Thato and Kelli

            We, Thato and Kelli, were paired together to reflect upon cultural moments and differences in our respective cultures. Thato is from a village in the northern region of Botswana but studies international tourism management in Gaborone. Kelli grew up in small-town Nebraska but now lives in Lincoln and studies broadcasting, advertising/public relations, and global studies. When discussing our cultures, we recognized many differences. Thato pointed out the difference in the way our cultures view animals and pets. When visiting Lincoln High School to talk to students, Thato asked a student why she had a dog with her. The student explained to Thato that she has diabetes, and the dog licks her hand when she has had too much sugar. How this dog was equal to a companion and almost human helper to the student amazed Thato. In Botswana, dogs are just dogs and are supposed to stay outside. In America, we often view dogs and other pets as part of the family and treat them with great care.

            We noticed another cultural difference in the interactions between women bringing men home to meet her parents. Almost every important man in Kelli’s life has been to her house and met her parents, whether that relationship was friendship or romantic. In a state like Nebraska, it is very common for family interaction and relationships to be valued. When Kelli brings friends home to meet her parents, she does not think about whether those relationships will last forever. She simply enjoys when her family meet her friends or romantic interests. Thato explained that her parents are very strict and that she would not take a man home to meet them unless she was sure he was the one to marry. Thato said that she has never taken a man home to meet her parents before. While this may look different based on the families in both cultures, this difference was interesting to both Thato and Kelli.

            Thato and Kelli share an agricultural background in their families. Thato’s father enjoys farming, and Kelli’s father is a leader in agriculture in the United States. Thato explained that farmers in Botswana use tractors and other technology, and the government even pays those with tractors to plow all the fields around your area. This government assistance has helped the growth of agriculture in Botswana. Kelli addressed the growing use of advanced technology in agriculture in Nebraska and the United States that provides more efficient production.

            While there are many cultural differences between Botswana and Nebraska, we share common values in education, leadership, and friendship. It was a joy to share our cultures with one another.

      

Reflection Paper #2

Ashley Kunz
Professor Godana
Communications 211
Reflection Paper #2

Chapter 5: Identity and Intercultural Communication

While this chapter deals with identity, rather than defining what identity is, chapter 5 demonstrates the multi-facets that make up what someone considers to be their own identity. The idea of the self comes from every aspect of our life such as nationality, culture, race, gender, sexuality and so on. It was interesting how self identity is not only different in each country, but also how it changes regionally and is constantly changing. 

The idea of the self is often seen as an individual idea, it is what one person thinks of themselves, but when the idea of the one is put into a collectivized culture the self matters in relation to others. I found it interesting that unlike modern America, one may choose to identify themselves as a "mother or I am the youngest child in my family" rather than adjectives that describe the individual traits like "kind" or "outgoing". While this is a cultural concept it has a historical background where in Europe in the 1600s transitioned from close knit rural communities to urbanized industrial cities that no longer needed a group effort to maintain society. 

I also found it interesting when talking about gender identity, Martin and Nakayama made the distinction between gender and biological sex and sexual identity. Normally we consider all three of these concepts as one but its interesting to see how gender is uniquely different and is becoming more of a fluid concept in modern society. The concept of what is attractive is changing with time and is also more gender specific and I found it interesting how to be considered "male" one of the most defining qualities is to not be "female". I had never thought about it this way before because the reverse isn't necessarily true, femininity isn't defined by its lack of masculinity. It was intriguing to see that identity isn't only shaped by what we are, but is also defined by what we are not. 

Questions:

1. Is identity something that is sometimes socially unacceptable, or taboo, when talking about race or ethnicity?

2. How does being from a majority identity affect how you see minority identities and vice versa?

Reflection #2

DeAnna cyza

     Identity and Intercultural Communication

       When reading chapter 5,  I couldn't help but think to myself, why is the idea of masculinity and femininity such a big deal? From the day we are born even, as the book suggests, gender norms are pushed on infants. In class we discussed the fact that in some countries, women come to visit the newborns, and celebrate the birth of sons, and not the females. Why is it that Chinese strongly favor male heirs over female?

      Without both sexes, life on planet earth for humans would cease. Women play a vital role of childbearing, something unique to them, yet they are looked down upon as the weaker sex. Women are expected to "be womanly." First off, I believe that whoever stereotyped women as "weak" was insanely wrong. It's wrong to completely judge someone by their gender roles, as it does not define their personality. There most definitely are some weak women, as well as an equal amount of men who could also be considered weak. But just because of the anatomy of a women, does that mean we should suffer as we have? Being denied the right to vote until 1919, being viewed as property in the middle ages, and to this day, making only .70 cents to a man's dollar.

