Homework #11

1. 

    

  When I think of a cultural artifact that represents our culture, I thought of stamps. Mailing stamps capture everything. There’s a stamp for everything that represents America. From our beloved holidays to our favorite little characters. They capture every moment in history that’s was of some significance and importance. Favorite shows and movie characters make the stamp and we all know how America blows up and glorifies a favorite movie or character. Characters like Mickey Mouse also make the stamp because Disney has been a part of American households for the longest which to me makes it an American culture. Athletes such as Jackie Robinson are on stamps for events pertaining to black history month which falls into the holiday categories. Historic movements and events such as Obama being president or wars have all made the front cover of the stamp. The fact that it’s on a mailing stamp it’s kind of like your spreading the American culture to wherever you’re mailing to. From the Liberty Bell and American Flag to Jackie Robinson and Mickey Mouse people when the stamp is seen it might trigger questions about the picture on the stamp which will lead to the explanation and spreading of parts of American culture. Stamps might not be the typical choice for an American artifact that displays American culture but I feel as though anything that has constant 24/7 reminders of important events, days and times can be known as an American artifact. It spreads knowledge of parts of our culture. It reminds us American who have easily forgotten such important times in America 

2.

PHENOMENAL WOMAN
by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies
I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size
But when I start to tell them
They think I’m telling lies.
I say,
It’s in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It’s the fire in my eyes
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing of my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can’t touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them,
They say they still can’t see.
I say
It’s in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
The palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
‘Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ever since I read this poem in high school I felt as though it described and represented who I was in a big way. She’s basically summing up in this poem how she may not be what people think is the “perfect woman” but still she is phenomenal. This is me completely! I’m fully aware that I don’t have the model look but anyone who knows me knows that I don’t care and am extremely comfortable with my look. I talk so highly about my shape you would have thought I was the model type. I may not be a size two or have an hour glass figure but that’s fine with me and just like Maya Angelou said I’m a woman phenomenally. I don’t have the best etiquette and I’m really just one of the guys. Girls always look at me weird because I could be more lady like and dress more girly but that’s not me. I enjoy playing video games, watching football, burping really loud, wrestling and being a tyrant. I may not be the biggest girly girl you know but people like being around me and just like Maya Angelou said I’m a woman phenomenally. I never let the media get to me or strive to be something I’m not. I’ve learned to be comfortable with myself because the unhappy people in the world are the ones who try to live by other peoples standards. Just as the poem brought out people would always say to me “you got a lot of friends and people love to be around you”, “you’re always smiling why are you always so happy?” It’s not because I’m a people person because the fact of the matter is I’m actually really shy around people I don’t know but it’s because people know that I’m not a sad, self-conscience person that they would have to walk on egg shells around. They can have fun, be carefree and be themselves without any judgment. I’m accepting of everybody and everybody is accepting of me, that who I am and just like Maya Angelou said I’m a woman phenomenally.

 

 

Homework #10

A social interaction that I’ve witnessed is when my best friend speaks to everyone who walks past her. I think as American’s we do that a lot. It’s courteous to speak to people as well as very friendly. A Simple and quick “hi” or a “how are you doing today” and when asked it’s you rarely get people who just stare at you and don’t reply or walks away. People respond back and then both parties go about their day and probably will never see each other again. Even if they do see each other again they will just repeat the process. No more conversation will be added.

An interaction that I witnessed over the week that exemplifies the culture of a group is the Poize Modeling group on campus. They had a fashion show on Saturday and I think that when people think of American’s they think of fashion. I think it’s really Americanized because although it was a group think that involved group effort it still was a great deal of individuality involved. People created their own outfits for the fashion show, nothing was purchased. They did their own make-up and displayed their own individual style in everything they did. Although they did come together in the end for the final results of the fashion show it still proves how American’s still find ways to do things on their own. This is very much the American culture.

I believe that my choice to not go home for Easter exemplified individuality. Family in many cultures is very important as is it in the American culture but not being home for a holiday is more common in America. In her cultures is like an unspoken rule to never miss a family event, it’s like its mandatory or a requirement. So this shows individuality that I could of very well went home to be with my family with no problem but I chose to stay at school with my friends and get some work done. I’ll see my family for 3 months when school is over and I just saw them for spring break so they’ll be okay lol.

Homework #9

1. Name three topics that Americans often think that it is rude to talk about. For each, why do you think that Americans think that they are rude topics?

First americans think its rude to ask a woman her age. Never ask a women her age becuase, well i honestly dont know why you cant ask a woman her age but its really frowned on. Another thing is weight. Now thats rude all the way to ask someone their weight because either your insinuating that their either fat or to thin. The third topis that americans think is rude is asking someone about their family life and how they run their household. Being in someones family business is rude because your opinion may offend them or make matters worse if there is a problem in their family life. Nobody likes to feel like they dont have things under control.

2. How do concepts such as the care of the elderly and Buddhist philosophy provide strikingly different models for behavior in Thailand and the United States?

In Thailand the grandchildren take care of the grandparents and allow them to live with them when caring for themselves becomes hard. That is not common in the United States. Many elderly people live by themselves and either have an in-house nurse to help them take care of them or the family sends the elderly to a nursing home. In the United states people live such fast paced busy lives that they look at the elderly as a burden that they don’t have the time to take on which is sad and rude. My grandmother helped raised me and for me to get older and look at her as a burden and just throw her in a nursing home is like a slap in the face  to her and its extremely ungrateful.

