ATA4

Photo Credits: https://www.marketingweek.com/brands-stricter-rules-gender-stereotypes/

I chose this visual representation because it shows the divide between genders when these roles are enforced in cultures and societies.  Gender stereotypes are used by cultures and societies to keep people in line with their preconceived perception of gender roles. Gender roles depict what is expected of people and how they should act based on their assigned gender. Not only do societies and cultures practice gender roles, some advertising companies use gender roles and stereotypes in their advertisements and their products’ packaging. Gender roles and stereotypes can be harmful to one’s self-image, especially when that person does not identify or fit the description of the gender role. As in some cultures, crossing the gender role line is unacceptable.

Here is a link to Assignment 4.

Assignment 4 was about gender portrayal in advertisements across cultures. I collected six pictures in total. Half of the pictures represented North American advertising, while the other half were advertisements from countries outside of North America. In addition to gathering pictures, I discussed the depiction of women and men in both sets of advertisements. The pictures were separated into three categories which were children’s toys, cologne, and cosmetics. Each of the three categories were represented by two pictures. One picture represented North American advertisements and while the other picture represented advertisements from other countries. I learned that advertisements from North America and advertisements from other countries were quite similar in their gender depiction. Most, if it not all the pictures portrayed gender stereotypes. For example, in the children’s toys advertisements, girls were showed playing or holding dolls. While on the other hand, one of the pictures showed a boy holding an electronic device.

This topic of gender roles and stereotypes allowed me to reflect on my childhood experiences with toys. I was privileged enough to choose which toy I wanted to play with, whether it was my small train set or with my dolls. What if I was not given a choice? I learned through conversations with various people and from previous classes, that a child’s environment has a huge impact on their life including the decision they make about toys. Some caregivers impose gender stereotypes consciously or unconsciously on children. For example, a boy might see a toy deemed feminine and be interested in it. The caregiver has two options. Encourage the child to discover more about the toy. Or discourage the child from having an interest in the toy.

This topic is relevant to me because I must be mindful of other people’s preferences. I should not assume what a person likes or dislikes are based on their gender or non-conforming gender. It could be as simple as a buying a gift for someone. For example, I should not purchase a gift deemed feminine for a girl without asking what her preferences are because she could be interested in things deemed as masculine.

Thank You For Your Support! Yay we’ve made it! This is the end, as this is my final assignment takeaway for this course. Thank you for joining me on this part of my academic journey. If you haven’t already, please check out the other sections of my online portfolio!

ATA3

Photo Credits: https://www.fiverr.com/cwalthalldesign/find-scholarships-to-study-abroad

I chose this visual presentation because it reflects this assignment takeaway’s topic, which is studying abroad.

Here are the links to Doriana Diaz’s blog and to Assignment 3.

https://templeuabroad.blog/author/dorianadiaz/

For assignment 3, my objective was to explore a blog of a student who studied abroad. I discovered that some  aspects of the blog related to some topics found in my textbook. I also determined that the writer’s perspective changed over time while she was abroad. Furthermore, I disclosed why I chose that blog to discuss. I decided to analyze Doriana Diaz’s blog. At the time she was a senior at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She majored in Gender Sexuality and Women’s Studies. Diaz studied abroad in Italy in her fall semester of 2019. She discussed some shared topics from my textbook such as culture and identity, and nonverbal communication. My main takeaway from Assignment 3, is that when studying abroad in a foreign place, one could find a sense of familiarity whether it is a positive or negative reminder of home. Positive reminders could be happy childhood memories, while negative reminders could be unpleasant experiences or a bad political atmosphere.

Diaz’s blog reminded me of something that I learned previously in conversations with several people. I learned that nowhere in the world is 100% safe or crime free. In Diaz’s first blog, it was mentioned that gazing made people feel uncomfortable. Despite dangers lurking everywhere, you should continue to live your life without fear. This assignment is relevant to me because I am aware  of life’s dangers however,  I  choose not to live in fear.  I cannot live in a bubble and expect to stay safe, as danger can find me. If I shy away from the world, how will I have new experiences? For example, due to COVID-19, I have not done much exploration. Most days I stay at home and attend virtual classes. However, when I feel it is safe to explore the world, I will do so.

ATA2

Some of My Personal Values

I created this display because it reflects some values that I hold dearly, and it fits perfectly with this ATA topic of values.

Here is a link to Assignment 2.

Assignment 2 utilized Robert Kohls’ article titled “The Values Americans Live By”. My objective was to select one or a few of the values and describe them. Then state whether the chosen values applied to me and provide examples. In addition to that, another portion of the task, was to view the values from a different perspective as someone who was from a different culture. I learned from this assignment that some values were already pre-established or deemed as American. When I first moved to the U.S., I did not realize that there were pre-established values. I thought some of these values were apart of one’s personality or their behavior occurred because of previous experiences. I did not give any thought that some of these values were engrained in some of the people that I interacted with. The three values that stood out to me most were time and its control, self-help concept, and informality. Two out of the three values applied to me, and the other value did not apply as much. This assignment reminded me that not all cultures will share or treasure the same values. While reflecting, I recalled learning or hearing that there is no right or wrong value. It might have been from a lecture from a previous course or in conversation with someone. This is something that I apply to my life and take into consideration when interacting with others. I believe this article is relevant because it is a gentle reminder to respect other people’s values, whether they are similar or different than my own. For example, if I agree to have a virtual meeting with someone who highly values time. I should be mindful and arrive on time if not early to the meeting.

ATA 1

Photo Credits: https://bluepinenotes.com/acceptance-of-others/

I chose this specific visual representation because it is reflective of the intercultural sensitivity stage that I identify with. This stage is known as “acceptance of difference”. This simply means that I acknowledge the reality of other cultures existing outside of my own.

Here is a link to Assignment 1.

For Assignment 1, I was tasked with discussing my intercultural sensitivity stage, providing examples, and stating how this assignment relates to my course expectations. I learned that there are many intercultural stages categories that one can fall under, which I previously was unaware of. This topic reminded me of when I took a communications class, and a chapter covered was about intercultural communication. Looking back now, I learned about cultural adaptation which is similar to “adaptation to difference”. I also remember studying the phrases “assuming similarities” which is similar to my understanding of “minimization of difference” while, “assuming differences” is like “defense against difference”. This assignment is relevant to me because I am more aware of the different intercultural sensitivity stages which I can apply when interacting with others. This assignment also highlights the importance of being mindful and careful when communicating with others, because they may not express or feel the same way as I do. For example, I may come across someone whose intercultural sensitivity stage is “minimization of difference”. I may or may not fully express myself because of our differing viewpoints.