It is interesting to think that you can learn so much from one class. This class taught me many things, about myself, and about others. I do not think that I had any idea that I would learn so much when I signed up for this class. The more I think on it, I think that this class is one in which every person in college should take. I believe that a class such as this teaches you about the people in which you are hoping to one day meet when you enter the work force. This class was important to me because it was not only educational, it was educational in a way that was fun.
I think that the most important thing that I have learned from this class is to have an open mind when it comes to others. Our country is becoming more and more diverse and by taking this class, I have learned that these new cultures will have something to share with us that may make us all better people. This class has also taught me to not be so ignorant about my own culture. I know that some people may think that white Americans run everything, but the fact is that that really is not true anymore. Americans still hold a lot of power around the world but, due to the economic trouble our country seems to be in right now, we may not seem as appealing to immigrants anymore. This idea of immigration touches upon something else I learned, the difference between immigrant, and sojourners. I used to think that they were the same thing, however now I see that I was very wrong. I think that it is important to note that we are not just carbon cut - outs of each other and it is important that people realize that. Wherever you go in life, there will be someone that is different from you, it is really up to you how you react when you are around them.
Another important thing that I learned from this class is the non-verbals of other cultures. I never would have guessed that one thing (that seems so normal to us) could be weird to someone from another culture. This is one of the fascinating things about our world.
Another interesting thing that I learned from this class is the six different dialects. I found these really interesting because I had never heard/thought about them before. The dialect that was most interesting to me was the static/dynamic dialect because it can change over time. It makes sense to me that there are certain aspects of culture that would shift over time because it is unrealistic to expect a culture to stay the same forever. With every new invention (computer, cell phones, etc.) our culture changes. Our culture now will not stay the same for our children, it will be completely different when they are around.
I believe that because of this class, I can make a plan to better the culture and neighborhood that I am living in. I also plan to not be as judgmental of people of other cultures. I would also like to help others not be as judgmental about other cultures (I know several people who could use help in this area). I know that it will take some time to grasp the steps that I will need to take to go about this, but I am sure that I can do it.
Do you believe that you will stick to your plan? Why or why not?
Friday, June 11, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Activity 11 - Intercultural Conflict
I decided I would do a intercultural conflict that is still somewhat present in our lives today. The conflict I chose is between Israel and Palestine. I think that this conflict is interesting because it is so controversial.
The Jewish people had wanted their own land for some time, they wanted to build a country that was entirely devoted to their way of life. In 1947, the United Nations partitioned off the land (which was Palestinian land) into Arab and Jewish states. The Arabs were very upset by this because it had been their land and they felt that they were being treated unfairly. The Jewish people on the other hand were very happy about this because it allowed them to have their own state. Palestine refuses to recognize Israel as a state and because of this there is constant fighting. There are problems that this area faces (scarcity of water primarily) and they refuse to help each other out. There have been four wars that have broken out as a result of this conflict. Each side of the conflict believes that they are in this conflict because of the other side.
Have you ever been part of conflict that ended like the Israel/Palestine conflict, with no side winning? If so what was it?
I think that a major conflict issue for Palestine is that the United Nations made the state partition some land off for another state without asking. I know that that would irritate me. However, for Israel, I think that a major conflict issue is that they do not have major rights over the land. For both states, they think that whatever happens can be blamed on the other state.
I think that the cultural conflict style in this conflict is quite obvious, avoiding. Neither Israel nor Palestine cares about what happens to itself or the other state as long as they get what they want when and how they want it. I think that this is most evident by the fact that four wars have broken out. I think that if the two states were trying to get along, they would care about, at least, the well - being of their own state and possibly the well - being of the other state. Our text notes that this style can result in more harmonious relationships (if both parties use this) however, I think that both parties are using this style and it is not having this effect. I do also see the dominating conflict style in this conflict. Israel received its goal at the expense of Palestine - thereby dominating over it. I think that Israel may not have completely thought that it would turn out this way when trying to start their own Jewish state.
I think that for Israel and Palestine, there is always going to be a conflict. I do not see Palestine suddenly getting over something that is this big to them, and something that has gone on for this long. I think that these two states will have to go through a lot more fighting before an actual resolution can be reached between the two.
The Jewish people had wanted their own land for some time, they wanted to build a country that was entirely devoted to their way of life. In 1947, the United Nations partitioned off the land (which was Palestinian land) into Arab and Jewish states. The Arabs were very upset by this because it had been their land and they felt that they were being treated unfairly. The Jewish people on the other hand were very happy about this because it allowed them to have their own state. Palestine refuses to recognize Israel as a state and because of this there is constant fighting. There are problems that this area faces (scarcity of water primarily) and they refuse to help each other out. There have been four wars that have broken out as a result of this conflict. Each side of the conflict believes that they are in this conflict because of the other side.
Have you ever been part of conflict that ended like the Israel/Palestine conflict, with no side winning? If so what was it?
I think that a major conflict issue for Palestine is that the United Nations made the state partition some land off for another state without asking. I know that that would irritate me. However, for Israel, I think that a major conflict issue is that they do not have major rights over the land. For both states, they think that whatever happens can be blamed on the other state.
I think that the cultural conflict style in this conflict is quite obvious, avoiding. Neither Israel nor Palestine cares about what happens to itself or the other state as long as they get what they want when and how they want it. I think that this is most evident by the fact that four wars have broken out. I think that if the two states were trying to get along, they would care about, at least, the well - being of their own state and possibly the well - being of the other state. Our text notes that this style can result in more harmonious relationships (if both parties use this) however, I think that both parties are using this style and it is not having this effect. I do also see the dominating conflict style in this conflict. Israel received its goal at the expense of Palestine - thereby dominating over it. I think that Israel may not have completely thought that it would turn out this way when trying to start their own Jewish state.
I think that for Israel and Palestine, there is always going to be a conflict. I do not see Palestine suddenly getting over something that is this big to them, and something that has gone on for this long. I think that these two states will have to go through a lot more fighting before an actual resolution can be reached between the two.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Activity 10 - How Does Your Culture View Relationships
1. Members of my culture tend to consider parents, step - parents, spouses, siblings, children, and pets part of their families. Anyone that is part of a person's immediate family is usually considered part of a person's family.
2. In the past in our culture, women were usually thought to be the one who stays home to care for the child(ren). However, today this has started to change, women are in the workforce today and caring for their children. The man has always been the one who goes to work and "brings home the bacon". In the past, men were not usually the one who cared for the children. What I think is really cool about the father's role today is that today it is alright for men to stay home and care for the child(ren). The child's role within the family is to go to school. Another role that is reserved for children when they grow into adults is to take care of decisions for their aging parents.
