Abbas Al Khazal- UGS 303 WALL by https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303 en-us 2017-01-20 02:33:58 UTC 2023-02-13 06:15:22 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Templeball.png BIO fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/148268060 Hello ,
This is Abbas Al Khazal. I come all the way from in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia to study Electrical Engineering here at the University of Texas. Since I spent a couple of years in a preparation program back home I am a bit older than the normal freshman at 20 years old. I speak both Arabic and English. I am also teaching myself how to solve the Rubik's cube again after forgetting how to do it. I am looking to complete my education up to a master's degree here at UT, work for a few years in a company, and then start up my own business back home. ]]> 2017-01-20 02:36:17 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/148268060 School uniforms ( Universalism) fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/154512331 Once the Saudi students move to 7th grade they are required to wear the official uniform of the country, the Thobe and sometimes the Ghotra head wear shown in the picture. This picture shows a group of Saudi secondary school students taking an exam.An obvious example of universalism , The rule on uniforms is enforced on both students and teachers and other school workers. This rule is enforced on the grounds that school is a formal place of learning. There are few exceptions to this rule, and generally a student is sent back home if they do not have a valid reason for wearing informal clothes to school.]]> 2017-02-17 03:36:45 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/154512331 Universalism vs Particularism fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/154514038 2017-02-17 03:57:17 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/154514038 Watching soccer(Particularism) fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/154514241 Football, or soccer as people from the U.S. call it, is really popular around the world, especially in the middle east. Below is a picture showing people gathering in a coffee shop and extending to the street in Egypt. Usually, blocking a street in such a manner would probably not be acceptable, especially a street where many cars are moving on. However, since there is an important soccer game broadcasting, It became acceptable for people to gather around this coffee shop and block the street. This would never be acceptable for a culture with a universalist way of living. ]]> 2017-02-17 03:59:30 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/154514241 Maintaining the line (Universalism) fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/154514965 The picture below shows people lining up to purchase the new iPhone from an apple store on the day it launched. On this occasion, the store has been prepared so that people can line up in an organized and easy way. What is interesting, is that despite this event not being formal or of great importance to anyone attending, all the people are following the line etiquette they are used to following everywhere else in their lives. In a particularist culture, the store would have been overrun by people who are waiting to get their hand on this phone. Additionally, all the phones are actually ordered days in advance online and no one gets an advantage over the other in getting this phone early, which is another showcase of universalism.]]> 2017-02-17 04:08:41 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/154514965 Jerry helping the lion (Particularism) fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/154516639 In this classic episode of the Tom and Jerry cartoon from the 1950s, the mouse, Jerry decides to help and befriend the lion escaping from the circus instead of reporting him. This goes against the universalist approach, which would have been reporting the lion to the police and the circus. This is, therefore, an example of particularism as Jerry has sympathized with an individual case instead of following a strict rule. This example shows that despite their strongly universalist oriented culture, some North Americans admire and show particularist traits, and in this case, they portray this positive of particularism image to their children. ]]> 2017-02-17 04:29:11 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/154516639 Individualism vs Communitarianism fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/155954700 2017-02-24 04:35:31 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/155954700 Volleyball fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/155954923 This sport is intriguing in that it is one where not only does one has to have a great deal of personal skill, the player also needs to have a huge amount of experience playing with his own teammates, in that aspect a good community of average player would make a great team but the opposite is not true.]]> 2017-02-24 04:40:16 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/155954923 Olympic Running fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/155955197 Running is another sport where a great amount of individual skill is required. However, unlike volleyball, there is less pressure on runners to have a good community of runners, in order for an individual to grow as a runner. This is not to say that it is not important for them to have a community, it just means that it is not as important to have a community as it is in other sports.]]> 2017-02-24 04:45:02 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/155955197 Programmers fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/155955647 Computer programmers can not work alone on big projects. Thus, communication between them is essential for completing projects. Even if a computer programmer is really talented if he/she can't write programs that are understandable to his peers through his comments or direct communication he/she will not be able to succeed as a computer programmer]]> 2017-02-24 04:54:59 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/155955647 Mathematician Ramanujan fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/155955848 Usually, technological and scientific advancements in the world are made by the combined efforts of a team working together. There are, However, many cases where an individual can grow and advance in his field working alone. Ramanujan, For example, made great strides in the field of mathematics alone in his small town in India. This would not have been possible had he busied himself with teaching other people instead of learning more things for himself.

Ramanujan later worked with a team of scientist in England to do more work in mathematics, this time as a part of a team.

]]> 2017-02-24 04:59:04 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/155955848 Specific vs Diffuse fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/157526165 2017-03-03 03:04:13 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/157526165 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/157526312 2017-03-03 03:05:38 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/157526312 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/157527703 2017-03-03 03:20:41 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/157527703 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/157527903 2017-03-03 03:23:04 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/157527903 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/157528017 2017-03-03 03:24:42 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/157528017 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/157528467 The question of specific vs diffuse is not necessarily a question of which one is better, rather, which one is better for the current situation.
For example, medicine is an extremely specific profession by nature. The doctors have to research each case despite how much cases look similar. This approach prevents false diagnosis, which might lead to worsening the situation of a patient. The TV series House shows this specific nature well. The doctors in the show go to great lengths to treat the patients who usually have extremely rare illnesses.
Another example of specificness is a number of different varieties that food products have. In the example above, there is a large number of oreo cookies that appeal to different people. This business approach helps the company appeal to a larger demographic, and, thus, create more profit.
On the other hand, there are many professions where it is better to have a diffuse approach. A good example of this is Youtube stars. People like the way that a Youtube star works together with people around him, and there is also plenty of collaborations between Youtube stars, which often have a high number of hits than normal. In this case, the diffuse approach of having an organization or a company successfully functions on relationships between the people running it.
The diffuse approach is also great for group projects. The successful and enjoyable group projects are the ones where the group has good relationships and now the weaknesses and strengths of each member. On the other hand, a group project that ends falling on the shoulders of a single person in the group defeats the purpose of a group project and ends up to a less productive school or work assignments. ]]> 2017-03-03 03:31:03 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/157528467 Achieved vs Ascribed "1957" fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/162305712 2017-03-24 02:15:37 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/162305712 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/162306761 2017-03-24 02:27:56 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/162306761 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/162307634 2017-03-24 02:39:06 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/162307634 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/162308060 2017-03-24 02:44:33 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/162308060 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/162308999 2017-03-24 02:57:16 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/162308999 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/162309062 Here are a few examples of achieved vs ascribed in cultures.

