10/28/2021; Week 7: Response to Culture and Psychology

 

Culture and Psychology

BY Aranza Garza 

Our Culture is part of who we are, how we act, and it can also influence our minds and how we think of ourselves and the world that surrounds us. 

There are moments when we start believing the stereotypes that the world puts in our culture, such as Asian people have to be smart, Latin people are good dancers, or like spicy food. When I was young, I even believed all of these stereotypes and thought that if I wasn't what the world expected of me as a Mexican woman, then I was not really a Mexican. This mentality is no longer in my head because I learn that even though my culture and race are part of who I'm they do not define me. 

Knowing this helped me grow and see the world differently. In the video Culture and Psychology Video, professor Ivers says something interesting, he says that what we believe right now in science and in our society might not be right 20 years from now. In Mexico, it was not until 1953 that women were allowed to vote, before that, the thought of even allowing it was preposterous and wrong, but now in 2021, we think it was absurd that they denied us of that right. With these I want to show that society is growing, so maybe in fifty or twenty years all of the stereotypes that define each one of our cultures may change, or hopefully, they will be erased, so why should we let them define what we are, and affect the opportunities we can get. 

Students can be affected by this cultural psychology in their academic paths. In the previous video, Ivers mentions a few studies that because students were reminded of their race, they did better or worse in different challenges.

TESOL and ESL teachers have the challenge of having many students of many cultures in one classroom, teachers have to learn to not believe in these stereotypes, and teach their students that they are unique individuals with different strengths and weaknesses and that they don't have to be what the world says to be part of their cultures.  

Cultural stereotypes 

Questions to reflect:

• What are some stereotypes that people think of your culture?
• What would say to one of your students if they started letting the stereotypes of their cultures affect their academic paths?

REFERENCES:

Culture and Psychology, BYU Idaho, uploaded by Tim Tanner (March 12th, 2015) LINK

10/26/2021; Week 7: Response to Differences in Manners

 

Differences in Manners

by Aranza Garza 

In the past blog posts, we have discussed different topics referring to cultural differences in many aspects, either emotional, time differences, attributional tendencies, etc. In this post, we will be discussing Differences in Manners. 

In my opinion, just like in personal space differences, manner is a complicated term, we have our general cultural manners that are correct in our society, then we have the subdivision of the state you live in, and then it revolves in your family, and even inside your family, there are differences. To explain my point, I will give you a personal example referring to my sister. My siblings and I grew up in a house where the family came first, and where besides the church's principles, we were expected to be kind and nice to all people. My sister is an honest and distant person that inside my family because of her this, her behavior is seen as rude and unpleasant. 

My sisters' example can be easily applied in a classroom, mostly, in diverse classrooms, there are many students with different paradigms and different personal principles; and if teachers are not aware of the differences they can have, they may find some of their behavior weird or rude, and vice versa, students can find their teachers the same way. 

All cultures have their different traditions and accepted behaviors, some examples can be how in places in the Middle and the Far East showing the soles and point of your shoes is considered an insult, or how in America giving a hard handshake is a good sign, but in other cultures, it is not. These are just a few examples. In diverse classrooms, these differences are very common, and they may not be as the examples above, but they can come from the way we refer to people, or certain words we say and how we say them. 

As teachers (mostly as ESL and TESOL teachers) you can not know every single difference in your students' culture, but it is expected for you to try to learn, to be respectful, and if you committed a mistake to apologize and not repeat it. It is also the teachers' role to teach the students to have the same respect for their classmates' cultures and differences. Remember that each student is different, and even if they come from the same country, they still may have differences. 

Even if you are not a teacher, learning and acknowledging these differences will help you with people from other cultures, and it will help you enrich your home with respect, diversity, and love for others. 

Questions to reflect:

• What kind of behaviors or manners have you seen in other cultures that in yours may be considered rude or different?
• What are some ways you would teach your student and yourself how to be respectful and appreciative of differences?

