Assignment Takeaway #4

In American culture, men’s ads are usually portrayed as masculine through their physique or actions. For example, men tend to be shirtless to show off their six-packs or other muscle parts, which vary depending on the product they advertise. In the first image, the product being advertised is Craftmen’s sander, which shows off the arm muscles. While in the second ad, masculinity shows through the actions by blowing the smoke into a women’s face. From these advertisements, we can see men in American culture still have the stereotypical more laborious jobs, and they can be considered rude in front of a woman. Furthermore, using makeup or skincare products in American culture is deemed un-manliness. However, in non-American culture, men could advertise cosmetic products but still considered attractive (the third ad). In Korea, a lot of male celebrities promote cosmetic products, and men wearing makeup are being normalized. This creates a contrasting difference between the two cultures and how they view gender roles differently.

In non-American cultures, the stereotypical genders roles for women, in which women still expect to be a housewife. In the fourth ad, the background shows the kitchen, in which the girl is advertising a kitchen staple product (Ad 4). This indicates that women still expect to cook and fulfill their housewife duties. The next duty that women also have to meet is taking care of the children, which is portrayed in the fifth advertisement. Especially in this advertisement, men can still play a role; however, men in Vietnamese culture are not expected to take care of the children. This could explain why the father figure is missing in this ad. But in American culture, women challenge the stereotypes that they can pursue a career/ profession and do not have to be full-time homemakers.

Assignment Takeaway # 3

There is an idiom in Vietnamese that can be roughly translated as you earn a jar of knowledge after a day of traveling. In this context, traveling in this context does not necessarily mean traveling to different cities or countries; it means walking out of the houses and learning about things that surround us. I think this idiom went really well with this Assignment Takeaway because Yu-Jie Liao, or Grace Liao, learned a lot of things during her trip to Rome, Italy. After reading her blogs, I felt like I went on an emotional rollercoaster with Grace. The thought of “studying abroad” while she is studying abroad was terrifying, while there is also a hint of excitement when she could visit the city that she loves. On the day of the trips, Grace learned to brave up to make some friends or else she will be lonely, and also the funny episode when their group of friends tried to weigh some bananas at the supermarket without knowing any Italian. While in Rome, she also did an internship, in which she wrote web articles for the Italian National Association for Civilian Victims of War. I think it signifies Grace’s maturity during the trip, both emotionally and academically. In her last entry, she recapped her journey and what she learned/ experienced in Rome metaphorically, like the layer of lasagna. 

The reason why I pick Grace Liao’s blogs is that I found them fascinating. In her first blog,  she is studying abroad in the US and then taking a semester abroad, which made me curious. She also has four blog entries, which are enough materials to learn more about her time in Rome. The location was not a factor since I am not interested in Rome, rather Tokyo or Seoul. 

Before applying to ODU, I was considering studying abroad in Seoul, but I was unable to do so because of personal reasons. But after graduating from ODU, I plan to study abroad in South Korea. I plan to study Law in one of the three best universities in Korea, and I hope I will be accepted into Seoul National University. Not just expanding my knowledge to prepare for a legal career, but I also want to become more independent and expand my horizon. 

Assignment Takeaway #2

               When I read an article about American values, I only found some values that reflected my lifestyle. For example, privacy and individualism are two values that I started to share a couple of years ago. When I was still raised in a country where collectivism is highly valued, I was taught to put the group’s welfare above and be judged as a part of a group. But when I moved to the United States, I was being judged as one unique individual, and I had a reasonable expectation of privacy when I was in my room. I have to admit it was strange, but I love it. Since privacy tastes so sweet, I expected to have some privacy everywhere I go, including when I traveled back to Vietnam. But, it was still a strange concept, and I have to accept that I may not have much privacy when I travel. 

              For some of the values on the list, I did not find myself associated with either of the groups. It feels like I am torn between American and Vietnamese values in some cases. For example, as Kohls mentioned, I believe in personal control over the environment, but I also believe that fate controls it. Fate gives people several options to choose from, and when man has carefully picked a choice, now the ball is in man’s court. Or it could be competition and cooperation, future orientation and past orientation, materialism, or spiritualism. The two cultures finally shared the same value, which is about time and control. If there were any conflicts between time and its control, I would definitely go with American values because punctuality is essential. 

I picked this picture of me facing the Abraham Lincoln memorial because I value equality and liberty for all. I admired Abraham Lincoln at a young age, even before I moved to the US, so I think it would fit this Assignment Two Takeaway

Assignment Takeaway #1

After reading about the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity by Dr. Bernett, I think I strongly identify with the Integration stage. I was born and raised in Vietnam before migrating to the United States in 2014. I was raised with Vietnamese beliefs, values, and customs at such a young age. So after I moved to the United States, I found myself struggling to adapt to the culture since I did not know about the culture or the language. Schools slowly introduced the new culture to me, learning about American values, customs, norms. Now, I consider myself bicultural rather than identify as either Vietnamese or American.

In the model, Dr. Bernett mentioned how one has “ an occasional sense of never really being “at home(1993).” I feel that Virginia Beach has become my second home, but sometimes I never feel truly at home. Whenever I have a chance to travel back to Vietnam, it does not provide me a sense of home anymore as it did before. “While sometimes I feel marginal in groups, I am able to move in and out of them with relative ease. ” Especially since I started working for an American coffee chain, I sometimes feel marginalized since I did not share similar experiences that my coworkers had. I felt left out, but I found myself sharing many similar experiences that first-generation Vietnamese Americans shared. I can move in and out quickly without thinking much about it rather than being stuck in the marginalized group like I was seven years ago. Now, I enjoy celebrating New Year on the 1st of January and the Lunar New Year in late January or early February or receiving the Red Envelope for Christmas.

This assignment is thought-provoking, and I think it laid the groundwork for the upcoming modules. As a result, I am more aware of my stage in the Model of Intercultural Sensitivity and how people at different stages act. I hope to learn more about the influence of culture on psychology and hope to sharpen my intercultural competencies further. With a better understanding of culture, psychology, and how these factors could impact a person, I hope to translate this into a valuable-marketable skill for future employers.