Personal Cultural Artifacts

Chores
This represents the social norm aspect of Mormon culture where my parents expected me to do chores on a regular basis, which shows the emphasis that our culture put on cleanliness and hygiene. 

Southern Language
This represents the unique moral culture the South has for being very respectful to your elders. You would get scolded if you didn't say yes ma'am or yes sir. Politeness was part of the southern charm.  

Trophies
This is a symbol of accomplishment in American society, especially in sporting events  or academic areas, giving the owner status.  

Music & Instruments
This picture represents the social norms in Mormon culture that makes music and the ability to sing or play an instrument important. Even though I wasn't particularly good at either, I still have a great respect for music because of this cultural aspect.

Board Games
A unique social norms aspect of Mormon culture and my family's own culture is our love of board games and competition!

Journaling
Something that has been really important to me since my early teenage years was journaling and this was because of the moral value journaling was given in the Mormon culture.  

Homemaking
This represents the Mormon culture's teaching of social norms in gender roles and homemaking. This is when I first learned to cook for myself when I left for college.

Patriotism
This is the American symbol for the belief in freedom that our culture respects by hanging it all around the country and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance or singing the National Anthem while facing it. 

Marriage
In American culture a diamond ring on your left hand is a symbol of marriage and a bond between a man and a woman. My parent's marriage was important to them and this taught me to value marriage.

"Soft Swear Words"
Mormon culture also shifted my language because it was not socially acceptable to cuss. So we had to find other words to replace these taboo words and it is an identifying feature of Mormon culture. 

Bowling
In the South, bowling was actually a popular sport. It created a unique culture of bowlers who use technical terms, make nerdy jokes and who own lots of bowling balls. This tradition would count both as a social norm and symbol of athletics in Tennessee. 

Young Women's Medallion
This necklace is a symbol in the Mormon culture of spirituality and hard work that young women get after completing multiple spiritual projects and experiences.  

Pop
This is another symbol of the unique culture in the South where we used different terminology for some things, including calling soda - 'Pop'. 

Beauty Expectation
Another social norm found in American culture is the expectation that you have to be tall, skinny and blond to be beautiful. This has shaped my body image, unfortunately and has created a negative culture around beauty.

Technology
This is a representation of the American culture of valuing technology and innovation. Having the next big thing was not only a social norm but a symbol of status.

Modesty
This picture represents the moral belief found in the Mormon culture called modesty. Mormons believe our bodies are sacred gifts and that we should treat them respectfully by dressing modestly and not getting tattoos. All through high school I had to work hard to find modest clothing and it has contributed to my culture. 

Diploma
This represents the value of education in the Mormon culture but also in America where education means higher status, more money and accomplishing the American dream.

Purity & Covenants
A very important belief and moral value in Mormon culture is to remain sexually pure before marriage so you can marry in the temple and make important covenants with God and your spouse. This goal shaped my actions as I grew older.

Reflection

            Doing this assignment was very interesting and enlightening. I had not reflected on what parts of my culture reflected so deeply on my life before doing this assignment and I think it is fascinating to see the mixture of Mormon, Southern and American culture building myself. I know I will not be unique in the Mormon cultural aspects in this class or at BYU but the different aspects I have picked up from Southern and American culture have mixed to create a unique me.

            Since these things define me as a person it will be nearly impossible to leave them behind when I enter a classroom. I will have to find a way to not force my moral values or social norms on my students who may not be Mormon or even American. I cannot force my beliefs on modesty or sexual purity on my students, but I will have to respect the decisions those students will make. I will only enforce these aspects as far as the school dress and conduct code will require. I don't have to stop letting these things define me as a person, but I have to find a way to push them aside while in the classroom so they don't have a negative impact on my teacher-student relationships or my ability to teach my subject well. Some of my culture will not have such a negative impact, for example, the importance of cleanliness and organization will help me keep my classroom clean and safe for the students while also helping me stay organized with assignments, grading and teaching. These things could help me connect with a struggling student, for example a new student who just moved into my school from somewhere in the South I could foster a connection based on sharing this culture like food preferences, popular clothing or brands and language differences. I could also foster a special connections with students who are Mormons living as minorities outside of Utah. We would have similar cultural aspects like conference, local activities and young women activities to help them not feel alone. I will need to be careful not to let my religion and its culture impede my ability to teach or interact with students of other faiths that believe in different things. Specifically in biology, I will have to be careful when teaching the subject of evolution and the age of the earth because these things are sensitive to religious people. Also, I could see either of these cultures interfering if my classroom if I focus on one student too much, not sharing my attention across the class. I will just have to always be aware of any negative effects my actions could have on some of my students. Some good influence my culture could have is my valuing education and patriotism (only in America). By teaching students that education is important I can help them be more successful in my class and their future education. Depending on the mixture of cultures in my classroom I can also teach patriotism and gratitude for the freedoms we have been given because I think these things are important for a student to learn. In other words, I can bring some of these things into the classroom with me but I need to be aware of the effect they will have on my students and act accordingly.

Photo credits: 

image 1: http://startingacleaningbusinesstips.com/15-essential-items-for-your-cleaning-business-supply-list/

image 2: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/497155246340806463/

image 4: http://pcwallart.com/piano-keys-wallpaper-4.html

image 6:http://www.amodelrecommends.com/2015/01/19/qa-day-5-year-journal/

image 8:https://wall.alphacoders.com/by_sub_category.php?id=225969

image 10: http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3pe9un

image 12: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/58969076344430746/

image 13: https://www.sodapoptops.com/soda-pop-tops-can-covers/

image 14: http://fashion.lilithezine.com/Skinny-White-Runway-Models.html

image 15: http://www.wsj.com/articles/iphone-se-review-smaller-gets-smarter-with-better-battery-life-to-boot-1458762252

image 17: http://www.onlineeducationincanada.com/diplomas-certifications/the-differences-between-a-ged-and-an-online-high-school-general-diploma/

image 18: https://www.lds.org/church/temples/draper-utah?lang=eng

All other picture were taken by myself