The Self

TOPIC:  MY(SELF)

SOURCE: MY (LIFE) and personal definition of myself.

RELATION: Our Robbins text says that identity is constructed by culture and many other aspects such as our social identities, individualistic, holistic, egocentric, and sociocentric views of self as well as positive and negative identity associations as compared to desirable and undesirable views of our qualities. 

DESCRIPTION: As I was reading this chapter I found myself wondering how I define myself and if I find certain attributes in myself to be positive or negative. As graduation is nearing very quickly, I have to say, I find that my student identity is one of the main identities I define myself with. Many of my friends and fellow classmates will not be continuing their studies and will no longer define themselves as a student but as a professional or whatever it is they are going to do. Since I will be continuing my studies and will be attending graduate school, I will still define myself as a student, and since being up in Humboldt for my studies, I realized that this is the main identity I have associated with since being away from my family and other work roles. When people ask about me and my life, I usually say I am a student and I am originally from southern California. I view my role as a student as a positive identity and that is probably why that is the first thing I usually mention.

COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS: I found this view of myself very interesting in that the view self is a very dynamic and evolving thing. Once someone becomes a professional, mother, father, etc, the view of self and the definition of self changes. 

I just also wanted to mention congrats to anyone else who is graduating this May!! I wish you the best of luck in you ventures into the world! :)

TOPIC: Ideal Family Forms

SOURCE: My personal family life and and extended family.

RELATION: The Robbins texts states that there are two different types of families, the family of orientation which consists of a father, mother, self, and siblings. The other kind of family Robbins mentions is that of the family of procreation which consists of a husband, wife, and their children.

DESCRIPTION: I grew up with my family of procreation which consisted of my mother and father (who were married), my two brothers, and I. Although I do fit this label of a family, my family dynamics have changed very much since my fathers death. We are now a single parent home and my mother is a single mother. To her, it has been a lot of work having to take over another family role of the father. I have a couple friends who have grown up without one parent and they claim that their single parent acted as both the mother an the father. I can definitely see where they are coming from now since my father's passing. In my culture, it is important to recognized extended family as close family. My aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents are all considered close family to me. And since I never had any sisters, I consider all of my girls cousins to be sisters. As my father would say, "Son tus primas-hermanas", which means, "They are your cousin-sisters". I took this to heart and am still very close with my girl cousins till this day. Another family and Latin cultural tradition is respecting elders in the family and also outside of the family. Elders are respected and valued in my culture because they have so much knowledge, wisdom, and life experience.

COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS: Although my immediate family consists of my mother and my two brothers, I also consider my extended family very close. I believe that the family composition varies from family to family and the different beliefs and values they hold.

 

Religion or Spirituality?

Topic: Religion and Interpretive Drift

Source:A talk with a family member regarding religion (a very opinionated family member may I add)and expressing my feelings of the religion I used to practice.

Relation:Interpretive drift is defined as "the slow, often unacknowledged shift in some one's manner of interpreting events as he or she becomes involved with a particular activity" (Robbins,pg.94, 2012). The text also mentions that when someone begins to practice of even play with a new belief or idea, they begin to see new patterns and connections that they did not see before. This is a very interesting idea that can very much apply to my life.

Description:I had a conversation with a family member regarding the Catholic religion and asked me why I do not go to church anymore. This is a difficult topic to discuss with anyone in general but especially with family who tends to be very pushy and opinionated about their beliefs with their loved ones. I think my drift away from the Catholic religion started with my father's death. Along with any dramatic and life changing event like this one, their may be changes in the way a person sees their world. That is what happened to me. I began to question everything a lot more and did not limit myself to any one single idea about religion and spirituality. I did a lot of soul searching for a while and took up yoga and meditating. These practices I feel like, helped heal me and everything I was going through. Yoga is all about being in the present moment and bringing peace of mind and that idea really stuck with me. I still practice yoga till this day and believe it has a profound positive impact in my life and the things I do. I did not find this to be with Catholicism and tried to explain to the family member where I was coming from. It is a tough conversation to have, but I tried my best.