3. Most family members are encouraged to stay in the same area after they have reached adulthood. Our parents enjoy having their children around them because they like having their grandchildren around them and they would ultimately like all of us to have grandchildren.
4. In our culture, to meet people with whom you would like to become romantically involved with young people tend to go out to bars - which I think is somewhat of a taboo - who wants to be with someone who has to be drunk all the time? Young people also meet people at sporting events, through work, at online dating sites, and at school. I think that when it comes to dating, our culture has several norms. The man picks up the woman, they go out to eat followed by some type of activity - most often a movie. Most of the time today, the couple each pays for what they have. I think that a taboo for dating would be to have the man order the woman's dish - women today do not like that.
5. Marriage proposals today are somewhat different than in the past. In the past, the man would absolutely have to have the permission of the woman's father however today that is not need as much although it is still preferred (and considered a romantic gesture). Most of the time today, a woman knows that the proposal is coming and may often go with the man to help pick out her ring. When the man has decided when/where to propose, he will get down on one knee and ask her. Many people like to have an elaborate proposal in front of many people - like at a sporting event. Others, like myself, like to have an intimate proposal with just the man and woman present.
6. Weddings in my culture are very beautiful. The wedding begins with the groom meeting the pastor at the alter. If the mother of the bride is not walking with her daughter down the aisle, she will be escorted at this time by a groomsman. Next the bridesmaids and groomsmen walk down the aisle followed by the ring bearer and flower girl. Next the organ music announces to the congregation that they should stand because the bride will be coming. The bride is escorted down the aisle by her father (and sometimes her mother). The pastor asks "who gives this woman in holy matrimony?" and her father answers "her mother and I do". Then her father gives the hand that he was holding (the bride's right) to the groom. The bride proceeds to hand her bouquet to her maid of honor. Then the pastor begins with "dearly beloved...". During the ceremony, the pastor will ask the bride and groom to say their vows - which can either be original vows that they each wrote or typical vows that come from the church - after which the pastor will ask for the rings - which are supplied by the best man. The pastor will ask the couple to repeat after him and then place the ring on the others ring finger. After they have each done so, the pastor will say "by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride". The married couple then walks down the aisle. After the wedding there is a reception - which can go all night - and is basically like a party. After this, the couple leaves for their honeymoon.
7. Our culture views divorce as something that happens. Divorce is becoming more and more popular today and because of this, it seems that our culture is becoming more willing to accept it.
8. In the past, if divorce happened, the mother most often received full custody of the children where there fathers could visit them on the weekends. I think that this is still the most popular form of custody worked out among divorced couples with children. Couples who do not have children have different rights, if divorce happens, the entirety of that couple's relationship will be divided up among the court system. If the couple comes to some agreement however, then the divorce proceedings go much smoother. However, each partner has a right to whatever the couple accrued during their time together.
9. I think that our culture is coming to terms more with homosexuality. In the past, we were somewhat like the military - don't ask, don't tell. Now, it seems that people realize that it is a part of them and that they should not feel ashamed to hide it. I also believe that there is a very big problem with homosexuality depending on your religious beliefs. I think that the idea of homosexuality still frightens people because they do not like the idea of one woman with another/one man with another. I think that the generally feeling of our culture now is that we are alright with it, we just do not want to hear about what happens behind closed doors.
10. I think that this culture has very similar views as me on gender roles. Most women where I live have children and are employed, one woman a couple houses down from me is a doctor. I think that gender roles do not seem to have a big affect in my culture.
Questions:
1. What did you find most interesting when examining your culture?
2. Were you surprised by anything when examining your culture?
2. In the past in our culture, women were usually thought to be the one who stays home to care for the child(ren). However, today this has started to change, women are in the workforce today and caring for their children. The man has always been the one who goes to work and "brings home the bacon". In the past, men were not usually the one who cared for the children. What I think is really cool about the father's role today is that today it is alright for men to stay home and care for the child(ren). The child's role within the family is to go to school. Another role that is reserved for children when they grow into adults is to take care of decisions for their aging parents.
3. Most family members are encouraged to stay in the same area after they have reached adulthood. Our parents enjoy having their children around them because they like having their grandchildren around them and they would ultimately like all of us to have grandchildren.
4. In our culture, to meet people with whom you would like to become romantically involved with young people tend to go out to bars - which I think is somewhat of a taboo - who wants to be with someone who has to be drunk all the time? Young people also meet people at sporting events, through work, at online dating sites, and at school. I think that when it comes to dating, our culture has several norms. The man picks up the woman, they go out to eat followed by some type of activity - most often a movie. Most of the time today, the couple each pays for what they have. I think that a taboo for dating would be to have the man order the woman's dish - women today do not like that.
5. Marriage proposals today are somewhat different than in the past. In the past, the man would absolutely have to have the permission of the woman's father however today that is not need as much although it is still preferred (and considered a romantic gesture). Most of the time today, a woman knows that the proposal is coming and may often go with the man to help pick out her ring. When the man has decided when/where to propose, he will get down on one knee and ask her. Many people like to have an elaborate proposal in front of many people - like at a sporting event. Others, like myself, like to have an intimate proposal with just the man and woman present.
6. Weddings in my culture are very beautiful. The wedding begins with the groom meeting the pastor at the alter. If the mother of the bride is not walking with her daughter down the aisle, she will be escorted at this time by a groomsman. Next the bridesmaids and groomsmen walk down the aisle followed by the ring bearer and flower girl. Next the organ music announces to the congregation that they should stand because the bride will be coming. The bride is escorted down the aisle by her father (and sometimes her mother). The pastor asks "who gives this woman in holy matrimony?" and her father answers "her mother and I do". Then her father gives the hand that he was holding (the bride's right) to the groom. The bride proceeds to hand her bouquet to her maid of honor. Then the pastor begins with "dearly beloved...". During the ceremony, the pastor will ask the bride and groom to say their vows - which can either be original vows that they each wrote or typical vows that come from the church - after which the pastor will ask for the rings - which are supplied by the best man. The pastor will ask the couple to repeat after him and then place the ring on the others ring finger. After they have each done so, the pastor will say "by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride". The married couple then walks down the aisle. After the wedding there is a reception - which can go all night - and is basically like a party. After this, the couple leaves for their honeymoon.
