Tuesday, January 31, 2012

How I value Time. Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

For our group class, we had to read an article about the cultural perceptions of time and everything that goes into that. I was so fascinated at what I learned! Especially because I saw how I had both types of time perceptions in my own life and my own culture. Few things are more interesting than reading something about your own culture.

The author explained how there are two different types of time perceptions and how we completely revolve around them. These two types of things really influence how we act, how we go about our day, even how we talk to others.
When I learned about the differences in Polychronic time and Monochronic time, I instantly started thinking about how I have seen that being manifested in my own life. I see it all the time and I didn't even know about it!!
The author mentioned that Latin American cultures and Arab cultures tend to be Polychronic and Anlgo cultures are more monochronic. I am Colombian, which makes me Latin American and now I finally felt justified for being late all of the time!! I started thinking about my experiences for both types of time perceptions.
I thought about the time when I was having a particularly hard time in school and so I decided to see a counselor at BYU. I loved going and the sessions helped me cope with stress well, but I was always so annoyed when the 50 minutes was up! When I started a story, I would have to cut it short because my counselor would say "well, looks like we're running out of time" and it really annoyed me. It all clicked as I read that monochronic time deals with keeping to schedule and going beyond scheduled time poses issues and creates conflicts.
On the other hand, I also understood why having a monochronic way of life when doing business was necessary because it was "efficient". However, I liked learning that polychronic time was more about people and human relations. I was really excited to read that because I realized that I was raised by a polychronic-timed mother. When she married my step-dad, who is American, I became aware of time tracking and how being late for something really was considered rude...even if what was holding one back had to do with someone important.
As I am an adult now, I can see the differences between the cultures of my parents and how they value time. Ever since I have been at BYU, I have tried to keep close communication with my both of my parents. When I call my mom (the polychronic time centered parent)there seems to be no time...she never has to go or anything. She seems to put me above anything in her life. That is just the way that it has always been with her. On a different time frame however, is my dad. I know he cares about me and loves me, and I have never doubted that. Nevertheless, everytime my dad and I talk, he always seems to say "well..kid, I gotta go. But what will you be doing at 4:30?" he always seems to measure time! He always gives me a time frame! I have never really understood that, since my mom never does that. Now that I have read this article however, I finally understand. It was so intriguing.

I think about how this will definitely be something to take into consideration when the time for my interviews comes in India.
I am looking forward to seeing how the Indian women of the village see time and perceive it. Will there be a set time to make dinner? is there a specific time to wake up and make sure that the household chores are done?
I think that the women in the village will have more of a polychronic time sense because they are the ones that take care of the children and their husbands. As women, we tend to naturally be drawn to the human side of life and the people around us. I think that when I set up interviews and have no shows or late shows, I will be understanding and sensitive to the fact that their time perceptions are different than my own.

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Project Question. Monday, January 30, 2011

On Friday, we had a class discussion about each of our individual project questions and everything that we were thinking regarding that.
I was really intrigued by all of the different ideas that everybody had and the thought that they had put into it. Even though it is not that far into the semester, I think that most of us have a good idea of what we want to do while in the field. Yet, even when we have these good ideas or thoughts, it is difficult to formulate a question that can be concise and specifically target our objectives.
I started out with "Women Self-Perception in the village of Chavadi, Tamil Nadu, India". I want to be able to see how women feel about themselves there. Not necessarily with self-esteem, but mostly with their inward values and how they view themselves in society. More specifically, in their own village, then in their state and region of South India and eventually in the nation of India.
Our facilitator, Margaret made an interesting suggestion that got me thinking.
I am planning to interview many different women. I want to focus on three age groups so that I can get all of those different perspectives. So, I want to interview young teenage girls who are unmarried but look forward to it, middle aged women who have young children, and then older women who have been married for a long time.
Margaret brought up the point that I need to decide whether this will be an ethnographic study or not. If I do choose it to be an ethnographic observation, I would choose a smaller number of women to interview and then I would make the observations thorough and would make sure to really concentrate my studies on the small group of women.
I liked this idea because I want to take more of an anthropological approach to the study. I obviously want to have some general questions asked, like "how do you perceive yourself in our family?" but then I also want to dig deeper into the culture and ask more specific questions like "what is the most important principle in your opinion, that you can teach your children?". This answer is going to vary with age and with experience, so I would like to narrow it down to a fewer number of women, since I will not be able to make these answers seem "global" and a collective view of ALL of the women in Chavadi.
I am interested in observing the culture and seeing how things are done, as well as what they tell me. I might change my question to something like "What are the perspectives of rural village women living in Chavadi, Tamil Nadu, India". This isn't the final title, but I want to make this title be the foundation of what I will be doing later on.

