3 Dimensions of Motivation

This week in class we talked about empowerment.  Empowerment is to be able to enable others through clear instructions and trust. Through empowerment, we learned about the 3 Dimensions of Motivation. The 3 motivations are: Extrinsic, Relational and Intrinsic. The extrinsic rational motivates people to do things because there are tangible rewards, you may receive credit towards something, maybe gain public recognition, and many more motives for personal reward. The relational rational includes; not wanting to let anyone down, making a difference for someone else, pleasing others and/or gaining acceptance from others. The intrinsic rationale is motivation by learning something new, seeing the fruits of your labor, wanting to do well because you took it on and/or leaving a legacy. All of these different dimensions motivate people to do the things they do and the way that they do them.

            An example of when I used the relational rationale was when I was working on a group project in 10h grade. We were all assigned to do little parts of the assignment and I was chosen to do all of the research. I really did not want to do the work, but I did it anyway because I knew it had to be done. I got the motivation from thinking, if I didn’t do the work I would let my group members down. I would never want to let others that were depending on me down, it is just not in my character. I also thought that if I didn’t do my work, my teachers would not view me as the good student I once was anymore. I thought they would all respect for me, and that in itself gave me the motivation I needed to get the project done!

            When I was on the dance team in high school, we had to do a lot of fundraising in order to get the things we needed for competition season.  There were many fundraising opportunities throughout the year and we only needed to attend two in total. I was thinking to the future and I thought, if I went to all of the fundraising activities, my coach would see that I am a major part to the team and she will elect me as team captain next year. So I went to all of the fundraising opportunities, and I gained positive recognition from that and I was elected captain the next year. I now realize that I was extrinsic dimension of motivation. I was setting myself up for an opportunity for advancement.

            In all, I have learned that there are underlying motivations that make people do the things they do. Now I am able to put an action with a reason to why it’s happening in that way.  Now, when doing a task, I will always think about what it is that is motivating me, and think about the 3 Dimensions of Motivation and wonder whether it is extrinsic, relational and/or intrinsic. 

Oppressive Language and Society.

This past week in class we learned about oppressive language. Oppressive language is the use of words or phrases that discriminate against a certain group of people.  There are many oppressive words in the English language that are used every day without many of us even realizing we are using them.  Because of this, many people that fit the literal description of these words become offended.

For example, when I was younger, I thought the word “retard” or “retarded” were just words that were used to describe something or someone that was dumb. I have always been compassionate towards people with special needs, even going to the point of helping them read and write during my 1^st period class. But even though I was conscious of what this word actually means, my friends and I still used it quite frequently. Until one day, my friends and I were walking down the hallway and a special need’s student was approaching us from the other direction. My friend (who was not very considerate) called something “retarded” in the presence of this special needs student. Although I do not believe the student heard what my friend had said, it still had an effect on everyone in the situation.  After putting two and two together, I felt extremely guilty for even being in the presence of someone so ignorant as to blurt out such an awful word. I believe that occurrence had shaped me into becoming a more conscious person about the words I decide to use. Not only do I not use the word “retard” or “retarded” in that context, I try to refrain from using any other sort of oppressive language.

            Another example of how oppressive language effects society is the simple use of phrases that have probably been taught since early on in childhood.  An oppressive phrase that many people do not realize offends a certain culture group is the phrase, “Sitting Indian style.” Indian style refers back to the Indians in the new world and still to this day offends Native Americans. Although this “style” reflects the culture of the Native Americans and how they would sit back then, it still deems disrespectful to the culture.  Instead of using the term “Indian style,” people should use the culture neutral phrase of “sitting cross-legged.” This phrase does not pinpoint a certain culture or group, but merely describes the way a person sits, with their legs crossed. This term makes a lot more sense and should be taught in schools and in early childhood instead of the phrase “Indian style.”

            Clearly oppressive language effects a lot more people than many think. The use of this language should be eliminated and the new words or phrases should be neutral for all people. With a language full of neutrality, no one would have to watch what they say and most importantly, many people will not feel hurt or offended.

Adapting to New Cultures

This week in Bluechip was all about learning to adapt in different cultures. We found that this was very hard to do even when were we just playing a simple card game but by different rules. We all broke up into different groups and we were given a rules sheet to read, only when we were trying to figure out the game , we could not talk. Once we thought we knew how to play, we started playing in silence. Depending on if you “won” or “lost” you would either stay at the table you were at, or you would move to a different table. This means that we had a new player at our table every round. This person would have to play by our rules without getting a clear overview of how we play meaning they simply had to just adapt. At the end of the game we were asked why playing this game was important and we all had a pretty clear view as to what they wanted us to get out of it. We learned a lot from this game, and we can now have a better understanding of what it feels like to have to be immersed in a new culture without previously understanding how it works and what their customs are.

            For example, this year coming to the University of Arizona all the way from Chicago was a complete culture shock. I was not really sure how different the people here really are. At one point last semester, I was very close to transferring because I felt very out-of-place and I wanted to be back in my comfort zone in the Midwest. After deciding to come back on a whim, I realized I just had to adapt a little bit more to the way people live out here. I am still not 100% used to it, but I am getting better and I have become a much stronger person because of it. I feel like I can do anything after I’ve overcome the obstacles of living in a new culture.

            Another time when I had to adapt to a new surrounding was when I was in high school. I had one group of friend that I always hung around and had a good time. But one day, a friend from outside that group asked me to hang out with her group of friends. Of course I agreed, and there I went. I hung out with her friends, and they all did things way differently than my other group of friends. I soon came to find out, I liked the way this new group of friends did things, and I started hanging out with them more often. That group has become my best group of friends yet! I am so happy I adapted to that culture and took a risk.

            In all, from the game we played in class and my own real-life experiences, I have realized how hard it is to adapt to a new culture. I will always have respect for people coming into our country and having to adapt to our ways.