7. Our culture views divorce as something that happens. Divorce is becoming more and more popular today and because of this, it seems that our culture is becoming more willing to accept it.
8. In the past, if divorce happened, the mother most often received full custody of the children where there fathers could visit them on the weekends. I think that this is still the most popular form of custody worked out among divorced couples with children. Couples who do not have children have different rights, if divorce happens, the entirety of that couple's relationship will be divided up among the court system. If the couple comes to some agreement however, then the divorce proceedings go much smoother. However, each partner has a right to whatever the couple accrued during their time together.
9. I think that our culture is coming to terms more with homosexuality. In the past, we were somewhat like the military - don't ask, don't tell. Now, it seems that people realize that it is a part of them and that they should not feel ashamed to hide it. I also believe that there is a very big problem with homosexuality depending on your religious beliefs. I think that the idea of homosexuality still frightens people because they do not like the idea of one woman with another/one man with another. I think that the generally feeling of our culture now is that we are alright with it, we just do not want to hear about what happens behind closed doors.
10. I think that this culture has very similar views as me on gender roles. Most women where I live have children and are employed, one woman a couple houses down from me is a doctor. I think that gender roles do not seem to have a big affect in my culture.
Questions:
1. What did you find most interesting when examining your culture?
2. Were you surprised by anything when examining your culture?
Activity 9 - Television
A show that I usually watch is The Office. The episode that I watched is entitled "the injury". There are several characters on this show because it takes place in the office of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Co. I think that this episode is hilarious because it shows a side of Dwight that the audience is not used to seeing - a normal side. The episode starts out with Michael Scott (the regional manager of Dunder Mifflin) calling in asking Pam (the receptionist) to come pick him up. He has burned his foot on a George Foreman grill and needs someone to drive him into work. Dwight - who longs to be just like Michael - overhears and tells yells that he is coming. On Dwight's way out of the parking lot, he drives into a pole. As it turns out, Dwight has a concussion. We do not find out that Dwight has a concussion until the middle of the episode after Michael brings in Billy (a disabled man) to talk to the office employees about how to react around a disabled person. Michael has brought Billy in because no one will listen to him that he is disabled. It is Billy that tells Jim that he thinks Dwight has a concussion. Once the people in the office realize this, they understand why Dwight has been acting so unusual (what would be considered normal to the rest of us) all day.
This episode of The Office, is trying to teach us that being disabled still means that you are an American. Michael begins his presentation about disabled people by putting up pictures of famous people that are disabled. Everyone of these people we consider an American despite their handicap and Michael is trying to get everyone to see him not his burnt foot (all he really wants is to have some fuss made over him). Throughout the season, Michael also makes reference to the fact that other members of the office must have had a hard life based upon their physical handicaps - Stanley is an African American, Oscar is Mexican, and Kevin is overweight. Michael does not get the big picture most of the time. The Office also shows the American quality of being a successful businessperson. The company tries to sell paper to people and whoever gets the most sales for that year receives a certificate, much like real life. This is a perfect example of what many American companies do - sales. The show shows that Americans are funny and sometimes stupid. In the case of Angela, they can also be judgmental and mean. In The Office, American's hang out with fellow Americans that have similar interests are that they have feelings for. The most notable example of this in the entire show is that of Jim and Pam. From the first episode, Jim has had feelings for Pam (Pam is engaged to Roy - who is a real jerk), Pam does not really realize that Jim has feelings for her, she just thinks that he is a nice guy. This show tells us that Americans live on the East coast. This means any person that is unfamiliar with the United States would believe that any smart, successful, funny person would live on the East Coast. I think that it would also tell people unfamiliar with the United States that when it comes to people with disabilities, that the U.S. is not very sympathetic.
What/if anything did your show teach you about the way we view Americans? Would you agree with that?
Would you agree with what the Office is showing us in this episode, that the United States is unsympathetic to people with disabilities? Why or why not?
This episode of The Office, is trying to teach us that being disabled still means that you are an American. Michael begins his presentation about disabled people by putting up pictures of famous people that are disabled. Everyone of these people we consider an American despite their handicap and Michael is trying to get everyone to see him not his burnt foot (all he really wants is to have some fuss made over him). Throughout the season, Michael also makes reference to the fact that other members of the office must have had a hard life based upon their physical handicaps - Stanley is an African American, Oscar is Mexican, and Kevin is overweight. Michael does not get the big picture most of the time. The Office also shows the American quality of being a successful businessperson. The company tries to sell paper to people and whoever gets the most sales for that year receives a certificate, much like real life. This is a perfect example of what many American companies do - sales. The show shows that Americans are funny and sometimes stupid. In the case of Angela, they can also be judgmental and mean. In The Office, American's hang out with fellow Americans that have similar interests are that they have feelings for. The most notable example of this in the entire show is that of Jim and Pam. From the first episode, Jim has had feelings for Pam (Pam is engaged to Roy - who is a real jerk), Pam does not really realize that Jim has feelings for her, she just thinks that he is a nice guy. This show tells us that Americans live on the East coast. This means any person that is unfamiliar with the United States would believe that any smart, successful, funny person would live on the East Coast. I think that it would also tell people unfamiliar with the United States that when it comes to people with disabilities, that the U.S. is not very sympathetic.
What/if anything did your show teach you about the way we view Americans? Would you agree with that?
Would you agree with what the Office is showing us in this episode, that the United States is unsympathetic to people with disabilities? Why or why not?
Friday, June 4, 2010
Activity 8 - Transition
A transition that I experienced in my life that had a huge affect on my was when my family moved to a new home. My family is not that large - four people - yet we were outgrowing our home. I was ten when my parents told my brother and I that we were moving to a new house. Sometimes children are excited to move to a new home however my brother and I were not, in fact we were scared. Everything that we knew was was right around our home - our school, friends, baby sitters, and the park. Even though I was old enough to understand why we were moving to a new house but I was still not alright with it.
When we moved, my brother and I had a very hard time transitioning once we moved to the new house - my brother a harder time than me. Our new house was a lot bigger than our old house, I felt that it was too big. I spent the first seven months sleeping in a sleeping bag on the floor of my parents room because I was afraid to sleep alone in my own room. After that my brother slept in a sleeping bag on the floor of my room so that neither one of us was alone.
I'm not sure why the transition to our new house was so hard for me. I think that because I had to start a new school and make new friends I was completely out of my element. After this experience I had to learn to become a lot more brave. As a result of this I still have a hard time being in my house by myself. I think that is because it is an old house that makes noise and I am still not completely alright with the house.
