A5:

For module 4 I thought it was really fun to compare Hofstede’s Five Values of Dimensions between the US, my family’s country of origin and the country I got I my internship in. Through this I learned that the US, Lithuania and South Africa are all about the same when it comes to the level of inequality. When it comes to individualism, the Us had a weak connection with people who are not considered to be family. We do not think we should be held accountable for other people’s actions, while South African and Lithuania take more responsibility. When it comes to masculinity Lithuania is very low because they are more focused on quality of life. Lithuania was also higher for uncertainty of avoidance and long term orientation, This mean that they try to be more in control of things and are more worried about things when it comes to thinking about long term. For indulgence Lithuania was the lowest which means they are often more pessimistic. After going over all of these traits it showed me that I have a lot of similar traits of a Lithuanian even though I have never been to this country. To me this is very interesting because I realized how similar I am to my ancestors.

A4:

When looking at and doing module 7. It showed me that I fall under socially disengaged emotions. I understand this for many reasons because I am 19 ears old and I am completely independent. This has made me stronger and less emotionally attached to people. I try to have independence from relationships and not rely on anyone. Although this often effects the relationships in my life. It has also taught me that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. I tend to put my goals above my personal relationships.

A3:

Module 9 was all about stereotypes and gender. For this I needed another person to help me out and I used my boyfriend who is African American, raised by only his mother, from a different religious background. We both wrote down what we thought and compared them and they were exactly the same. This made me realize that no matter how you grow up we are taught to think a certain type of person is supposed to do a certain job. All the jobs that take a lot of schooling we said we think that men were supposed to do. We think females are supposed to do jobs like be a teacher. This module opened my eyes to how we look at stereotypes when it comes to jobs. It does not matter how you grow up or your gender, because certain jobs you associate with certain genders and this is because of the way our society in the country is set up.

A2:

Module 3 was very important to me because it had me research and better understand why we make Easter so important in my family. My great great grandparents, great grand parents and grandfather are all Lithuanian. My grandfather was born on the boat coming from Lithuania and is 98% Lithuanian. In their culture Easter is really important and continues to be in our family. As kids we always used to go to my grandparents to decorate eggs. As a kid I thought it was fun, but after looking into it I learned Easter eggs are thought to have special powers and are given as gifts of good luck. For example yellow is given as a gift for a good harvest of grain and wheat. This module allowed me to learn about my heritage and expand my knowledge of Lithuanian culture.  

A1:

For me module 6 really allowed me to see the importance of me having a dog when I was little. We got him when I was 9 months old and he was a huge part of the family. Having a dog allowed me to focus on my individual values instead of my cultural values. Having a dog at a young age thought me responsibility and also something to love other than myself. It also taught me values like compassion, commitment and patience. I believe that growing up with a dog is important and it teaches you skills that you need for the future. Growing up with a dog was one of my best childhood experiences.