My time spent taking Cross-Cultural Psychology has been fulfilling. The course has taught me an abundance of lessons that I plan on carrying with me through my academic career and future life. Looking back at the contents of my e-portfolio allows me to see many of the valuable lessons I’ve learned in this course this semester. For blog post 9, I have chosen three valuable lessons I took away from this course, all of these lessons and new knowledge have been mentioned in the assignments shown on my page.
One of the biggest lessons I learned while taking this course, is the overall complexity of the field of psychology. Early on in my journey as a psychology major, I was blinded by terminology and theories. I was completely unaware of how broad the field was and how much it had to offer, this class has taught me about the complexity of the field. Cross-Cultural psychology challenged my original way of thinking and challenged me to think deeper about concepts I learned in previous classes by asking me to extend my knowledge beyond American culture and values. The course humbled me and required me to view the field of psychology through lenses other than my own.
Another major thing I learned in this course was how underrepresented other cultures are in the study of psychology. This course focused heavily on the implications of psychology in places other than America, this is something that many courses do not even consider. This course challenged past learning and asked me to reapply what I learned to other cultures, and consider how cultural differences impact behaviors, emotions, opinions, experiences, etc. Learning about the underrepresentation of other cultures in the field of psychology has inspired me to expand my studies beyond my own culture and piqued my interest in psychological experiences around the world.
The last but not least major takeaway I got from this course so far, is how much a person can do with a degree in psychology. The contents of this course made me consider careers that I did not think existed before taking this course! My professor also did an amazing job at offering students the resources we needed to explore all the careers and paths the field of psychology offers. This class openeded my eyes to the endless possibilities my degree has to offer and inspired me to expand my interests.
Many of my blog posts for this class required me to explore who I considered myself to be as a person and how I show up in the world. Many of the blog posts found on my page required me to connect personal childhood experiences to my behavior, opinions, and experiences now. These blog posts relate to one assignment, in particular, Assignment Takeaway 2. In this assignment, I was asked to explore culture, self, and identity. To explore one’s self further, this assignment asked me to complete the NEO Personality Test. The test taught me a lot about myself, so much so that it inspired me to journal and reflect on past experiences I had that shape me today. Assignment Takeaway 3, like many assignments, went hand and hand with blog posts that required me to consider how I see myself in the world.
Cross-Cultural Psychology, and the concepts that I learned in this course remind me a lot of the Ethics course I took at ODU. These courses are very similar because they are both the most mentally challenging courses I have ever taken in college. Both courses required me to think deeply about myself and consider the views of others. Much of the material learned in both classes asked me to remove myself and my own beliefs and approach new concepts with an open mind and heart to truly understand the experiences of others. Both courses challenged my views both internally and globally. For example, in my ethics course, we were required to learn about different approaches to moral principles. This involved learning about cultures, religions, and values from countries other than my own. Cross-Cultural Psychology required me to do work similar in nature. While both courses were challenging, I feel I learned lessons in these courses that I can take with me for the rest of my life. These lessons will make me a more understanding and open student and adult.
This is an image I choose to represent the self-reflection that I had while taking this course. This course required me to think deeply and asked me to look at myself and the rest of the world in a different light.