Friday, January 27, 2012

INDIA Culture Guide, Friday January 27, 2012

In my efforts to be able to understand Indian culture from a very general point of view (since I am not there yet and don't know much right now) I decided to read a culture guide travel book that my mom bought me when I told her that I would be going to India this summer. Despite the fact that this book was meant for tourists who are sight seeing, rather than students doing international development, I still thought it might be useful to read a general culture description. I opened to "Family Values" and was surprised at what I had learned.

Obviously, I knew that India was a traditional society, and therefore it would be mostly male-oriented. However, the culture guide explained that in a household, the oldest man is the patriarch, but the wife and mother is also a central figure. She holds it up with the cooking and the cleaning and she oversees what other women in the house, daughters, and maids do. I thought it was so interesting because I knew that the woman was in charge of the domestic chores, but never had I expected that along with the male head of the house, the woman would be right beside him. I thought it was so fascinating that she has a great deal to say in the arranged marriage of her son, since her new daughter-in-law would be the one taking care of her and her husband once they reached old age. I immediately thought of my project and how the women I will be interviewing will be the "head ladies" of their homes. I have thought about interviewing younger, unmarried girls too. I wonder if their responses to their self-perception will be very different from that of their mothers. In pondering about this, I anticipate some differences because a young, unmarried girl will be doing a lot of studying, or perhaps "training" to be a wife, with the help of her mother at home. She probably has not developed a solid identity yet as a woman in a rural village because, unlike her mother, she does not own a house with a husband, she does not have children whom she cares for and are undeniably dependent on her, and she has not reached that milestone in her life where she can even call herself a woman in her mind. I think that these factor will play a very interesting role in the lives of the women I will be around, and these factors will definitely change the responses I will receive from them.

Something else I read that I found interesting and pertinent to my project, was the fact that there is a culture shift happening in India in their current situation. I read that teenagers, if they have the opportunity to study and go to school, they are pressured to do well and succeed, so that they can be admitted to a university and further their education. It seems pretty clear that education is a extremely important in the minds of Indians. During these crucial years, girls and boys are usually separated in schools to "protect" them from each other. Romance is usually associated with promiscuity and would spoil the chances of a young woman or man to marry someone with whom they seem most compatible with. Because of the success that arranged marriages have proven, India has boasted of low divorce rates in the past. However, recent polls have shown that the divorce rates have increased to a 7%...and this is due to the culture shift that India is facing. New opportunities for women to be independent and receive an education, makes them less interested in an arranged marriage. If they can go to a prestigious university and make a life of themselves, why would they want to spend energy and time looking for a husband?
As I read that, I thought about the perceptions of women have changed recently within India. I wonder if the women in the village of Chavadi will be aware of this shift, and how they feel about it. Perhaps this may appeal to the younger girls, while the mothers and granddaughters will find it barbaric.
I am very curious to see what the women I will be around are thinking, as I bring up the subject of this culture shift in India. How I will bring it up is still something I am constantly working on.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Annotated Source #2 Thursday, January 26t, 2012

INDIA "The Essential Guide to customs and culture"
Becky Stephen
"Private and Family Life"

This section of my culture guide book about India provided really interesting information about the way Indians view personal and family life. It mentions the fact that there is really no sense of space or privacy. It was interesting to note this because I would really expect that from Latin, Polynesian and African cultures; so it was interesting to read about the togetherness of the Indian culture.
The word "space" really does not have the same meaning that Westerners have. Often times, families live together in a two room apartment and there is no really open spaces for individuals to have their private time.
When it comes to family relations, according to the article, Indians are very open in regards to life, except for that which may bring shame or embarrassment to the family. This includes mental illness and physical or sexual abuse. This is due to the fact that this kind of information would put potential strain on finding a spouse or shame on the sisters and daughters of a certain family.

