AT-11/5/2021
This week’s assignment was not at all surprising. We were to show the differences between advertisements (ads) in the United States and one other country. When I first searched for the advertisements, I did women’s advertisements first. This is because I expect to see models in lingerie or fashion trends, showing off their beauty, but was introduced to a whole different idea. There were a lot of advertisements on body positivity and uplifting the female agenda. The initial thought I had was this is weird that we talk about these ideas and movements, but in society, it is more judgment than acceptance. There are people of all sizes that are judged regardless because they are a woman and this makes these advertisements seem to have a bleak outcome to me. It is great to see representation, but only when it is followed by action. When the men’s advertisements came up, they were mainly shirtless or had a female counterpart to dramatically emphasize their physique. I think that is the difference between the male and female ads because women use acceptance as a selling tool, while men seem to show ‘look what you could be.’ It may be a motivating tool but the inclusion of females makes the ad more giving to the male view. America works heavily on an advertisement depending on gender.
When it came to France, they were similar but focused mainly on beauty standards than what the advertisement may be for. One of my examples was a model for one of France’s airlines. Usually, you would think to see a plane or a stewardess, maybe a pilot onboard taking flight. This was not the case. It looked more like a fashion magazine to a luxurious designer. I thought this was interesting because when searching Google, the majority of pictures were of the same fashionable concept. I think this was done to make the ad more appealing and eye-catching. While it did not do much to explain the ad itself, it did catch attention which may be their angle.
The two countries while different in approach are similar in the way that they want to be eye-catching in any way they can. It can be from shirtless men to fashion trends to make a point that one soap is better than the other. Regardless of the advertisement, the power that it holds is heavier to understand because it aims to the audience but also captures the looks of others.
I chose this ad because it is a good example of appealing to both genders. It says it is aimed towards men but represents women as more than the housewife stereotype, and as leaders within the industry. Many ads are not portrayed in such a way and I enjoy that it is becoming more common. I do think that it needs to be reflected in society and not just on a billboard. Gender should not be the ultimatum for gaining respect, and it should not be difficult to obtain based on a single individual’s prejudiced thought.
AT- 10/3
When I think about the previous assignment, I think about how my values have been emphasized over the course of a week. I think about how everyone’s values are different based on their race, culture, and even personality. A value that stuck with me is the perception of time. Time is so sensitive that it can be taken away just as quickly. In the reading from the previous week, time discusses that as Americans we make everything have a time stamp. This can be from making an appointment or job interview to having a set time for when you are to be at school or studying. This is different compared to a person that is from another country. When compared to the United States, they could think that it is obsessive the way we think of time, and it is. We value this over anything because time is what makes the world go round. It is what sets dates and reminds everyone to do their important tasks.
Time is valuable. While I appreciate this value, it can make the relationships you have with others stressed when this is the only thing that matters. Relationships are the goal of a healthy life for many. When I first read this value, I made my mind up to try and not always care about a deadline, except for my academic obligations. I noticed that over the week, my life was a lot smoother and I even slept better. I did not worry about bedtime because I hung out with my friends whom I care deeply for. This made me realize that time is everlasting but also limited.
(https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/H-1436/Time-Wall-Clocks/Traditional-Wall-Clock-12)
I chose a clock because this is the basic idea of what time is. It is a repeat set of numbers that focus life to settle into its orientation. While time is easy to understand, it is difficult to contain. Sometimes five minutes feels like twenty, and vice versa. This seems to be because of the way that a person uses that time. Time should be used as carefree as life should be. It should not be limited.
AT- 9/19
I am a Speech-Pathology Major with a minor in Psychology and Special Education. Now try saying that three times fast. Yes, it is a mouthful but it is a career path that I am passionate about. With my degree, I want to work with children that have a learning disability and or language impairment.
The reading that was given talked about the importance of intercultural sensitivity and the way that it can impact perspective. I found that my main takeaways were Acceptance of Difference and Integration of Difference. Acceptance of Difference is when you interact with another culture to fully understand and soothe that ache of curiosity, while Integration of Difference was more of involving yourself in a life that is acceptable to a majority as a way to be included rather than isolated. At a young age, I have always figured out how to code-switch from getting a job or talking to another person I do not know. The Integration of Difference took a toll on my life personally because I wanted to be seen as more than ‘just the black girl.’ In high school, I had to prevail in most of my activities and studies because I was not given the same attention as my white counterparts. I would necessarily use code-switching more often from the way I talked to the items I wore. I was never satisfied because I was not happy with myself.
Then I went to college and became the woman I am today. I joined multiple organizations and found my love for Speech. I discovered my Acceptance of Difference was more so my acceptance of my black culture. I had been suppressing a part of myself that I loved for a life that was not accepting of who I truly was. I was happy. I used the picture below because this defines code-switching in its most simplistic form. The words we use based on race can be seen as threatening because one person has never used them growing up. It paints a picture of a person without getting to know who that individual truly is. As I began accepting more and discovering exclusively what Speech meant to me, I discovered I wanted to work with children that have a language barrier from a learning disability and children who are English learners. I found that children who are English Learners tend to be misdiagnosed or given fewer learning opportunities compared to their English- speaking counterparts. This goes along with children who may have learning and speech disabilities. I want to help them find their acceptance within culture and themselves so they can prevail with no distractions. So they can live a life without changing who they are.
(https://soundcloud.com/user-188476796/introduction-podcast-representation-and-code-switching-in-animation)