Sebastian Ingrosso, Tommy Trash, John Martin - Reload (Live)

April 25, Chapter 12 response

Chapter 12 focuses on the evolution of humans. Some of their ancestors included the chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas (pg 434). One of the most recent predecessors of the modern human was called Homo erectus. He came from Africa. Since Africa could be very hot and difficult to live in because of the Sahara dessert, the ancestor of humans traveled to Asia. Although many species of humans have existed, many of them died out as evident in fossils discovered around the world. As humans continued to evolve, substances such as fire and tools made it easier for our species to survive. Fire substance allowed us to keep warm as well as improve our social skills while tools such as axes and scrapers contributed to the ability to build shelters as well as hunt (pg 437). Later on, humans made further advancements in times like the Aurignacien period where they showed signs of their artistic ability in cave walls. It was also around this time that the next generation of humans, the Homo sapiens, hunted larger animals like the mammoths and the world population increased very quickly in size. (pg 439) 
Apart from many of their evolutionary features such as the ability to walk on two legs, loss of hair, and the discovery of the use of fire, one major difference that sets their apart from their ancestors is their ability to socialize. The fact that humans have become nicer to one another gives them a greater potential to survive in a world filled with hardships like disease and warfare (pg 433). I think this is the most important feature of all because it gives us a sense of morality that makes life a lot easier to deal with, even on a small scale. Furthermore, it gives me a sense of pride that humans have this sophistication of knowing right from wrong, a quality that isn't very common in other animals. 

April 21, final reaction

I found this last class to be very touching. Although it was sad that everyone had to leave, there were a lot of fun things that we did to celebrate the occasion. First, Mr. Murillo brought 3 different types of pizza for us to eat. Next we got a chance to watch the videos that each group created. I thought the music selection from each video was both creative and moving. I particularly found it creative when Mr. Murillo’s face appeared in some of videos as a way to show appreciation towards him! After this, we played a game in which everyone had to stand in a circle with their backs towards the center. Each person had to close their eyes while Mr. Murillo chose each person at random to go into the center of the circle and tap someone on the soldier that best described how he or she influenced the person doing the picking. In the end we all shared something that we got out of the class. I was especially touched when Esther spoke highly of me in front of everybody. I also think she is a wonderful person that I am happy to have met in my life. I will not forget her or anyone else from this class!

April 18, Chapter 11 response

Chapter 11 discusses a topic concerning conflicts that emerge between different cultures without the intention of starting them. This begins with a process of foreigners coming to a new country. The process consists of three stage: euphoria, culture shock, and acculturation. Euphoria deals with the excitement of first coming to a new country while thinking of all the possibilities that await. Culture shock relates to how people begin to realize that the culture they are in is different from the one that they came from. Acculturation is the last stage and it involves the acceptance of the other culture and learning to work with it. (pg. 384) Unlike the Chinese students from my classroom, I can not say that I have ever truly experienced the changes that come from going to another country. Although I can't really speak for them, I can only imagine that this must be both an exciting and perhaps difficult time for them. One one hand, they're finally having a chance to tour around the US and see American sites that they're only heard about. On the other hand, it might be difficult trying to adapt to the American culture since they must communicate mostly in English to other people here and not in Chinese, their native language. I've only traveled once outside of the US in my life and that was when I went to Poland. In this instance, however, I did not have to worry to much about fitting in since I was already familiar with the language and I was staying with some family members. Hopefully someday I'll be able to visit more countries and get the chance to be more open and accepting towards other cultures. 