Another takeaway point from the reading I thought stood out, was about India I had never heard that India has traditionally held beliefs in a "third gender" the eunuchs. The men were highly revered for having hormones to alter their thought because of crude bodily mutilation. I think that the way the text described Pakistan requiring transgender people to carry an I.D. card for transgender status is very wrong. That is a very tradition-set culture and deviation from the norm causes uproar. By doing this, they are really making things in the lives of transgender individuals are because every time they are asked for identification, someone viewing the special status card willri pass judgement and stereotype them for it.
     
         I'm all for legalizing a third option for transgender individuals for our own country, even though by own personal beliefs are conservative and Catholic, it is not for me to judge. Christianity preaches acceptance and love, even in the 10 commandment "Love thy neighbor."  To truly make a harmonious society, everyone needs to relax, and realize that the gender status of every person in the world will not harm anyone whatsoever. We are a nation that prides ourselves on our many freedoms, and until LGBQT individuals have the same rights to be accepted as who they are, we are denying civil rights to them.

Reflection #2

Danny Clare

1/25/2015

COMM 211

Reflection 2 (Chapter 5)

            I was very intrigued with this chapter because it focused a lot on identity.  I thought that it was very interesting how many different forms of identity there are.  I thought that the most interesting part was when they compared individualized identity and familial identity between different cultures.  In the U.S. we focus on being independent while in Africa it is the polar opposite.  That is extremely interesting to me and opens my eye because I feel like that explains why they have so much tradition within their cultures. 

            I also thought that the section about age identity was entertaining to read because it described our lives right now.  We live in a country where it might not be cool to wear certain clothes, and that’s because we feel either too old or too young for the style we see at a store.  I also thought it was interesting that now a days it’s not that uncommon to work somewhere for a short period of time and switch jobs.  We all have temporary jobs as a money making job.  It mentioned that people from the “baby boomer” era get frustrated because they think they should show corporate loyalty.  I enjoyed reading about this because many people that I know have part time jobs over breaks or over summer just to make money before heading back to school.

            Lastly, the thing that probably caught my eye the most was the Japanese grad student.  She was talking about the patriotism that Americans have and how different it is in Japan.  She said that she was proud that she didn’t have to say she was proud of her country.  She enjoyed seeing the positive and negative sides of her country.  I thought this was so interesting because we are taught growing up to be proud of our country whether that is in school, singing songs, or celebrating the day of our independence.  The way she described how she felt about our patriotism just made me giggle.  

Why are other countries not as proud to express the love for their country?
Why is race still an issue now a days?

Reflection 2 Brad Simpson

Chapter 5 is all about the misunderstood meaning of  the word "identity".  My perception of the word was far off from what this chapter states.  This chapter goes deep into the meaning and its relation to intercultural communication.  I really found this topic interesting being that everyone's identity is based off of each person's perspective.  The main perspective of your own identity is what controls other people's view of yourself.
The most controversal topic in this chapter to me is gender identity.  Each culture has its own views on masculine and feminine actions or ideas.  It states that we often interact with the same people that interact with the same gender roles in society.  I believe that is true because you can point out the more masculine females and the more feminine men.
It is also very interesting to me in the way the culture changes and how the human race adapts to the change.  One generation could so much different from the other generation but that is what was in style at that time period.  "Even the popular imagery of a perect male bdoy changed.  In the 1860's, the middle class had seen the ideal male body as lean and wiry.  By the 1090's, however, and ideal male body required physical bulk and well defined muscles."  These changes of culture are all related back to social media in my eyes.  In this day and age, it is impossible to have the "perfect body" due to photoshoping models.  Models do not even have the image they portray in magazines.  For men to have the perfect body they are influenced into dangerous suppliments for faster growth and slimming.  As for women, they are influenced to be annorexic which is also dangerous.

1.  How will you react to your kids following the new gender identity culture?

2.  Do you discrimminate others if they are less of your own gender identity?

Reflection 2 Kelli Green

Chapter 5 covered the complex idea of identity and how we as people find and define our identities. Martin and Nakayama explain, “By comparing ourselves and others with members of groups, we come to understand who we are. Because we belong to various groups, we develop multiple identities that come into play at different times, depending on the context.” When I meet someone, I often share about the groups or associations I am involved with that reflect my values. These groups help define my identity and help others to understand more about who I am.

Scholar Ting-Toomey argues in her identity negotiation theory that people are more successful in intercultural interactions when they feel good about themselves and the groups to which they belong.  I agree with this theory and believe that when people are proud of their multiple identities or groups that they will be able to share those identities openly in different situations.

Another aspect I found interesting was the interpretive perspective that emphasizes that identities are negotiated, co-created, reinforced, and challenged through communication with others.  One quote that pops into my mind when I think of this concept is “How Peter sees Paul says more about Peter than it does about Paul.” In other words, the way I look at or judge someone that is different than me says more about my prejudices and intolerances than our cultural differences. When I ascribe someone an identity solely based on groups or social and cultural identities, I do not allow that person to stand as an individual. Identities are very complex, but through association with values and personal interaction, we can better understand identity.  

