ATA4

When examining American culture, men and women are represented differently, and this is evident through the gender stereotypes promoted within the media. It is through advertisements promoting certain products or services that influence gender stereotypes. For example, advertisements catering to idea that men are domineering, aggressive, and strong willed. Advertisements tend to show women as being weak and submissive. Some ads also sexualize women. With this information, we can conclude that the media strongly influences gender stereotypes.

When the media puts out ads that cater to the ideas of masculine traits being associated with men, this can influence the way men interact with others within their environment. For example, when the media puts out an ad suggesting that they should be the dominant one in a relationship, this may influence their view on women. They may be domineering towards women and expect women to submit to them willingly. Another example would include the media putting out an ad that sexualizes women. This suggests women are objects, and that their value lies within being an object in society. Advertisements that promote gender stereotypes can put unrealistic expectations on men and women in society and may even influence their gender roles within their culture.

I chose this image because I believe it represents the gender stereotypes that exist in the media through advertisements as well as gender roles. In this specific ad, it suggests that women are submissive and nurturing. By showing a woman with her daughter, this pushes the idea that women are the caretakers. By being an ad about a cleaning product and stating, “This Mother’s Day, get back to the job that really matters,” this puts out the idea that women are the ones who clean and take care of the household. The statement suggests that a woman’s value is based on what she can provide for her family and that nothing else she contributes to society ads value.

ATA3

During this assignment activity I was able to examine blog posts written by a female student who left Philadelphia, PA to study abroad in Oviedo, Spain. I decided to focus on emotions as the theme. She brought up some of her struggles with anxiety especially during her first week upon arriving in Spain. In her first blog she mentioned how anxious, nervous, and excited she was about her pre-departure experience. She always wanted to study in a Spanish-speaking country, but she was anxious awaiting the final decision from the university of her acceptance into the study abroad program as well as the finances surrounding her trip. She is also worried about how her experience would be interacting with locals and attending school in a foreign country. She quickly realized that she needed to come up with strategies to help ease her anxiety. Planning, watching movies in Spanish, listening to podcasts, as well as confiding in her friends were her ways of coping with her anxiety.

Upon her arrival in Oviedo, she expressed her anxiety surrounding communicating with locals and knowing their customs. During this time, she was nervous about starting classes in Oviedo, her placement test for Spanish, oral exam, and homework while she was there. She immediately felt relief once she got clarification regarding the specifics of her placement test, oral exam, and class schedule. As the days and weeks went on in Oviedo, she became more comfortable and confident in her communication skills. She was able to go into a restaurant or coffee shop and put in her order with no issues. In her last blog she was already back in Philadelphia, and she went through an adjustment period. She started getting used to Oviedo and she now had to adjust to things back home in the United States. She decided to take a slow approach in easing her way back into her previous lifestyle and that seemed to work out for her. I chose this student’s blog because I have always wanted to travel to Spain, so I was curious to read about her experiences there. I have never studied abroad and at this point in my life I probably won’t because I have a family now and that makes it a little bit more difficult to pursue. However, I have a passion for traveling and I plan to go to Spain someday.

The image below is of Catedral de Oviedo and I chose this picture because it looks like a place I would like to someday visit and I appreciate Spanish architecture.

ATA2

One of the values mentioned in the article describes future orientation. Future orientation is basically the American value that what the future holds is more important than the past and what is happening now is important only because it will lead to something even better in the future. This value is evident in my life because I am always looking to the future and what my next move will be whether it’s saving money, carefully planning my educational goals, making a 5-year plan, 10-year plan, and so forth. A lot of emphases is placed on continuous success in one’s future. Once a goal is reached, it is immediately on to the next one. It’s like saying, if someone is not working on their future, they’re not doing enough.

I honestly see this as a flaw because I don’t give myself the opportunity to revel in my accomplishments both past and present. I am constantly seeking my next move. By doing this, I do not appreciate my past that has led up to my present. Someone from another culture may see this as good and bad. A good interpretation may be that it is wise to look to the future because the future can be bright and enjoyable especially for someone who is not currently happy. They may also have a bad interpretation that suggests someone with this future orientation is never satisfied with life, what they have accomplished is not good enough, and they don’t appreciate living in the moment.

I chose the image below because future orientation is like looking through a magnifying glass or looking through a pair of binoculars over the horizon. It blocks out the entire picture and brings a sort of hyper-focus to that specific area. The area of hyper-focus represents our future. The bigger picture (the now), and the past is not brought into focus and remain a blur.

ATA1

The stage of intercultural sensitivity that I most identify with is integration. I do not feel that I identify with any one culture. I consider myself to be bi-cultural. This is due to growing up in a household with a Filipino mother and an American father. Over the years I have been introduced to different cultural norms from both my parents and I think this has given me the ability to move in and out of cultures with ease. I can comfortably practice these cultural norms with both sides of my family. For example, it is not uncommon for Filipinos to hold hands or walk with arms locked if they are friends or family of the same gender. While this might seem normal in the Philippines, this is not as common in American culture. A large emphasis is placed on “personal space,” in the United States. Also, public displays of affection were not appreciated in my household. In American culture, this is completely normal.

I mention these examples because I know how to navigate both my cultures. I feel as if there is a time and place for when I practice certain things in both cultures. When I am with my mother’s side of the family, naturally I will be more comfortable doing or saying certain things. This same concept applies when I am in other settings such as at school or work and I’m more comfortable practicing things that are more related to American culture. I also at times feel marginalized due to identifying with more than one culture but just like the study mentions, I can move in and out of my cultures with little to no issues.

I came into this course seeking a better understanding of culture and how I can apply my knowledge of culture to real-life situations. After this assignment, there are some holes that I am hoping to fill especially in the department of intercultural sensitivities. I was not aware of the stages of intercultural sensitivities until doing this assignment and I think it is very interesting that a model was developed to address this. I can use this information to help others recognize what stage they are currently in and how to help them navigate through that stage.

I chose the image below because I believe it is a perfect representation of the integration stage of cultural sensitivity that I am currently in. It shows a woman who is standing in front of the Philippines flag and the flag of the United States of America. She is equal parts Filipino and American.