Blog 10
After looking back at my first blog in this course, I have come to the conclusion that it has exceeded my expectations! I was unaware just how much I would learn from this course. I feel that my knowledge of cross- cultural psychology has grown tremendously. I also find it very interesting because some of the topics that were discussed go “hand in hand” with what I am learning in the Human Services course I am taking. I am working towards a career as Therapist, so important for me to work with people from various cultural backgrounds. After taking this course, I believe my attitude towards Cross-cultural has improved. It was very exciting to learn about other cultures and their relationship with psychology. Overall, I feel that I have achieved the course objectives because, I learned how culture can impact human life, Intercultural Sensitivity, language, religious beliefs , and much more! I am pleased to know that I can apply what I learned in the future. If I were to take this course again I would spend more time reading journal/ blogs of “Study abroad” students. It was very interesting to see how American students like me, were adapting to different cultures for example, Japan. I will definitely take advantage of what this course has offered me and apply it to my future career.
Blog 9
Taking this course of Cross-Cultural Psychology, was a journey. After taking this class I learned three things. One thing I learned about was that there are different levels of intercultural sensitivity. I also learned that different cultures have different gender roles and expectations. Third I learned about autonomy, competence, and relatedness in the Work place. One topic eventually spilled over into another when discussing intercultural sensitivity and Autonomy, competence, and relatedness in the workplace. I am currently taking Industrial organizational psychology. In this class we discuss the importance of competence and relationships in the workplace. We also discusse how beneficial it is to the work environment to have things fall in place.
Blog 8
I have mixed feelings about other cultures expressing themselves differently from one another. For example, I compared the way I have experienced people of the American and Asian cultures express themselves in person. From my personal experience, they are very similar. However, I have noticed a very big difference in forms of media. One perfect example would be in entertainment and cartoons. In American cartoons, for example, “SpongeBob”, the cartoon characters are very loud and exaggerated, compared to Asian Anime. In anime instead of yelling when angry, the characters face would turn “red” and grit their teeth. Also, instead of laughing loudly, the anime character may blush and giggle while covering their smile as opposed to American cartoons. I believe the concept of Universality and cultural display rules can definitely help explain some of my experiences to a certain extent, but the differences aren’t very noticeable in person
.
Blog 7
Do Fairy Tales reflect a shared set of cultural norms and values? My answer is Yes! There are many different Fairy tales shared among all cultures whether they are told in oral tradition, in books, or movies. Many fairy tales teach valuable lessons. They often involve romance and sexuality. For example, The Little Mermaid, the very controversial story about a prince and mermaid falling in love. Other than the obvious fantasy, this tale taught lessons of having good morals, and the importance of acceptance. Fairy tales in all cultures shed the light on social issues as well. For example, in the story called Mulan, based off of the Chinese culture, it was greatly expressed that it was important for Chinese families to have boy, so that they could carry on a family’s honor. This social norm is still very relevant in China today. It is very interesting to see how a culture’s social make up can be revealed in fairy tales.
Blog 6
Autonomy, Competence, and relatedness are very crucial to a person’s psychological wellness. These factors are also very important when developing one’s self esteem. Competence, relatedness, and autonomy can effect a person’s success in and academically and in the workplace. To ensure that I have positive sense of “self”, I strive to take care of my personal needs, I work hard t keep up my personal appearance to boost my self esteem. It is also very important that I am the best I can be in all areas of my, for example, being a great mother, student and employee. I am continuously working on my personal growth by staying in school to provide a better for me and my family.
Blog 5
I am Generous
I am Humble
I am Loyal
I am Determined
I am Smart
I am Brave
I am a Protector
I am Strong
I am Creative
I am Spontaneous
After thinking of 10 statements thoroughly describing myself, I reviewed “independent construal of self” from the text to try to figure out what dimension I was associated with. Statements 1, 3 , 7 were associated with interdependent self. Statements 2, 4, 5, 6 8, 9, and 10 are associated with my independent self. This led me to believe that I am more independent. I see myself for who I am on the inside, although I am very cautious of how I treat others. I found this interesting because I usually put others before myself.
Blog 4
After taking Exam one, I went and reviewed my score. I received a 78/100, which I was not very proud of. As I checked my score, I was able to see where I made mistakes. I did not take full advantage of the study material I was given. I also did not refer to the review sheet as a should have. I believe this feedback will indeed help me better prepare myself with future tests. I will commit to preparing myself for exams weeks prior and not just days before.
Blog 3
Blog 2
There are many important life values that I feel are relevant to my career pursuits. For example, I believe in being understanding and open-minded. I think as a Licensed Therapist, it will be important to have these attributes while developing relationships with clients. There are also factors that made being a University student possible. One factor is my family. Fortunately, I have a very strong support system. By the age of 21, I became the mother of two children and Separated. For the majority of my time in school, I took online classes to limit my need for childcare. For the times where “on campus” classes were mandatory, my family babysat for me. I still was determined to achieve my goals and pursue an higher education! My children are motivation and I want nothing more than to provide the best life for them. I believe my strong family values are important to my career path as well. I have learned the importance of background and culture, and how these factors contribute to a person’s behavioral health. It will be interesting to see how my own values are incorporated in my future career.
Blog 1
After reviewing the Course Objectives, I believe that this course will help me in the future. I am now working towards my bachelor’s degree in Psychology. I hope to one day have a career as a Licensed Therapist. This course will help me learn the influences of culture and psychology. A person’s cultural background can have great influence on their thinking and behaviors. I think it is interesting to see how I apply what I have learned to psychological theory. This course could also help me better understand diversity among my peers and how to better interact with people from other cultures. I think that understanding people from different cultures is crucial when working in a career that involves building relationships. I can use what I learn from this course to apply to my life and future career. I believe I have a purpose on this Earth, and that purpose is to help others.