Assignment three
I chose to analyze the topic of emotions in the study abroad program. I chose to look at this topic closely to help me understand the experience a bit more of the student I selected. The student from the study abroad program I chose is Eve Harbison-Ricciutti, a double major student studying sociology and psychology. I have never participated in a study abroad program before but I have attended schools overseas. This opportunity allowed me to get a glimpse into the country and was able to get a glimpse of that particular country’s education system and compare/contrast it to the American education system. I scrolled through a few student’s blogs, and Eve’s experience intrigued me the most because of how captivated by the city she was
From the start of Eve’s journey she expressed her eagerness to learn more about the culture, meet new people, while ultimately not knowing what to anticipate from her study abroad experience. Eve had a global perspective, she spoke highly of the culture and cultural diversity amongst her home country and visiting county. Eve romanticized her trip and made the most of this opportunity.
The image I chose represent is an image of the Trevi Fountain in Rome taken by Eve Harbison-Ricciutti
Assignment two
The American view on time really stood out to me. Within this society everything is extremely fast paced and constantly changing. Being productive all the time is ingrained into individuals. I personally even feel guilty when I am not being productive, and “wasting time”. This negatively affects my mental health and leads me to crash and suffer with burnout- which is a frequent issue amongst Americans especially as a result of the pandemic. Things should be at a steady pace where people can take time to cherish moments more.
Being productive is not a bad thing, however the system that america has created surrounding productivity is negative. If I was from another culture, I would look at this value as damaging to someone’s health and assume they are not living a fulfilling life for themselves. There needs to be a reconstruction so that american don’t feel time is running out on them.
Assignment One
I think I am in the fifth stage of intercultural sensitivity. I have been exposed to various cultures throughout my life, and try to always be conscious that people’s views typically stem from their culture and how they react/approach situations. Accepting the differences within cultures, helps to engage with these interactions. From personal experience, I have to frequently look from other perspectives when I engage with my family members. My family is from Trinidad & Tobago and have strong morals and values when it comes to situations, however growing up in America some of my opinions surround western values. If ever there are times of conflict or culture misunderstanding amongst my family members I have to often reflect and change my approach on a situation to adapt and understand the individual outside my original culture values. One of the quotes examples from what learners may say in this stage summarizes this perfectly, “ “To solve this dispute, I’m going to have to change my approach.”This assignment provided me with insight on different insights people have on culture exposure and sensitivity. I was aware that the perspective on other cultures runs deep and everyone has different opinions and judgments on cultures. I believe that having perspective influences the outcome of every situation in life. Perspective is affected by personal experiences, and culture affects this perspective. Examining these perspectives will help me to gain more insight on these motivations and understanding people have when it comes to these cultural perspectives.
