Blog 8:

There have been two occasions in which I’ve noticed how people from different cultures express themselves. First occasion is my korean friend I met eating at a Korean BBQ restaurant. We became friends and I noticed when hanging out with him that he expresses himself mainly using his eyes. If he’s not having a good time, you can tell by his vacant expression on his face. When he’s happy though he smiles using his eyes, he calls it “smizing”. It’s actually quite cute because when he’s really excited or happy, his eyes almost disappear. A complete contrast was my ex-husband, he was italian and expressed himself more using his hands.

I was always able to tell his mood based on his hand movement. If he was excited about something he was talking about, his hands would always be involved, emphasizing his words. If he was angry, his hands would be tense. You could see his veins prominently on his hands. If he was nervous, he would always crack his knuckles or pull on his fingers to get them to crack. No matter what he was expressing though, his hands always told his story more than his face or anything else.

My friends behavior was probably close to my expectations. When living in Japan I noticed majority of people expressed themselves using their eyes rather than their mouth, or any other body part. Which led me to assume perhaps other Asian cultures did the same. Especially since South Korea is close to Japan, there were other Asian cultures living in Japan. My ex-husband on the other hand was different. A lot of Europeans are very vocal with their expressions. When living in Greece I noticed this, people expressed themselves more vocally than subtle expressions. I expected my husband at the time to mimic this behavior, but instead he was more expressive through physical behavior; i.e his hands. I definitely agree that both concepts of universality and cultural display rules can help explain my experiences.

Blog 7:

I definitely believe fairy tales reflect cultural norms and values. Especially looking at fairy tale movies currently. In society our generation’s norm and values are that of acceptance, self-identity, and gender equality. Like the article stated about the live action Beauty and the Beast film. It followed in the footsteps of Frozen and Brave. The female main character wasn’t a damsel in distress needing saving. Belle was an intelligent, brave, and independent woman. The potential impact of a main character with a more egalitarian role is nothing short of positive. Young audiences are still very impressionable, what better character for them to look up to than someone who believes in equality. Believing that everyone deserves equal rights, and are created equal doesn’t make anyone less special. We still can hold onto the cultural value of the self; that we are all unique. A main character modeled with a more egalitarian role embodies the current cultural norm; that no matter what age, race, or gender we are all equal.

Recently I watched the new live action Aladdin film, and although it kept to the story there were some differences. One that I was pleasantly surprised with was how they interpreted Jasmine’s character. In the animated film although they tried to make her seem independent they definitely focused more on the typical romance model; princess needs the prince. In the live action film Jasmine’s character was modeled after a strong, independent, and outspoken woman. The film even created a new song called “Speechless” just for her character. Jasmine’s character in the new film influenced me to always speak up, and never be silent. Even if it’s hard, scary, and pointless you should always speak up. One of my favorite parts of the movie is her song she sings. Reason being it’s the moment where she refuses to be just seen, the song is her fighting to be heard and taken seriously. It’s refreshing to see the classic fairy tales being re told, but with their own spin.

I chose the above image because for me it shows the effort Disney did to represent current cultural norm of women in our society. Appealing to more of the contemporary audiences that go see films. This film definitely followed the more proactive heroine role like its predecessors; Tangled, Brave, Frozen and Frozen 2, and Beauty and the Beast.

Blog 6:

Blog 5:

1. I am strong (friends/family)
2. I am passionate (with my significant other)
3. I am quiet (at work/school)
4. I am driven (at work)
5. I am intelligent (friends/family/work/school)
6. I am loving (with my family)
7. I am competitive (at work)
8. I am sociable (with friends)
9. I am genuine (friends/family/work/school/significant other)
10. I am spiritual (myself)

This weeks blog required us to list ten different statements of who we are. Surprisingly this was actually difficult for me, mainly because I tend to look down on myself rather than in a positive light. It’s like in my heart I know I am these things, and they are what make me up to be a person. However, in my head I doubt myself and there’s that little voice saying “no your not.”

Of the ten statements I would say numbers 6,7, and 10 are associated with the dimension of ‘independent construal of self’. These are the domains of myself that are seperated from others. “I am loving” is relevant to who I am when I am with my family. Who I am at work is competitive. I work hard and strive to be my best. I always want to do better, and push myself to work hard to obtain my goals. Lastly “I am spiritual”, is who I am when alone. My family is religious so when around them I tend to hide this side of me. I’m not one to speak about religion with friends, so this side of myself is who I am when alone. I do this through self reflection and meditation.

As far as the dimensions of ‘interdependent construal self’, numbers 1,5, and 9. “I am strong”, this dimension of myself overlaps in various areas of my life. I am strong when I am with my family, because I don’t want them to worry about me. I am strong with my friends, because I want them to feel like they can rely on me. Lastly I am strong at work, because I want my co-workers to feel that I am capable of completing tasks assigned to me. The self concept of my intelligence also connects among people. Lastly “I am genuine”, another self concept that interconnects through out my life. I want people to view me as someone who is trustworthy and sincere. Whether it be with actions or words, I am genuine in everything I do.

