Portfolio III

THE UTAH SYMPHONY

For my experience of being the "other" I decided to try going to the symphony.  I'd never been to a symphony, though it was something I've always wanted to do. 

I didn't want to feel underdressed or overdressed so before attending, I actually called the office number and asked what the dress was.  The nice lady told me business casual so that's what I went with. When I arrived, I quickly realized I was extremely underdressed.  I felt like I was attending a high class, 40's and older prom.  I had worn a dress, but my attire paled in comparison to those around me.  I don't own a single item of clothing that could have been elegant enough to compete with the upper class ladies at this event.  I felt like the peasant who crashed the royal ball.  I did see one other girl when I first got there who was wearing jeans.  A lot of people were actually staring at her, like she didn't belong.  Luckily my dress was just enough so that while I didn't look as nice as most everyone else, I didn't draw too much attention to myself.

Even before the concert began, everything was said in whispers.  Maybe it was so as to not interrupt the warming up of the artists, but when I asked the ticket women which way I should go to get to my seat, I said it in a quiet, but not a whispering voice and got some strange stares from the people around.  She whispered back directions, and I continued on my way.  I think being quiet may just be a sign of being in a classy environment, but I'm not sure.

Another observation I made was people don't go to the symphony alone.  There was a sense of social capital there, where everyone seemed to "know someone" and have some kind of connection that I didn't have. Everyone was traveling in groups, and I was the like the lone wolf.  I actually would have imagined I'd see more people alone, because the type of people attending were upper class individuals who seemed to care less about what others thought about them.  Also maybe I assumed that because in the movies, people are often at the symphony alone.

One thing I wouldn't have known prior to attending was that a symphony is not an event for children.  I saw a few young teens with families, but the youngest person I saw was at least 13 or 14 years old.  It may be that it is just a type of event that the cost isn't worth bringing children, but it was unusual to me to not see any at all.

Clapping.  I guess I don't know the proper etiquette for clapping at proper events.  After the final performance, the girl who was the main performer stood up and we all stood and gave her a standing ovation.  She bowed and left the stage.  I thought that would be the moment to leave, but everyone stood and remained clapping, so I kept on with them.  She returned, and was given flowers all the while we continued standing and clapping.  At this point I figured for sure we were done, but after leaving again, she once again returned at third time to the stage.  We clapped some more, and after she left again people finally quite clapping and the lights in the room were turned up and people began to leave.  I stayed caught up following the examples of those around me, but I'm still not sure why she came and went 3 different times.

Parking.  There are different levels of elites who attend symphonies.  Because I didn't want to have to pay for parking since I'm a cheap college student, I parked about 5 blocks away and just walked.  I saw 2 or 3 couples who did the same thing as me, but when I looked at the parking online, you had special underground parking for "permit members only" and then there were paid public parking areas around the concert hall.  When I left, it had started raining, and it appeared there were actually people you could pay to escort you with an umbrella to your car, but I don't think that applied when you have to walk over a mile, so I just went without one.

Overall while attending the symphony I felt like a lower class citizen.  I wasn't exactly discriminated against, but I didn't feel welcome either.  I clearly wasn't older and sophisticated like those who were with me in the concert hall.  The majority of people were white, and everyone appeared wealthy.  While I could get a ticket for $20, the tickets went up to $90 a ticket and some of those seats came with a minimum donation of $2000 per concert season.

Just like my experience at the symphony, for students who are experiencing school as a "foreign" place, we can't just expect them to know how everything works.  They may not understand the rules, especially the unspoken ones, they may not know what kind of clothing is socially acceptable, and they may not feel included. Having never really felt like an outsider this experience was eye opening.  As a teacher, I need to figure out how to make each student feel like they're welcome and wanted every day.  This event would have been much easier to attend if I had been going with someone who had previous experiences there. Likewise, school is probably much easier to attend with a friend or even just a classmate who is willing to sit with you and help you understand everything that is going on.

Portfolio 2

Below are listed some of the artifacts that make up who I am and what my culture looks like:

 

Baptism is something that I believe in.  In my culture as a member of the LDS faith, we believe that baptism is an ordinance performed at the age of 8 that not only is a symbol of your joining the church, but also is an opportunity to be forgiven of all your sins and to start fresh.  Because of this, starting at a young age LDS kids have a sense of responsibility and a desire to be accountable for their decisions.  

The Honor Code is a formal Norm at BYU and something I personally value.  The culture here at BYU is one of living high moral standards and living with honor.  Because of this, students refrain from smoking, drinking, cheating, and even dressing immodestly.

Strong family relationships is something many people in my culture value.  The stereotypical American family has a mother at home, and a father who goes to work.  This leads to close family connections because time is spent with siblings and parents in the home.

