The British Invasion

My wife lived in 3 years in Korea while he father was a mission president for the LDS church. She attended all three years of Jr. High at an international school there in Daejon, Korea. She was able to make lots of different friends and experience many different cultures. During here stay in Korea, she made a a friend named Heather Lilly. Heather is from England and now resides in Lincoln, England where she works and lives with her boyfriend.
This last week Heather came to stay with us and experience a bit of the U.S. culture, It has been an amazing experience for all of us. I always thought that since we basically speak the same language, we would have little differences. However, not only are we extremely different, but our languages are also very separate. We went out to eat at Olive Garden, where she ordered a chicken platter with vegetables. Heather had never heard the word zucchini before and wondered what it was. Apparently in England zucchini is called courgette. Also she refers to the bathroom as the toilet, and a shopping cart as a trolley, she calls a dog leash a lead, and underwear are pants. The entire week had been full of misunderstandings and further explanations. I has been a good experience to hear about the different lifestyle that is lead in England. Although my wife Jenny is from the U.S. and Heather is from England, they have been able to move past their obvious differences and focus on their similarities.

Service Learning Project Overview

I really enjoyed the Service Learning Project, I think it gave us a good opportunity to actually help those around us who are less fortunate. I can only imagine how scary and daunting being a refugee would be. Fleeing form your country due to civil unrest would be a very hard thing to do. No to mention you than add on the cultural variable that make things like getting a job, communicating, and even making it day to day that much harder. In a classroom, theories and ideas can be thrown around all day, but until you put your shoulder to the wheel, you really won't be able to see how things can play out.

At first I was planning on putting together an apartment for one or two of the refugee families. I was going to collect beds, dressers, lamps, couches, etc in order to put together an adequate living environment for these families to enjoy. I corresponded with the lady in charge of the whole operation and it turned out that bringing all that furniture down at the right time would actually become a huge hassle. So I was forced to switch gears.

After thinking about it and emailing back and forth with the woman in charge we decided that another thing the refugees were in need of was personal hygiene products. Things like soap, shampoo, deodorant, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc were all basic items that these people were in need of. I personally can't even imagine not having such basic items at my immediate disposal. I have always had adequate personal hygiene products and definitely wanted these people to be as comfortable as possible in their new homes.

I first went and spoke with my in-laws. My father in-law happens to be the V.P. of Tahitian Noni, an MLM that produces tons of shampoos, lotions, and other personal hygiene products. MY father in-law was happy to help the cause by lending as much as they had on hand. This of course helped tremendously. I also spoke with other members of my family and encouraged them to donate as well. It was cool to see how easily things were coming together.

After we had acquired a good amount from family and friends, we decided to go door to door and speak with people in Lindon about donating to the cause. I have knocked tons of doors in my day between being a missionary and doing sales, so this wasn't really a big deal to me. I was surprised by how much people were willing to donate. Jason and I probably looked like to punk kids, but people could see that we were excited and out for a good cause. It turned out really well and we were able to get together a trunk full of personal hygiene products.

Overall I must say the opportunity to help out these people was fulfilling and one that I won't likely forget. I realize that we didn't build them a house or anything huge, but we did do our best to make their stay here in the U.S. whether permanent or not, more comfortable. I wish I could have been there to work more closely with some of these people like other students were able to. However, we did our best and produced more than I had anticipated.

I would totally encourage anyone that is looking to any type of Eagle Scout Project or service project to talk with those in charge at the refugee center, It will create more awareness and hopefully help out these people even more.

National Geographic Assignment

Urbanization

"Cities have existed for thousands of years and can be traced back to the river valley civilizations of Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), Egypt, India, and China. At first, these settlements depended largely on agriculture and domestic cattle, but as they grew in size they became centers for merchants and traders."