Commentary/Analysis:I guess a little ethnocentrism came into play in this situation. My family member seemed to be pushing the idea and religion of Catholicism on me without any regard to how I felt and what I had been through that had changed my beliefs. I have to admit, I felt a little attacked but kept my cool. Religion seems to be ones of those things that is assumed in a family system. Because your family is a certain religion, you are "supposed" to believe in that as well. At least, that is what I have seen in my family life. I hope the future generations can be more open about letting their children and family members free to explore and express spirituality as they see suits them best.
 

GIRL TALK vs GUY TALK

Topic: GENDER AND COMMUNICATION

Source: 

The everyday interactions I have with my family and recent observations in a family gathering when I was home for spring break.

Relation: 

We all know that there are different types of communication such as verbal, sign language, a person's tone, and body language. All of these forms of communication give a person the ability to analyze what someone is saying and if it matches up with nonverbal cues. Within the context of language are the ways that genders communicate with each other. Whether it is a woman talking with a woman or a man talking with a woman and vice versa, genders may change the way they communicate with each other based on assumptions and traditions.

Description: 

At a family gathering this past weekend, I sat there soaking in the conversations going on around me. Then I thought, hey I'm sitting with all the women in my family and I wondered what the men in my family were talking about. I was a Daddy's girl so when I was younger, I would hangout with my dad a lot and heard what all the men were talking about. What it mostly consisted of was talking about cars, not much about feelings was involved, and it also involved a lot of humor and joking. When sitting with my female family members, we spoke more about family, gossip, and talked a lot more about feelings and problems going on in one's life.

Commentary/Analysis:  

Based on what I observed this day and have over time, it is apparent that there are differences in the ways women and men communicate. Women tend to communicate more freely about emotions and familial and personal issues whereas men tend to navigate away from personal problems and prefer conversations to be less focused on feelings and emotions. I think this may be as a result of maternal feelings and care taking roles women tend to have in many societies. Although times are changing and progressing around the world, I can't help but think men and women gravitate towards having conversations that are focused on certain things. 

Take a look at this video on youtube poking fun at things that women say:

http://youtu.be/u-yLGIH7W9Y

DISCLAIMER: 

I don't think all women say these things but I have caught myself saying some of these things! Kind of funny if you ask me. I also don't think all men don't talk about emotions, just wanted to put that out there. These are simply observations I have made in my life.

The Chokehold of Facebook

TOPIC: Facebook

SOURCE: Everyday Facebooking.

RELATION: I found that Facebook could relate a lot to this week's topic: Globalization, as well as localization. With Facebook becoming such a huge phenomenon around the world, it has changed the many ways in which we communicate with other people in our lives. 

Description: One day last week I was surfing the Facebook news feed when I came to ask myself, How many times a day do I do this? And how many times do I actually talk to the people that are my friends on Facebook? The first reality is that I go on Facebook several times a day, but usually only because I am bored and it is something that keeps me entertained for a while. And secondly, I don't talk to half of my friends on Facebook, actually more like 1/4 of them! The truth is it would be impossible to talk to all of those people and we wouldn't have anything to relate to half of the time anyway. I usually only talk to my good friends from back home or the people that are currently the most relevant in my life, hence, people I currently go to school with or hang out with.

Commentary/Analysis:  Although Facebook is definitely a product of globalization, it has also manifested in many ways in the local spectrum. First, it has changed the way that many people communicate in their daily lives. Commenting on posts or pictures is a new way of communicating. Advertising on Facebook is also a completely new way to reach consumers. It is also not as personal as having a face to face intimate conversation with a friend you haven't seen in a while. Facebook almost acts as a substitute for having to meet in person. Although people still maintain many of their relationships outside of Facebook, it has changed the context of where we first hear information nowadays as well. People rarely find out first hand or through a phone call when a person is engaged, married, or pregnant: they find out through Facebook. Facebook is a global phenomenon but is also locally maintained, as it has many different languages that people can use to better communicate with people around them. Facebook does not change the cultural norms or languages people use to communicate but acts as a way to brings people together in a single place. Good or bad aspects put aside, Facebook has changed our generation's way of doing things. 

OMG do you have the new iphone?

TOPIC: Technology, oh don't we all love it?!

The title says it all. Isn't that a phrase you hear often when new technology comes out, especially Apple products.

Source: The unfortunate experience of breaking the front screen of my iphone.  Conversations with friends regarding whether to fix it or purchase a new and better iphone. 