April 11, Chapter 10 response

The main topic of Chapter 10 concerned the topic of organizational culture. Organizational culture differs from national cultures in the sense that "national cultures are part of the mental software we acquired during the first ten years of our lives..." whereas "organizational cultures are acquired when we enter a work organization as young or not-so young adults..." (pg 346) In regards to organizational structures, they have the quality of maintaining control by means of rules that people must follow. France in particular exhibits this characteristic by the way in which its the schools really stress the importance of learning in schools. (pg 345) I think that it is important to have a strong culture with rules because it maintains order in society. However, it can be also irritating and stressful for people as well because there can be so much pressure that arises from the need to do well in both work and school.
Another thing I found interesting about organizations is something the IRIC concluded about a study. They said that "employees values differed more according to gender, age, and education than according to their membership in the organization" (pg. 348). I think this is very true because people in an organization have a tendency to follow the same rules and beliefs that the organization holds. On the other hand, people who are older, for example, might have a different level of maturity than those who are younger so  they would therefore have a different feel for how responsible they are for their actions.
Furthermore, another study by IRIC observed a company called the Scandinavian Airlines System in Copenhagen. Within the study of this company, it was observed that the new boss's success came from "a superior way of catering to the needs of present and potential customers" (pg. 352) I think that this is a logical approach because it is the customers that will ultimately determine the company's success because they must make the decision as to whether they will use the company's products. Furthermore, the people working there enjoyed the time spent there since they felt that they were treated kindly by the corporation while still being able to do their jobs with breaks during the day. This is definitely how a company should function in general.

April 6, class reaction

I think Katherine and Margo did a great job with their presentation. First they began with a game in which the class was divided into two groups. The groups were asked the same questions but the way in which they were handled was different. One group (my group) had one person act as the leader and that person was in charge of making sure everyone was in the proper order when the questions were asked. The other group didn't have one specific leader each time; instead a leader was appointed to lead for each question. I thought that this game was a great way to explore the topic for discussion by getting a feel for how it feels to be lead by one person all the time versus by different people. 
Next, everyone took a quiz that determined their level of power distance and uncertainty avoidance. These two concepts necessary to determine what kind of structured society we prefer to live. I found myself to have more of a low score on both power distance and uncertainty avoidance. This means that my train of thought is more like that of Great Britain and the United States. 
After this, a short, yet efficient video was shown that discussed the differences in mechanical and organic structured environments. The mechanical structure works in the manner of "a well-oiled machine" where each part carries out each task consistently and independently. On the other hand, the organic structure is more lenient in terms of carrying out its operations. I personally thought this video was especially well chosen because of the cartoon-like images that were used to get the points across. These seemingly silly drawings, I feel make, it easier to remember such concepts because when one thinks of, say, the flower in the video one can quickly think the term "organic" which stems to the organic structure.
Finally, a Power-point stressing the main ideas of the discussion where presented. I can tell that this, along with all the other aspects of the presentation were carefully planned and well thought out. 

April 4, Chapter 9 response

Chapter 9 discusses the differences in organization among different societies. Two of the main factors that affect this are power distance an uncertainty avoidance. For example, I found it interesting when I read about the results of a survey that compared the opinions of three countries in regards to how a problem at work should be handled. The French believed in a means of hierarchy where the managers should go to the boss to resolve their problems. This means that France is a high power distance country with a high level of uncertainty avoidance. The Germans held the idea that the rules would be the answer to all the problems and that going to authority is not necessary. This indicates that Germany is low power distance country with a high level of certainty avoidance. Finally, the British thought that a lenient system in which neither the worker nor the authority were dominant in terms of decision making was best. This means that England is both a country of low power distance and low uncertainty avoidance (pg. 304). Furthermore, the ideology of the English is readily apparent from their history in the way their immigrants came to the United States to establish a democracy with government structured on system of checks and balances. Being half British myself, I would definitely agree with this train of thought. I think part of it would stem from the fact that my father, who is also British, believed in a flexible way of thinking and that authority isn't always right. 

In addition to the three organizations of society, there is also the Chinese form of government which combines the western ideas of the three branches of government and the oriental ideas which is evident by the fact that the main source of authority is given to president (pg 310). Finally, the fifth means of organization is found in the United States where the amount of uncertainty avoidance and the level of power distance is on a medium scale. This makes sense because in America one can find is many people from many different cultural backgrounds. This would result in varying trains of thought as to how a government should operate. Without a doubt, this makes it the most popular form of organization out of the 5 types (pg 15).

