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.