Whatever transition you went through have you completely come to grips with the outcome of that transition?
What things helped you get over that transition?
When we moved, my brother and I had a very hard time transitioning once we moved to the new house - my brother a harder time than me. Our new house was a lot bigger than our old house, I felt that it was too big. I spent the first seven months sleeping in a sleeping bag on the floor of my parents room because I was afraid to sleep alone in my own room. After that my brother slept in a sleeping bag on the floor of my room so that neither one of us was alone.
I'm not sure why the transition to our new house was so hard for me. I think that because I had to start a new school and make new friends I was completely out of my element. After this experience I had to learn to become a lot more brave. As a result of this I still have a hard time being in my house by myself. I think that is because it is an old house that makes noise and I am still not completely alright with the house.
Whatever transition you went through have you completely come to grips with the outcome of that transition?
What things helped you get over that transition?
Activity 7 - Nonverbal Activities
I thought this "experiment" was really fun! I've taken Jen's nonverbal class so I kind of thought that our activity would be something like this. I thought that it was going to be really hard to mess with people that I new, but it really was not that hard. Many of the people that I messed with had no idea what I was doing until after I debriefed them. After I told them that it was for a class and that I was not just a weirdo they were a little bit more understanding.
I started by doing the "Back Me Up" activity. I really thought that I could do this to several people to get the response I wanted. I ended up doing this activity at work. with my boss. I thought that it would be really funny to do this with my boss because I knew that he would have no idea what I was doing - so he would be the perfect person. That's what I thought, but he was actually not the perfect person. When we were having a conversation at work, I turned myself so that his back was to the wall. Then I proceeded to inch closer to him while we were talking. Every time I moved closer, he moved back toward the wall. I did not have to move to many times before he gave me a look - a look that was asking me "what the heck are you doing?" Once he gave me this look, I had to tell him what I was doing. After I told him this, he understood and thought that it was funny.
I did the first eye contact activity first. My cousin is visiting my family this week so he knows that I am not weird. When we started our conversation, I began using eye contact in a completely normal way. I thought I was, but I am a person who naturally uses eye contact a lot. At first he did not even notice that I was doing this but after a while he started to try and avoid my gaze. I kept moving so that he would continue to notice that I was trying to keep eye contact with him. Soon, he started to look at me as if I was doing something wrong. I had to debrief him then and tell him that I was doing this for school. He did not find it as weird then.
The last activity I also did while I was at work with one of my guy friends because I wanted to see if a guy would pay attention to something like this. When the conversation began, I used eye contact. I quickly started looking around and at the floor so that I was not looking at him. I was surprised at how quickly he caught on that I was not keeping eye contact. It did not even take him two minutes. He wanted to know what I was doing because as I said before I usually keep eye contact with the person with whom I am talking to. First he asked me if I was feeling alright. I told him I was and he then proceeded to ask me if why I was avoiding him. I had to debrief him after that because I knew he was confused.
I thought these activities were really interesting because people really had know idea what I was doing. I thought it was fun to see their reactions before I explained what I was doing and also fun to see their reactions after I explained.
What was the outcome of your "experiments?
Did you find that people were alright with the activities that you were doing to them.
How did they react after you debriefed them?
I started by doing the "Back Me Up" activity. I really thought that I could do this to several people to get the response I wanted. I ended up doing this activity at work. with my boss. I thought that it would be really funny to do this with my boss because I knew that he would have no idea what I was doing - so he would be the perfect person. That's what I thought, but he was actually not the perfect person. When we were having a conversation at work, I turned myself so that his back was to the wall. Then I proceeded to inch closer to him while we were talking. Every time I moved closer, he moved back toward the wall. I did not have to move to many times before he gave me a look - a look that was asking me "what the heck are you doing?" Once he gave me this look, I had to tell him what I was doing. After I told him this, he understood and thought that it was funny.
I did the first eye contact activity first. My cousin is visiting my family this week so he knows that I am not weird. When we started our conversation, I began using eye contact in a completely normal way. I thought I was, but I am a person who naturally uses eye contact a lot. At first he did not even notice that I was doing this but after a while he started to try and avoid my gaze. I kept moving so that he would continue to notice that I was trying to keep eye contact with him. Soon, he started to look at me as if I was doing something wrong. I had to debrief him then and tell him that I was doing this for school. He did not find it as weird then.
The last activity I also did while I was at work with one of my guy friends because I wanted to see if a guy would pay attention to something like this. When the conversation began, I used eye contact. I quickly started looking around and at the floor so that I was not looking at him. I was surprised at how quickly he caught on that I was not keeping eye contact. It did not even take him two minutes. He wanted to know what I was doing because as I said before I usually keep eye contact with the person with whom I am talking to. First he asked me if I was feeling alright. I told him I was and he then proceeded to ask me if why I was avoiding him. I had to debrief him after that because I knew he was confused.
I thought these activities were really interesting because people really had know idea what I was doing. I thought it was fun to see their reactions before I explained what I was doing and also fun to see their reactions after I explained.
What was the outcome of your "experiments?
Did you find that people were alright with the activities that you were doing to them.
How did they react after you debriefed them?
Monday, May 31, 2010
Activity 6 - Language in the United States
This activity was really fun to do. I had been shown the vowel power quiz before yet I still had trouble doing it. I think it is really interesting that language in one country can be so different. I think that these quizzes were a really fascinating way to showcase the fact that we do not think about how different language can be. I liked the vowel quiz better that the Where is the Speaker From because I felt it was easier to do for me because the other one had to do slightly with geography and I am horrible at geography.
I started by taking the vowel power quiz because I knew that I had seen it before and so I was sure about how to go about it. The last time I was shown this, it was in class and we were given two times to guess what each speaker was saying. So I decided I was only going to give myself two times this time as well to challenge myself. I could have used more than two times though since I had already taken this quiz in a class. What I would have liked is for the website to list the dialect or accent of the speaker. That is what I found hard when trying to figure out the word. After I and submitted my quiz and the sentences were revealed, I looked at the two I got wrong and could not believe that those were the sentences because they looked nothing like what they had sounded like. Overall, I did not do too bad on this quiz. I got 3 out of 5. I was happy with this because many of them I did not think I had guessed correctly. I was pleasantly surprised though to find out that I had.