One of the bad aspects of achieved is that since the majority of people are not high achievers, people will start to find achievements in the smallest and the most insignificant things. The attached article shows some of these achievements. These records include the fastest human on all four, longest backward basketball shot, and the fastest typing speed on one's nose. Whether you think these records hold real-world value or not, you can probably agree that a good number of these records were set as a result of a culture that values achievement so much as to drive people to set these records.
On the good end of achieved, we find Elon Musk. Elon started many technology companies including companies such as PayPal, SpaceX, and Tesla. The continued success of theses projects is a showcase of how achieved people get more and more opportunities for success. This a good showcase of the opportunities that are open to people in the achieved cultures.
Valuing people with no merit is one of the bad consequences of extreme ascribed cultures. This is shown in the case of Henry VI, who succeeded his father to the English throne at the age of nine months. There is no way that people believed that a child held merit to the throne. However, creating an ascribed culture leads to positions like this one, where the people end up with a child as the king of their country.
Another bad aspect ascribed culture is expecting too much out of people who hold the ascribed positions. The Celebrity Worship Scale gives a good description of this. Additionally, the inclusion of celebrities as a tool for political reasons in the U.S. 2016 elections is a good showcase of how many people now expect to hear good political commentary from celebrities who may not have enough experience to engage in such political activities. ]]> 2017-03-24 02:58:05 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/162309062 Inner vs Outer fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/163866295 2017-03-31 02:36:27 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/163866295 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/163871824 2017-03-31 03:42:37 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/163871824 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/163872497 2017-03-31 03:52:00 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/163872497 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/163872865 2017-03-31 03:57:14 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/163872865 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/163873945 2017-03-31 04:16:23 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/163873945 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/163874040 The concept of inner motivated thinking was not encouraged for a long time in the world's history. People who spoke against giant authorities were usually dealt with harshly. Today, a lot of places in the world advocate for freedom of speech. This concept strengthens Inner thinking and helps it reach a lot more people than it had in history.
Continuing with the inner side of thinking, Youtube started a platform for individuals to voice their thoughts for the whole world without needing to go through a publishing or a media company. This lead to many people becoming famous on this platform. Recently, many companies to start advertising their products with Youtube stars instead of traditional celebrities, demonstrating the reach and power of these individuals.
On the outer side, There is the Queen's royal guard. As discussed in class, outer orientation leads people to follow a certain standard. In this case, it could be seen taken to the extreme. All the guards march in exactly the same way and look the same which enforces a sense of security, but also eliminates the personality of the people in the army position in this guard and also all the militaries in the world.
Tipping is a tradition that is strong in the United States. Gratuities are not a good idea for many reasons. However, denying to tip in the United States would lead to dirty looks towards you. This could also work to unfair treatment for American people travelling outside, where the local workers would treat them better than everyone else due to tipping. ]]> 2017-03-31 04:18:21 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/163874040 Sequential vs synchronous fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/165298584 2017-04-07 03:38:43 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/165298584 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/165298979 2017-04-07 03:46:34 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/165298979 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/165299182 2017-04-07 03:50:26 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/165299182 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/165299295 2017-04-07 03:52:15 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/165299295 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/165300207 2017-04-07 04:08:37 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/165300207 fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/165300234 Classwork(sequential):
Back home, I had a teacher who embodied the sequential concept perfectly. Normally, a North American teacher would have a syllabus to work with. However, this particular teacher would write the plan for each day to the minute on the board in every class. This helped the class complete a lot more work. However, it did make a few class concepts to understand.
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox( sequential):
In this movie, The protagonist travels back in time to change certain events. This leads to huge problems in the present day for the whole world. This movie emphasizes the sequential concept since it gives the idea that tampering with time is a bad idea and time rigidness is a critical component in the sequential view.
Multitasking (synchronous):
The concept of multitasking usually leads to bad results. Doing more than one thing at once encourages finding a certain rhythm to accomplish many tasks at once which is a synchronous idea analogous to the factory work that brings all the required parts at the right time. While it could be possible to do certain tasks together it is undoubtedly harmful to quality to do a lot at once which is one of the bad points of synchronous thinking.
Teamwork and sports(synchronous):
Many team activities and sports require a rhythm for success. For example, synchronized rowing is a sport that relies heavily on the team understanding and finding the right rhythm that works for all the team members. It is also true to say that many team activities require the team to find a flow of work that works for all of them rather than enforce deadlines on the members. In this case, the synchronous working model would work a lot better than sequential model.]]> 2017-04-07 04:09:02 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/165300234 Lecture Series fsholi https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/166005523 2017-04-12 02:09:02 UTC https://padlet.com/fsholi/abs_kzl_UGS303/wish/166005523