How do we balance association with groups with individual identity?
What social groups or identities cause conflict within intercultural communication?

Erika Beedle Reflection Paper #2

Erika Beedle

Comm 211

Reflection Paper #2

Chapter 5

            As an advertising and public relations major, this class has me constantly thinking about the media affects on our society.  My future career plans will most likely be directly related to social media or technology.  As I increase my intercultural competence, I am becoming more aware of the negative outcomes the media can play in our perceptions of other countries.  Chapter five, titled Identity and Intercultural Communication has furthered my questioning about the media.  The chapter explained identity, and more specifically, what factors shape your identity.  For example, your race, religion, and gender all play a role in developing your identity. 

            I am college student in the midst of trying to find my identity and interested how the media may affect my own experience in developing my identity.  Through social media sites, TV, movies, and magazines I am shown how I am supposed to dress, how I am supposed to talk, and that money is correlated with happiness.  Whether you want to admit or not, the media has played a large factor in developing American college student’s identities.  Sometimes I look at others when trying to find myself.  I feel many times we are trying to find our identity in celebrities or people around us, and forget about the values are families have instilled in us, and what we want for ourselves.  Technology and social media are incredible tools, but at times they only show one side of the story.  Society has created an image we have to obtain to be successful, and we are told what our identity should be without us finding it on our own.

Questions:

1.  How was the media influenced your identity?
2.  Do you think this is an international problem?

Audrey Beedle

COMM 211 – Reflection 2

            Chapter 5 is all about the idea of identity, and how it affects intercultural communication.  I found this chapter very interesting because someone’s identity is all based on your own perspective. You can either have a lot of control, or almost none at all regarding your own identity, as in how you identify yourself and how others identify you.  I find this especially interesting because it really puts things into perspective and helps one to realize that it is nearly impossible for one person to fully understand the identity of another, which in turn affects them in nearly every aspect of their life.  No one will every fully be able to understand why or how I am the way that I am, and simply being aware of this notion can help us immensely in communicating with others.

            One form of identity that has always fascinated me is gender identity.  Gender identity is defined as the identification with the cultural notions of masculinity and femininity and what it means to be a man or a woman.  This is not to be confused with biological sex, as gender is a socially constructed idea.  Gender identity has changed over the years, for example the book mentions that the ideal body type of a man and a woman has changed over time and is different from culture to culture.  The fact that gender is thought of so differently among cultures only further proves that it is socially constructed and that there is no universal standard for what is accepted and what is not.  Similarly, sexual identity varies from culture to culture as well.  Some countries shun homosexuals while others put them on a pedestal.  I think the most important thing to take from these varying standards of gender and sexual identity is that although different cultures view them in different ways, it is important to be aware of those standards and to prevent any forms of violence or discrimination against any certain group of people.  I wanted to write about this because I think many people forget that gender/sexuality is also part of someone’s culture, and it can cause issues with communication and understanding someone who is different from you.  Although we may not commonly think of this things as part of our culture, it is important to be aware of them and how to communicate effectively.

Questions:

1.     Why does the U.S. census not include a third option for gender and how does this create a problem?  Why is this important?

2.     How does gender identity affect your everyday life?

3.     What do you think would be different about gender identity if people were raised in a completely gender-neutral world?

4.     How does gender identity relate to sexual identity?

Sydney Svoboda

Getachew-Comm

Reflection #2

Chapter 3

I will start this writing off with the definition of identity- “The concept of who we are.” While reading Chapter 5 I read about many different ideas of identity. I believe all of these ideas are layers in our lives each revealing a piece of whom we are. The deeper the layers go the ones we believe to be the most sacred concept of identity hides another story of ourselves. For example, gender and age identity may be more prominent than say spiritual or sexual identity. The book states, “In the United States, young people are often encouraged to develop a strong sense of identity, to “know who they are,” to be independent and self-reliant, which reflects an emphasis on the cultural value of individualism.”  I believe this Chapter hits hard on us college students because this is the time of our lives where many of us are struggling to find ourselves. For many of us this is our chance to move away and start from scratch. We are also entering the minor stages of adulthood. Finally living by ourselves, having to make our own decisions, learning to balance our studies, social life, and jobs it can be quite tough.

I also think that with today’s society, we are quick to come up with judgement before even trying to get to know one another, and unravel the layers of identity we humans preciously hold. For example, today in my BSAD 111 class we were asked, “What we first judge about a person.” 93% of the class responded with appearance. Because of this I believe not all, but many young people in todays world are worried about what others think of them. We often times use the impression management theory (the ways by which individuals attempt to control the impressions others have of them.) to get others to accept us for our own identities and cultural qualities not what they believe them to be.  

1.     As a college student which identity would you say defines you the most?

2.     Which identity do you think people struggle with the most and why?