REFERENCES:

Difference in Manners, BYU Idaho, uploaded by Tim Tanner, (March 19th, 2015), LINK

By: the Editors of Publications International, Ltd. (Updated: April 12, 2021) Howstuffworks ,13 Examples of Good and Bad Manners Around the World, LINK

10/26/2021; Week 7: Response to Cross-Cultural Students in the Classroom

 

Cross-Cultural Students in the Classroom

by Aranza Garza 

TESOL and ESL classes are filled with students from different cultures and different backgrounds, as TESOL or ESL teachers, you will have the challenge of having this many cultures in one classroom.

According to Oxford languages, cross-cultural means "relating to different cultures or comparison between them" and this is exactly, what will happen in a TESOL or ELS classroom, and teachers will have to be prepared to understand and manage these situations. 

One the video Cross-Cultural Students in the Classroom professor Ivers mention a few of the situations that could happen in a class. For instance, the comparison between American and Asian students' behaviors in a classroom. Because of their culture, American students are more open, and they have more confidence with their teachers, till the point of forming a professional friendly relationship with them; This is the complete opposite of how students in Asia behave with their professors, therefore, when Asian students come to universities in the United States, they are shocked of how American students act around their teachers. 

This is not the only difference. I come from Mexico, where they are strict with the uniform situation, in most private and public schools, students have to wear identical uniforms until high school, but in the United States, this is not an obligatory rule, therefore, Mexican students may be stranged when knowing this information. 

These are just a few examples of situations that cross-cultural students could have in classrooms (more specifically ESL and TESOL classes), and as mentioned before, teachers have to be ready. Professor Ivers tells us the story of how his son got in trouble for saying "Yes sir" to his professor, who took this as sarcasm when in reality it was a sign of respect. During my education, most students called their teachers "Profe" informally, this was because of the good relationship they had with them, but in other cultures and places, this could be seen as disrespectful behavior. 

As teachers of such diverse classes, you should understand these differences, and as professor Ivers said, "give them the benefit of the doubt." Knowing and applying this to your classrooms and life will make you a more understanding and better teacher.

Question to reflect: 

• What kind of situations could happen in a regular classroom from your country or culture that could be different from others? 
• How would you be aware of these differences if one of your students had them instead of you?

REFERENCES:

Cross-cultural students in the classroom, BYU Idaho, uploaded by Tim Tanner, (March 12th, 2015), LINK

Oxford languages, cross-cultural meaning LINK

10/23/2021; Week 6: Response to Attributional Tendencies

 

Attributional Tendencies

by Aranza Garza

I would like to start by defining this term:

According to professor John Ivers in the video Attributional Tendencies in Cultures, Attributional tendencies refer to "What we attribute success, and what do we attribute our failures." We divide the factors of this term into Internal VS External (like personal behaviors vs situational factors) and Stable and Unstable (unchanging factor and temporary factors).

Every culture has a different view of Attributional tendencies. For example, as mentioned in the previous video, Americans tend to attribute their success internally and their failures externally, contrary to Japan, where they attribute their success externally and their failures externally. 

This difference in culture can bring both good experiences and misunderstandings. One example can be how sometimes when Americans see other people behavior, they attribute this to internal causes, and if someone from another culture may hear these, they might find it scandalous of they may agree with them, it all depends on our paradigms and how we were raised in our culture.

This kind of situation can happen in TESOL and ESL classes due to the diversity that exists in these classes, teachers have to be careful of how they handle the subject. They need to teach students to respect and not make anyone feel bad. A thing that can happen with attributional tendencies, is that students may blame everything on themselves in an exaggerated way, and this may cause self-esteem issues. 

Mostly in education, teachers need to help students understand that there are many factors in success and failure and that they need to celebrate their success, and not blame themselves so hard for their failures. In the video above and the previous information, we mention how in Japan they attribute their failures to themselves, and even though to some point this may be helpful, it can also lead to Japan having a high suicide rate. 

Knowing this information can help us in our day-to-day lives, and in how we see other people and other cultures. It can also help teachers understand and support their students in better ways. We will always have differences, and we should always learn from them and appreciate them. 