Urban growth, also known as urbanization, accelerated dramatically with the advent of industrialization some 200 years ago. At that time, large numbers of people moved to cities in search of jobs, mostly in factories. But the most rapid growth has taken place over the past 50 years. While less than one-third of the world's population lived in cities in 1950, about two thirds of humanity is expected to live in urban areas by 2030. Most of that urbanization is taking place in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Urban is defined as "that which is characteristic of a city." But what exactly is a city? In the past, walls may have defined a city. But today's city boundaries are often blurred. Are suburbs, which are often called metropolitan areas, part of cities? Depending on the boundaries used, Tokyo can have a population of anywhere between 8 and 40 million people.

Cities can and do make a lot of sense for the human race. People are concentrated in a small space rather than being spread out over a large territory. This allows the government and others to provide more services such as water, electricity, and transportation to a larger number of people. Also, schools and shops are more easily accessible for greater commerce and learning.

Cities have always been at the center of economic growth and technological advances. The promise of jobs and prosperity pulls people to cities. But their rapid growth has also brought with it many negative things: violence, poverty, overcrowding, health problems, and pollution. Many cities in developing countries in particular are growing too rapidly for their own good, with many residents unable to find jobs and forced to live in slums.

Urban expansion is also encroaching on wildlife habitats everywhere. Increasingly people live and work in close proximity to wild animals whose native habitats have been lost or broken up. Many animals—from mice and cockroaches to pigeons and squirrels—have adapted to city life, taking advantage of abundant food and warmer temperatures.

"A cloak of smog gives Fresno, California, a hazy look. Smog, a hybrid of the words "smoke" and "fog," is caused when sunlight reacts with airborne pollution, including ash, dust, and ground-level ozone." In Utah, the words smog and air pollution are nothing new. Due to our high mountains we are often plagued with lingering inversions. Logan, Ut even has some of the worst air quality across the nation.

The promise of jobs and prosperity, among other factors, entice people to cities. Half of the global population already lives in cities. Due to the high population and limited space in today's cities, we are facing two of the most pressing problems in the world today: poverty and environmental degradation.

Poor air and water quality, insufficient water availability, waste-disposal problems, and high energy consumption are exacerbated by the increasing population density and demands of urban environments. Improved city planning will be crucial in managing these as well as other difficulties as the world's urban areas continue to grow and expand.

Threats

• Intensive urban growth can lead to greater poverty, with local governments unable to provide services for all people.
• Concentrated energy use leads to greater air pollution with significant impact on human health.
• Automobile exhaust produces elevated lead levels in urban air.
• Large volumes of uncollected waste create multiple health hazards.
• Urban development can magnify the risk of environmental hazards such as flash flooding.
• Pollution and physical barriers to root growth promote loss of urban tree cover.
• Animal populations are inhibited by toxic substances, vehicles, and the loss of habitat and food sources.

Solutions

• Combat poverty by promoting economic development and job creation.
• Involve local community in local government.
• Reduce air pollution by upgrading energy use and alternative transport systems.
• Create private-public partnerships to provide services such as waste disposal and housing.
• Plant trees and incorporate the care of city green spaces as a key element in urban planning.

Sources

Kunzig, Robert. (2011, January). Seven Billion. National Geographic, pp 42-63

Klasen, S., & Nestmann, T. (2006). Population, Population Density and Technological Change. Jounnel of Population Economics , 611-626.

Lutz, W., & Qiang, R. (2002). Determinants of Human Population Growth. Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences , 1197-1210.

Wolfgang Lutz, Warren Sanderson, Sergel Scherbov. (2001). The End of World Population Growth. Nature, pp 543-545

Unconscious Competence and Unconscious Incompetence

Unconscious competence and unconscious incompetence is something that we talked about in class quite a bit about. I found this to be an actually very interesting subject. We are constantly doing things and making decisions, some may be good while some may be bad. This can obviously be used when dealing with different cultures. Often times people act in a way that may be offensive to thers of another culture even though they are unconsciously being offensive. I'm sure I was guilty of this multiple times when I first arrived to Lithuania. I wouldn't immediately shake people's hands and would forget to take my hat off, simple things really but crucial in a different culture. Practice and immersion helps one become more conscious when dealing with other cultures.

