Blog 9

In the leadership class, I have had a lot of opportunities to think my leadership and characteristics. Also, I could apply the leadership tips outside of the class. 

First, StrengthsQuest was one of the good opportunity to be aware of my characteristics. My strengths were restorative, input, learner, achiever and intellection. At first, I did not feel strongly that input was my strength although I totally understood I was a learner. I thought that I was a not well-prepared person. I mean that I sometimes do something without information.

However, it was figured out through the activities. Every activity, I could not do something for the activities even though other members started. I suffered a lot of pressure each time, and I blamed myself. However, I understood that "this is my strength" because I cannot take an action without information. Before I do something, I should know what kinds of things should do. There was a language problem for me not to do anything promptly, but I regretted that I could not nothing in the class. Nevertheless, I do not blame so much because this is my characteristic. I input the information first, so I can do correctly. Certainly, there are many situations I have to do something without enough information, but I do not need to be embarrassed because I know that this is me. 

Second, positiveness also gave me a piece of advice being positive. I am not a positive person, so I am afraid of assignments and midterms. Even though I got good grades, I could not be satisfied with my results. I worried everything in my life, so I did not enjoy every day. Yet, positiveness and the class activities change my minds that "I should improve myself". The random act of kindness was the big difference for me. I decorated my dorm's bathroom with positive words, " Smile!", "You are Awesome!"  and " Say "Hi!" to your Floormates!". I noticed that positive words make me so happy, and happiness makes me productive. I believed that I need some pressure to do something, but it always is big stress to me. Furthermore, these messages did not change floormates' behaviors so much, but some people thanked me a lot. More than that, I was so happy to contribute somebody else. 

All in all, I know I would confront the many difficulties in the future, but I am sure I could make them challenges with positiveness through class activities. At least, I was aware that I could improve my strengths and positiveness from now. 

Leadership blog8

The theory indicates the core problems of the group development, but there might be cultural differences in it.

My club activity group, which is for running club in my Japanese university, might be in the first stage of Peck's community development theory. It has aa feature of the first stage, which is a tendency to avoid conflicts. 

My group is not a competitive club, and member's purposes of participation in the organization are so different each other. Someone is running for making friends, but others join the club for losing her weights. The club welcomes all people even though they cannot continually participate the meetings. At a glance, the organization runs well because everyone follow the rules and their responsibilities. We talk each other friendly. However, it just "looks like". These good points are not results of the authentic teamwork because we do not relate each other so deeply. 

The group has a big difficult point, which is " the difference in purposes" between members, so it shows up in the attitudes of members toward the activities. The club can go on because members do not need to be in conflicts, so it does not develop.

The circumstance has been structured by a Japanese cultural feature, which is to outweigh of harmony among people. We are likely to identify that a group is good if it is harmonized. Japanese people dislike conflicts and arguments, so we would be satisfied with harmonized atmosphere though there is no progress. 

Thus, we should disclose what we think to grow our community. I believe that Japanese groups might try to go back the first stage if it steps into the second one; the chaotic stage. 

Nevertheless, we should not be afraid speaking up our opinions because we have different views and feelings under harmonized communities. It would cause critical conflicts in the future such like the destructions of the group in the worst case. Therefore, it is necessary for my club team's development is have shared purpose and encourage members to show up the meetings regularly. in the situation, consensus would work for member's participations. I think the group should not be strict, so it is better to have rules, which every member should follow it at least.

Blog 7 target identities and non-target identities in my life

This blog title has made me worry what to write for a whole week because I have not experienced it strongly-- even though I am in different county from I was born. However, I have noticed there are everywhere, but I did not recognize them as targeted or privileged.

One example of targeted identity in my life is being female. Especially in my country, Japan, young people are seriously conscious how they look like. Young women in Japan should being beautiful with makeups, nice clothes and beautiful behaviors. "Being famine" is a social duty in Japan. The reason why I strongly feel like that came from my experiences.
When I worked at Japanese restaurant in Japan, I served foods to the table, where some young Japanese males sit. They asked me bring seasoning, and I smiled to say yes. After I left the table for bringing what they asked to bring, I heard that one of the guy said, "please change from you to another beautiful woman to serve!" They laughed because they would think I did not hear what they said, but I did. I did not why I had to being criticized because of my face. I understood that people would be glad to meet and talk with beautiful women, but it was not a big problem for serving foods at the restaurant. I thought if I were a man, I would not be blamed like this. Sadly, I had been said and cheated in same ways in my past, so I had think that they had been due to my faults. I had thought that I had been targeted because I was ugly. However, I noticed that it would be targeted identity of being female in Japan. (especially, for young females.) I do not want to being privileged because I understand my looking and my face, but at least I would like to be treated rudely. 

Non-target identity is more difficult for me to remember, but I would like to point out being Japanese.
In the United States, I am foreigner and Asian woman, but I have not felt that I have been targeted or privileged because of my identities. My identities would be targeted usually, but I have been privileged in a certain way.
I am allowed that I cannot understand English perfectly. Even though I cannot catch every words when native English speakers talk, they understand and talk to me in different speeds and words for my understanding. Although they are irritated that I ask many times, they repeat same things again and again because I am non-native speaker of English. I feel so sorry to them and I am guilty that I cannot understand what people say, but I know it is helpful to me in my U.S. days. Also, they talk to me some Japanese words when they notice I am Japanese such like "Konichiwa(hello)." In most cases, people treat me as a visitor, so they are so kind to me. It is just I am happy that I have not been treated badly as a foreigner, but I would think that I have been allowed because of my nationality.


Concerned both identities, I would like to say that I am happy because I could say, "I have not experienced being targeted or non-targeted due to my identities." It means that I have been treated properly in U.S., so I should be conscious that there are many people, who are suffered because of their identities.