The last section of the article talked about parenting and how mothers are so close to their children. In the West, parents encourage their children to be independent and promote autonomy. This is the contrary in Indian culture. According to the article, mothers sleep with their children and feed them from their hands. Mothers and sons have a very close relationship-which only fosters responsibility in the offspring because they have to take care of their parents when they are old.

It was so interesting to read this and to learn a little bit more about the traditional culture of India. Although the article did mention that there was a culture shift and things were becoming more modernized, it is important to understand and know about the traditional and general culture.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 Culture Values

In our last group meeting, we did a cultural activity that allowed us to think about a group of people and rank them with our approval of their behavior. I was so surprised at myself for the rankings I had chosen because a year ago, I probably would not have chosen what I did. I thought it was interesting that some people would have Rosemary at the bottom, since I thought most international development people thought similarly...but I was wrong. I really learned something valuable that day...that culture values of morality, time and other aspects really did vary within cultures. I thought that as Westerners and BYU students, my friend in the India group and I would have the same opinions, but I was wrong.

I thought about my views and opinions about the story we had just heard and I caught myself defending my point way too vigorously. I was really defensive about my arguments and I almost felt anger towards one of my friends who had a different opinion. I started thinking about how it would be like to go to India with these people. I already get along with everybody in my group, since we were all in the same IAS 220 class the previous semester. However, just because we get along does not mean we share the same views about things. My perceptions of a culture might be completely different in the eyes of someone who has a similar background as I do.

I want to be more conscious of how I express my feelings and emotions regarding values and cultures. I realized that the people I will be spending time with, namely the Indian people, will be respected and loved on my part. On the other hand, the people that I will be traveling with, are equally as important and I have to remember that their culture values and opinions are important as well, and I must treat them with the same respect and love.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Annotated Source #1 Tuesday, January 24, 2012

National Geographic
I recently read an article that talked about empowering women around the world and the several efforts that went into that. The article mentioned a specific organization named UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. This organization keeps track of growing populations and child rates around the world. According to the article, the younger women get married, their daughters will do the same, which will lead to an increased number of girls, since in developing countries, many of the girls drop out of school in order to get married. Something interesting about this article is that it mentioned the empowerment of women through education. However, it also made mention of urbanization as a very positive aspect of development, which I disagree with.
When it comes to my personal project though, I thought this was great because I am interested in looking at the perceptions that the women have in the rural village in Coimbatore. I wonder how they feel about education in their lives and more importantly, in their children's, specifically their daughters. There was a quote that I really liked from the article that said "if you educate a girl, you educate a nation". I thought that this was fascinating because I have read research before that has shown the importance of education in women's lives in developing countries. It empowers them to teach their children, which will also most likely receive an education. I will be careful not to impose my opinion on education too much though, once I am in India. I love education, and I personally think it is vital in the development of a human being. However, I know that education is also a culture value and I want to be sensitive to the values and feelings of the women I will be interacting with in Tamil Nadu.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Development of my research project- Monday January 23, 2012

