Jan. 18.2012. In Class Activity

Jan. 18.2012.  In Class Activity

What is American Values?

We have the first class activity that we had to search for American values. Debra   who is one of our teachers explained what American values are via her own word. From her description, we could get several information and guidelines. Before making a team, our guidelines for American value was freedom, equality, hard work/opportunity, informality, independence/self-reliance, individualism, time, and direct communication. My team members were three of us, Eric, Ben and me. With our guidelines and Erick’s camera, we went to cafeteria in Golisano ground floor to look for American values in real situation especially in collage.

Above all, our team discussed how we would make our plan for this activity. We made a list what could represent American values following the guidelines and what we should get a photo for it’s representation.

I want to show our result of a discussion blow.

*. Equality

The feature of equality in the U.S. could see in the gender that is, between female and male. Specially, they are considered equally everywhere such as an opportunity of education, employment, and political empowerment. In addition, after the American Civil War, they don’t have race discrimination. So we could see all races in school, workplace and even political area.

              

*. Freedom and informality

Freedom is the symbol of the U.S. for long times, it might have been since the independence from British. We would freely come up with the freedom when we see the U.S. flag. Also we figured out such freedom in our discussion. In terms of our thoughts the student who are sitting on the floor to waiting for their next class could represent the freedom because they don’t mind any others’ view. It may relate to informality either. In classroom, we could realize the freedom and informality from American teacher and students. They are usually wearing casual clothes for their classes.  As blow the picture, they are in the academic conference but they are wearing free styled clothes each person.

*. Hard work/opportunity

According to our searching, we saw a lot of students who were studying hard even the cafeteria. Eating some food they studied very hard. Form these students we felt that could be real American’s hard working in school.

*. Individualism (time/space constructs)

We saw a number of students were seating alone for eating or studying for whole table in the cafeteria. In our thoughts, they mind seating together or they don’t want to interrupt from others during their working. Our team asked several students and took the picture of them. But I didn’t get those pictures unfortunately.

*. Independence/self-reliance

We met one female student and asked interview. With her allowance, we could ask several questions. She is Laurin Murray, junior in Nazareth Collage. She is working in two restaurants after school for her life expenses because she live with her friend, no parents, so she have to make money by herself.  I was surprised her sounds and I asked her how she got her tuition for collage. She has gotten a government funding that could fully cover her tuition. Also, after working these restaurants she has studied for her academic grade and her future careers. She is a real American college student. She is a truly independent person from her parents and others and she is very hard worker for her career.

I was very interested in her interview because it would be different with my culture. In my country, South Korea, most of us are getting support from parents before marriage or getting a job.  Most parents tell us if we have a time for making money we have to concentrate on studying for our future. In addition, parents say, we have to make money for our children in the future so we don’t need to make money even in collage hood.  It would be one of big differences between two cultures.

*. Time

In the U.S., we can easily see the sign of an available time in front of office or store’s door. So if we go to there out of that time we could not use their services. We got a couple of pictures and a time schedule of cafeteria.

*. Direct communication

We didn’t get any information related to direct communication but I have believed that we could experience during these classes and living in the U.S.