Monday, October 22, 2012
The country report about the U.S.A
Social
Issues in America
There are many social issues that lie within the Unites
States of America, but some stand out more than others. These issues effect the
way that American society works and can be a determining factor in things such
as elections, media, and government laws. Two main social issues that exist in
America are gay marriage and immigration. Though they are not prevalent issues
in all of the states, they are still commonly talked about by many people
throughout the country.
Since 2001, when September 11th happened, many people in
the United States have had a fear of allowing immigrants into the United
States. It went to levels of border control and more. Therefore some judge that
immigration is a threat to the United States. FAIR estimates that “ in 2010 the
illegal alien population is about 12 million persons. Government and academic
estimates estimate that population at about 11 million.” This makes people have
concerns because they think that many illegal aliens are taking jobs from other
American citizens. Also, some people contribute the high levels of crimes and
drugs in certain areas to be the cause of illegal immigrants who work for other
countries. According to the Heritage website “When three out of every 100
people in America are undocumented (or, rather, documented with forged and
faked papers), there is a profound security problem.” Many people see this is a large issue because
of what happened on September 11th.
Gay marriage has also slowly become a significant social
issue in today’s American society. According to Wikipedia, “Since 2000, eleven
countries (Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Netherlands, Norway,
Portugal, Spain, South Africa, and Sweden) and several sub-national
jurisdictions (parts of Mexico and the United States) have begun to allow
same-sex couples to marry.” In the 2012
election, there were four states that had some sort of gay-marriage amendment
added to their ballots. In Minnesota, the ballot discussed whether or not gay
marriage should be defined in our constitution.
This was a social issue here in Minnesota because many people felt that
marriage should not have anything to do with state laws. Across the nation, people are split in the
middle because of other outside factors such as religion.
Overall, these social issues have been spoken about a lot
over the past months due to the election season. Gay marriage and immigration
issues are here to stay and I personally think that they will continue to be
issue for a long time because Americans have many different feelings about
them. These social issues will continue
to define American society and the standards that they live by. Hopefully, there will come a day when
American society does not let social issue define who they are, but I know this
will not be soon.
Resources:
Sunday, October 21, 2012
the Interview that I did with an American person
Interviewer: hi, how are
you today?
Kandies: hi, I’m pretty
good.
Interviewer: I have some
questions for you I want to ask you about.
Kandies: okay, I am ready
to answer.
Interviewer: first of all, what is the value of family in your country which is
the U.S.A?
Kandies: I think that our
country values individualism over family. I think that many times a person will
put themselves and their goals before their family.
Interviewer: What is your family structure like? (head of house, values, etc.)
Kandies: My family
structure is very traditional. My father is the head of the house and though my
mom works, he still makes the most money and handles finances. My mother
usually does all of the cooking and cleaning and took care of my brothers and
me when we were younger. Also, I like to help my mother. My parents value
family a lot and think that it is important to spend time with them as much as
possible.Interviewer: You know a lot about Saudi culture, how is it different from American culture?
Kandies: I think that the
largest difference is that American culture is based on freedom and
individualism where Saudi culture is based on Islam and what is written in the
Quran. Also, Saudi culture revolves a lot around family and many people put
family as first in their lives instead of themselves.
Interviewer: What are the highlights in your culture? (What things will make
people immediately think about your country? Please tell more about its
history)
Kandies: hmm, I think that
most people think about Hollywood and glamour when they think about America…
Many movies come from here or are produced here as well as many celebrities are
from here. I think that a lot of people think America is the land of the free
and many people here can do whatever they want and not have to answer to anyone.
In reality, American
history is extremely distorted from what we as Americans are taught in school.
We stole our country form other people and have discriminated against every
other race except whites since our first days here.
Interviewer: What programs do
you like to watch?
Kandies: hmm, I don’t watch a lot of
television, but when I do I like to watch news shows that talk about what is
happening around the world. I also like to watch shows that are on the HGTV
station because they are crafting and making things and that is something I
like to do in my spare time.
Interviewer: What is your
favorite kind of music to listen to and why?
Kandies: I like to listen to a variety
of music but I think that I mostly listen to country music. I grew up listening
to it and the lyrics in the songs are relatable to my life. I also like to
listen to classical music when I am stressed or when I have a lot of homework
to do. It is a very relaxing and I can feel motivated and relaxed when I listen
to it.
Interviewer: What is the most famous food in
your country?
