The field trip that we went on the Hmong cultural center was alright, but not very exciting. I have a unique perspective as someone who has read “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down.” I already knew a lot about the Hmong people, such as how they came to Minnesota in the 1980s, knew about their religion, and knew the persecution they faced when they came here. However, I did learn some new things such as the KQRS scandal and Hmong activism.
The Hmong our speaker taught us about were pretty different than the Hmong discussed in “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down”.
Still, I felt as though the field trip was a little bland and not very impactful. It felt like a little skimming over a different culture, which really doesn’t fit with the rest of the course. Usually, we read something and then come back and have a more in depth discussion about it. Although we did talk about the field trip in class, it not only left out a portion of the class but also still felt like a one sided conversation, a traditional classroom model.
I thought what might be a better idea is to have a mandatory class, butt spice things up a bit with a movie.
I remember in my business management class, to open a discussion about culture clash in the workplace, we watched “Gung Ho.” Now, comedy movies, especially older ones, are not known for being culturally sensitive, so, should you choose to take this advice, you’d have to research and think critically, and might opt for a drama or foreign film instead.
I feel as though you could even add in some articles or other forms of media revolving around similar topics, such as articles, and have a discussion about it.
However, videos are used frequently in class, so another suggestion is assigning a nonfiction memoir, biography, or book such as “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down.” And discussing the books with a cross-cultural psychology lense. This would not only show an issue such as culture clash or teach about a new culture, but would train students to think in terms of psychology when met with media that isn’t written with this field in mind. I feel as though the field trip to the Hmong Cultural Society was special, but I feel as though there would be replacements that would be more entertaining and enhancing.
Something important I learned from the lectures in this course is how culture affects relationships, especially when the cultures interlap. I am not discussing this just because it was the most recent lecture, I promise. I came across an unrelated video on SciShow that announced that human populations are more spread out than they used to be. This not only affects genetics (the topic of that video) but culture as well. Especially in America, a person is more likely to befriend, work with, or enter a relationship with someone of a different class, race, ethnicity, or other cultural difference.
In many cases, such as living in a larger city or being part of an online community, it is almost certain. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge the differences and how to go about them, rather than to ignore them or consider them just an awkward part of a human relationship. It was very interesting to see the different ways romantic relationships are viewed, particularly marriages. We have discussed cultures that see it as a romantic gesture, a fate destined partnership, others who feel it is the choice of the parents, and some who see it clearly as a business arrangement.
These different ideas about a concept like marriage, which we find sacred in our culture, can be uncomfortable at first. However, no curiosity or understanding is going to come if we let our emotions get the better of us. It is good to take a look into other people’s cultures, especially the cultures of the people whom we are close to.
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