The second quiz, Where is the Speaker From, was a lot more challenging for me. I only got two answers right. I have never been a person that knows geography well and this proves that. I do not know where people come from based upon the sound of their voice. It was very hard for me to do this quiz, I think I changed my answers around three times before deciding that I should just get it over with and submit my quiz. I took this quiz twice, once yesterday (Sunday) and once today (Monday). I thought it would be interesting to find out if my answers improved the second time around. My answers did improve but only slightly. The second time I took the quiz, my result was 6 out of 12 - half way there!
I thought that this was a really good activity for this chapter. It makes students look at language in a different way. With these quizzes, we begin to understand the idiosyncrasies of our language - especially with the vowel power quiz. I really appreciated the Where is the Speaker From quiz. I wrote the answers down and then went back and replayed each letter to allow me to hear the dialect/accent again.
I started by taking the vowel power quiz because I knew that I had seen it before and so I was sure about how to go about it. The last time I was shown this, it was in class and we were given two times to guess what each speaker was saying. So I decided I was only going to give myself two times this time as well to challenge myself. I could have used more than two times though since I had already taken this quiz in a class. What I would have liked is for the website to list the dialect or accent of the speaker. That is what I found hard when trying to figure out the word. After I and submitted my quiz and the sentences were revealed, I looked at the two I got wrong and could not believe that those were the sentences because they looked nothing like what they had sounded like. Overall, I did not do too bad on this quiz. I got 3 out of 5. I was happy with this because many of them I did not think I had guessed correctly. I was pleasantly surprised though to find out that I had.
The second quiz, Where is the Speaker From, was a lot more challenging for me. I only got two answers right. I have never been a person that knows geography well and this proves that. I do not know where people come from based upon the sound of their voice. It was very hard for me to do this quiz, I think I changed my answers around three times before deciding that I should just get it over with and submit my quiz. I took this quiz twice, once yesterday (Sunday) and once today (Monday). I thought it would be interesting to find out if my answers improved the second time around. My answers did improve but only slightly. The second time I took the quiz, my result was 6 out of 12 - half way there!
I thought that this was a really good activity for this chapter. It makes students look at language in a different way. With these quizzes, we begin to understand the idiosyncrasies of our language - especially with the vowel power quiz. I really appreciated the Where is the Speaker From quiz. I wrote the answers down and then went back and replayed each letter to allow me to hear the dialect/accent again.
Activity 5 - Avowed and Ascribed Identities
Avowed Identity ------ Ascribed Identity
Religious ------- Familial
Individualized ------ Age
Familial ------- Gender
I think that a person's identities say a lot about them. The identities that I have are important to me because they have shaped who I am and who I am going to become. Family has always been an important thing to me and I think that it is because of my family. I think that because I have an Italian family, we tend to be even more close than some people would consider families to be. I like to compare my family to the family on My Big Fat Greek Wedding because they are a large, loud family but they are also very interested in what each person does. Everything that Nia did, her family had to put their two cents worth in. My family does this, and I used to really hate this about my family - I just wanted a normal family who stayed out of my business. I think that now that I am a little bit older (and so many of my family members are old and/or passed on) I have come to appreciate this. I think that because I grew up with a family that was so "involved" in my life, they have always had a huge influence on me and who I am. I put familial in the ascribed column because of the fact that my family knows that they are a huge influence on my life. I also put it in this category because there have been times when hanging out with people that I have met possibly once or twice before that they will make a comment to me about my family. Whether this comment is good or bad, they can always tell what my response is going to be - that my family is the most important thing in the world to me and I would do anything for them. Even my friends have noted this before, that I pay extra attention to things that are being said if it anything to do with my family.
I also put age in the ascribed identities column because there have been many times when my age has caused me to be seen differently - especially when I was younger. I think that when you are young people tend to look at you in a way that implies that you are not very knowledgeable. I have most often noticed this with the older generation - they look at my generation and people younger than me as if we are stupid kids. My grandfather did this a lot - especially with my brother. He felt that because my brother is a boy and young he should help my parents out when it came to lifting things and doing things that my parents could not. My brother did not see it the same way. There was definitely age discrimination between the two of them. Another way in which my grandfather used to discriminate the grandchildren was gender.
In our culture, there are certain things that are considered more masculine or more feminine. When I was younger, I used to be really into sports, I played softball, soccer, basketball and ran track. My brother on the other hand - did nothing. This used to drive my grandfather crazy. He used to think that because I was really into sports it made me look like I was a tomboy. He was always trying to get me into the kitchen to help my grandmother cook - which I hated to do. My brother had no interest in sports and while that was fine with my parents - it was not fine with my grandfather.
Ascribed ----- Who Was ----- Actions To
Identity ----- Responsible ----- Resist
Familial ----- Family, Friends ----- Do not allow decisions to be influenced.
Age ----- Media, Peers ----- Do not allow others' feelings about your age to influence what you wish to do.
Gender ----- Family, Media, Society --- Do not allow others to dictate what is right for you. Do not give up something you want because they say it is not masculine/feminine - Just Do It!
Do you think that your identities have been shaped more by your family and friends or by the media?
Why do you think other people can have such a huge impact on our identities and who we become?
Religious ------- Familial
Individualized ------ Age
Familial ------- Gender
I think that a person's identities say a lot about them. The identities that I have are important to me because they have shaped who I am and who I am going to become. Family has always been an important thing to me and I think that it is because of my family. I think that because I have an Italian family, we tend to be even more close than some people would consider families to be. I like to compare my family to the family on My Big Fat Greek Wedding because they are a large, loud family but they are also very interested in what each person does. Everything that Nia did, her family had to put their two cents worth in. My family does this, and I used to really hate this about my family - I just wanted a normal family who stayed out of my business. I think that now that I am a little bit older (and so many of my family members are old and/or passed on) I have come to appreciate this. I think that because I grew up with a family that was so "involved" in my life, they have always had a huge influence on me and who I am. I put familial in the ascribed column because of the fact that my family knows that they are a huge influence on my life. I also put it in this category because there have been times when hanging out with people that I have met possibly once or twice before that they will make a comment to me about my family. Whether this comment is good or bad, they can always tell what my response is going to be - that my family is the most important thing in the world to me and I would do anything for them. Even my friends have noted this before, that I pay extra attention to things that are being said if it anything to do with my family.
I also put age in the ascribed identities column because there have been many times when my age has caused me to be seen differently - especially when I was younger. I think that when you are young people tend to look at you in a way that implies that you are not very knowledgeable. I have most often noticed this with the older generation - they look at my generation and people younger than me as if we are stupid kids. My grandfather did this a lot - especially with my brother. He felt that because my brother is a boy and young he should help my parents out when it came to lifting things and doing things that my parents could not. My brother did not see it the same way. There was definitely age discrimination between the two of them. Another way in which my grandfather used to discriminate the grandchildren was gender.