Relation: I think iphones and technology in general can be viewed as material culture or an artifact, especially in American culture. Going more into depth, the using of such devices (such as an iphone) can be viewed as a commonly practiced cultural behavior. From my experiences, anyone older that 18 who does not have a cell phone is looked at funny because it is almost expected for everyone to have a cell phone in our society. 

Description: As I was walking to the bus stop one beautiful morning, I dropped my iphone 3GS on the sidewalk cement and the front screen broke. My phone was still functional so I didn't pay much mind to it, as long as I could still see my screen, talk on the phone, text, and listen to music, I was a-ok! I got to school and met up with a few friends and showed them what had happen. Many of them had a very strong reaction to it, as if it were their own cell phone saying, "Oh no!! I know someone who can fix it for you!" or "You can order those parts online to fix it!". Most of my friends asked if I was going to get a new one. I really hadn't though about it. Many recommended I just get the newest iphone, the 4S. I later found out that I was available for an upgrade in March so I figured I would wait it out with a cracked screen until then.

Commentary/Analysis: I started thinking about how easily a phone can be repaired and replaced with a new one. I also began to think about why there is such a high demand for these products and came to the conclusion that they simply make our lives easier. We can store phone numbers and addresses, easily call someone or text, and can even keep track of what our friends and family are up to by a simple touch of a button. Apple products must be the most popular technology around the world, by far, because the name itself has meaning. The name and symbol stand for innovation and the newest, coolest technology out there. Americans especially are smitten by Apple products, since this culture is always striving to have the newest and the best technology. Having the newest phone is a must in the country and many countries around the world. People wait in huge lines to get the latest game console or phone so it must symbolize what we value as a culture, right?

An Encounter with Americanized Indian Food

Topic: FOOD!

 

 Source: An encounter with an Americanized Indian food trailer truck in Arcata, CA. A conversation with my boyfriend, who is of Indian decent.

Relation: I believe we can think of food as a cultural text. For many Indian people, food can have a great meaning through religion. For example, the Sikh religion practices vegetarianism and those who step foot in the temple must have not eaten meat within 24 hours. I feel as though Indian food spreading to the western culture can mean that people appreciate certain aspects of the Indian culture and the food. Indian food is very vegetarian friendly, which many people look for nowadays.

Description: After a long drive up to Arcata from Southern California to begin the semester the following week, my boyfriend and I were starving and craving some Indian food. We had been to the Pakistani-Indian place in Eureka but upon searching on Google maps, a new place popped up! We were so relieved to find that it was in Arcata, just about two blocks from where I currently reside.It was a cold, dreary night but we were excited to get some good food in our stomachs. We were a little surprised to find upon our arrival that it was a trailer truck place with some seating near under some tarps (but the fancier kind). It was a nice little set up but it was too cold to stay out side so we decided to take the food to go. So we arrived to my place and dug into the food. I was a little taken aback from the food, expecting real, authentic Indian food.I was actually really disappointed! The naan bread wasn't really naan bread but almost like an Italian garlic bread. The curry plates tasted like no Indian food I had tasted before, not even close. So my boyfriend and I researched a bit and found out that the owner was of Caucasian decent. Ok, well now things started to make a little sense. Then my boyfriend began to explain that the food had an American twist. Then we got even deeper into it and he explained that when the British ruled India, a lot of the Indian food had been altered to appeal to the general public. Indian were used to having extremely spicy food whereas the British were not. So they began adapting food so that people could eat milder versions of the dishes. Something I found very interesting was when my boyfriend explained to me that Britain's official national dish was Chicken Tikka Masala, a variation of a traditional Indian dish.

Commentary/Analysis: A very relevant analysis I made about this experience is that vegetarianism is widespread in India, with many different regions (although having their own regional dishes) practicing it. In a way, it makes sense to have spread quickly to western culture because many people are beginning to convert to vegetarianism, especially in Humboldt County and in California in general. As we all know, Humboldt County and the people living here have a reputation for being very progressive in there ways, often opting out of supporting large corporations and living an alternative lifestyle. 

(These pictures are not from the place my boyfriend and I went to but from my boyfriend's restaurant in Southern California. It is an authentic Northern Indian cuisine restaurant and this is what I am used to when I think of Indian food. As you can see, this little "Indian" place has a lot to live up to!)