they want you to believe you lack. 

The entire marketing scheme is to design a culture obsessed with unrealistic expectations about beauty and sexuality. No wonder there is such a huge market for sex trafficking in the United States.  This is a breeding ground for sexual exploitation, with very serious mixed messages.  Ad campaigns dripping with sexual connotation and an education system insisting on teaching sexual education based on an abstinence and shame philosophy.  We are sending everyone mixed messages and creating cognitive dissonance…  Teenagers are taught to remain abstinent and then are bombarded with ads marketing sexuality as the most valuable thing. 

How can sexuality be valuable if it is shameful for a man or woman to be sexually active?  Women are definitely shamed more for sexual activity and promiscuity than men in every culture, and this is by design to rob women of their power.  There are few things an insecure man fears more than a woman confident in her intelligence, beauty, strength and sexuality.  Why not publicly shame them or even kill them for having the courage to express these aspects of who they are?  If they live in fear of being shamed or put to death, they will never feel comfortable in their own skin because it no longer belongs to them.

The images I chose are the most sexually explicit and derogatory of the ads I located.  Several exploit women, gang rape and even the male sexual organ.  Neither men nor women should be exploited.  Consumers rule the western world, therefore I will not be purchasing Adidas or Dolce & Gabbana brand products for sure and I do not wear lipstick.

ATA3

Patricia Almodovar, (2022) is a study abroad student majoring in Economics and Global Studies.  She is Puerto Rican by descent and fluent in Spanish (Almodovar, 2022).  Her desire to become fluent in French by being immersed in the culture came after several years studying French in college (Almodovar, 2022).  Her blogposts consist of stories surrounding her adventures as she studies in Lyon, France. 

During her organization of her trip to France she made a serious oversight with regards to her accommodations and had to be flexible and compromise by staying outside Lyon, which caused serious stress and anxiety during the preparation for her departure and the first part of her arrival in France (Almodovar, 2022).  She learned quickly that France has excellent infrastructure including public transportation (Almodovar, 2022).  By learning how to navigate the different transportation services she allotted herself the freedom to explore and learned how to save money (Almodovar, 2022).   As she gained confidence in her ability to navigate her commute her anxiety diminished and she focused on strategies to remain motivated towards her educational goals (Almodpoar, 2022).

One strategy she has grown to enjoy is her time at the gym (Almodovar, 2022).  This began as a way to keep herself from becoming lazy and establishing a healthy routine (Almodovar, 2022).  It has become so much more of a health benefit than she anticipated.  It helps her to stay energized, encourages her to eat healthier and helps with her mental focus (Almodovar, 2022). She also praises how the equipment has illustrations depicting the various muscle groups which are worked during the repetitions (Almodovar, 2022). Just like her ability to adapt to the transportation challenges, Patricia gains confidence on the exercise equipment and continues to maintain an exercise regimen (Almodovar, 2022).

Having shared her experience over the course of the last month it is apparent Patricia has developed ways to adapt to her new surroundings and is living a physically and mentally healthy lifestyle in Lyon despite challenges she needed to overcome. 

I chose her blog to review because of the location.  I too took French when I was growing up and have always wanted to travel to France.  I have studied viticulture from regions in France and would love the opportunity to explore the cuisine, the wine, the art and of course the history. 

Almodovar, P. (2022, January 19). Preparing for a French adventure and overcoming obstacles along the way. Temple University Education Abroad and Overseas Campuses. https://templeuabroad.blog/2022/01/19/preparing-for-a-french-adventure-and-overcoming-obstacles-along-the-way%ef%bf%bc/

Almodovar, P. (2022, February 10). French transportation and the ‘pass sanitaire’. Temple University Education Abroad and Overseas Campuses. https://templeuabroad.blog/2022/02/10/french-transportation-and-the-pass-sanitaire/

Almodovar, P. (2022, February 25). How building a routine abroad led to new healthy habits. Temple University Education Abroad and Overseas Campuses. https://templeuabroad.blog/2022/02/25/how-building-a-routine-abroad-led-to-new-healthy-habits/

ATA2

I would like to share a story about an event that occurred that reflected my schema on individualism and privacy and how it differed cross-culturally when compared to my dear friend’s schema on individualism and privacy.  Trisha moved here when she was seven from the Philippines.  She learned to speak English watching Phineas & Ferb cartoons and helped me in Chemistry because she had an affinity for math and science.  We were both members of PTK, Phi Theta Kappa, an honors society for two-year colleges. 

It was at this convention when we were purchasing memorabilia when another friend and I decided to get t-shirts that read, Nerdy by Nature. Trisha said, “Oh how cool!” and was going to purchase one too.  It was a reference I was certain she did not understand, and I asked her if she understood the play on words or had even heard of Naughty by Nature.  She said no.  I asked why she wanted to purchase the t-shirt.  She said she did not know.  I quickly realized I had embarrassed her and felt bad, but I told her to not feel compelled to purchase things she did not feel a connection to just to try to fit in. 

I thought this was a matter of maturity.  I told her she should feel free to like the things that were in her age group, and she found interesting.  I completely overlooked the fact that she was attempting to make a connection; and that the purchase itself did not matter.  She was raised by her father here in the U.S., because her mother still lives in the Philippines and was very much still embedded in her culture even though she had spent more years in the U.S. than in the Philippines.

Her friendship taught me so much, and I am still learning from her all these years later.  I believe I need to invite her to tea to discuss this moment if she remembers it and what it has taught me about my own implicit biases.  She is a brilliant young lady and would appreciate the sentiment and have a better understanding of why I awkwardly encouraged her to be more individualistic.

ATA1

This assignment required us to read about different levels of intercultural sensitivity and identify oneself with a specific stage. The fourth stage of intercultural sensitivity titled Acceptance of Difference, is the stage I most identified with. My life experience has allowed me to become acquainted and build lasting relationships with people from various cultures both in school and in the workplace. Religion and spirituality are very important aspects of culture I have researched as part of my education in World History and Yoga, as well as, personal growth interests.

The opportunity to immerse myself in a different culture has not yet occurred. I do hope to embark on a study abroad opportunity prior to completing my minor in Addiction Treatment and Prevention. This opportunity to be immersed will be instrumental in my reaching the next stages of intercultural sensitivity which include adaptation and integration. There are a few options for study abroad programs, the one I am most interested in is Ireland, but I would consider myself lucky to visit either Italy or Costa Rica. There would be a significant language barrier if I visited Italy or Costa Rica because I do not speak Spanish or Italian and my French, though a Latin-based language, is embarrassing at best. However, learning the language prior to visiting either Italy or Costa Rica would definitely move me into the adaptation phase of intercultural sensitivity.

Doing a self evaluation of where on the spectrum of intercultural sensitivity one falls is a great way to help minimize implicit bias. I enjoyed the exercise and was able to identify where my personal continued growth needs to be developed. The photo I have included was a contest winner taken from The Travel Channel website and captures a castle in Cashel, Ireland, which is my first choice for a studying abroad opportunity and a wonderful way to move into the next phases of intercultural sensitivity.