ATA5

Assignment 5 made me reflect on one of the most natural experiences a woman can have, breast feeding. I related this assignment to a chapter I was assigned in my Psychology of Women class, however after this assignment, I was assigned another assignment in my Psychology of Sex class that addressed the same topic. The assignment was personally relevant to me because as a woman, if I were to have children, I believe I would breastfeed them. It comes with many benefits to the mother and the baby. In all three courses, breastfeeding is encouraged a viewed positively. My cousin who I am very close with breastfeeds her 6 month old daughter and she testifies to the benefits all the time. According to her, she has strengthened her daughter’s immune system and it also aided in her shedding the weight she gained during pregnancy.

ATA3

This assignment reminds me of some of the things I learned about in my psychology of women class, specifically when we discussed how women adapt to stress. In this assignment, we learned about the mental health of refugees and what people are doing to assist in their transition to the United States. This reminds me of how women are often forced to abruptly change and how that can psychologically damage them, similar to the ways refugees are damaged. I personally related to this assignment because it was from the perspective of a young girl who studied abroad in Italy and was forced to return home sooner than expected. Ever since I was younger, I always wanted to visit Italy, but this assignment showed that I could have a greater experience studying in a country where I can help women with children adapt to a new environment. Being that I am fluent in Spanish, it may be beneficial for me to study abroad in an area where Spanish women need assistance.

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ATA1

The main takeaway from this assignment is that many people still identify with some of the less appealing stages of intercultural sensitivity.  This assignment also made me evaluate the people around me.  Thankfully, I found that all the people around me identify with respectable stages of intercultural sensitivity.   This reminds me of a topic from Psychology of Women class where we identified cultural differences as it pertains to women.  Both assignments show that there is a broad range of thinking processes about both cultural differences, especially as they pertain to women.  The assignment was personally relevant to me as it made me reflect on my international travels and all of the things I have learned through international travel.  It also showed me that although I do have a good understanding of cultural differences and how to respect them, there is still so much more to learn.  I chose this picture for my representative digital image because it is a picture I took myself in Guatemala.  The statue is a man named “Maximon” and he is a big deal in the Guatemalan culture.  It is believed that if you give him a cigarette, money, or beer, that you will be blessed in life.