Assignment Takeaway 4

For assignment 4 of this week, I was asked to look at advertisements from two different cultures and discuss how gender was represented in the ads. For this assignment, I observed a set of advertisements from North America and Central America. After looking for advertisements in both cultures I was able to make assumptions about gender and societal issues faced in Central and North America.

My findings from this assignment opened my eyes and allowed me to understand that gender awareness and related issues are not only relevant in American culture, but it is also a struggle that is experienced globally. Issues and concerns relating to equality, for men and women are struggles faced around the globe. While there are many differences in the way cultures experience gender, there are also similarities found consistent across cultures. For example, I learned that there are many similarities in the expectations North and Central American cultures have for their men and women. I was also shocked to learn about how much information advertisements would reveal about struggles and issues within cultures. This assignment reminded me of a lesson in a Theatre Experience class I took at Old Dominion University.

In the Theatre Experience class, we had a subject on the history of media and society. In class, we discussed how media reflects the issues going on in society. In the lesson, my professor explained how media such as broadcast media (television, radio, music, and movies) can be considered as a mirror to society, much of what we see on media is inspired by events in society, vice versa. Media can also influence and persuade members of society. To have a deeper understanding of this concept my professor asked the class to watch a movie of our choice and reflect on how the themes presented in the movie reflect events in society.

This reminded me of this assignment because the advertisements from Central and North America revealed intel on what was going on in society such as societal struggles and representations with gender. By observing advertisements and the representation of gender in two different cultures, I was able to further understand gender representation on a global scale.

This assignment also resonates with me on a personal level. Many of my friendships include individuals who are non-binary, meaning they do not identify as exclusively male or female. By looking at advertisements from different cultures I was able to see the lack of representation of individuals who do not identify as male or female. I noticed the failure to represent members of the LGBTQ community. This assignment encouraged an open conversation with my friends on the misrepresentation of the LGBTQ community in media and how it makes my friends feel.

Assignment Takeaway 3

For assignment 3 of this week, I was asked to read about another student’s experience in a different country. I was asked to not only read about their experience but also take note of cultural shocks and major transformations they had during their stay. For my assignment, I read about an African American student named, Dorian, who studied Women’s studies at Temple University. Dorian joined the Cultural Envoy Program at her university and embarked on a trip to Italy, Rome. After reading about Dorian’s experiences, transformations, and life lessons, I was asked to take her experience and compare it to material learned in chapter 6 of the text: Culture and Personality.

In Dorian’s voyage, she recorded how she learned about the culture in Rome, Italy, but most importantly she learned about the black experience. In learning about the black experience in a country other than the United States, Dorian took away major life lessons that she will keep with her forever. Dorian learned about a global struggle that women of color face, one that she thought was unique in some ways to the United States. Learning about the racial struggles in Rome, Italy forever changed the way Dorian saw herself as a young black woman traveling the world.

This assignment reminded me of my African American Studies course I took my freshmen year at Old Dominion University. While taking this course I learned a lot about my own culture that I was not taught about in middle school and high school. Just like Dorian’s experience, that course changed my life. That course taught me so much information that changed the way I see myself in this world. The course brought me closer to my history and encouraged me to embrace my roots and the struggle that people like me face around the world.

Assignment Takeaway 2

For this week’s assignments, Module 7 looked at culture, self, and identity. This module looked at what it means to define self and what influences representations of one’s self. To explore one’s self further, Module 7 tasked students to complete the NEO Personality Test. By taking the NEO Personality test, students were able to learn more about themselves and explore their personality traits.

The material in this week’s module reminded me of concepts covered in an Ethics course I took at Old Dominion University two years ago. In Introduction to Ethics, students were asked to take a test similar to the NEO Personality test. This test focused on self and how we are perceived by others. After taking the exam, students were asked to reflect on their results and relate their findings to what they learned about ethics and morals. The activity in Module 7 reminded me of the activity I was asked to complete in Ethics because it required me to think beyond personality traits and consider what influences my attributes.

Module 7 reminded me of my Ethics course because we had an entire class dedicated to the concept of “self.” Rather than looking at “self” from an individualistic perspective, my ethics teacher asked my classmates to consider global perspectives and beliefs other than our own. This reminds me of Cross-Cultural Psychology in general because we are constantly considering other cultures and beliefs other than our own!

Module 7 was personally relevant to me because it required me to think deeply about the type of person that I am. The NEO Personality test revealed tons about my personality. The test inspired me to do a personal journal reflection, I reflected on my results and asked myself how my past experiences influenced my score and personality.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/truth-and-courage/201912/forget-new-years-resolutions

I choose this image of a women journaling to symbolize me journaling after completing the NEO Personality Test. The test inspired me to expand further on learning more about myself. It made for a great journal entry!

Assignment Takeaway 1

Module 5 Enculturation, examined various cultures, diversity in parenting styles, and families. The module dove into enculturation, culture studies, theories of human development, and touched on the significance of extended and multigenerational families. In this module, I learned about diversity in homes and how upbringing can differ due to various factors such as culture, economics, and generational teachings. I learned about the impact that parenting styles and exposure to peers have on the early development of a child and the effects it has on one’s outlook and approach to different things in life such as major accomplishments and values.

The material covered in this week’s module reminded me of the concepts I learned in one of my most favorite courses at Old Dominion University taught by Alan Meca, Lifespan Development. In this course, we learned about the concepts mentioned in module 5 in more depth. We spent ample time learning about parenting styles and the effects that they have on children and their development. In Lifespan Development, we were tasked to complete an activity similar to the Item to Archive for this course. We were asked to recall which parenting style we felt our parents used raising us and were asked to examine the impacts that it had on our lives and decisions. I found the activities in that course and this one to be therapeutic. I enjoy revisiting various aspects of my life and comparing them to what I am learning. I find that I learn the most from courses that require self-reflection.

The topics covered in this module were personally relevant to me because of my experience growing up in a mixed race adoptive family. The parenting styles and values that everyone had growing up were different and diverse because of their backgrounds. Growing up, my family worked together to try and blend everyone’s values and beliefs in one. Growing up, my family was constantly evolving and growing which meant that approaches to parenting changed often. This module required me to revisit these moments 😉 .