April 2, class reaction

Last week's discussion was yet another entertaining one that was led this time by Kira and Yuka. They did their presentation on the topic of happiness. They incorporated several different activities to engage the class. First, a video was shown in which people where interviewed regarding what they thought makes them happy. I thought it was an interesting video because it showed the different responses made by different people. I told them that I agreed in particular with a man who said that happiness occurs when you are satisfied with what you have since I believe its nearly impossible to be happy otherwise. Afterwards the class was divided into several groups we were asked a series of questions. They included the following: "How would we envision the perfect birthday for Mr. Murillo?", "If we could go anywhere where would it be?", "What would be the worst vacation ever?", and "Given one of the other group's idea of a terrible vacation, how could we make it better". My group's envision of the perfect birthday for Mr. Murillo would involve him going to a restaurant with his friends and family, as well as receiving a gigantic cake from which KU would pop out! Then, we decided that the coolest vacation would involve going to the center of the earth, while the worst vacation would  be getting stuck there and dying a slow and painful death. Finally, we thought that we could fix the terrible idea of having nothing to do by considering it to be a great way to relax.
Overall, I found the discussion to be fun since it was both informative and thought-provoking. Good job Kira and Yuka!

May 28, Chapter 8 response

Chapter 8 focuses on a topic called happiness. There are a lot of different things that are important to people and happiness is considered to be one them that many people strive to achieve and maintain. One thing in particular that I found interesting in the chapter related to happiness was that the quality of one’s did not necessarily correspond to how high one’s level of happiness. In particular, poor countries like those in western Africa and northern Latin America experience high levels of happiness despite their condition. (pg. 278) While some may find this hard to believe, I think it’s plausible. Although the people in these countries may not have access to all the luxuries that richer countries have, I think that the lack of wealth allows them to have a greater appreciation for the simple things in life. These include factors that are responsible for one’s level of happiness, including family, friends, and free time. (pg. 281) In addition to these important aspects, I think the most important one is the feeling of control in one’s life. A lack of this feeling will give someone a loss of security thereby giving them the idea that nothing they can do will improve the situation. I’ve felt this way a few times, particularly now with my physics class and it feels awful. However, I know that if I continue to do more practice problems I can improve in this class, as well as in other parts of my life. 

March 18, class reaction

Last week Katrina and Yoyo led the class discussion. They began it with a game in which 5 boys had their backs turned to 5 girls. On each of the boy's back there was a sign listing a few characteristics of the boys, followed by the question "Will you marry me?". I choose the one labeled "I'm rich, good-looking, funny, adventurous, and I like to travel a lot." After the girls choose their mate, the roles were reversed and the guys got to choose their mates. At the end of the game, the girls turned around and everyone got to see if their mate was the one that they originally chose. To my surprise, Michael chose me (he was the one I chose earlier). I think this was the case because he was the only other American besides me who participated in the game. As a result, both of us chose the short-termed orientated description, which is what Katrina and Yoyo predicted for us to choose since Americans are more short-term orientated. 
After the game, Yoyo and Katrina showed a video which demonstrated the differences between how Americans and Asians like to handle business. The Americans (represented by Mr. McDonald and Ms. Wendy) were concerned with making money as quickly as possible whereas the Asian businessmen (represented by Mr. Honda and Mr. Toyota) liked to take more time and consideration into developing products with good quality. I think this is quite true since fast food restaurants sell food that's cheep, popular, but not very nutritious whereas car companies like Honda and Toyota provide good quality cars that last for years. 
Towards the end, the two presenters divided the class into two groups. One group contained all of the Asians, while the other half of the class consisted of the Americans. We were each asked the same questions but our responses were quite different. For nearly all of the questions asked the responses collected by both groups were close to what Katrina and Yoyo expected. In other words, the Americans provided answers that were more short-term oriented whereas the Asians gave long-term orientation responses. 
Overall, I think Yoyo and Katrina did an excellent job throughout the execution of their presentation. I learned a lot about short term and long term orientation and their presentation is something I will remember for years to come. I look forward to seeing what other novel ideas the other students will come up with when it becomes their turn to lead the class for discussion.

