Portfolio Assignment 2 - Personal Cultural Artifacts

The following pictures represent artifacts from my personal culture- some apply broadly to American  or even Western culture and some are more specific to college, Mormon, artist, and middle-class family cultures.

"Family Photos" are deeply rooted in middle-class family culture as a uniting event and a way to publish how happy and good looking one’s family is. As part of a middle-class family, I still participate in family photos every few years. To me, it’s a fun way to capture our family together at one moment in time, though thinking about it, it is a bit vain.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/joinin/school-survival-guide-lunch-vote
As part of a middle-class family, I packed a lunch to bring to school every day. We were not extremely wealthy, so packing a lunch represented our frugality, but we were wealthy enough to afford to pack a generous lunch every day. This was a huge blessing to me because I never went hungry.

http://aec.ldschurch.org/aec/standard_plans/images/HER-09T-C-Pitched-Rendering.jpg

The church building is a center for Mormon culture - church meetings as well as various activities take place there. Growing up LDS, I spent a lot of time here and it became a very comfortable, safe space for me.

http://www.truthandcharityforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/bible.jpg
The scriptures are also central to the Mormon faith and serve as a symbol of God's word and the solution to almost any problem. As I have grown up and especially as I entered college, I have learned to rely on scripture reading and I believe that daily reading blesses my life and makes my day better. This leads me to advocate for the practice strongly.

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--I4E1BkV5--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/641522534013585731.jpg

Journals are highly valued in Mormon culture and people are expected to keep a record of their lives. I have struggled over the years to keep a regular journal, but the value thereof is ingrained in me and I feel the pressure to be better, even though my record keeping is probably better than most people outside Mormon culture.

http://www.parkablogs.com/sites/default/files/perfect-sketchbook-b5-01.jpg
In artist culture, the sketchbook is extremely important and most artists carry one around with them at all times just in case inspiration strikes. In every art class I take, I will see classmates whip out their sketchbooks whenever they are planning a project. This led me to get my own, which I now carry around and use quite often.

http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/e9f07de92f039a876c857a2918f34b939134531e/c=0-132-2650-2127&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/test/2013/11/21//1385046983000-155259540-1-.jpg

In my middle-class family culture and in American school culture in general, the "A" grade is a highly valued marker of success. Grades are seen as a marker of intelligence and an indicator of post-secondary education, which is in turn seen as vital to success. Growing up in a middle-class household, "A's" were expected of me and my siblings. I bought into this idea fully and put a lot of pressure on myself to be a straight-A student. I still do, though I have relaxed a bit since high school.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2889905/if-you-hate-pc-bloatware-here-are-the-vendors-to-avoid.html
In college-culture, owning a laptop is expected. Almost everything is online in college today, and many teachers encourage their students to "bring their laptops to class," assuming that everyone has one. Because of this culture, laptops are indeed vital. I got my first laptop when I graduated high school, in preparation for college. I depend on it heavily and would be in big trouble if anything happened to it.

https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/ipv5OG2NckM3DfE2.large
Smart phones are extremely entrenched in American culture as well as college culture. People are obsessed with the convenience they offer. Like laptops, professors often assume that all their students have smart phones capable of accessing the internet and occasionally have them use them in class. I myself got an iPhone a few years ago and it is practically attached to my hand. I have become so dependent on it that I could not imagine getting a non-smart phone.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5399db4fe4b09ab996de7142/t/5793e7c5b3db2bd9ef411628/1469311022694/calendar+backdrop.jpg?format=1500w
Calendars, highly structured scheduling, and being on time are important in American culture. Being busy is considered a sign of prosperity and good living, so we fill our lives with activities and responsibilities and work schedules. Growing up, my family always had a calendar and I got used to memorizing the schedule for a given week and planning all my activities according to that schedule. If I added something to my schedule, I had to add it to the family calendar. Now in college, I have my ow calendar that hangs on the wall in my room.

http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2014/12/big-hug.jpg.662x0_q70_crop-scale.jpg
In American culture, hugs are an extremely common way of greeting and showing affection, as opposed to some cultures where hugging is disrespectful in certain situations. I definitely buy into this practice, as I personally love hugging and it is my automatic method of greeting friends and family.