In our culture, there are certain things that are considered more masculine or more feminine. When I was younger, I used to be really into sports, I played softball, soccer, basketball and ran track. My brother on the other hand - did nothing. This used to drive my grandfather crazy. He used to think that because I was really into sports it made me look like I was a tomboy. He was always trying to get me into the kitchen to help my grandmother cook - which I hated to do. My brother had no interest in sports and while that was fine with my parents - it was not fine with my grandfather.
Ascribed ----- Who Was ----- Actions To
Identity ----- Responsible ----- Resist
Familial ----- Family, Friends ----- Do not allow decisions to be influenced.
Age ----- Media, Peers ----- Do not allow others' feelings about your age to influence what you wish to do.
Gender ----- Family, Media, Society --- Do not allow others to dictate what is right for you. Do not give up something you want because they say it is not masculine/feminine - Just Do It!
Do you think that your identities have been shaped more by your family and friends or by the media?
Why do you think other people can have such a huge impact on our identities and who we become?
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Activity 4 - Thought Provoking Questions????
I thought that the quiz was really interesting. I liked the fact that we were able to take the quiz twice because in between it gave me time to think about my answers a little bit more. What I thought was interesting about my answers to the quiz, is the fact that I was very racially discriminate.
The ethnic group that was easiest for me to come up with answers to was the white category - and mainly the white males. I find this really interesting because our country has become so accustomed to people of different ethnicity's. I think that because we are so familiar with these people we may possibly take them for granted and do not acknowledge their ethnicity. As I said before, the white category was easiest for me. I think that because I am Caucasian that helps me identify more with people of my own skin color. As sad as it is to say this, I think that our country is still divided by skin color. I think that it makes many people acknowledge their own skin color and stereotype those of other races. The thing that I found the hardest to do in these categories was to name someone of the ethnicity in question who had lived before the 1600's. I do not know why but this was a very difficult thing for me, many of them I could not think of. However, if it were not timed, I think that I would have (maybe) been able to come up with a name or two.
I found the men to be more easy to come up with. Especially for the white men in the earlier years. I think that men were easier to come up with because our country in the past was "programmed" to think that men were (somewhat) better than women. Luckily today that has changed, however I do believe that that is the reason why I found it easier to come up with names of men for each category rather than women. What is interesting is that though I found it easier to come up with the names of men, there was one category that I could only think of the names of women and no men.
I think that in the United States we are taught history about white people and black people. History about Asians, Latino's or Middle Eastern people are really not included in our text books until you get to your junior or senior year of high school - and possibly not even then. I do not remember learning anything about Asians, Latino's or Middle Eastern people until 9/11. Then of course we talked about Middle Eastern people because that was a big deal at the time. The things that I remember being taught in school were about the white men finding a new territory that was inhabited by the Indians and also about the topic of slavery - though that topic did not come until middle school.
I feel that the United States tries to teach history that it feels it knows something about. I think that has a great influence on what we are taught in our schools. If 9/11 had not happened, I do not feel that we would have been taught about the Middle East. However, once that happened everyone talked about the Middle East because we wanted more information about the people that performed this horrible tragedy.
Do you think that the schools you attended properly prepared you with the knowledge to answer the questions on the quiz. Do you think that there is any specific one of these categories that teachers would shy away from teaching about? if so why? Is there one that you would not want to teach about? why?
The ethnic group that was easiest for me to come up with answers to was the white category - and mainly the white males. I find this really interesting because our country has become so accustomed to people of different ethnicity's. I think that because we are so familiar with these people we may possibly take them for granted and do not acknowledge their ethnicity. As I said before, the white category was easiest for me. I think that because I am Caucasian that helps me identify more with people of my own skin color. As sad as it is to say this, I think that our country is still divided by skin color. I think that it makes many people acknowledge their own skin color and stereotype those of other races. The thing that I found the hardest to do in these categories was to name someone of the ethnicity in question who had lived before the 1600's. I do not know why but this was a very difficult thing for me, many of them I could not think of. However, if it were not timed, I think that I would have (maybe) been able to come up with a name or two.
I found the men to be more easy to come up with. Especially for the white men in the earlier years. I think that men were easier to come up with because our country in the past was "programmed" to think that men were (somewhat) better than women. Luckily today that has changed, however I do believe that that is the reason why I found it easier to come up with names of men for each category rather than women. What is interesting is that though I found it easier to come up with the names of men, there was one category that I could only think of the names of women and no men.
I think that in the United States we are taught history about white people and black people. History about Asians, Latino's or Middle Eastern people are really not included in our text books until you get to your junior or senior year of high school - and possibly not even then. I do not remember learning anything about Asians, Latino's or Middle Eastern people until 9/11. Then of course we talked about Middle Eastern people because that was a big deal at the time. The things that I remember being taught in school were about the white men finding a new territory that was inhabited by the Indians and also about the topic of slavery - though that topic did not come until middle school.
I feel that the United States tries to teach history that it feels it knows something about. I think that has a great influence on what we are taught in our schools. If 9/11 had not happened, I do not feel that we would have been taught about the Middle East. However, once that happened everyone talked about the Middle East because we wanted more information about the people that performed this horrible tragedy.
Do you think that the schools you attended properly prepared you with the knowledge to answer the questions on the quiz. Do you think that there is any specific one of these categories that teachers would shy away from teaching about? if so why? Is there one that you would not want to teach about? why?
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Activity 3 - Ethnicity and Communication
There are many things that make a person and their communication unique. One of those things has to do with your ethnicity. I think that your ethnicity has a profound influence on the person you become and the style of communication that you have.
I am primarily Swedish and Italian with some Irish. My maternal grandmother was a full blood Italian and my maternal grandfather was Swedish. My grandmother grew up speaking Italian while she was at home with her parents and siblings. She learned English in school. My grandfather was raised knowing English. What was always interesting to me about my grandfather is that he learned many different languages. He was in the army so he traveled to many different countries and was given the chance to learn those languages. My paternal grandparents were Irish. They only spoke English. Occasionally they would swear in Irish but that was the extent of it. I loved my grandparents accents.