Kandies: well, I think that the most
common food in America is the burger. There are a lot of variations of it here
but everywhere you go you can get one.Interviewer: What are your meals like? Size, number, times of day.
Kandies: I think that people in America
eat a lot of food that is quick and easy that they can take on the go. I don’t
think many people sit down for meals that they prepared themselves anymore.
Also, I think that a lot of people eat when they have time and not when they
are hungry.
Interviewer: What kind of
food is your favorite?Kandies: actually, I have two favorite foods. The first is called hamburger gravy over rice and my mom used to make it for me when I was a child. The other favorite is Kabab, but it is a Middle Eastern dish and not American.
Interviewer: What is the education system in
your country?
Kandies: The education system in America
is set up to be flawed. Many people have the misconception that we have a good
system that prepares children for their future and gives them the tools they will
need to succeed. In reality, many children are in classes that are so focused
on standardized testing and moving kids from grade to grade, that they do not
receive the proper education that they need to succeed.
Interviewer: Do a lot of people get a chance
to attend college in your country?
Kandies: I think that people who are in
a good socioeconomic situation are able to attend college but for the average
American citizen, I think that finding the funds and a school willing to accept
them is difficult because school that are well know and have some of the best
programs in the country, are extremely expensive.Interviewer: Is there an exam for everyone graduated from high school to enroll to the university?
Kandies: People who want to go to college take a test that is the SAT or the ACT. It tests your overall knowledge of different subject areas and lets colleges know if you are “intelligent” enough to attend their university.
Interviewer: what are the top three social
pastimes? (Sports, group events, various activities)
Kandies: hmm, One big social past time
in America is football, going to games, watching it on t.v., and betting with
other people about the outcomes of a game. Another is social media like Facebook,
tumbler, and pint rest. I think that another social pastime is eating at restaurants
with friends or family.
Interviewer: are the different religions in your
country? And what is the predominant religion?
Kandies:
Because America is a salad bowl of cultures, we have many of the religions from
around the world here. I think that the
largest practiced religion is Christianity.
Interviewer: What is the
favorite vacation for America?
Kandies: I think that the
favorite vacation places in America would have to be Disney land in Florida,
New York, Hawaii, and California.
Interviewer: What places can
new visitors go to in Minnesota?
Kandies: well, I think that the most
common place to visit in Minnesota is the Mall of America. I also think that
people enjoy going to resorts of lakes for vacations in the summer.
Interviewer: Where do you
like to spend your free time?
Kandies: I like to spend my free time
reading a book or relaxing outside where there is nature around me. I also like
to spend some time with friends exploring new places or activities.
Interviewer: What
recommendations can you give to people who are on their first visit to America?
Kandies: I would tell people to go out
and experience things on their own and not to believe all of the hype about what
they media says about America. Form your own opinions and make choices about
how you want to perceive the country.
Interviewer: What are some holidays that you
celebrate in America and how do you celebrate them?
Kandies: The most commonly celebrated
holiday in America, to me, is Christmas. People usually celebrate this by
getting together with family and exchanging presents. Another holiday that is
celebrated is Independence Day or the fourth of July. This day is celebrated
with fireworks and gathering to celebrate “our” nations birthday.
Interviewer: at the end, I
enjoyed about what you said and I am happy to give me some more information
than what I have, also, there are more delicious dishes in Meddle East you can
try them and I think you will love them.
Kandies: yep, I’ll tell my
friends to cook more for me to try.
The person I interviewed:
Kandice Byron
our group are Curtis Tolan, Hua Gong, Dhurgham Al Saffar
Evaluate strengths and weaknesses of
the essay with the following:
For Curtis Tolan:Essay’s link: http://curtten191f12s27.blogspot.com/
1.
Organization/structure
9 of 10 because
there is no indents.
2.
Supporting
arguments
10 of 10
3.
Flow
10 of 10
4.
Grammar
9 of 10 because
I found “apart” instead of a part in the benefits’ paragraph.
5.
Source
use
10 of 10
1.
Organization/structure
10 of 10
2.
Supporting
arguments
5 of 10 because
it is too short and no enough examples.
3.
Flow
10 of 10 4. Grammar
10 of 10
5. Source use
10 of 10
Monday, October 15, 2012
Challenges and benefits of interviewing an international student
Challenges and benefits of interviewing an international student
Link: Evaluation of the essays of the group.
Link: Evaluation of the essays of the group.
Two years in Saint Cloud without Native
American friends. If we walk around the campus and looking for the
international students, we are going to see most of them walking alone or with
friends from the same country where they are from. Making international or Native friends
has several challenges and benefits for us.