http://media.istockphoto.com/photos/many-multiracial-hands-give-group-thumbs-up-of-approval-picture-id155076379?k=6&m=155076379&s=170667a&w=0&h=-DdXaexyKXYOTnmBAy6-pay-urp2H52a5nTP5xUA3Fs=
A "thumbs up" is a sign indicating positive feelings in American culture, whereas in other cultures it means something very different, even a swear word in some countries! Giving a "thumbs up" is a frequent practice for me to indicate "good job" or "I'm doing well". It is so automatic that I probably do it several times a day without even thinking about it.

https://ak-images.jackthreads.com/v1/image/1268102/size/tl-horizontal_main_2x
These shoes represent my family's frugal natures. As I mentioned before, we were middle class, but not exceptionally wealthy, so our parents encouraged me to be frugal and to use items like clothing until they were fully worn out before getting another. However, the clothing that I did get was nice quality and occasionally brand name, so my middle-class privilege and culture did show through.

http://img.bluenile.com/is/image/bluenile/42029_HERO_0114_EVRGN_v2?$v2_4mainmod_lrg$&rgn=2300,2300,2500,0
The diamond engagement ring is extremely entrenched in American culture. Though occasionally other stones are used today, it seems like you are not engaged unless you have a rock on your finger. Even though I have heard all the stories about how diamonds are not that valuable and the diamond industry has hypnotized us all, I still find myself wanting a diamond ring and even considering it essential.

http://greatist.com/live/magazine-stops-body-shaming-cover
Magazines promote "healthy" bodies that look exactly the same, not accounting for differing body types. Our American culture's idea of beauty is shaped by this. Women and men alike strive for "perfectly shaped" bodies, even though the expectations are unrealistic. I even find myself buying into this idea of the "ideal," being unsatisfied by my perfectly healthy body and wishing I could change it.


http://www.minibeautylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/clean-makeup-brushes-11.jpg
As a woman, the idea of changing one's appearance from it's natural state on a daily basis is common and even expected in American culture. Women are obsessed with presenting their "best selves" to the world by changing their appearance. I definitely buy into this culture, considering makeup a daily essential. I can't imagine leaving the house without makeup on.

https://www.abebooks.com/images/books/harry-potter/sorcerers-stone.jpg
In American culture, fiction books and movies heavily influence our conversation. The entertainment industry is huge and seeing the especially big movies is expected. It would be very difficult to follow certain conversations without a base knowledge of popular books and movies. I love reading and watching movies, and often feel the pressure to be up-to-date, especially in watching movies.

http://miw.gr/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/balls.jpg
These sports are part of American culture and people are expected to know basic rules of each. Even though I don't love watching football, I feel the pressure of learning what is going on and often go to college football games in order to socialize and to learn more about the game in order to be more accepted by society.

http://www.gilanifoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/18.jpg
Television is also entrenched in our day to day activities and conversation. I will often hear something like "Have you seen *insert show*? Oh you have got to watch it, it's so good." I binge watch Netflix because it's an easy way to easily consume continuous entertainment and distract myself from my busy life. I also feel the pressure to watch popular shows so that when it comes up in conversation I will understand. 

Reflection:

As I collected these cultural artifacts, it made me realize how much societal expectations and media affects how I think and act. Though I disapprove of unrealistic expectations for women that are promoted by film and media, I am still affected by these concepts, attempting to dress and look a certain way in order to fit into societal norms of beauty. Many of my students may struggle with this as well and have insecurities that I will need to be sensitive to. I will watch for signs of struggle and try to help promote realistic, healthy habits and bodies.

My middle-class upbringing may also affect how I think and act. I will have to be aware of how I may judge my students for their appearances in how much or how little they have to spend in terms of food, clothing, technology, etc. My students are not defined only by their SES status.

I must also be careful with how I allow my religion to influence my teaching. Since my religious culture and beliefs are so deeply rooted in me, I will have to be self-aware and find other good practices to suggest rather than "reading scriptures" to help my students be happier in their daily lives.

I also realized how entrenched technology is in Western society and how much we depend on it to stay connected, accomplish tasks, and create conversation. These things can be a hindrance in school settings because I as the teacher may have certain expectations for the students in how they act and in what resources they have available to them, such as smart phones, computers, and even knowledge of pop culture and media. I must learn to be sensitive and not plan my lessons around certain ideas or resources. I may also need to be sensitive in what pop culture references I make in class and in references. I do not want any of my students lacking in knowledge of these things to feel left out or confused.