Questions to Reflect:

• What type of Attributional tendencies are predominant in your culture?
• What are your personal Attributional tendencies?
• How do you think your future students would react to differences in their classmates' Attributional tendencies?

REFERENCES

Attributional Tendencies in Cultures, BYU Idaho, uploaded by Tim Tanner (March 17th, 2015) LINK

Summary Attribution, Social Psychology, LINK

10/22/2021; Week 6: Response to Personal Space Differences

 

Personal Space Differences

by Aranza Garza

I think the term personal space is debatable, there are a lot of factors like your culture, the place you live, the situations that of your life that affect the way we see this term. 

In the video Personal Space Differences Video, we see many differences about this term in different countries, an example we see is in Germany, where personal space is sacred, and on the other hand, we have places like Japan or Mexico, where personal space, is more minimized. 

I grew up, and I'm still living in Mexico, more specifically Mexico City, and like I said before the view of this term depends on how are your living circumstances. One example we see in the video is about the subway or public transportations, here in Mexico if you are wealthy economically you can afford a taxi or an uber to travel by yourself, but if you cannot afford it or if it is not convenient, you can take the subway or different buses, where you probably won't have any type of personal space, but that is normal and expected. 

Watching the video previously mentioned, I definitely reflected on how personal space could be seen in other cultures and how these may cause some misunderstandings, and just like the video said, this is because of the paradigms we group up within our lives.

One example could be in the ways we interact with people, I personally don't like physical contact with strangers, but I was raised with the idea that I had to give it and expect it from people, in other countries, this may be the opposite, and if we see this differences in the wrong way they can cause controversy. 

Example of a crowded subway in Mexico City 

Inside TESOL and ESL classes, diversity is prominent, and teachers must teach their students these differences and how to respect them and understand them to avoid dilemmas. But not everything is negative, these differences also can bring new ideas and points of view to the students, and they can open their minds to new things. 

Personal space is different for everyone, and like in my case, it can be completely different from the culture I have, all of us need to be aware of these differences to avoid misunderstandings, and even though if we don't agree, to appreciate each other's cultures.

Questions to Reflect:

• How is important is personal space in your country?
• How important is personal space to you?
• What are some ways to teach students the importance of respecting our differences in this particular topic?

References 

Personal Space differences, BYU Idaho, uploaded by Tim Tanner (March 12th, 2015), LINK

10/21/2021; Week 6: Response to Individualism vs. Collectivism

Individualism vs. Collectivism

by Aranza Garza

Individualism vs. Collectivism 

According to the Britannica dictionary, the former term means " the political and social philosophy that emphasizes the moral worth of the individual"; and according to Oxford languages, the latter term means "the practice or principle of giving a group priority over each individual in it." 

In this society, we have a place as individuals, and we form part of a community, for some countries individualism is more important than collectivism, and in others is vice versa.

In education, these terms are significant, and the cultural differences that these can cause inside a classroom can be meaningful. A TESOL or an ESL teacher has the challenge that in their classes, they have many students of different cultures, and there might be students that prioritize individualism, and there might be others that prioritize collectivism. I think that the teacher needs to find a middle ground, where they respect each student's culture, and they also teach them that both concepts can be both important and useful. The teacher can educate them on how to work as a group, a community, and how to be their unique person and shine inside the said community. 

Even if there are dilemmas with cultural differences, the teacher should always remember that the students come first, and to teach to be respectful to other cultures is important. I also believe that the teacher should show them that learning new things and being open-minded can be a great quality that can help in their lives. Each student is unique, and students should learn to appreciate that uniqueness. 

To finish, I would like to share a quote about what I think teachers should focus on:

“We need an education that enhances individual strengths, follows children's passions,” Yong Zhao, Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon?: Why China Has the Best (and Worst) Education System in the World. 

Questions to Reflect:

What examples of dilemmas do you think could happen in a classroom because of individualism and collectivism?

What do you think a teacher should focus on?

Does the country you are from, prioritize individualism or collectivism?