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Bailey Ambrister
Global Perspectives Certificate Reflection Paper My experience in the Global Perspectives Certificate program at NC State has been incredibly illuminating and enriching. The program has allowed me to participate in countless other programs and events that I otherwise would either not have taken the time to participate in, or would not have known about at all. Through the Global Perspectives Certificate program, I was able to take courses that I may not have taken such as History of the Caribbean, and I became very involved in the Culture-to-Culture Ambassador program. I was also fortunate enough to travel to Segovia, Spain for a month to practice my Spanish and learn about the Spanish culture! These experiences, among others, have undoubtedly shaped the person I am today and given me insight into just how similar and different we all are as individuals from unique cultural backgrounds. As a Psychology and Spanish dual major, the Global Perspectives Certificate program is a perfect complement to my academic coursework. The courses I have taken for my Spanish major have included anything from grammar courses to Spanish literature, but every one of them has had a cultural focus. Pairing this coursework with activities, service work, and international experience gave me a more comprehensive understanding of Spanish and Latin American culture. For example, one of my co-curricular activities involved research with Professors Jim Michnowicz and Rebecca Ronquest which investigated native Spanish-speakers’ understanding of and opinions on inclusive language. Spanish is generally very much a gendered language, however in recent years inclusive language has begun to gain traction. Inclusive language involves the use of different morphological structures to make words gender inclusive. In words that typically end in the masculine -o or the feminine -a, this may look like replacing that ending with -@, -e, or -x, or including both the -o and -a ending. We distributed questionnaires to native
Spanish-speakers across North Carolina to gauge whether they had heard of inclusive language, and if so, whether they liked it, disliked it, or had no opinion. The results of this research helped me gain an understanding of Spanish culture amongst Spanish-speakers in North Carolina, learning that older generations are generally less accepting of inclusive language, while younger, college-educated women reported the highest levels of acceptance of these language forms. As a part of this research project, I was also able to attend the Spanish Linguistics conference known as SLINKI this year at App State in order to present our findings. At the SLINKI conference, I was able to hear about many other incredibly interesting research projects conducted by linguists at other universities in the area! Even at a linguistics conference, it’s incredible to hear how much linguistics have been and continue to be influenced by culture and cultural shifts. For example, with our own research project, opinions about equality amongst the spectrum of varying gender identities has influenced a generational shift in use of inclusive language in Spanish. We also found that those who did not agree with the use of inclusive language often cited that this new language form was a result of an Americanization or colonization of the Spanish language, stating that they believed it is only used on largely white college campuses. The way that native speakers conceptualize these things relates back entirely to culture. For an example from another presentation at the conference, researchers at Furman University did a study involving semester abroad programs in Spain, specifically looking at how their use of language changed over semester in specific situations. One example that they discussed was making requests, such as ordering from a restaurant or bar. In the beginning of the trip, most students attempted to translate into Spanish what they would say in English, using very “polite” language that is expected in the United States, such as “I would like ___.” By the end of the program, students learned that the norm in Spain is to use more direct language, such as
foods, and having different traditions, we experience many of the same day-to-day issues. On a basic level, we have the same physical needs; we require food, water, shelter, and sleep. We also have interpersonal needs; we all require social stimulation, which is becoming more and more obvious over the course of the worldwide COVID-19 lockdown. Our jobs may look different, but we must all make a living. Across the world, we see similar struggles. For example, no one is immune to COVID-19. Similarly, no region of the world is immune to common struggles like poverty, racial inequality, gender inequality, inequality based on sexual or gender identity, or battles with mental illness. We all feel similar feelings, we all get happy, sad, excited, scared, angry, etc. However, another common theme in my experience is that it is the differences we do have are important to acknowledge and celebrate! One thing we discussed in my Cultural Anthropology course was the importance of cultural relativism. Instead of approaching another culture comparing it to your own, it’s important to take an objective look at things. Cultural relativism compares to ethnocentrism, whereby a person evaluates another culture through the lense of their own, using their own culture as a sort of gold standard. It’s important to recognize that if someone from another culture were viewing your own, they may believe yours is the one that’s strange. Everything we have been socialized to accept as normal may not be another person’s experience, and that is okay! For example, I remember from my experience in Spain that there were many things that gave me a bit of culture shock when I first arrived. I was shocked when my host mother showed me around, and I discovered that the laundry machine was in the kitchen. Later, I was embarrassed to find out that my laundry would hang outside my window for the world to see in order to dry! I remember how different it was that we ate dinner
at 10pm. However, during my time there I was happy to adjust my outlook and fall into a new normal. It made me think about how many different “normals” there are in the world. Another thing that persisted throughout all of my GPC program experiences was the value that diversity brings to a situation. People from diverse cultural backgrounds are able to see things differently and add new perspectives, information or skill to an environment. If you’re working on a task with a team of people who all have the same backgrounds, there won’t be much diversity of thought. Great ideas come from combining many different perspectives. To provide an example, I remember that during the first orientation we had for the CCAP program, we did a scavenger hunt around campus with our mentor groups. Having a diverse team proved beneficial. Olivia came from a background where she was very comfortable approaching strangers, so whenever we needed to talk to someone for an item on our list, she was our go-to person to approach them! Everyone had a role to play: I knew the campus best, so I provided direction. Ahmed was good at strategizing where to go next. Jessica kept up team morale! All of our different backgrounds allowed us to both be successful in our hunt (and win!) as well as have a fun time doing it. Before the GPC program, I like to think that I was already relatively culturally aware. However, I didn’t really know any specifics about other cultures. I knew about cultural relativism (though I didn’t have that vocabulary at the time) and I knew not to accept stereotypes about other cultures, yet the stereotypes were still the main thing I knew about people from places different than me. For example, I didn’t really know anything about Chinese culture before the GPC. I knew that the stereotype was that these people were stuck up and only cared about grades and math. I had heard more harsh stereotypes too. However, when I met multiple people from China through the CCAP program, I got to know them for who they are as very
around inclusive language in the U.S. and working with Spanish-speaking populations. I will also continue to be conscious of who I am connecting with, and whether or not I am only approaching people who look like me in group settings. Hopefully, through the many friends I have made from across the world in my time with the GPC program, I will also be able to travel to visit them one day and persist in deepening my global knowledge! When I eventually attend graduate school, I hope to continue being an active member of Sigma Delta Pi, the national Spanish honors society. In my eventual career, I hope to serve a diverse population and use my multicultural awareness as a tool to understand them. I will remain an advocate for all people, regardless of where or who or what they come from. The experiences I have gained through the GPC program have certainly impacted the way I view my own role in society. Prior to the program, I did not necessarily consider myself responsible for the way my society approaches other cultures. It always felt very outside of me, and it’s easy to feel that way when there are always people more powerful than me who enact laws and policies that go against what I believe in. However, I have begun to comprehend that while yes, there is a lot outside of my control in this world, there is also an individual aspect to society. I have the power to change things in my daily interactions. I have the ability to speak up when I see someone who is ignorant of cultures outside their own, and I have the knowledge to educate them. I am capable of change on a daily basis. I can be an advocate, an activist, and an educator. I have a voice which has the power to make a difference within my social circle, and then empower those within my circle to do the same within theirs. Slowly but surely, we make the world a more positive, loving, accepting, and diverse place.
