Khadere Kounta
Decemeber 5, 2021
Blog #10
As this course is coming to an end, it allowed me to reflect on it from the beginning. In my first blog, I talked about how beneficial this class will be, and I was right. It allowed me to understand other cultures more and apply this course to my other courses as well. I feel like I have achieved everything that I said I would in the original blog post. My attitude towards cross-cultural psychology has remained consistent throughout the course. While I have learned new facts about how people come from affecting their thoughts and actions, I have also been appreciative of all cultures and try to be as open-minded as possible. If there were one thing I would do differently, it would be to be more consistent on all the work throughout the semester. By not completing specific assignments, I left out many free points that could’ve been used to increase my grade. Despite the misassignments, I feel like this semester overall has been good for me. When doing assignments, I’ve been a lot more focused on doing them, which has resulted in me getting good grades on them. Last but not least, if there is one skill I gained from this course that I can use in my professional life is understanding people’s culture. In the workforce, you’re going to meet people from different cultures and backgrounds worldwide. To have a healthy work environment, it will be necessary to respect other people’s culture, just as you would want them to respect yours. By doing so, it can make work a lot more enjoyable.
Khadere Kounta
November 21, 2021
Blog #9
Over this semester, I’ve expanded my knowledge on psychology and how it affects people differently based on their culture. There are three main things in particular that I learned that stood out to me. Blog #8 was my favorite one. It is interesting comparing how Americans are vs. people from other cultures, mainly eastern cultures. For example, for many Asian people, you can pick up on their nonverbal cues based on their facial expressions. The second blog that stood out to me was blog #7. Blog #7 discussed the impact on fairytales and how they reflect the current culture that it is present in. The newest version of Beauty and the Beast includes a gay character to remember how America feels towards gender inclusiveness. The last blog that I took a lot from was blog #4. It taught me that it is better to be safe than sorry. Being over-prepared for school is better than being underprepared, and that assignment allowed me to reflect on that. These blogs connected with my assignment takeaways because they will enable me to reflect on what I wrote, giving me a better understanding of the specific concept. One thing in this class that is very similar to my human service class is understanding different cultures and how they operate. For example, nonverbal communication plays a big part in human interactions. In eastern cultures, facial expressions, particularly their eyes, can tell a lot about their emotions and mood.
Khadere Kounta
November 11, 2021
Blog#8
When noticing how different people from other cultures express themselves, there is a common theme. They show a lot of hospitality towards me. From the various cultures, whether it’s nice greetings, offering food or something to drink, when I go over their house there’s consistency in the kindness they show. People from other cultures also love to express their pride or their culture that I have encountered. They also have something whether it’s their clothing or inside their house that reflects their culture. I feel the reason for this is because in other cultures, it’s the norm to show love for people just like they do for their own family, even if it’s just through a simple smile. Universality and cultural display rules are both present in these situations because no matter when you’re from, someone can tell when an individual is trying to be nice.
Khadere Kounta
November 4, 2021
Blog #7
I do believe fairy tales reflect a culture’s norms and values. They give a metaphorical insight on the explanation of why things are and how they came to be. They’re also a fun and interactive way to engage an audience, specifically kids, so that they can learn more about their culture. For example, the 2017 Disney movie Beauty and the Beast is a prime example of how the fairy tale aims to reflect social norms. In the recent movie, Belle is a feminist princess who stands up for herself and is outspoken. It also includes a gay character to show how vital gender inclusivity is in this society. Whereas if you compare to the traditoinal stories of beauty in the beast that was relevant in the 18th century, The princess Belle comes off as a lot more submissive, and a gay character wouldn’t even be thought of at the time. Two movies that had a strong influence on me were The Blind Side and Ali. The Blindside encourages me to do that even though you may not have the skills set at the moment if you work hard enough, they’ll eventually show up. I identify with Micheal a lot since I’m an athlete. The movie Ali inspired me because it showed a man who was faithful to himself and didn’t care what people outside his circle had to say or think of him. I relate with Muhammad Ali in this movie because it gave me a better understanding of what it means not to be a follower and stand up for what you believe in.
This picture reflects all sorts of people with different backgrounds.
Khadere Kounta
October 20, 2021
Blog #5
- I am honest
- I am loyal
- I am caring
- I am respectful
- I am hardworking
- I am strong
- I am passionate
- I am smart
- I am adventurous
- I am reserved
When reflecting on my 10 character traits that describe me, of those traits numbers 9 and 2 are examples of me being interdependent. The reason these are interdependent is because for all of those traits, it involves other people being involved and knowing your role in that particular relationship to be like that. The rest of the traits are all examples of being independent. These are traits that I’ve personally developed through experiences that I had endured throughout my life. As I’ve gotten older I began to care less about what people think of me and refuse to step out of myself to feel appreciated or in the mix. Due to that, I feel that I am an independent person through my actions and thinking. The reason the proverbs that reflect independent self is easier for me to think about is because my mom is very similar to me and I get a lot of my personality from her.
The following picture is a prime example of my hard work and passion for the game of football putting me in a position to play the sport I love.
Khadere Kounta
October 17, 2021
Blog #4
For this being the first exam of the semester, I did not know what to expect. In order for me to perform well, I made sure I was well prepared. Over the course of the semester, I would take notes on information from the textbook and modules. After collecting the notes from the class, I would go over them with my tutor. In our sessions she would ask me questions and I would need to answer and explain why that’s the correct answer so I’m more confident in my answer. Once I see my results, I will continue doing this strategy. Although all the reading and note taking can be time consuming, it’s very important in being successful in this class. Ultimately this process paid off.
This picture represents the notes I have taken from this class.
September 26, 2021
Blog #2
As I have gotten older I learned to step outside of my comfort zone in order to elevate in life. Even to this day I still struggle with this. However, I know it is necessary and all that it will do is make me grow as a man. Growing up I mainly associated myself with only one crowd of people, which usually involved my teammates since I was always in sports. It wasn’t until I was in high school where I joined clubs to be a part of something outside of sports and meet new people. One of these groups was called I am College ready, a group designed to help inspire young men to achieve a higher level of education past high school. One of the main trips we did was go down to Atlanta and North Carolina to visit the many HBCU’s. I had to take advantage of that opportunity, especially for the fact that it was free of cost. From the first campus we toured Clark Atlanta University, I knew I wanted to attend college. Just hearing and meeting from different parts of the country, even the world in some instances coming together to achieve the same goal really inspired me to pursue college. Not only did this motivate me to go to college, but seeing my mom go to school while raising a family and working full time motivated me as well. I saw the way she worked and grind despite having a busy life. So, I told myself, if she can do it why can’t I?
This picture represents doing school work and how important it is towards academic success.
Blog #1
September 19, 2021
Khadere Kounta
After reviewing the course outline, I am excited about this course because of all the information that I’ll be able to take from this course. Not only for this class and other classes, but even life outside of college. The class is designed to expand my knowledge of psychology through research and various theories and apply them through different cultures throughout the world. By doing so, I will have a greater understanding and appreciation for not only my culture but for others. A couple of strategies I will use to ensure I achieve this goal is to take notes from the textbook. When taking notes, I will have a clearer understanding for completing a particular assignment and exams. Another strategy I plan to use is to not procrastinate and gradually complete my assignments throughout the week. When I procrastinate, I rush the assignment and will just type and do anything just to say I completed it. Not only will it affect my grade, but I won’t be able to take away anything from the class.
Diversity in Universities
This picture relates to what I am learning in cross-cultural psychology because it shows mutual respect among people of different cultures.