Top Artifacts
Top Artifact #5 Module Nine
Module Nine included comparing which genders are closely related to the title of the job position. My co-worker grew up in a traditional Japanese household with her grandparents. After comparing our responses we agreed on quite a few of the positions but not quite all of them. I chose this as a top artifact because it highlights how different cultures perceive gender and how gender roles are apparent across cultures. It seems across our different cultures the positions of doctor, pilot, and chef are consistently considered male roles. This stuck out to me because even though many different cultures see aspects of society differently, gender seems to be a constant.
Top Artifact #4 Module Twelve
Module Twelve included watching a TED talk discussing body language and how much of a role it plays in communicating with others. Communicating is not just about the words we say, it includes every action we do when talking with others and how we present ourselves. People who sit in a position of being closed such as with their arms crossed will exhibit traits of their body language. I picked this for my top artifacts because it is important that while interacting with people from other cultures we remember it is not just in the things we say. Communication takes our entire body. Even though we communicate our feelings through our body language every day, many do not think how their behavior will affect their mood.
Top Artifact #3 Module Five
My mom and aunt are two of the most influential people in my life.
Module five asked us to complete a comparison exercise to see what statements we feel are more closely related to our parent’s value or our own values. I noted that it was split evenly between my values and my parents. I think this comes from the cultural changes between my parent’s childhood and my own. I considered this a top artifact because it represented to me the growth of culture. What was considered normal in society when my mom attended high school is different than our own. This represents the ever-adapting cultural norms of society.
Top Artifact #2 Module Thirteen
My adorable rescue cat makes me happy. He has an infectious personality and is very loving.
Module Thirteen’s artifact asked us to reflect on what makes us happy and if happiness is correlated with physical health. What make’s someone happy changes over the course of their life. I notice a significant difference between what made me happy when I was a teenager living with my mom, and what makes me happy now. When I was still in high school, I was happy if the school was closed or if I could go out with my friends on the weekend. Since I moved out on my own what makes me happy has changed drastically. Having a clean apartment, getting home from work on time, and enjoying time with my cat is what makes me happy. This artifact stood out to me because it gave me a reason to reflect on how different aspects of my life, including my happiness, has changed. In regards to the correlation of physical health, being healthy allows us to be more active and present in what we are doing, thus making us happier.
Top Artifact #1 Module Ten
Module Ten’s item to artifact compared how long I would wait for each individual listed. From this exercise, I learned how I respond waiting for others. I usually am not a patient person especially if the person I am waiting on did not give any notice about being late. I examined this exercise as if these individuals gave no notice of being late and thought about how long I would be willing to wait for them. For the most part, I would wait up to thirty minutes for my parents, friends, and boss. I would not wait any longer than 15 minutes for a client to show up or my older siblings. Working part-time, taking classes full time, volunteering on the weekends, and visiting family all help in keeping me on a tight schedule. Being on time is also incredibly important to me. This stems from the fact that I would not want to waste anyone else time or for the other individual to waste mine. I chose this item for my top five artifacts because it really showed me how I value time and made me consider how others in other cultures define and respect time as well. In American culture, I feel that time is incredibly valuable to everyone and that is why keeping such a tight schedule is important.