March 7, Chapter 6 response

Chapter six discusses a topic known as uncertainty avoidance. According to the book, uncertainty is “defined as the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations.” (pg. 191) This idea was demonstrated in particular by a question in a survey that asked whether rules should be broken even if it’s for a good cause. Countries that displayed a greater amount of tension and uncertainty avoidance among its people expressed a greater desire to adhere strictly to the rules (pg. 190-191). I think this seems plausible since the people would feel a lot more pressure in those countries to act submissively towards authority. I don’t feel as if it is a good thing because authority isn’t always right. Instead of avoiding them, leaders should strive to accommodate for improvements when they become available because they are good for society as a whole.  
Another idea that was expressed was that countries with a greater level of uncertainty avoidance have a tendency to be more open about their feelings. Because they do not suppress their feelings, they were less prone to die of coronary heart disease. (pg. 196) I find this interesting because in a civilized society it seems as if it is considered a good thing to control one’s emotions in order to get along better with people. On the contrary, it appears as if it is healthier to relieve one’s feelings to get rid of some of the stress in one’s life. 
A third idea that struck my interest was that people in uncertainty-tolerant countries were reported to feel healthier than those in countries with a higher level of uncertainty avoidance. This makes sense to me since less stressful people should be happier and, hence, healthier. Furthermore, I found the way in which doctors treated patients to be interesting as well. The doctors in uncertainty-tolerant countries focused more on talking to the patients and getting to know them whereas the countries that were less uncertainty-tolerant felt the necessity of giving more drugs into the patients to cure them. (pg. 202-203) I don't think that this is the best way to treat patients because I think that drugs should be used in urgent situations where there may be no other natural cure. However, if there is a more natural way of curing the patient then it should be used since it will be healthier for the patient in the long run. 

March 14 Chapter 7 response

The main focus of Chapter 7 is on long term orientation versus short term orientation which was analyzed during the Chinese Value Survey. Long term orientation is defined as "fostering of virtues oriented towards future rewards" whereas short term orientation focuses more on "fostering of virtues related to past and present" (pg. 239). A concrete example of long term orientation which I found interesting was the principles of Confusianism. Some of these principles included holding strong relationships with one another, viewing the family as important, treating others as you would like to be treated, and doing what necessary which includes spending in a careful manner(pg 237-238). I think these are some great ideas that should be followed in society because they make life for people around us easier. Examples of long term orientation countries include China, Hong Kong, and Japan. On the flip side, short term orientation includes characteristics that are opposite to those of long term orientation. They focus more on individual needs such as social status, actions that lead to fast gratification, and spending a lot of money (pg 243). Examples of such countries are the United States, Great Britain, and Canada. Overall, I find short term orientation to be less efficient and not as good for society as a whole. Example of such countries are the United States, Great Britain, and Canada. I think the Asians countries in general have a better approach to life in this regard and that Americans and other short term countries should try to incorporate more Asian ideas into their cultures. 

March 11 class reaction

Last week Ben, Esther and I led the class discussion. Esther created a game where one person would stand in front of the class blindfolded and pick a number out of a box that would determine how many people would catch the blindfolded individual. I thought the game was very creative and, as we all saw, very entertaining! You could tell that a few people were hesitant before they took the dip but in the end everyone did a great job with the falling and catching. Next, Ben led the class by showing a very informative video about uncertainty-avoidance. It covered the material discussed in the chapter with accuracy and the other students provided intelligent comments regarding their reaction and what they learned from the video. Afterwards, I led the class by first asking everyone whether they thought they contained a high or low level of uncertainty-avoidance. I then passed out a self-made quiz to determine whether their prediction about this quality was correct. Finally we divided the class into two groups so they could have a debate regarding whether it was better to switch jobs often or remain consistent about where one works. All in all, I think the presentation went well and I want to thank both of my members for doing a great job!

Feb 28, Chapter 5 response

Chapter 5 focuses on the differences between genders. Men are considered to be more aggressive, domineering, and competitive whereas women are viewed to be softer and more family-oriented. The differences between males and females are particularly evident in a survey about work which asked men and women what they viewed as more important. Men thought that earning a higher pay, being recognized, and holding a challenge were the most important characteristics to have while working. On the other hand, women think that maintaining a good relationship with the manager, working well with others, and maintaining a sense of security in terms of staying with the company for a long period of time is important (pg. 139) I think that this would be particularly true with me because I believe that working well with others will ensure greater than success instead of trying to gain recognition for myself. In addition although women and men differ on several levels, it is possible for them to overlap as well. For instance, although men are generally taller than women, there are many women that are taller than men (pg 137). Furthermore, even though men are considered to be more associated with sports and winning medals, many women participate in sports and have won championships as well. 
Another concept that is discussed in this chapter is that of feminine society vs. a masculine society (pg 140). A feminine society is one in which roles of gender overlap whereas a more masculine society is one where the roles of women and men are distinct and traditional. Countries that tend to be more feminine include Sweden, Norway, and Latvia, whereas those that are more masculine include Costa Rica, Chile, Portugal, and Guatemala. A fact that I found particularly interesting was that wealth does not determine whether a country is more masculine or feminine. I thought the opposite was true since it would make sense to me for more wealthy nations like America to demonstrate more equality among everybody, On the contrary, there are roughly just as many feminine/masculine wealthy countries as there are feminine/masculine poor countries (pg 145).   