I have always known that in order to do a Field Study, you need to come up with a specific research idea. As I went through the process of applying and being accepted to the Field Study in India, I started thinking about the things that I could possibly study. As October rolled around, I really wanted to apply for an ORCA grant, which pushed me to come up with a research idea with the help of a professor. I knew that I wanted to study the culture, but I had no idea where to begin. I finally narrowed it down to "Women Self-Perception in the Coimbatore region of Tamil Nadu, India". I thought that I would be ahead of most of the people going to India because I had a concrete research plan--but I was REALLY wrong. When we were in class this past Friday, Ashley talked about how to develop a research idea and starting out with what we know. She then went on to ask "where are you going? what do you want to learn? what are you passionate about? what are your skills?" So, instead of feeling overwhelmed (like I had been feeling the WHOLE class hour), I decided to apply those questions to my project. I know that I am going to Tamil Nadu, India. More specifically, the region of Coimbatore and more specifically than that, a village named Chavadi. From what I have learned so far, this village is primarily rural and there are families spread throughout. There is a church there, and a bus station (maybe several?) that will be able to transport me to the places I need to go during my time down there. I know that my location is pertinent to my research project, seeing that if I were to be conducting my research in the USA for example, I would be receiving completely different views about those women. Since Chavadi is a rural village, I also was thinking that these women's views would be slightly different than those of women in urban India. I wonder if their views will be a little bit more simplistic, since life there hasn't been plagues with technology too much...but yet I wonder if their simple lives will also make their responses to me more diverse than I thought. I am sure every one of those Indian women will have a similar and different story to tell than their friends. "what do I want to learn?" I want to learn if women in the village of Chavadi feel content with themselves. I want to know how they see their world. DO they think that they are poor or uneducated? do they wish they lived somewhere else? are they totally and completely happy and would not have it any other way? What do they think about the typical Indian women that us Westerners are used to-a subserviant wife who has to cook and clean? In their mind, what is the most important thing they would want to teach their children? Do they perceive themselves as beautiful? or do they not entertain those everyday, female oriented thoughts, like "I am having a bad hair day...does this dress make me look fat?". I honestly doubt that they pay much attention to that, but my intuition tells me that every woman has a similar pattern of thought when it comes to outer beauty and what she thinks of herself. I am worried about how I will portray these questions. I would hate to be a little too personal about feelings of self-esteem, if they don't really know me and trust me yet. I would like to build a relationship with them first, even if it's a short relationship.
"What am I passionate about?" well, I love people. I am drawn to those of different cultures, and I want to be able to say to myself that I went to a different country and had the opportunity to live among people who are different than I am. I love the idea of being surrounded by different people,who look different and who speak a different language. I will rely on that characteristic of my personality while I conduct my project in India. I have heard that I will have hard times and times where I will become really frustrated. SO, I am really hoping that my love for different people will carry me through the hard aspects of this experience.
"What are my skills?" As I thought about this one...I was a little disappointed because I don't think that I have a lot of tangible skills...but I guess my love for other people and the ability I have to talk to other people and not be scared or shy, will be of great help to me while I am there. I really don't want this project to be about me and what I want to get out of it. Although what I want to learn academically is very important to me, I want to be able to help people feel good about themselves when they are around me. I want to spend as much time as possible with them, since three months really is not a LONG time. I know that I love talking to people a lot. No matter what language they speak, or who they are. I always try my best to communicate with others,and I know that this skill is something I will develop while I am in India. I know that I will be able to use those skills that I have acquired through out my life in order to help me while I make the most out of this research I have come up with. I really hope that it goes better than what I am currently expecting. I am sure by April, I will feel more confident.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Indian History- Thursday January 19, 2012

I tried so hard to remember India's history as I sat in my culture prep class yesterday. I was ashamed to admit that there was very little I knew about this amazing country that I am about to live in for three months. As Jay and Margaret told us a brief history about India, I couldn't believe how rich the history was. I learned that the original "Indians" originated from the Indus River Valley, which ironically does not pass through present day India. I had no idea that there would be so many different kings through out the different eras. I also found it very interesting that most of the earlier histories, did not include the south of India, more specifically the state of Tamil Nadu, where will we will be living. I was curious to know the history of Tamil Nadu, and even more specific, the history of Chavadi, where we will be staying. I will be looking into that more as the semester unfolds. I was also thinking about how the history of Tamil Nadu, would influence my individual research project. I am basing my research on women self-perception and I was wondering how the history of women in Tamil Nadu and even India, influence my research. I know that like most traditional societies, India is mostly male oriented. However, I do know that in the Hindu religion, there are goddesses. I know that India has had women presidents and leaders. I am looking forward to finding out more about these specific details in history, which will lead me to a better understanding of the women in the village where I will be conducting my research.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Ethnocentrism- Wednesday, January 18 2012

