Introduction
Individuals have diverse approaches to life, for instance, the independent and independent aspects. Use of independent self allows a person to make decisions freely and learn through external means, such as, participating in discussions. The interdependent self relies on the source of information to provide knowledge. It is essential to determine the self an individual uses on a daily basis; from the studies, I have noticed that I apply the two approaches to learning. The independent self allows me to determine and contribute towards the learning process. The interdependent nature allows me to gain relevant knowledge from others, which is essential in the learning process.
Chapter One
Amy Chua learned that cultures differ from one place to another. An attempt to incorporate one culture into another does not necessarily result to positive results. It is essential to embrace the diverse cultures and learn from them. The two selves, the independent and interdependent natures, depend on an individual’s cultural background. Adopting the two selves can help an individual develop both interpersonal and professional skills. The western people usually assume the independence self due to the culture that allows them to make their own choices. It, however, is vital for the westerners to borrow some interdependence aspects from the eastern people. Failure to integrate the practices from both selves wisely can hinder an individual from achieving the desired goals.
Culture clashes can yield negative results to people’s lives if not handled carefully. The controversy is evident in how the western and eastern cultures are presented. Some people believe that Asian people have better traits in raising children while others believe the western style is the appropriate one. Prior to the reading in this chapter, an individual may be confused about the most suitable culture to adopt. The westerners perceive talking as a way of learning, which is not necessarily true. The interdependence self-insinuates that talking tampers with the learning process, which may not be correct. People should learn from both selves to understand and adopt the suitable practices.
Chapter Two
The aspect learnt the hard way in this chapter is the ability to let people, especially children be independent to make their choices freely. People assume that adults have adequate knowledge on children’s needs, and, therefore, can make choices on their behalf. Children become creative and innovative once given choices; this improves their learning capabilities, an essential element in their lives. It is evident that there exists a culture cycle, whereby people from diverse backgrounds have different upbringing styles. The western world believes in availing choices to their children, while the eastern, especially Asian nations believe parents should make choices for their children. These cycles contribute to the formulation of either an independent or the interdependent selves among people. The children who make choices on their own tend to adopt the independent nature. The interdependent nature makes people rely on relation and ranking, which makes them face difficulties to act on individual perspectives. This is because they feel independent, which boosts their confidence.
Chapter Three
The gender culture has contributed to the discrimination of women, as they are seen as a ‘second sex’ after men. This measure has encouraged women to strive to achieve both professional and personal goals. Women have embarked on accomplishing similar tasks as those performed by male counterparts, which has enabled them pursue the corporate ladder ascent. Men have the notion that they are the better gender, which has contributed to their failure, especially in the professional world. The emerging trends in the globe today have contributed to the successful implementation of women’s strategies to prosper. The cultural clash between the independent and interdependent factors has encouraged the equality aspect between men and women. The corporate environment challenges women to increase their productivity levels to gain recognition, unlike men. The reading reveals that women’s effort to disapprove the existing stereotypes has encouraged them to work towards achieving their desired goals, which has increased their overall success over the male species.. The interdependence nature enables them embrace democratic and transformational character that fosters their excellence in the professional world.
Chapter Four
People of color still perceive discrimination as a key barrier since they are subject to the challenge. The white people have the independence self that makes them self-propelled; this nature makes them fail to notice some challenges, and focus on accomplishing their life goals. The independent self enables the white people to feel good about themselves, which helps them avoid any discrimination related challenges. The non-whites feel insecure about themselves; this situation makes them perceive discrimination as a barrier, which limits them from accomplishing their desired objectives. The interdependence nature makes the non-whites adopt the ranked, relational, and rooted lifestyles. The non-white community forms cultural ties that revolve around race issues while the white avoid the aspect.
Chapter Five
The people’s experiences in different areas create diverse notions and perspectives. These situations create the ‘have not’s among ‘the haves.' Parents who teach their children on how communicate effectively benefit in their learning process. The children acquire intelligence and the required imagination, which enable them to have adequate knowledge in the classroom setting. The reading dictates that the guidance and a suitable foundation help an individual to attain the ‘haves’ since they are tailored to benefit in all perspectives. A child without guidance, especially from the parents lacks the basic tools to increase competitiveness in the classroom. People lack motivation when they fail to share their life goals with their counterparts.
The attempt to make life better increases the desire of the have-nots to thrive among the haves in the classroom. The effort to overcome the stereotypes about the wealthy prospering increases the willingness to pursue education to prosper in the professional world. The class disparity plays a role in increasing equality among people in the world today. Understanding the cultural clashes is an essential element in any individual’s life. The aspect enables a person to embrace and appreciate other people’s cultural differences.
There are various realizations encountered in the readings. The epiphany in the first chapter is the fact that independence and interdependence selves have both benefits and limitations based on the understanding of an individual. The second chapter reveals that there is likely to be a better relationship once a child is given a wide range of choices to make. The epiphany in the third chapter regards the essence of interdependence self in enabling women prosper in the corporate ladder. The realization in the fourth chapter is in the inability to overcome the discrimination perspective among the non-white community, as their thoughts and behaviors revolve around the issue. The epiphany in the fifth chapter relates to the fact that as much as people pursue education, it plays a part in increasing economic and social disparities among people.
Post to Forums
It is imperative to embrace the diverse cultures and learn from them. These cultural cycles play a major role in the formulation of either an independent or the interdependent selves among individuals. The ability to balance the independent and interdependent selves helps an individual to maximize the learning process throughout one’s life activities. The education levels and working environment contribute to the creation of classes among people.
Work cited
Chapter 1-5
