10/28/21; Week 7: "Culture and Psychology"

Introduction...

What are you embarrassed about? Is it something rational or is it an unreasonable ideal that your culture has inflicted upon you? Our culture has a significant and interesting effect on our mind, it makes us think that we must become the "ought self" that stereotypes and paradigms establish, and if our real self doesn't align with this model we are an outcast. Have you ever felt that way? Do you think you were born in the wrong place?

                         Embarrassed Images, Stock Photos & Vectors | Shutterstock

About my culture...

In Mexico, we have some sexist and racist stereotypes that govern our culture.

On one occasion, some of my relatives were celebrating Easter with my family in my house, my dad had bought matching shirts for each family, blue for us, and pink for my relatives. My uncle didn't want to put on his shirt because "pink is for girls", and it took a lot of persuasion on our part to convince him of putting it on. I remember my sister being annoyed because she thought that that way of thinking was ridiculous and sexist, objectively speaking she has a point, but we are talking of a paradigm that he was taught in his early years and currently believed.

When my parents were young, they went to a taco restaurant, my dad left my mom at the entrance while he parked the car, my mom went inside the restaurant and went to the bar to place her order, where a man was already waiting for his food. My dad arrived a few minutes later and placed his order, almost immediately his food was served, though my mom and the man were still waiting for their food, just because he was a white American. My mom was furious and refused to eat at the restaurant.

I personally have witnessed how they joke and talk about the matter so easily. How they call a boy a crybaby because boys aren't supposed to cry. How girls say out loud that they envy my skin color when in my opinion their skin color is beautiful. Or when vendors tell me "My dark skin isn't contagious." to break the ice when I hesitated to handshake, because they assume I think of me too highly rather than me just being precautious because of COVID-19.

It amazes me how people don't realize how harmful or ridiculous some paradigms can be. I'm glad that new generations and cultural exchanges are helping us little by little to open our minds to new ideas and healthier ways of living.

What paradigms and stereotypes do you think would be better to change in your culture?

In the TESOL classroom...

I think that helping students realize what paradigms and stereotypes are harmful and must change, can lead them to develop a good self-image that will help them to become the best student they can be and accomplish their goal of learning a second language.

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