On Sunday, I went to my aunt's parents' house for dinner. My aunt, (who is my uncle's wife), had family from her side coming, namely her older brother with his wife and kids. The older brother has a successful business that requires him to travel to Hawaii and other exotic places every once in a while. His wife asked me what I was planning to do this summer since I was going to be done with school. I responded that I would be going to India on a BYU field study, to do some research. I always love seeing people's reactions when I tell them about India...mostly because no one ever knows anything about India except for what they have seen in Slumdog millionaire and Bollywood movies. The wife had a positive reaction, the usual "Oh traveling! how exciting! take advantage of those opportunities while you are young and single". Her husband however, didn't have the same reaction. "India?? why did you choose India? of all the places you could go, you chose an extremely poor country?" I smiled and said "well, I didn't necessarily choose it...I received an email from one of my professors about students going to India or Fiji,and India just stood out to me" I don't need to expound on his reaction when I mentioned that Fiji was an option. He then said "well, I don't know much about India, but I will tell you one thing I do know. All of my friends that have gone there would NEVER go back, they hate it". At this point I felt attacked and probably took what he was saying a little too personally. I tried to keep my cool but it seemed as though I was the only one defending my reasons on why I would ever go to India. The wife then said "well, of course they would hate it there! they're a third world country! I bet it would be hard to visit there" and her husband said "they're not even considered third world, I'm pretty sure they are fourth world with how poor they are!" The ignorance was killing me. Did they even realize that some of the smartest people came from India? that they are the world's largest democracy? that even though they have many social problems, their economy is blossoming slowly? I responded "well I bet your friends that hate India are rich businessmen who go to New Delhi on business. They aren't going for people or for development. They are going for money, right?" He surprisingly looked at me and said "yeah they are businessmen who go to the capital...how did you know?" I quickly responded "well, because ironically, the people that I have talked to, who have gone for development and for the people, can't wait to go back once they leave". After an awkward pause, the well intentioned wife said "so, will you be acknowledged a student doing professional research or just someone else visiting?" the husband interrupted her and said "well honey, she's a girl. Women are not treated the same there...they probably will not acknowledge her like she is acknowledged here". I didn't respond, which was probably a good thing. I just looked at them both and said "honestly, I don't know that much about India, and I have never been there so I can't say. But all I know, is that I am going there to live with the people and to see how they are on a personal level. I want to see life how they see it and learn to love them as God loves them". I realize that my response may have been a little simplistic and maybe naive. However, I could not believe that there would be so many negative things to say about a place that no one had even been to before...just because they saw the world through their own westernized, wealthy, american view. I am guilty of ethnocentrism, but I hope that by the time I am home from India, I will be more open minded and learn to see places and their people, as what they are and not how they look from "here".

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Tamil class with Vankat

Because I will be going to the Southern state of Tamil Nadu, they speak Tamil. We will be in the Coimbatore region of Tamil Nadu, and in the villages that we will be staying in, they will not speak as much English as the more urbanized regions of India. We have the great opportunity to learn Tamil, from a native!! His name is Vankat, and the first day of class, brought us rava paniyaram, a popular sweet in Tamil Nadu. (I think that's what it's called...) It was different taste but I ate it with an open mind :)
Vankat is a very sweet teacher, he is so excited to teach us Tamil. He started out by giving us a brief history of India and Tamil. He then taught us our first few phrases. "vanakam" which means "hello", "yappuddi irukkan" means "how are you?" and "naan nalla iruken" which means "I am doing well!". It was fun trying to imitate his native sound of Tamil. He would randomly point at one of us and he expected us to say a Tamil phrase. He is really nice and smiley, I can't wait to learn more Tamil from that sweet little man!