I think that my ethnicity influenced me and my communication very much. My maternal grandmother spoke Italian whenever she was feeling nostalgic and I'm sure that is why I personally think that Italian is a very beautiful language. Today whenever I hear the Italian accent it makes me miss my grandmother. I think that my ethnicity has influenced me because Italian's are a people that hold their family very close to them. I would definitely say that I am a person who values my family more than anything. I also think that the Italian language has had an influence on me. The language is beautiful and whenever I hear someone singing Italian I feel that it should be a love song. I wonder why that is? I think that my Italian ethnicity has probably had the biggest influence on me. Italy has always been this lovely dream in my head that if I were to go there, everything would be perfect. I think that realistically, that is not the case. I think that my Swedish and Irish ethnicity have a smaller influence on me. I consider myself a Swede only because I am like my grandpa. I share qualities that are similar to his. However, at the same time I do not have the fair skin and blond hair and blue eyes that so many Swedish people have. I am my grandmother's granddaughter in that area. The only thing that I feel is Irish about me is my name. My last name is considered to be very Irish so my parents gave me and Irish first name to go with it. I do not feel as though I talk similar to anyone of my grandparents. I am purely American. My vocalic's are American made.
I think that some people may be able to guess that I am Italian based on my looks. I do have the dark hair and eyes. However, I do not think that this influences the way in which they talk to me in anyway. Do people talk to you differently based on this? I have not experienced it, but maybe I was not paying attention to it. I think that the only time that people talk to me differently based upon my ethnicity is when I am with extended family members, usually my Italian extended family. Usually at family reunions, there will be aunts and uncles that come and talk to me and say things in Italian that they feel I should know. However, I actually have no idea what they are saying to me. I just smile and nod and everything is fine.
In your experience, do you think people treat you differently within your own family based upon your ethnicity? Do you think that there is a reason why?
I am primarily Swedish and Italian with some Irish. My maternal grandmother was a full blood Italian and my maternal grandfather was Swedish. My grandmother grew up speaking Italian while she was at home with her parents and siblings. She learned English in school. My grandfather was raised knowing English. What was always interesting to me about my grandfather is that he learned many different languages. He was in the army so he traveled to many different countries and was given the chance to learn those languages. My paternal grandparents were Irish. They only spoke English. Occasionally they would swear in Irish but that was the extent of it. I loved my grandparents accents.
I think that my ethnicity influenced me and my communication very much. My maternal grandmother spoke Italian whenever she was feeling nostalgic and I'm sure that is why I personally think that Italian is a very beautiful language. Today whenever I hear the Italian accent it makes me miss my grandmother. I think that my ethnicity has influenced me because Italian's are a people that hold their family very close to them. I would definitely say that I am a person who values my family more than anything. I also think that the Italian language has had an influence on me. The language is beautiful and whenever I hear someone singing Italian I feel that it should be a love song. I wonder why that is? I think that my Italian ethnicity has probably had the biggest influence on me. Italy has always been this lovely dream in my head that if I were to go there, everything would be perfect. I think that realistically, that is not the case. I think that my Swedish and Irish ethnicity have a smaller influence on me. I consider myself a Swede only because I am like my grandpa. I share qualities that are similar to his. However, at the same time I do not have the fair skin and blond hair and blue eyes that so many Swedish people have. I am my grandmother's granddaughter in that area. The only thing that I feel is Irish about me is my name. My last name is considered to be very Irish so my parents gave me and Irish first name to go with it. I do not feel as though I talk similar to anyone of my grandparents. I am purely American. My vocalic's are American made.
I think that some people may be able to guess that I am Italian based on my looks. I do have the dark hair and eyes. However, I do not think that this influences the way in which they talk to me in anyway. Do people talk to you differently based on this? I have not experienced it, but maybe I was not paying attention to it. I think that the only time that people talk to me differently based upon my ethnicity is when I am with extended family members, usually my Italian extended family. Usually at family reunions, there will be aunts and uncles that come and talk to me and say things in Italian that they feel I should know. However, I actually have no idea what they are saying to me. I just smile and nod and everything is fine.
In your experience, do you think people treat you differently within your own family based upon your ethnicity? Do you think that there is a reason why?
Activity 2 - Observation
I observed in the snack bar of the public library that is near my house. I noticed that many people did not stop in the snack bar because they were only there for a short time. The people who did stop at the snack bar were mostly there to do homework. Very few people that were there were actually eating, most of them were drinking coffee. The snack bar can seat about 30 people comfortably. The day I observed there were about 25 so there were a couple of tables open.
The thing that I noticed most was people's eye contact behaviors. The space is generally considered a quiet space so whenever someone raised their voice to more than a whisper, people would shoot them a look that was telling them to quiet down. Most people sat by themselves at a table for one. They positioned their bodies so that they were only facing the window, the door, or the cashier. No one faced each other. One man that came in noticed that the only table left was one in which he was going to have to sit close to someone else - even though it would be back to back. He left immediately. This was a perfect example of an unwritten rule within the snack bar. No one was allowed to sit close (like 10 - 15 inches) to each other.
Another thing that I noticed while observing is how people would move. Whenever someone went up to get another cup of coffee, their body movements would become very rigid as though they were uncomfortable. I thought this was strange because the space was not small enough that I felt they should be uncomfortable.
There was very little talking that happened. There was talking between the cashier and customers. The only talking that I observed between people sitting in the snack bar was a man asking a woman if he could borrow a pen. She was polite and gave him a pen.
Since we were asked to "imagine" if someone came into the place we were observing and performed a behavior that was forbidden, I did just that. When I first went into the snack bar, I sat at the same table as a young girl (about my age). I could tell immediately that she was uncomfortable because her whole body shifted. As soon as I sat at the table, she moved all her stuff closer to her as if I had cooties. I had broken the unwritten rule that nobody should sit next to each other.
The conclusion that I came to is that people will close themselves off so people will give them their space. I think that often times we do this without even intending to. In the case of the young girl I sat by, I think that she wanted to close herself off to me because I had made her uncomfortable. The uncomfortable feeling is probably what drives many of the behaviors that we do.
Are there any conclusions that you have noticed from reading this that I may not have caught since I was in a part of it? Do you find any aspect of this observation more interesting than another?
The thing that I noticed most was people's eye contact behaviors. The space is generally considered a quiet space so whenever someone raised their voice to more than a whisper, people would shoot them a look that was telling them to quiet down. Most people sat by themselves at a table for one. They positioned their bodies so that they were only facing the window, the door, or the cashier. No one faced each other. One man that came in noticed that the only table left was one in which he was going to have to sit close to someone else - even though it would be back to back. He left immediately. This was a perfect example of an unwritten rule within the snack bar. No one was allowed to sit close (like 10 - 15 inches) to each other.