Chapter #11 Dialectics

A principle that really sort of stood out to me was the differences-similarities dialectic. My wife and I can sometimes seem like we are on polar ends of the earth when it comes to dealing with situations. However, we almost always agree on basic ideals and structures. I tend to be a typical man that tends to struggle with putting things lightly or delicately, my family is very straight forward where her family just sweeps things under the rug and pretends like it never happened. This is where our negative differences kick in, we both want things handled differently. However, we also have a lot of positive differences that have become quite complimentary. Jenny is a great cook, while I like to clean. Therefore, she makes the meals, and I clean the dishes. Jenny is very organized while I more of a lets plan later type of guy. She then takes care of the bills while I simply make the money. I am a very one directional person that can't multi-task very well. Therefore I'm really good at making money while Jenny takes care of bills and shopping, so I can focus on my one task. I think differences can be quite complimentary in a marriage.

Joseph Ostraff

Today our guest speaker Joseph Ostraff spoke to our class. He did a great job and told us a little about all the places he has visited, from California to Ukraine and even Toga. He showed us a Youtube clip with many different greeting. He also showed us the greeting used in Toga, which is when two men hold their foreheads together. In the U.S. we shake hands as a casual greeting, while Hispanics may even kiss each others cheek. He mentioned that the hula dancers dance was once a prayer and has been since then made into more of a sexual thing. It's crazy to think of how distorted that had become. We are constantly needing to immerse ourselves in others cultures, that way we can see things through a more rounded point of view. Breaking cultural bonds can be one of the most rewarding things we can do in life.

Media and Cultural Influences

Media has an enormous affect on the way we view things around us. For example, Apple had done an amazing job of convincing every college student that you are not going to be as cool or as successful if you don't have a mac book pro, and iphone, or ipod. I can pretty much guarantee that 90% of the students at UVU own at least one apple product. They do a great job of adverting to college students through popular mediums, such as; movies, online ads, and television. Literally everywhere you turn apple is advertising some form of their products. I must admit I may be the biggest sucker of them all. I myself have owned 3 different iphones, i have a macbook pro, and I even have an apple TV. Media does a great job of convincing people that they need something to fit in. That if they have this device or this shirt than they will finally be cool. The media uses celebrities to promote ideas, products, politicians, and pretty much anything you can imagine. As long as someone that is cool is promotion it, you can guarantee there are thousands of people out there buying it.

Chapter #8 Adult Transition

Chapter 8 was a good read, it dealt with everyday things that we must go through at one point or another. I wanted to focus my attention on the Adult Transition Model. We move from High School which is a much more structured life style, one that tends to be more specific and mandatory. We then move to college where schooling becomes more of an open-ended life where we are the deciding factor of what we do. We are most times thrust into a more state of more responsibility. We are required to pay for tuition, books, housing, food, phone bills, etc. While we are also given further freedoms, no more curfew, eat on the couch etc. Adulthood must be embraced whether one likes it or not. After college is through, we are then pushed into the working world. This is actually one I strongly look forward to. I have always enjoyed sales and working. I am looking forward to starting my own businesses and finding that furthered freedom through a completed education.

Non-Verbal Communcation

Non-verbal communication is a huge part of any culture. African Americans tend to use hand shakes and fist bumps. American's in general smile a lot more at each other, even strangers, while in Russian you are looked at as some type of Alien if you smile at all. Each culture tends to have its own socially excepted non-verbals. For Example, if I was to go up and kiss a girl I just met on both of her cheeks like I was in Italy, I likely wouldn't end up getting a phone number. Non-verbals even in the" white" American culture are crucial in everyday behavior. When we meet a stranger in business, we shake hands. This shows respect and a sign of acceptance being given from both parties. Also, in the U.S. we tend to look others in the eye when we are talking with them, this shows respect and concentration on the person who is speaking. A man who is slumped in his chair at school with his head lowered shows those around him he isn't paying attention or that he is insecure.

