DB Q (Kim woods) only

Topic 1: Recognizing Your Potential

For this Discussion, you will share an experience of overcoming obstacles and reflect on the power of the individual to act in the face of social, cultural, or political pressures.

Consider a time when you, a loved one, or a friend had been underestimated. Perhaps a manager was surprised when your friend came up with a new solution to a problem at work. Maybe you had been told that you could not succeed in college due to a learning disability.

What was the situation? What were the external forces, social, political or cultural that influenced the situation? How did it feel to have people doubting you, a loved one, or a friend of yours? What helped you or this other person to overcome the obstacle and uncover their personal potential?

Topic 2: Social, Political, and Cultural Influences

Many people within a country may recognize how social, political, and cultural influences have an impact upon them. At the same time, social, political, and cultural influences may be such a part of daily life that they seem merely “the way things are.” For example, when reading that America is an individualistic culture, you may not understand how life could be any different. Exposure to ideas from other ways of living can broaden your perspective and open your imagination to different philosophies of life.

Identify one social, political, or cultural influence from the assigned reading that you believe would be difficult to identify if you were a part of that culture. Why do you believe this influence would be difficult to notice? What is its impact upon the people?

Next, introduce one artistic expression that may help one to express individuality, independence, and creativity. What can the act of artistic expression do to open up the experience of the individual? How can it expand the perspective of the artist and possibly the whole country or culture?

Reading assignment for Topic 2: Mexico

In this unit, there is a focus on interpreting and understanding what creativity can communicate. A study of Mexico offers many opportunities for assessing the relationship between social, political, and cultural developments and artistic expressions. You will take a closer look at the “Day of the Dead” in Mexico, which is an artistic expression of cultural belief, as well as information about the history of Mexico, and an application of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions in business.

N/A (2018) “Mexico.” The World Factbook 2018. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mx.html

N/A (28 October 2011) “Day of the Dead.” Relgion and Ethics News Weekly. PBS.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2011/10/28/october-26-2007-day-of-the-dead/4506/

Articles from Purdue Global Library: Graf, C. (March 2017) “Mexico: The Land and its People.” Faces.Volume 33, Issue 6.

Diaz, C. (Spring 2016) Nelson Jr., Roosevelt, Morin, Juan, Denn, Abraham, Heng, Tien, and Steinberg, Hannah. “Customer Service and Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions in China, Ireland, Mexico and the USA.” Proceedings of the Academic for Studies in International Business. Volume 16, Number 1

Topic 3: Evidence and Conclusions about Culture

In this discussion, you’ll consider the knowledge and experiences that are used when people come to conclusions about another country or culture.

What is a conclusion that you have about a country or culture that is different from your own and how did you come to this conclusion? How can you tell if the personal perception of a country or culture is accurate or a stereotype?

Topic 4: Culture and Communication

Imagine that you are visiting a country or culture where you are not easily understood. Your expectations about time, personal space, the roles of men and women, and communication styles seem foreign to the people you encounter. You are hungry and need to get something to eat. Where will you choose to go? How will you interact with the people to get what you need? Describe what this experience would be like. Give one example of how a miscommunication could occur.

What are some ways you might seek to be understood? How can this thought experiment help you in your daily life?