There is many puzzles I say while I am talking with other
people are not from my home country. Different accent that I talk is making my communication
very hard with Native American. For example, if American say “ haa?” as they
did not get what I said to them, I usually lose my mind, because I change one
letter from either way “a” to “e” or the opposites. Also, while they talk I am
trying to catch them to make to flew for our conversation is going up. In addition,
because in Minnesota they speak fast I usually thinking away from them to make
other questions for the new interview and I want it to be as long as I can.
There are several purposes that I want from my interviews. First
of all, make potential friends from everywhere. That is making me happy and
fell as I live in my home country, greeting everybody in the street while I
walk. Second, to get more knowledge’s about other countries. For example, places
to visit in India and more about the actors those I saw in movies. Finally, all
these reasons make me practice the English language skills. Also, it is going
to help me to have a greet accent while I am talking with Natives.
All these reasons I said make me without Native American for
two years living in Saint Cloud. The very hard one is Challenges and the second
is benefits from the interviews international and Natives student in Saint
Cloud State University.
Outline for Challenges and benefits of interviewing an international student
T.H.
Making international friends is hard for many reasons.
T.S. There is many puzzles I say while I
am talking.
1. Different accent.
2. Going with the flow
3. Making questions for interview
T.S. There are several purposes that I want
from my interviews.
1. Make potential friends from
everywhere.
2. To get knowledge about other countries.
3. Practice the language skills.
Curtis Tolan, Dhurgham Alsaffar, Hua Gong Challenges ========== Language differences Attitude/responsiveness Culture differences Time scheduling Keep within the time frame Courage to go through with it Find a location Make questions for interview Going with the flow Gathering information Getting around gender bias Organize information Transcribe the interview Be able to think of the next question while still listening Give feedback Finding the interviewee Finding recording device Avoid being awkward Maintain composure Benefits ========== Make potential friend First-hand knowledge about another country Pratice language skills Experience with formal interview process Communication skills improve Research skills improve open the door to potential business with the person in the future learn something that you could not have imagined before Become more confident Receive feedback
Sunday, October 14, 2012
o
I want
to know some information about these countries:
For India:
·
I want to more about the
places that I saw in Indian movies.
·
What is the education system
they have?
·
What is the marriage
culture in India?
·
How to cook (masala)?
For Australia:
·
Why it is the best place in
the in the new year to celebrate?
·
What is the education system
they have?
·
What cities should I visit
if I go to Australia?
·
I want to know some differences
between there and the U.S.A
Monday, October 8, 2012
Five Books I picked:
1.
From Dao, Thanh T "Richard
III and the Princes in the Tower." She selected the book because she likes
the cover of the book. The book talking about history and art.
2.
From Donald blogger, “PHILOSOPHY AND CONTEMPORARY MAN.” He
selected this book because it helps people to think. The book printed by THE
CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA PRESS, 1968/ It was printed to Washington, D.C.
20017 in 1982 and it was 3rd edition.
3.
From Abdalle Je blogger. “A technique for producing
ideas.” He selected this book because interested him and learn some strategies
to produce ideas.
4.
From Zayanak blogger. “Why Africa matters.” Picked that
book because the title inspired him. The book is leaning us some information
about Africa that we do not know about.
5.
From Gong, Hua blogger. “My
early life.” He selected this book because he is one of the fans For Winston
Churchill, also the book talking about Winston Churchill.
Monday, October 1, 2012
other blogs I have read:
1.
"Richard III and the
Princes in the Tower." Talking about history and art.
2.
“PHILOSOPHY AND CONTEMPORARY MAN.” Helping people to
think.
3.
“A technique for producing ideas.” Some strategies to
produce ideas.
4.
“Why Africa matters.” To lean us some information about
Africa that we do not know about.
5.
“My early life.” For Winston
Churchill, also it talking about him.
Step1:
1.
I
choose that book because I am interesting about my major which is occupational
therapy.
2.
The
author’s name is Simme Cynkin.
3.
The
book named by “Occupational Therapy toward health through Activities.”
4.
Brown
and company (Inc) published the book.
5.
He
printed it in the U.S.A New York City in 1979.
Step2:
“Occupational therapy is carried out in a variety of settings but need not
be confined to the space formally allocated to its operations.” (Cynkin 60)
Simme Cynkin, Occupational therapy:toward health through activities. Bureau of family New Yourk City 1979.
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