Another thing that I noticed while observing is how people would move. Whenever someone went up to get another cup of coffee, their body movements would become very rigid as though they were uncomfortable. I thought this was strange because the space was not small enough that I felt they should be uncomfortable.
There was very little talking that happened. There was talking between the cashier and customers. The only talking that I observed between people sitting in the snack bar was a man asking a woman if he could borrow a pen. She was polite and gave him a pen.
Since we were asked to "imagine" if someone came into the place we were observing and performed a behavior that was forbidden, I did just that. When I first went into the snack bar, I sat at the same table as a young girl (about my age). I could tell immediately that she was uncomfortable because her whole body shifted. As soon as I sat at the table, she moved all her stuff closer to her as if I had cooties. I had broken the unwritten rule that nobody should sit next to each other.
The conclusion that I came to is that people will close themselves off so people will give them their space. I think that often times we do this without even intending to. In the case of the young girl I sat by, I think that she wanted to close herself off to me because I had made her uncomfortable. The uncomfortable feeling is probably what drives many of the behaviors that we do.
Are there any conclusions that you have noticed from reading this that I may not have caught since I was in a part of it? Do you find any aspect of this observation more interesting than another?
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Activity 1 - Far and Away
There were many obstacles that immigrants face throughout the forming of our country. In school, we are most often taught about these obstacles by using examples of slaves and slave labor. However, these obstacles were faced by more than just African Americans. Similar to African Americans, many other groups who immigrated were not shown kindness or respect in any way. In the movie Far and Away, audiences are shown obstacles that the Irish faced when immigrating to America.
When a person/group immigrates to another country, there is usually a reason as to why they did this. In Far and Away, Shannon and Joseph go to America in search for freedom. Shannon wants freedom from the boring life that she has in her parents' house. Her parents decide everything that she does - she cannot even unbutton the collar on her dress without her mother telling her to button it back up. She decides to run away to America in order to buy land (and freedom) to get away from her parents.
Joseph on the other hand, has led a very different life from Shannon. He came to the Christy house for justice. He wants to kill Daniel Christy (Shannon's father) because Daniel ordered Joseph's house burnt because Joseph's family (the Donnelly's) had not paid the taxes on their property. He is sentenced to a dual with Stephen Chase in order to save his freedom. Shannon rescues him and they leave for America. Joseph decides to go to America only after Shannon tells him about the land they are "giving away". Joseph has always had a dream to own and harvest his own land. When they arrive in America, they are met with new experiences and obstacles that they were not expecting.
When Shannon and Joseph arrive in America, they plan to split up - they had no plans of staying together. Only after Mr. McGuire, who was going to help Shannon, is shot do they stay together. When Mr. McGuire is shot, Shannon loses her silver spoons which were what she was going to get her money from. Their primary challenge after this was that they had no money to live off of. Working at the factory does not help them earn enough money because they are started at such a low wage. Joseph begins to fight in order to earn money. He is the undefeated champion for a long time until an Italian fighter defeats him. Soon Shannon and Joseph find themselves on the street. They have no money so they cannot buy food. This is another obstacle they face - hunger. At this time, Irish immigrants could get very few jobs because no one was interested in hiring an immigrant. They break into a house in order to find food but pay the consequence when Shannon is shot. Though they face consequences, they ultimatley end up with what they want. The have each other and they get their land.
The movie shows many obstacles to the immigration process. However, the movie's immigration form has a very big Hollywood influence to it. The movie shows many things about the immigration process that are true, such as lack of money, poor job wage for immigrants, and lack of food. However, the movie also shows elements of the immigration process that are hard to believe. The part that was hardest to believe for me was at the end when Joseph hesitates to claim his land. I do not think this would have happened had it not been a movie.
What do you think of the immigration process? Do you think this movie shows that process well?
When a person/group immigrates to another country, there is usually a reason as to why they did this. In Far and Away, Shannon and Joseph go to America in search for freedom. Shannon wants freedom from the boring life that she has in her parents' house. Her parents decide everything that she does - she cannot even unbutton the collar on her dress without her mother telling her to button it back up. She decides to run away to America in order to buy land (and freedom) to get away from her parents.
Joseph on the other hand, has led a very different life from Shannon. He came to the Christy house for justice. He wants to kill Daniel Christy (Shannon's father) because Daniel ordered Joseph's house burnt because Joseph's family (the Donnelly's) had not paid the taxes on their property. He is sentenced to a dual with Stephen Chase in order to save his freedom. Shannon rescues him and they leave for America. Joseph decides to go to America only after Shannon tells him about the land they are "giving away". Joseph has always had a dream to own and harvest his own land. When they arrive in America, they are met with new experiences and obstacles that they were not expecting.
When Shannon and Joseph arrive in America, they plan to split up - they had no plans of staying together. Only after Mr. McGuire, who was going to help Shannon, is shot do they stay together. When Mr. McGuire is shot, Shannon loses her silver spoons which were what she was going to get her money from. Their primary challenge after this was that they had no money to live off of. Working at the factory does not help them earn enough money because they are started at such a low wage. Joseph begins to fight in order to earn money. He is the undefeated champion for a long time until an Italian fighter defeats him. Soon Shannon and Joseph find themselves on the street. They have no money so they cannot buy food. This is another obstacle they face - hunger. At this time, Irish immigrants could get very few jobs because no one was interested in hiring an immigrant. They break into a house in order to find food but pay the consequence when Shannon is shot. Though they face consequences, they ultimatley end up with what they want. The have each other and they get their land.
The movie shows many obstacles to the immigration process. However, the movie's immigration form has a very big Hollywood influence to it. The movie shows many things about the immigration process that are true, such as lack of money, poor job wage for immigrants, and lack of food. However, the movie also shows elements of the immigration process that are hard to believe. The part that was hardest to believe for me was at the end when Joseph hesitates to claim his land. I do not think this would have happened had it not been a movie.
What do you think of the immigration process? Do you think this movie shows that process well?
Monday, May 24, 2010
Two Truths and a Lie
1.) I have a pet pig named Piglet.
2.) I had surgery to save the sight in one of my eyes when I was 3 months old.
3.) I have been in 2 car accidents that were not my fault.
2.) I had surgery to save the sight in one of my eyes when I was 3 months old.
3.) I have been in 2 car accidents that were not my fault.
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