3. What incidents in your own life experience illustrate the value placed on individualism in American culture, that other cultures might find strange? (Be specific)

I think the fact that i chose to go to college 3 hours away from my family would be seen as strange to other countries because im basically living on my own. In other countries families stick together to help raise and take care of each other as well as work to help the financial means of the family. So if one was to go to school it would be in the same city as where the family is so that could be done.

 

Homework #8

1. First i would think that our “american” version of the college life is only the way it seems in the fairly large well publicly known colleges. Yes every college parties but as you would find on most campuses such as IUP the percentages of students who party, drink and have sex is not as high as people would imagine. The second this is the way we dress. No college student gets dressed all cute for class everyday. Sweat pants and hoodies are what you will see almost all the time. In my opinion the TV and movies make these things bigger then what they are to make america look like this fun exciting fashion oriented place that everyone is missing out on.
2. The pamphlet describes the time as contagious. i believe we view it like that because time is portrayed as its surroundings. If if you live in a fast past city such as New York time is as the speed of lightening other small towns you feel as if you have all the time in the world to do thing. In college the people you hang around goes hand in hand on how you spend your time because it really is contagious. If your friends spend their time studying all the time you will catch on and do it as well but if they party and play all day you will end up doing the same making it contagious. 
3. In the way i was raised interruptions were a no no because they cause a domino effect of events. If the smallest thing is interrupted then it distracts many things whether thoughts or important task.
4. I immediately was drawn to the sentence “…differences based on social status may be more difficult to perceive than in many places and do not always have obvious effects on student life.” I thought this was very interesting because in high school & how things are portrayed in movies social rank is everything and will directly effect your life as a student. This sentence is so true in college though and i think an international student wouldn’t quite fully understand this until they get to america.

Homework #4

1. There are only a couple ways that i can think of. One is that the social classes would be way more seperated and segregated. Alienating the peope who are not able to purchase things as accordingly to society. Families would begin to become isolated because if the focus is on money then the parents (or even just one parent ) would over work not spending enough time with their familes..
2. I believe that it would solve my first part of my answer in #1 but not to the second part. Money cant buy happiness and although more income coming into a household can increase the happiness of material things it cant buy quality family time.
3. Surroundings (ex. city, place of living ), People your around, the way you were raised
4. Competitive consumption does influence my identity to a certain extent which is only natural.I would go to the mall with friends with the intention of only buying a few certain things but if i see my friends splurge i will feel left out and broke sort of speak if i didnt do the same thing and would only bargin shop for one or two things. My friends indentites are influenced by who they hang around. For example some friends from back home in Erie also attends IUP. Theyhang with people who are very keen on designer clothing and the more exspensive things so i’ve noticed them stressing about financial issues because their trying to keep up with the jones’s

Homework #3

1. When i read this article i automatically thought of the movie I-Robot. After seeing that movie i thought then that this could happen in america. We can create so much i believe robots caring for people can also be done. With that also means i believe the catastrophic incident can also most definately happen. Nothing is impossible. I honestly dont know how the public would act at first.
2. The likelyhood of Artificial Intelligence being created that actually thinks and reasons without human help is very very likely. I believe it could already be in effect. I believe the public would blame the creaters of these robots and start to oppose it because naturally the people will feel replaced and what would be the actual need of humans. Think back to the industrial revolution when machines were first created. Not everybody took to them or agreed with because many americans were replaced with machines. So a robot coming in and also doing the most mediocure task suck as be your pet, care for the ederly, or even vaccum your house what really left is there for you to besides exsist?
3. I believe the positives are short term but i think they are the extra help of something to do things you have no time to do. (ex: get groceries, clean house ect) Be a companions to the lonely people in the world who live by themselfs or ederly who children have gone away. The negatives is when they begin to malfunction, turn against you, or ther things. At the end of the day they still are just electronic and every electronic has its problems.
4. When my computer crashed while i was doing my senior project and didnt back up the file like it was supposed to. I almost didnt graduate due to that because it was such a huge paper it was no way i would get done in time. If it wasnt for my nderstanding teacher i wouldnt of got that credit for that and my grade would of dropped dramatically casing me to fail that class and not graduate.

Homework 2

1. I automatically went towards Mother Teresa because all that i have learned about her in high school. After further reading my decision did not change. I believe her accomplishments in life were way more creditable then the other choices. I believe morally you should always find it in your heart to help people less fortunate then you are.

2.I would have to say Oprah anf Farrakhan. I chose them because i feel as though they live the way i would only hope to live. They push the envelope in their own way. They question authority and judgement. Just because a person is put into power doesnt make everything they say or do right which is why i like farrakhan. Just as Oprah does with a contreversy subject on her show. I think this says that i judge things by the way i view life.

3.I do believe that there is a univeral morality. Although certain morals vary from country to country there still are a set of morals put into place.

4.The five elements of morality are harm,fairness,community(or group loyalty), authority and purity. i believe that america places fairness first. Our past history as a country shows that we do not take unfairness to kindly and fight to make things right. Such as womens rights and african american rights.