Based on my list and previous answers I definitely feel I am more independent. I tend to embrace and focus on being unique, and one of a kind. I actually have on my facebook bio, “I am a human unicorn.” What that statement means to me is that I am unique, there is only one of me, and no one else exists like me. Just like a mythical creature. There is a saying/expression from Coco Chanel that comes to mind, “The most courageous act is to still think for yourself. Aloud.” It was definitely easier to think of expressions that reflected “independence” rather than “interdependence”.

Blog 4:

I was actually amazed at my grade when I submitted my exam. I wasn’t able to study as much as I wanted since I work full time, but when I had the time I would pull out the study guide and book. My method of studying is more visual; I would read what to review, and in the book find and highlight the appropriate items. I also re read the chapters, making sure to skim over the topics that may appear on the test.

I’m very happy with my result. I was aiming for an “A” at maximum and a “B” minimum, and to receive a perfect score was amazing. There is a quote I think of when it comes to school assignments and exams; “Failing to prepare, is preparing to fail.” I used the previous week and weekend to study. With working I wanted to give myself enough time to properly prepare for the exam.

Blog 3:

This week’s assignment was really interesting. I love taking personality tests, it’s always interesting to see how accurate they are. As far as the NEO personality test, I would say it’s quite accurate, very spot on. After completing all the questions and obtaining my raw scores I really wasn’t surprised by the results. I scored a thirty-one in Neuroticism, meaning I’m sensitive and emotional. I tend to experience feelings that can be quite negative and upsetting. This is extremely consistent for my personality. I tend to bottle my emotions and when I feel angry, sad, or anxious it’s ten times worse than your average person. There are often times when I find myself stuck in my brain thinking thoughts like; “What’s so great about me, I’m nothing special.” I suffer from anxiety and mild depression, so it makes sense that I would experience feelings that are upsetting. For Extraversion I scored another thirty-one, which is about average. I’m moderately active enjoying the company of others, but I value my privacy too. For example, I enjoy going out with friends for drinks or social gatherings, but I can also have a great time staying in curled up on my sofa with a good book.

Openness was my highest score at thirty-seven. I love new experiences, whether with food or people. A great example would be a date I went on previously. Instead of your normal sit down and eat dinner, my date had the idea of each of us picking a restaurant and trying one dish off the menu at each place. How we picked the dish was we ranked our top three choices, and whichever choice was similar to the other person is what we would order. I had never done something like this, and it sounded different and fun. In the end I had a great time and tried dishes I wouldn’t have even considered if I had gone out to eat myself. Agreeableness was my lowest score with a twenty-seven. I think I ranked average, however it was a little hard to see on the scale. The description sounded close to my personality so I believe I was on track with the score. Even with new people I am generally warm, accepting, and trusting. Until you give me a reason to not trust you I tend to trust people easily. However, I can be stubborn in my ways and I’m competitive. Lastly, my score in Conscientiousness was my second highest at thirty-six. I’m dependable, organized, and have clear goals. I can set my work aside and do other things, so I’m not a workaholic.

Why I choose this image is because the words I chose describe my personality. These few words make up who I am, what I’m about, and what is important to me. I chose cool colors because I’m a very cool headed person. I tend to be more easy going, and relaxed typically. Plus shades of purple, and blue are my favorite.

Blog 2:

I have a lot of life values that are important to me, but the ones that are relevant to pursuit of a career would have to be; integrity, learning, and endeavor. I’ve had these life values since way before being a university student. My parents raised me with these and other life values, drilling them into my head on a daily basis. I remember though when I started college that I really paid attention to specific ones to help motivate me in school. Integrity means to be consistent with ones actions and words. Integrity inspires trustworthiness.

As a University student you abide by an honor code, especially when taking classes online. You sign this honor code implying you will be honest in your work, and won’t cheat. This promise instills integrity in myself. I don’t want to let either my parents or the university, but most importantly I don’t want to let myself down. This value transfer into the pursuit of a career, because you want to show your employer that you have integrity too. That you will be honest in the work you perform as well. An employee with integrity is a trustworthy employee. This value is definitely important when pursuing a career in the government. Working for the government requires security clearances, which are only given out when the person can be deemed trustworthy and not a threat to security. The ability to learn is also one value I find important.

Wanting to constantly learn opens up opportunities you may not find being content in the position your in. In fact if I wasn’t open to learning new things I probably wouldn’t be a Psychology major. I went into my freshman year of college has a Marine Biology major. From the age of ten I had said I wanted to be a Marine Biologist, but when I attended my Introduction to Psychology course that all changed. Being open to learning something new introduced me to the subject matter I fell in love with, and now I want to use that knowledge and value of learning to pursue a career in the government. I want to continue to learn something new everyday, because if I’m not learning I feel like I’m missing out of opportunities to better myself. Lastly, there is the value of endeavoring.

