Artifact 5

Happiness

As I grow older, things that I once enjoyed as an adolescent are not appealing to me anymore. Also, some things that I did not like previously are now some of my favorite past times. Long road trips or being in the car for an extended period of time was something that I loathed growing up. Even when I begin driving I still disliked long drives.  Currently, traveling is something I enjoy doing whether it is an hour drive or an eight hour drive. I will be taking my first flight next month in May! To travel, I do believe one’s health should be in good standings for personal satisfaction. Personally, I believe physical health relates to happiness. To look in the mirror and like what you see and/or be able to make the change you want brings on a good feeling.  It leads to health satisfaction which further leads to happiness.

Artifact 4

Both my partner and I agreed that certain occupations are gender neutral, but most of the ones listed are mainly done by males or female such makeup artist and mechanic. Although we may see the roles reversed at some point, it is rare. My partner is of European descent (Irish) and still closely follows his family’s culture. He explained that some occupations are designated for one gender only while others are neutral such as a Lawyer or Doctor.  The only difference we had in response was were those who are Doctors or Lawyers.

Artifact 3

One of the first things Amy Cuddy stated was to asses yourself and your body language overall. At that moment, I realized that I was hunched over resting elbow on my thigh and my chin was resting in my hand.  At the time of watching the TED Talk I was tired and it indeed had an effect in my posture and body language. Body language speaks before our mouth does when engaging in interactions.  From the readings about Culture, Language, and Communication I learned that a lot of things are influenced by our body language and non-verbal expressions.  When meeting other people in North American culture it is a sign of respect to make eye contact and engage in a firm-grasping handshake.  In other cultures, it may be disrespectful to make direct eye contact or even touch the other person. Some cultures come in contact with others while some do not.  Bad posture, crossed arms or legs, and certain hand positioning are types of body language I see quite often in the North American culture.

Artifact 2

I selected currency as my item that represents my culture. Here in America, the amount of money some has (or does not have) is widely discussed. It is known that money is needed for every aspect of life such as having a place to live and eating. The uniqueness about our money is that we print it locally in our nations’ capital, Washington D.C. Our currency holds more value than some other cultures. When visiting other cultures, we often see how inflation is an issue in the North American culture. Our prices and cost of living are way above other cultures.

Artifact 1

I selected this photo as a visual representation of what what I considered to be socially disengaged, which is doing what I enjoy doing without waiting for others.  After completing this assignment I received confirmation that I can be socially disengaged at times. Although it is a short list, only 2/5 of the experiences were engaged. Personally, I find happiness in good things happening to others around me and also with myself.