March 3, Week 6 reaction

This week's discussion involved a guest speaker who came in to talk about our strengths. She said that we should strive to improve upon are strengths rather than our weaknesses. This was emphasized in an activity during which we spent two sets of thirty seconds writing our full name five times within each time frame. The catch was that we wrote with our right hand during the first thirty seconds and with our left hand during the last thirty seconds. Obviously, I had an easier time writing with my right hand rather than my left hand because I was more used to it. Although it was a unique argument as to why we should focus on our strengths rather than our weaknesses, it had one flaw in it: while one can get away with writing with just one hand, there are certain activities which can’t always go without improvement even if they are not one’s strongest ability. For instance, some people are better at reading and writing whereas others are not. Even if one is not that good at either of these activities, this does not mean that one should omit them entirely. These are skills that will be essential to use in everyday life so even if they are not one’s strongest assets, it is vital that one strives to do at least an adequate job at them in order to manage in society. 

Furthermore, I found the overall discussion to be pretty interesting because it allowed me to open my eyes about what I'm good at. My strengths included harmony, consistency, connectedness, restorative, and developer. When I read the description for each of these qualities, I think that they closely related to the person I perceive myself to be. Furthermore, after having brought these qualities to my fullest attention, I feel a greater sense of confidence in myself. 

Feb. 21, Chapter 4 response

One concept that was stressed in the chapter was the notion “power of the group” .This refers to the idea that certain groups of people take greater precedence than others in our lives. This idea in particular is expressed though the notions of individualism and collectivism. The individualists are the ones who detach themselves from the family early on and become more independent. This idea remains dominant in more developed countries like the United States, especially since it is considered normal for the offspring to leave home at age 18. This is because this is the age when they are considered to be an adult. Conversely, there are many other countries that relate more to the collectivist concept. This idea means that people retain close contacts to other groups of people, particularly their family. I noticed that this idea seems prominent in less developed countries in Latin America and Middle Eastern where families tend to be large. In addition, it is considered normal for the offspring to live with the parents even after they reach adulthood (pg. 92).
Another idea that interested me was the rivalry between universalism and exclusionism. Exclusionism happens when people perceive their group as the most important while excluding others because of their differences. Conversely, people who engage in universalism overlook the differences in other people and try to live in harmony. Universalism is clearly a better way of living since it makes way for less conflict in our lives. Furthermore, everyone in this world is special and unique in his or her way. Instead of resenting our differences we should celebrate them (pg. 98).

Feb 17, class reaction

I thought that the last class was a lot of fun. It began with the showing of three videos and each of them advertised a different country. I found each of them to be entertaining in a different way. I enjoyed the one about China because it showed many different scenes displaying both the traditional parts of China as well as the modern portions. These were made known the buildings and traditions that were shown. On the other hand, the Japanese video was quite calm and serene. The music was slow relaxing and there were many nature scenes filled with forests and rivers. It made it seem as if this was the perfect country for someone who wanted to escape the noisy life of the city. Finally, the third video, which was about the United States, was my favorite. I liked it for several reasons. The first reason is that it had the most energetic and uplifting music out of all three videos. In addition, the video was filled with smiling people from many different backgrounds. This goes to show what a diverse country the United States is. It makes me feel proud to be an American. 

After watching the videos, the class partook in an activity where each person was assigned to one of two groups. Each group had to create a poster and a skit related to power distance. My group was in charge of doing these things on the subject of how power distance related to education. I found this activity to be entertaining, especially the skit! I thought my group members were great actors when it came to playing the roles of the teacher, parents, and students. Furthermore, I think that putting these ideas into a skit for us to act out makes it easier to grasp the concepts we are discussing. I hope that we will be able to do more activities like these in the future because this one really made my day!