“Why do we fall sir? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.” That is a quote from Alfred Pennyworth from Batman Begins, and honestly it is probably my favorite because it holds an important value. To never give up, to always endeavor. As a University student I experienced wanting to give up time and time again. I failed an assignment, I didn’t pass an exam, or the worst feeling, not passing a course. It would be easy to give up and say “forget it”, but then what does that do? Nothing. Your left with this nagging feeling of what if? Instead we learn to keep going, keep moving, keep pushing forward till we reach our goals. This is extremely relevant to career pursuits. Sending out resume after resume, constantly being rejected, until finally you receive that call for an interview for your dream job. I worked retail for eleven or more years, and whenever I could I would send out resumes for an administrative position. I wanted to gain the experience of an office environment, but countless times I either received rejections or nothing at all. It didn’t stop me though, I didn’t give up. I kept going until I landed a receptionist position in a law firm, to which lead me to my current executive assistant position now. I won’t stop here though, my next step is applying to one of the government agencies. In the meantime I’ll keep working hard in my current job, but I won’t give up on my career path.

Why did I decide to continue onto higher education? This is a question I’ve actually been asked quite a lot through out my journey. I started my path of higher education back in 2008, when I first attended Old Dominion University. My high school Oceanography teacher is the one who really pushed me to apply to a four year school, said it really matched the potential he saw in me as his student. My parents on the other hand wanted me to attend a two year community college first. Between my friends applying to ODU and the encouraging words of my teacher I decided to apply too. Hindsight always being 20/20 I probably should have listened to my parents and attended the two year school first.

I left ODU in May 2010 because my parents were unable to afford the tuition at the time, and I wasn’t eligible for financial aid. You would think that would have put an end to my pursuit of high education, and for awhile it did. I relocated down to North Carolina and began working two jobs; one full-time, and the other part-time. When I wasn’t working I was at home just letting my days pass me by, and I was bored. I was used to being in class that it felt weird to be able to just sit around doing nothing. That was when I sat down and spoke with my parents about finishing school. I decided to finish out my associates degree at Central Piedmont Community College. What I was going to do after that I wasn’t sure of. It didn’t take long to earn my associates, and afterward I was planning on attending a four year university to earn my Bachelor’s degree. Like all plans though, they never go according to plan. Life happened and put school on the back burner again, focusing on a full-time job, and my home I was starting to build with my fiance turned husband at the time. It’s funny how life always has it’s own way of working out, because after all the ups and downs I somehow still managed to find my way back to pursuing my degree. There was a time in my life where I had started to believe I would never earn my bachelor’s, but thanks to my family reminding me and pushing me I’m a year away from graduating. One never really knows their true potential until they are given the opportunity and tools to meet it.

I took the above image when I was working on my research paper for my one of my courses. I was at work and instead of sitting at my desk twiddling my thumbs I took the initiative to work on my paper. Printing the research articles I needed, and outlining how I was going to write my paper. My mind set toward online school is you are in school 24/7. If you have free time use it to study, do classwork, or get ahead in the class. I believe this image embodies my values of both learning, and endeavoring. Never stop working toward your goal, and never give up!

Blog 1:

After reading the course objectives I took the time to really reflect on how they would personally help me in the future. My first thought was how the course objectives outline what I will be getting out of the course as long as I applying myself. The course objectives not only describe details of the course, but the objectives also describe what is expected of me as a student. I can take the information learned from the course objectives and apply them to future assignments, classes, experiences, and potential careers. The course objectives will also help me keep track of where I am supposed to be material wise in the course.

The expectations I have for the course is I’m hoping to gain a better insight into how culture effects people psychologically. Especially with wanting to work overseas, I want to gain the knowledge on how to properly interact amongst another culture. I want to gain the ability to better understand how my cultural identity shapes me, and how another cultures identity affects them. The strategies I intend to implement to ensure my success in this course are; time management, staying organized, and using the resources available to me in the course.

There was a point during my time in college that I was required to take Academic Success which provided tools to me to better manage my time. Using those tools has given me the ability to be a proactive student in my courses. I set time aside daily to study for the class, read our assigned chapters, and complete assignments properly. The class also helped me become a more organized student. I keep a binder for this course with dividers, dividing up the course modules and assignments. I also keep a planner where I have written out when assignments are due. Once I complete an assignment I use a highlighter to mark through it, indicating that it is done. This helps me maintain my classwork, and prevent me from getting overwhelmed. Although the reason for having to take the Academic Success course were not so pleasant, I do believe it has helped me become successful in college.

“Cultural Misunderstandings” – Why I chose this image is because I think it illustrates perfectly the difference between cultures, and how we can easily misunderstand people from another culture. This shows the importance of researching and respecting other cultures customs. First impressions are everything, and even a simple greeting can create a domino effect. This illustration reminded me of the readings regarding the different intercultural sensitivities.