25 questions- Tuesday January 17, 2012

In our culture prep course, they want us to write 25 questions that we have about the field study that we will be participating in. I have already done this exercise and it was so useful because I came up with a lot of questions, but as time has passed and India gets closer, I have a completely different set of questions.
1. What kind of things will I do when I visit the NGO?
2. Will we have a set schedule every day?
3. What kinds of things will we do on sundays?
4. When will I actually start interviewing women for my research?
5. What kinds of things will I say and not say regarding culture?
6. If I don't like curry (which I don't), will I be able to say that? I don't want to offend anybody
7. Will I be allowed to hang out with the kids and play with them?
8. How will I be able to find a translator?
9. When will we be able to make time to talk to our families and email them?
10. Will we always be in a group, or are we expected to do our thing everyday?
11. How safe is it to travel by bus when from the village to the Shanti?
12. Will I be allowed to bring personal items like lotion and Shampoo and a straightener? (seems like a weird question, but I really do wonder about it!)
13. How could I express my feelings to the Indian people whom I will be around without offending them?
14. Will I be able to tell the people around me about the gospel without offending them, if they ask?
15. What kinds of illnesses will I be exposed to?
16. Will I be able to participate in religious ceremonies with the people I am around?
17. What will happen if I want to participate in other activities that women don't really participate in (like playing cricket)?
18. Will it be possible and safe to visit another area of India towards the end of my Field Study? (I want to go to the Golden Temple in Punjab)
19. Will we learn about what to do if us girls ever experience eves teasing?
20. Will there be a curfew for when we should be home?
21. Will I be able to keep to my personal sleeping habits or would it be better if I participated in whatever the host family was participating in?
22. Will a facilitator be around or someone who is associated with BYU be around us?
23. Will the interviews that I will be holding be something that the people will accept or reject?
24. Will I be seen as a student who is doing research, or as another female tourist that is just there?
25. Will I be allowed to visit schools to see what they are like? or will that be too distracting for the kids?

These are just some of the first things that came to my mind. I hope that as time goes by preparing for this great experience, I will be able to know the answers a little better, and I will be able to generate more specific questions.

Friday, January 13, 2012

What is CULTURE?

In the last class, we learned about the meaning of culture and how it is different for everyone. In my opinion, culture is what defines a group of people in a specific region; it defines their values, how they view the world around them and it accompanied by a specific language, dress, and sometimes common religion. Of course, as more details are added, the definition of culture becomes more complex...which gets a little confusing. Still, in my mind, culture is a set of values for a group of people. I think about how people can have more than one kind of culture. I think of me for example, I am hispanic. Consequently, I share the culture of most Latins, namely the food, we all love dancing, and we speak Spanish. However, I am also a Latter-day Saint, so I also share Mormon culture. I think that it will be like that when I go to India.
In class, when we talked about the symbols that mean one thing in one culture but not the same to others, I thought about my experiences when I first came to the United States. I moved here when I was 8, from Colombia. My mom has always taught me that when I meet someone, especially an adult, I should be polite and give him/her a kiss on the cheek. Well, that didn't go so well when we moved to the states. People started flinching as I moved in towards their cheek with my lips puckered. I learned the hard way, that the kiss on the cheek was not the same here. It didn't take long before I never did that to another American again, and it has been just fine. I learned that just as much as I loved my culture and wanted to be respected, I should also respect American culture, and not impose mine on anyone.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

First thoughts...

I have been accepted to a Field Study Program for BYU, taking place in Southern India. I will be in Coimbatore, which is in the state of Tamil Nadu. I think about India every day...I always joke with my roommates that if India was a man, I'd marry it...that sounds kind of weird, but I honestly can't get India out of my mind, I am looking forward to living among the people the most. I will be working with a Geography professor, Chad Emmett, on my research project. So far, my idea is to go and interview middle aged women about how they feel about themselves. I don't necessarily want to go too much into self-esteem, but I want to know how they perceive themselves and everything. I want to mostly observe them and take notes on how they act in certain situations. I have always wanted to do a Study Abroad or Field Study, but I never thought it possible. When I received an email about this opportunity, I had the strong feeling that my opportunity had come. My intentions are to really feel what it is like to live among people who are totally and completely different from me. I want to know what it's like being able to adjust and to accept people who are from literally across the universe. I want to be able to help them feel important and valued. I don't know how I will go about that, but that's what I want the most...to know that I made someone in that country feel better about themselves and learning the most about them.