Assignment Overview: Review The Background Materials

Assignment Overviewreview The Background Materials Imagine That You H

Review the background materials. Imagine that you have applied for a position as an HR executive in a private-sector corporation. As part of the interview process, you have been asked to prepare written notes using Word and a short video responding to specific interview questions: The questions include legal issues related to workforce unionization, the role of unions in the modern American labor force, differences in Human Resources Management functions in a unionized setting, and your personal preference between working with a unionized or non-unionized workforce. The video should be uploaded to YouTube with a shareable link set as “public” or “unlisted.” You must submit a Word document to the Case 4 Dropbox with your notes, citations, references, and the YouTube link embedded. If you prefer not to submit a video, an alternative is preparing a PowerPoint presentation with voiceover, and submitting the same via Word with the link included.

Additionally, you are to write a 2000-word paper (approximately six pages, double-spaced, size 10–12 font, 1-1.5 inch margins) based on one of two topics. The first topic is an oral history interview with an immigrant about their adaptation to life in the U.S., focusing on their socio-cultural experiences, migration influences, challenges faced, and values shaped by immigration. The second topic is an interview with a senior citizen about their young adult life, reflecting on their beliefs, activities, values, and how these have changed over time. For both topics, you must include field notes, a pertinent personal photograph with your informant, and discuss at least three key anthropological themes from the class that relate to your interview. The paper should include your own analysis, personal reflections, and linkage to anthropological concepts.

The assignment emphasizes incorporating personal experiences, utilizing anthropological theories, and addressing class themes such as immigration, family, gender roles, social expectations, race and ethnicity, and societal changes. The final submission must contain the interview notes, the photograph, a word count, and appropriate citations. The paper is due on the specified date, with late penalties applicable.

Paper For Above instruction

The assignment calls for a comprehensive ethnographic paper that explores either an immigrant's adaptation to American society or a senior citizen’s life history, intertwined with anthropological analysis and personal reflections. This paper should demonstrate a deep understanding of cultural dynamics and reflect on how individual experiences relate to broader social themes, with careful integration of class concepts.

In preparing the ethnography about an immigrant, I selected Carlos, a 42-year-old immigrant from El Salvador who arrived in the United States ten years ago. Our interview took place in his modest apartment in Los Angeles, where he shared compelling insights into his migration journey, adaptation process, and evolving values. Carlos’s story exemplifies significant themes of migration, cultural assimilation, and economic challenges. His journey was driven by the desire to escape violence and poverty, seeking better opportunities for his family. He faced language barriers, discrimination, and difficulties securing steady employment, which echo common immigrant experiences documented in literature (Portes & Rumbaut, 2014).

Carlos’s experience highlights the importance of social networks in facilitating adaptation. He reported initially working in low-wage jobs, often unpaid or underpaid, but gradually establishing community connections that helped him improve his situation. His narrative reflects the cultural negotiation often required in immigrant adaptation, balancing maintaining traditional values while adopting new customs (Glick Schiller & Fouron, 2011). He expressed pride in maintaining Salvadoran traditions, especially through cooking and religious practices, which provided comfort and cultural continuity amid a new environment.

From an anthropological perspective, Carlos’s experiences illustrate the intersectionality of ethnicity, socio-economic status, and identity. His stories reveal how migration is not only a physical movement but also involves a complex cultural and psychological process. According to Barth (2017), immigrants often undergo ongoing identity negotiations, reconciling their original cultures with new societal expectations. Carlos’s adaptation process demonstrates resilience and agency, challenging stereotypes about Latin American immigrants as solely marginalized or impoverished.

In terms of cultural values, Carlos conveyed that his perception of family shifted—becoming more individualistic while still prioritizing family obligations. He acknowledged that exposure to American individualism changed his views on independence but accepted this as a positive growth, enriching his outlook without losing his roots (Liebkind, 2012). His story underscores the fluidity of cultural identities and the influence of the social environment on personal values.

Comparing Carlos’s experiences to my own, I see parallels in the importance of community support and cultural perseverance. However, I also recognize differences in the obstacles faced—while Carlos struggled with language barriers and economic hardship, my cultural context has provided different challenges linked to race, gender, or educational expectations. This comparison highlights the broader themes of social adaptation and the diverse pathways individuals navigate within American society.

This ethnography demonstrates how individual narratives embody key anthropological themes, including migration, cultural identity, adaptation, and resilience. By incorporating Carlos’s story and connecting it to class concepts, the paper illustrates the ongoing negotiations of cultural values within a dynamic social landscape, emphasizing the importance of understanding lived experiences in anthropological analysis.

References

• Barth, F. (2017). Ethnic Groups and Boundaries: The Social Organization of Culture Difference. Waveland Press.
• Glick Schiller, N., & Fouron, G. (2011). Citationality, Diaspora, and Transnationalism: Exploring the Complexity of Migrant Lives. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 37(2), 189-204.
• Liebkind, K. (2012). Acculturation and Identity: Ways of Being and Becoming. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 35(1), 52-70.
• Portes, A., & Rumbaut, R. G. (2014). Legacy of Exclusion: Immigration, Demography, and American Power. University of California Press.