Non-verbals even fluctuate from family to family. MY family tends to be loud and boisterous, while my wife's family tends to simply raise their eyebrows to acknowledge you are speaking. Simply things can send big messages.

Thoughts Thus Far

I have really enjoyed this class so far, I feel like we have taken on topics that aren't usually talked about in cultural classes. I am also enrolled in a international business class and we cover such a large array of topics in our communications class that it makes for a lot more interesting dialogue. I definitely hadn't thought about how my economic status could have such an effect on my "cultural lens". I realize now that coming from an upper-class home has put limits on how other America's view politics, schooling, jobs, etc. It's different for a white male to look at college as a no-brainer, but what about the underprivileged black kid who works after school just to help keep a roof over his family's head? Higher education may not be an option at that time in his life, and requires a different outlook on education in general. Also, in Utah, LDS girls (not all, but a lot) look at school as a means to find a husband, not necessarily a path to getting a high paying job. My wife intends to be a mom, she will be receiving her bachelor's degree this summer, but will likely not be pursing a career since we will likely have children and I will be the provider. Now, I feel that the desire to simply be a mother is something worth being praised in this day, however mothers need to educated, mothers are the one teaching our future generations.

Chapter #6 Language

Language is a crucial part of culture as I had mentioned in my Self-Assessment, not only does language help you express your emotions it also helps you better understand the culture itself. In Lithuanian they don't have a work for awkward, it was very hard to not have this word at my disposal. However, the longer I spoke Lithuanian the more I realized that their culture doesn't need that language. In fact, even if they did have that word, they likely wouldn't need it or use it die to the way they deal with certain circumstances.

The book gives a few examples of the importance, and simply the marketability of those who speak two languages. The ability to speak more than one language is a profitable asset to have in today's world. Not only can you get jobs that others can't, you also are bale to create meaning relationships with those you wouldn't have been able to without that language. Missionaries in my mission that never really put in the time to learn the language like they should often felt discouraged when it came to building relationships with members in the branches. No one likes to talk with someone who can barely spit out a sentences.

Service Learning - We have decided that we are for sure going to pick up personal hygiene products fro local stores, neighbors, etc and bring them to SLC. She seemed pretty excited about the idea and I think we will well.

Self - Assessment

Cultural Identity means something different to each person in life. To each, language, race, history, geographical location means something different to each person. Everyone has their own eye through which life is perceived, and culture in large part is what shapes the view in front of them. To some life is peaceful and comfortable, while to others life is more about day-to-day survival. Each person has free agency or the option of choice, but due to culture how much choice does a person really have versus predetermined fate due to the cultural circumstances they are born into? To the Asian born in North Korea, his circumstances are directly affected by his geographical location. He may have chosen to be an astronaut, but due to the communist dictator that rules his country, he is limited. The culture you are born into more often than not is a defining part of who you are and what you will become.

My name is Trevor Cox and I am a 25-year-old white male who was raised in Layton, Utah. I would consider myself an A-typical male from Utah. I was raised with 3 other siblings, 2 bothers and a sister. I was raised in an upper-middles class home. I graduated High school in 2004 and then served and LDS mission for 2 years in the Baltic States Mission.

I was raised inside an upper-middle class home. My Dad was an entrepreneur who has been successful in business as long as I can remember. He owns an auto glass company that has been in business for nearly 20 ears, while it may not look like a huge corporation, my Dad has learned how to manage his affairs in a way to pull every ounce of profit out of the industry he is involved in. Both of my parents were raised in large families, both their Dads were schoolteachers that didn't make lots of money. This motivated my parents to provide a better life (financially) for my siblings and I. I was given every opportunity a kid could want. I raced motocross when I was 5 years old, eventually taking state when I was 7. I took karate, played soccer, skied +50 times per year, and went on countless trips to Disneyland and Lake Powell. I was by all means blessed. My parents were also advocates of hard work. I was to do inside chores every Friday, before I could go out for the night. I also helped my Dad every Saturday with our massive yard, this taught me from a young age the value of hard work. I was raised with many amenities, but was also forced to not only take care of them, but to earn the privilege to use them through work.

