Artifact 5
Cultural Syndromes of Distress
Generally, mental health is taken less seriously than physical health. This problem is especially present for men. In many cultures, men are not allowed to be vulnerable. While the stigma is slowly changing, it is still present. It is important to acknowledge the stigma around male mental health.
This assignment made me analyze how culture influences psychological disorders. It also made me consider what things are culture-specific and what are universal. The goal of cross-cultural psychology is to just that; analyze and compare cultures on different faucets. This assignment made that goal clear. I learned how influential culture can be to one’s mental health.
This assignment also made me reflect on how my culture handles mental health. In 11th grade, one of my teachers told us about her autistic sister and how their mother has never acknowledged that. She said that it was common for Filipinos not to talk about those things because it was a family matter. I have seen similar scenarios in my own family. This assignment reminded me that culture is influential.
Artifact 4
How Long Would You Wait?
I feel controlled by time and spend a lot of it watching the time. Being present in the now is something that I have been working on for a while. I get caught up daydreaming or dwelling on the past. Focusing and living in the present is something that I am working to achieve.
This assignment made me realize that I do not value my own time and value others’ time over my own. It put things in perspective for me. I would wait a long time for someone if they missed our scheduled meeting time, but I do not think most people would wait that long. This assignment also made me realize that I would wait longer for my boyfriend and best friend than those who hold more power than me, such as my parents or boss. However, the time that I would wait for any of those people is relatively long. I trust that if they are late, there is a valid reason and worth the wait.
Artifact 3
Gender Stereotypes in Occupation
This is the chart of the responses between my partner and me. I highlighted the occupations that were different between us. It turns out that the only differences between the two of us were for doctor and lawyer.
This assignment made me reflect on my gender biases and see the gender biases in my partner. This semester, I also took a psychology of women course. The chapter on gender had an overlap of information with that course. Between this chapter and my other class, I have learned a lot about gender and its interaction with culture. My psychology of women class made me question my ideas of gender stereotypes, and this assignment did as well. This assignment helped me realize that I still have a ways to go and still hold inherent gender biases.
Artifact 2
Visual Representation of Your Culture
Banana leaves remind me of home and my culture.
I am half Filipino, and this is the part of me that I’ve had the most interaction with and confusion with. My maternal grandparents came to the US in the mid ‘6o’s with my mom and uncles. They settled in Virginia Beach while my grandfather was wrapping up his time in the Navy. After retirement, my grandfather spent much of his time gardening, especially his banana plants. This photo is of my grandfather holding some bananas in an article he was in. The reason he was so meticulous about his banana plants because they reminded him of home. My grandma would use some of the leaves from the plants to wrap suman, a sweet rice dessert, that they would serve to priests when they came to visit. Banana leaves remind me of my culture.
This was the very first item to archive. It was the start of my reflection on culture in my life and what my culture is. This assignment helped me learn what culture means to me and how it is present in my life. When I first completed this artifact, I did not realize all the different facets of life that culture affects, but now I do. If I were to chose a photo now at the end of the semester to represent my culture, I am not sure if I would have chosen this same picture.
Artifact 1
Body Language
When I saw this photo, I remembered something I used to do all the time that I adopted in middle school. I would always hide my face with my hand or my sleeve. More recently, I have shifted to pulling my shirt over my face like in the photo. I would do this to hide my face because I did not want to be seen by others because I was afraid of others judging me. More recently, this action is a nervous habit. This photo shows body language that I identify with.
This assignment helped me reflect on my body language as well as how it affects me. I also learned about the connection between the body and the mind. Body language affecting my interpretation of myself shows how the body affects the mind. Knowing this, I can change how I interpret myself by changing my body language. This also means I can change the way others interpret me.
This was my favorite artifact because I enjoyed the TedTalk and the reflection it caused me to have. I enjoy learning through videos. The video helped elaborate on points in the textbook and made it all make sense. I also enjoyed reflecting on my body language. I think the information from this artifact resonates with me the most. I will carry this knowledge with me for a long time.