Personal Reflection on Intellectual Studies Course: Insights Gained

This assignment is a reflective journal entry detailing a student's experience and learning outcomes from an Intellectual Studies course. The student explores key concepts such as intercultural communication, cultural conflict, acculturation, assimilation, Hofstede's six dimensions, and high/low context cultures. The reflection highlights how the course enhanced the student's understanding of cultural differences, improved their ability to analyze and resolve conflicts, and fostered personal growth. The student discusses specific examples of how they have applied the course's lessons in both their personal and professional life, emphasizing the importance of being a cultural learner and adapting to diverse perspectives. The assignment demonstrates the student's ability to integrate course concepts and apply them to real-world situations, showcasing the practical value of the course content.

Intellectual Studies Reflection
Culture has a significant influence on our opinions, expectations, devotions, morals, fears,
and concerns which made it a strong part of our lives. Therefore, understanding of other
individuals’ culture help us while interacting or building a relationship with them.
The goal of “intellectual studies” course is to improve intercultural communication skills of
learners by focusing on different communication strategies used by people from different
cultural backgrounds.
In this course, I learned about the matter relating to intercultural conflict, perspectives,
cultural learners, acculturation, assimilation, cultural shock, identity, Hofstede 6 dimensions,
stereotype, bias, cultural critics and high/low context cultures.
Ms. Lamba Payab class has taught me many great things. In the class, I have learned how to
analyze and think correctly and effectively. Now I accept and understand new things because
I have a new perspective. During the course, I have learned the way to take better decisions in
life that opens new opportunities for me. Learning and understanding new culture open the
eyes of many people. Now, in case I have a conflict with another person from a different
culture than me, I know how to appropriately deal with the issues from what I have learned in
the course regarding multiple conflicts, and how to understand and analyze them (which is a
bit difficult).
I have learned about my identity and the identity of other individuals through the interactions
I have with peers, family, media, corporations, institutions and other connection I have in my
everyday life. Knowing and understanding my identity means respecting my and other’s
passions and fears, strengths and weaknesses, tolerances and limitations, opinions and
feelings, preferences and hates, and wishes and ideas.
During the course, I learned about my perspective and changing it to include other’s as well
which assist me in solving problems and thinking differently. For example, in next group
project, I will listen and understand the perspective of other team members and include them
in the project because they may see things differently than me and it may provide a solution
to the problem.
During the course, I was interested in Culture learners and cultural critic topic. The lessons
I have learned in the class will help me throughout my life and my workplace when I interact

with other individuals that may be from a different culture and background than me. I am not
able to avoid cultural difference, but I can effectively “manage” it by becoming cultural
learner. Being a cultural learner can result in quick problem solving, high innovation, high
trust, information sharing and strong team building.
Further, I learned during the course that meeting and interaction of two or more culture bring
new changes to both cultures. Acculturation and assimilation are referred as two significant
and distinct changes in cultures. Acculturation defines as adaptation and acceptance of other
culture’s customs instead of losing one’s own culture. In assimilation, there is a loss in one’s
cultural customs (some or all) when such person giver more value to other majority
community’s culture. Learning about both acculturation and assimilation assists me in
distinguish people who adopt other culture by changing their own and people who accept
other culture’s customers without even changing a little bit of their culture.
In Hofstede 6 Dimensions and high, I learned about different people and their behavior and
how it creates conflicts. For example, I can understand that my friend has low power distance
because she involves others while making a decision. The individuals that did not prefer
interaction of other people in his/her personal life and liked freedom comes under the
category of high individualism dimension. My father has high Masculinity because he prefers
to keep himself busy all the time. My manager, on the other hand, is high uncertainty
avoidance because he prefers to make prior plans for future tasks and held meeting early to
collect necessary information quickly. I have also learned to distinguish people based on high
or low context culture which helps me avoid conflicts relating to money. If I apply this
principle globally, then I can say that people who prefer guilt and innocence belong to low
context culture, and people who prefer power & fear and honor & sham belong to high
culture context. For example, Emma from my workplace belongs to high context culture
because she prefers to solve other’s problems and take decisions on her own.
Finally, I realized the ‘intellectual studies’ course is fascinating. I learned about multiple
cultural conflicts, understanding and analyzing them to come up with a solution. I also
learned about high/low context culture, Hofstede 6 dimensions and people that are divided
based on different behavior, values, beliefs and culture and how to effectively deal with such
individuals. In summarizing I have already started to implement the lessons that I have
learned from the course in my personal and professional life.