Artifact 5
Module 10: I enjoyed the thought provocation of this module. I was able to really consider the length of time that I would wait for various people in my life. I was more apt to wait for professional colleagues than I was for family. I believe this comes from the thought process that jobs can be temporary, but family is permanent. American values teach that time is money, and waiting is wasted time. I realized during this module that I don’t see things in this way, so I am willing to wait longer time intervals than others might.
The visual image I used for this module represents my balance between time and money. The common phrase “time is money” is a staple of the American culture, but it does not seem to control me. My family values and enculturation stray from this behavior and allow me to find a balance between both.
Artifact 4
Module 3: During this module, I was able to think about all the things that make American culture unique. It required a lot of contemplating and research to determine what best encompassed American culture. I learned various values and objects that identify the United States and what the country stands for. I realized during this module how unique and special each culture is and how every country has their own identifying features.
This image, taken at my residence, represents the nationality and pride of the United States culture. The U.S. culture proudly, and at an astounding scale, display the national flag. This is a practice which is not done in many other cultures and makes the practice unique and powerful.
Artifact 3
Module 13: This module was interesting because it made me evaluate various moments in my life and determine the reasons why I was genuinely happy. I believe that physical health and happiness feed off of each other. When I am in good health, I am happier; concurrently, when I am happier, I am in better health. I learned about my personal response to happiness and how being raised in my society has led to the formation of my opinions and behaviors.
I truly feel that laughter is the best medicine. The image for this artifact is of me and my dad working on a project in the garage, while I was going through a rough patch with my physical and mental wellness. This is a moment I will treasure forever, because it made me feel a level of happiness that I had not experienced in a long time. I consider this a turning point in my quest to better myself.
Artifact 2
Module 5: The personal values survey in module five showed how similar I am to my parents. I learned that I am lucky to live in a society that allows so much freedom and personal liberties. Due to this, the morals and the values that they carry, could be, and were, instilled in me as I grew. Being able to see the practice of enculturation on a personal level was extremely fascinating. I feel that my current values and principles are based on a framework placed, originally, by my parents, then shaped and molded my personal encounters and hardships. I am, thus, a product of how , when and where I was raised coupled with the journey that I have taken to get to where I am.
My father has always been the person I model myself after. I aspire to be as self-made and genuine as he is. My image for this artifact is a picture of me and my father at Fire Academy graduation. I believe that being the daughter of a firefighter has had a significant impact on my values, and I couldn’t be more proud.
Artifact 1
Module 12: I love watching TED Talks, so I especially enjoy when they are included in course instruction. This particular talk on body language and its influence over behavior was very inspiring to me, and thus my number one archive. I relate heavily to the role of the girl that feels that she “doesn’t belong here.” I am very much the type of person who sits with low power posture, typically holding my neck, legs crossed and slouching down to make myself as small as possible. American culture downplays the power role of females, so I have always tried to adhere to this stereotype and take up as little space as possible with my stature. Due in part to this, I have little confidence in myself and am of the constant fear that someone will notice me and pass a negative judgement on me and my abilities. I have been trying to correct this for years, but I still struggle with it. From this video alone, I learned various methods of overcoming my body’s injustice on my mind, and I plan to implement them to better myself.
During my Senior pictures in High School the photographer told me that I needed to “lighten up” and “have fun with it.” I was so confused in how to do this that she ultimately told me what poses she wanted me to do. One of which was the Wonder Woman power pose, I felt so silly that I started laughing during the photos. After this assignment, however, I will no longer look at it as “just a silly pose.”