I come from an LDS home as I had mentioned before. This cultural identity shaped me more than I feel any other identity could. My family is considered active followers of the LDS church. Every wall in my parents home has at least one religious picture on it. I was required to attend church every Sunday and mutual on Wednesdays, this taught from a young age the values and beliefs that were associated with the LDS church. My family also had "family night" every Monday and scripture study before school. These too helped me learn more and more about the LDS church and the doctrine behind its beliefs. I turned in my mission approval papers when I was 18, and entered the Missionary Training Center when I was still 18. I was called to speak Lithuanian in the Baltic States mission. I studied Lithuanian and the doctrines of the church inside the MTC for over two months before I arrived in Lithuania.

Once inside Lithuania my cultural blinders were in essence removed. For the first time in my life I was immersed in a culture that was completely foreign to me. I for once was seen as the outsider or the minority. Not only was I a missionary of the LDS church inside a predominately Catholic nation; I was also a white American. This was also very different; I had never seen gypsies or interacted with Eastern Europeans before. I have never been a quiet or shy person, but for a second I was forced to be aware of my own cultural identity. I was no longer in Davis County Utah where every person around me was a white Mormon; I was among people of different religions, race, and people who spoke a completely different language. I learned quickly that language is a large part of culture; it not only helps you communicate but also tells you the "why's" to a culture. You simply cannot understand the boldness of a Russian if you can't speak any Russian. These languages are the key to understanding the cultural identity of the people. Once I was able to communicate, I was able to see inside their cultural peradime. I fee this was a large reason I had success as a missionary, my ability with the language made me empathetic toward Lithuanians.

As I had mentioned before, I consider myself a white male that was raised in an upper-class home and since I have grown up in this culture, I’d like to discuss member of other cultures. I had the opportunity to work in a sales position last summer in Georgia. It was a definite eye opener for me, being that I was raised in Utah where the population is .01% black. At first I was nervous to walk down a street where all I saw were black people outside. All I had to refer to were the stereotypes I had seen on TV and the news, gangs, drugs, and ghetto. However, as I made it though my first few streets I completely forgot that I was white and they were black. In fact I would see a white guy and think, whoa there’s a white guy! I would literally forget that I was even white, I felt so at home among these black families that I felt almost apart of them. In fact most of the white people were rude and unfriendly. The black women especially would invite me in, offer me a glass of water and hear what I had to say. I can honestly say I feel in love with all black women. They were kind, hospitable and they even called me nice names like sugar and sweetie, my own mom didn’t even call me those names. I did notice that most of the black women were single and in the areas I was working in they were mostly poor. I actually had an app on my phone that was given to my for my job that could show me the home’s value, what their mortgage payment was, and even how much schooling they had completed. Scary, I know. Often times they were in debt and upside down on their homes, and had only dropped out of high school or had their GED. Now, not all the black women I spoke to were in this situation, in fact many were successful in their jobs and had families. These women were however just as kind and when I spoke to them, although I was clearly selling something they would treat me with respect. I have literally been in some of the most ghetto parts of Georgia and have spoken with hundreds of black women, and was not once yelled at or asked to leave.

I learned that unfortunately as nice as these women are, they were far behind in education. I feel that likely the economic circumstances they were born into were a huge debilitating factor. Likely the social norms they were born into, forced them to see a different reality to the positives of an education. I would like to see more black women getting their GED’s and continuing their higher education. These women do a remarkable job raising a family with the means they are given. I do not believe that special treatment needs to be given, such as extra money, etc, simply an increased awareness on the benefits of higher education.