Feb 7, Chapter 2 Response

One idea that I found interesting in the reading was something that was mentioned in the beginning of the chapter. It discussed the distinction “between what is desired and the desired”. (pg. 28) I think this idea is very relevant to our society. On one hand, this is because there is a set of standards that are deemed ethical and important to follow. Such ideas that fall under this category include having good work ethic, being kind to others, and presenting oneself in a respectable manner in public. On the other hand, people also act and behave in a manner that reflects what they desire on the inside, which can differ greatly from what is desired in society. This can include being lazy, eating the wrong kinds of food, and using slang or bad language. 

Another thing in Chapter 2 that caught my eye was the idea “that all societies, modern or traditional, face the same problems; only the answers are different”. (pg. 29) These problems relate to concepts such as authority, relationship amidst oneself and society, men versus women, and the expression of one’s feelings. More developed countries such as the United States have liberal views on these ideas. Here, the government is a democracy where people vote for government officials. Also, everyone is viewed as equal regardless of race or gender, and people have freedom of speech which can be found in the constitution of the United States. However, less developed countries like those in Africa and the Middle East have different standards on these issues. Within these countries there exists a larger discrepancy between the large, poor working class and the small, authoritative upper class. Also, more power is given to men than to women, and people don’t have as much freedom to express their opinions and feelings. 

Overall I enjoyed reading the chapter and I look forward the activities we will do in class tomorrow that will pertain to the reading!

Feb. 10 class Reaction

I enjoyed the last class discussion because thought it was a great idea to watch the few videos that compared Macau to the United States. In terms of the Macau video, I think it would be a great place to visit if I decide to study abroad since there are so many different things to see and experience. For instance, I find a lot of the Portuguese architecture to be very beautiful, especially this one fountain surrounded by greenery (although I forgot the name of it). In addition, I think it would be very exciting to go bungee jumping off this one building that was shown, despite the terror it might give me! On top of all of that, I would look forward to trying all the food samples they have to offer in the streets, especially the almond cookies. 

In regards to the video about America, I think that the video did a good job with advertising the country. This country is definitely a place where people of many different nationalities come together like a great melting pot and celebrate their differences. Plus the United States not only encompass a variety of cultures, but also many different landscapes and natural wonders for people to see. These range from forests, mountain ranges, oceans, and deserts. 

Furthermore, I will definitely consider showing a movie as an option as for what to do during the time when I will lead the class for discussion. This idea combined with the notion of eating popcorn makes for an enjoyable experience. 

Reaction Chapter 6

     In this chapter, the topic was about the avoidance of uncertainty. It depends on the culture that how much people feel anxious about the situation which is uncertain. While people in some culture do not express what they think clearly, people other cultures are expressive.

     This article reminded me of my internship in the U.S. It taught me a significant difference between Japan and the U.S. One day, I went to some real estate properties with people from Japan and the real estate agent from the U.S. For people from the U.S., it was very difficult to understand whether Japanese people like it or not since they do not ask their questions. In addition, they do not say their opinions directly.

     Avoidance of uncertainty affects much to the behavior of people. It was very nice that I was able to know how each country deal with uncertainty.

Chapter 5 Reaction

Chapter 5 was about masculinity and femininity. It was very interesting to know how they affect the culture of the country and society. For example, the reason why there used be a custom to kill a baby girl in Asia is because of its masculine value. It also explains that the elderly and people in wealthier countries tend to be feminine values because of there being many women.

What I thought interesting was that the masculinity and femininity in occupation. According to the author, sales position comes to the top of the rank of the occupations which requires masculinity. Engineers and scientists come to the second, while office workers rank the 6^th, which means it is more feminine. The result was surprising for me, since I did not expect sales person requires more masculinity than occupation like scientist and engineer. I see lots of women working as sales back in Japan. However, an explanation of the author was understandable and reasonable; working in a sales position is very competitive. I would like to see how other students think about this ranking at the class.

Reaction to the Chapter 9

The topic of the chapter 9 was the power distance and uncertainty avoidance in the market. According to the article, some countries, such as the U.S., Australia and, Britain does prefer centralized authorities and structured working environment. Germany, on the other hand, prefers bureaucracy and standardizing the skills.

It was very interesting to know the economic models and the structure and culture of the working environment. It taught me another aspect of the country.