Final Worries

This Thursday we have the Marathon meeting scheduled and I think it would be a good idea to write out all my worries now so I know the right questions to ask.

Internet usage: One of my classes has all the reading material online.  I assume most of my free time will be while I am in Aldama and I worry about the web accessibility in that small town. If this is going to be a difficulty, I have the tedious option of trying to convert the course material from the webpage into a book.  That would of course need to be done before I leave to Mexico.

Recording interviews: I have no idea what the best devices are to record interviews. I know that my phone has an audio recording device, but you have to speak into it to pick up the sound. My vision of comfortable interviews entails a audio recorded set aside and ignored.  I don’t want to have to pass around a recording device during the interviews.

Communication with my family: This also has a lot to do with the internet usage. If internet is accessible, I will be able to Skype or email frequently. I will also be in the schools most days and that should provide me with a resource of communication to my family. On this topic I simply wonder what is best way to maintain communication with my family.

Water usage: I hear the water there isn’t good to drink. I can comprehend buying water to drink but what about brushing your teach, washing my hands to put in my contacts and cooking? I feel unsure about all the implications of how I will treat the local water.

Clothing and appearance: I would feel weird if I got there and dressed dramatically different than the locals. I want to live their culture and I feel that my appearance is the first then that will set me apart. What is recommended? I could buy a few cloths there? What is the standard of dress there?

Food and health: I keep hearing about student who go there and drink Pepto-Bismol on a daily basis. I have tasted then stuff only a few times in my life; is that the recommendation to stay healthy? What are some suggestions so that I stay as health as possible? Should I have a first-aid kit with any specific contents?

Service: If Aldama is an agricultural community, would it be acceptable or expected that I participate in a small portion to the faming? What about the chores of the house, cooking and doing the grocery shopping?  I’m very willing to do service, but I’d like to have a clear idea of what is expected of me.

Village activities: If Aldama is accustomed to BYU students, I’m sure they have a lot of experience with their participation in cultural activities.  I would like to be prepared and know about some activities in which I might be invited to participate; for example, Catholic ceremonies, traditional dances, holidays and sporting events.

Theft: My last worry is about how protective I need to be of my stuff. I recently inherited an I-phone. It would be convenient to bring it and use it to Skype my family and record the interviews. I don’t know how rare an I-pod is for the community of Aldama. I’d like to have a good idea of what precautions I should take to protect my stuff and my data collection.

Reciprocity

I really hope that after my experience with my host family that they feel that my presence was a blessing rather than a burden. I could gather the best information in the world, but if I leave behind in Mexico a whole bunch of acquaintances anxious to be rid of me, I will have failed my field study experience. Part of the study is complete immersion and that includes being accepted by the natives and feeling united with them. With all this being said, I want to consider what would be effective and appropriate methods of reciprocity.

Starting with my host family, there will obviously be some physical reciprocation for their hospitality, but I think it should extend past that. They should constantly hear and feel my appreciation for their service. I want to take time to get to know them and hear about their lives. I bet that they will also want to get to know me and hear about my life. Some call this process building rapport, but I think that diminishes idea of what really need to take place. In reality it’s building friendships and caring relationships.  By the end of my field study, I hope it’s really hard to say good bye to my host family and I can leave them with a sincere letter of appreciation for their generosity and friendship.

For the teachers, students and parents I work with, my reciprocity will not be as sentimental and personal as with my host family, but it should still be significant, especially with the teachers. I hope as I do my study I will be able to update them about the discoveries of my research and compliment them on their teaching methods. They shouldn’t feel I am critiquing their teaching, but that I want to learn from them. I also plan on being an assistant in his/her classroom in whatever ways possible.

The parents I interview should at least receive a thank-you note for their participation. I hope they enjoy the interviews I have with them and don’t feel that they were “subjects” with the purpose adding to my data.

In conclusion, I can’t think of all the ways I can show reciprocity without having personal experience in the field, but I do have an idea of the impression I want to leave behind. I want all those with whom I associated with to have enjoyed their participation in my project and feel my appreciation for their participation.  

Culture shock

After reading the article “Coping with culture shock” and the class discussion today I realized that it would be a good idea to generate some ideas how I might deal with it.

I already have some experience with Latino culture from my mission in Chile, but I’m realizing that even still I’m not immune to the irritation and frustration that can occurs while becoming accustom to a new culture.  I have a general idea of food and language, but outside of that I feel pretty clueless. By the many personal testimonies of past field study students, the honeymoon stage will end and I will find that some small things will start to annoy me. What will be more important than identifying these annoyances, is how I plan to cope with them.

I have realized that when I get stressed or frazzled, I have a few habits that tend to identify my emotional imbalance. First, I seek relaxation though nature. I have found that in times of high frustration I have an urge to find a quiet place in nature where I can meditate and be alone. I like to breath in fresh air and mentally slow my life down. Second, if something is on my mind, it’s very for someone else to get me talking about it. I find relief in venting what I’m feeling. This can be to people or in writing.  Last and what causes me the most worry it that I’m very transparent. I have a really hard time hiding my feelings. I can’t put on a poker-face. When I feel antsy or uncomfortable, it is easy for others to notice.  The reason why this worries me is because what could be very normal to the culture in Irapuato Mexico could be very strange and uncomfortable to me. Though my actions and words may be very respectful and polite, I fear my expressions might reveal inner feeling that could offend my host family or others around me. 

I’d like to say this could easily be solved by just practicing poker and hiding my expressions, but I think a better solution is changing my expectations. Frustration and stress occur when one encounters the unexpected. For example, maybe a roommate’s perspective on cleanliness or time doesn’t match my expectations.  This can definitely cause frustration.  There are two ways to deal with it; you try and make the roommate change and match up to your expectations, or you could change your expectations such that it’s expected and no longer bothers you.  Being that I am the foreigner going to Mexico and living in the house of a generous host family, I really don’t think that persuading them to adapt to my expectations in reasonable or appropriate. It is therefore logical that I will have to periodically adapt and change my expectations as I encounter the unexpected.  I believe this type of attitude would classify as what Ferraro called biculturalism.