My information on these women obviously originally came form the media and the opinions of those who likely didn’t have much interaction. However, my more educated opinions came after I spent nearly four months everyday speaking and conversing with them. I was able to learn first hand the trails, cultural values, and belief systems that these women lived by. This gave me a clearer understanding as to how these women saw the world around them. I am a Republican, however when I spoke with these women I became an Obama fan. Now I don’t really agree with his policies and likely wouldn’t vote for him. However, to see the countless pictures they had of him hanging on their walls made me feel proud that the U.S. had elected its first black president. They would tell me how he was an inspiration to every black boy and girl that they can now truly become anything they wanted. That made me happy and that made me feel a connection to another culture that I otherwise wouldn’t have known.

This paper ahs reminded me of how much I loved getting to know another culture. It was refreshing to see the world through someone else other than another Mormon in Utah. Often times we get caught in our own culture and why it may or my not be the best. Diversity is a real part of life, the sooner we can recognize that different view points are a positive, the sooner we will come to much needed compromises. Chapter 5 really emphasized self perception, this helped me see that although I may see myself one way, my non-verbal’s (race,gender,etc) may portray myself another way. I would like to continue to learn about perception and how other races tend to perceive themselves.

Chapter #5 Identity

Chapter 5 reminded me that the non-verbals often times say more than my actual words. Even my race, clothes, hair, smile, hygiene, give off different perceptions to those around me. This is something that I sub-consciously realize, but consciously don't interpret often. Age is also a huge factor in identity. I am the oldest of 4 children, I have two brothers and a sister. I have always been a step ahead of my brothers due to age, and what seems like decades ahead of my little sister. Kelsie is a great girl who gets straight A's and dances for her school's dance team. It is interesting to see how different our struggles and achievements are. She is worried with rumors and boys, while I'm concerned with making enough money to support my wife and I. Now, both are important, it is just interesting to see how our perceptions change as we continue to age.

Chapter #4 pursuit of happiness

Being born in the U.S. is something that I obviously take for granted every day. The U.S. harbors endless opportunities to succeed and continue on in the pursuit of happiness, whatever that may be. I think the disconnect between the rich and the poor in the U.S. is based around the idea that you can be whoever you want here. I believe that this is in fact true. No matter your background or your culture, you can become as great or grotesque as you would like and there is no one to blame but yourself. If you want to become a multimillionaire on Wall street, whose to stop you? Feeling guilty for being born in to such a great nation should only be felt if you don't take advantage of it while others are literally dieing to get in.

Service Learning - still evaluation options via email. I will likely be gathering personal hygiene products to help support the refugees.

Chapter #3 Communication

Culture and Communication are crucial parts of anyone person's "make-up". We each come from different places, families, backgrounds. These each have an effect on who we are, the way we react, and the way we interpret reality around us. Language can be a huge factor in communication, not does it inhibit communicating certain things to those of different backgrounds or origins, but these very languages allows one to look at things differently. Language can even affect the way we view nature. Nature to me is flying down a ski hill, cutting across perfect glass on my slalom ski, or ripping down a canyon on my long board. However, to other culture, nature can be seen as something that is a alive and should be respected and or valued. Nature can even be seen as a daily obstacle, what to eat and drink is something that nature doesn't put forth very easily in some parts of the world.

Service Learning - I have been communicating via email with the lady in charge in SLC as to what she think would be beneficial for the refugees.

Chapter #2 and Cultural Interview

The book gives three approaches to Intercultural Communication - Social Science, Interpretive, and Critical. Each approach has their pros and cons. Each are essential in having a clear view of a particular culture. Also immersing oneself in a culture is the best way to gain a better appreciation and understanding of another view point or way of life. Standing as an outsider is only going to create greater mysticism and lack of understanding.

I spoke with my friend who is a Latvian. Helvijs Vigners is a native Latvian who is attending school here in Utah. I spoke with Helvijs about what his first impressions were when coming to the U.S. He had previously served a mission for the LDS church in Lithuania along side fellow missionaries that happened to be American, he mentioned that this helped prepare him for most of the quirks Americans have. However, he felt that in the U.S. friendship is viewed and valued differently. In Latvia friends are strong and last forever. However, in the U.S. people pretend they are your friend, while in reality they are just posing or being nice. This really made me think about my relationships and the type of friend I was to those around me.