Respecting the religious beliefs of others is a formal norm in my culture.  In the United States we agree that everyone has the right to worship and believe however they want.

Spending time outside is something many people in my culture enjoy doing.  When we have free time, it is common to go hiking, ride bikes, go on walks, or enjoy other outdoor activities. 

 American culture tends to value learning about other cultures and countries.  Because America is such a gathering place for so many different cultures, it's important to always be learning about others.

  In American culture, there is a stigma that everyone needs to be physically fit and active if they want to be "beautiful" or look "healthy."  Because of this, physical exercise is a common activity in our culture.

In America, celebrating holidays is something that brings people together.  Halloween (pictured above) is one such holiday that the majority of people in America tend to celebrate.  For Halloween, many people take pumpkins and carve images into them as a decorative display.  Because of this, pumpkins tend to be a symbol of Halloween. 

Watching sports is something that brings people together in America.  It is common to have a team or group of teams that you root for.  Personally I'm a huge Seahawks fan.  Being their fan creates a community of people that I can relate to just because we're all fans of the same team.  Athletics foster a sense of similarity between people who may have nothing in common except the fact that they love the same team.

  It is common for girls throughout America to wear a white dress, but it is especially common among girls in the LDS faith.  In the LDS faith, white is seen as a symbol of virtue and purity.  Wearing white is an ancient symbol that shows that you have saved yourself for marriage.  These days, it's more of a tradition than a symbol.

 Physical affection is a symbol of love in my culture. Specifically within my family, physical affection is a way we communicate with one another.  Giving a hug before saying goodbye shows that you will miss them and can't wait to see them again later.  Kissing, hugging, and holding hands are some of the most common affections you'll see.

Shopping is a symbol of the value of materialistic things in my culture.  People tend to think that if you can afford the nicest things, it shows other your social status.  Because of this, starting at a young age, people (girls especially) like to constantly spend money making themselves look fashionable and put together.  The more expensive an outfit looks, the more wealthy others perceive you.

Smiling is a symbol of happiness in my culture.  In America, it is common to show your excitement or joy about something by smiling and laughing.  When you don't smile, often times people will assume you're angry or unhappy with them.  

Holding up your fingers in this manner is a symbol of peace in American culture.   The peace sign became popular during the hippy movement, and has began resurfacing in today's society as teens and young adults try to act more like "hippies."  Hippies are going to care less about what they wear and have a sort of "go with the flow" type of attitude.

Equality is something my society claims to value.  People in America are constantly fighting for equality among all citizens. As we vote for new laws and leaders, we want to pick those laws and leaders that we believe will help create a better sense of equality among all people.  While we claim to have reached a state of legal equality, when we look closely, we can see that America as a whole doesn't act as though everyone is equal.

Jesus Christ is someone that tends to be at the core of many American religions.  Believing in him is a common religious practice in my culture. While there are hundreds of religions in America, the majority have a christian core, where Christ is the center of their beliefs.

Movies and other forms of entertainment are something that my society holds of high value.  In America, much of our time is spent watching movies.  Terms like "Netflix and chill" are used to describe the evening plans of millennials as they meet up with those of the opposite gender to watch TV and kiss.  American lives are often centered around what movies are playing or what show they should watch next.

Fast Food is of high value in my society.  American's tend to move at a fast pace so having food you can order and receive within minutes goes with that.  Rather than sitting to enjoy a meal, meals are available on the go, to pick up on your way to work or as a quick stop between errands. 

Electronics are highly valued in my culture.  Almost everyone you see will have some form of electronic device on their person at all times.  This is because American culture is focused on fast, instant connections with the technological world.  If a person in America doesn't have a smart phone or a Facebook, we're surprised.  The norm is to have constant connections with the world.

According to E.B. Tylor, culture is "that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society."

All of my artifacts help to describe the culture in which I live.  Many of them I feel would actually be an aid in a classroom setting. Some of these consist of equality among all people, peace, smiling, and learning about other cultures.

Some things that might cause conflict or concern in a classroom environment would be electronics, entertainment, and maybe even my religious background.  Electronics are hard because they are so useful, yet can be so distracting.  As part of today's culture, there is almost no way to avoid spending time with electronics, even in the classroom.  Entertainment is much the same way. Movies and music can aid in so many different ways, but if you don't use the right movies and music, they provide and ever bigger distraction to the learning environment.  The one that scares me the most is my religious background.  Being a member of the LDS faith is who I am and I cannot separate it.  I know religion isn't part of public education, and I can respect that, but I also hope to add to my teaching instead of distracting from it by being LDS.