Reflection

How have your photos depicted specific concepts that we have dealt with in this paper so far? How have your ideas about these concepts been influenced since you shared your photos with others in this paper?

When I first began my photo board, I struggled with ideas for each of the concepts presented. The first photo, on culture, was the most difficult for me, as I come from such a mixed heritage that I have little cultural background to call upon. When I was browsing through earlier posts, I was actually intimidated by the cultural photos from other students. At times, I feel jealous of those who have a strong cultural background, and that was a large part of why I found this part of the assessment so difficult.

Conversely, the second photo on identity was the easiest, as my family has always been a large part of the person that I am. Before I started on the assessment, I spent several hours scrolling through the posts others had already made, and it was interesting to see the differences and similarities between posts. A large number of students also spoke about their own families in their identity posts, and I found it fascinating to see such a parallel between all of us, regardless of age, gender or nationality. Our family are the very first people we come into contact with in life, and many of our earliest experiences - the very ones that shape our identity - come from our family members. Perhaps that is why so many members of the class chose to talk about their families.

Despite the fact that I found culture the most difficult to talk about, I spent the most amount of time on the third photo. The human rights subject I feel most strongly about is one that is very close to my heart, and a topic that I do not generally feel comfortable sharing with others. It is for that exact reason that I eventually decided to talk about the rights of the LGBT+ community. I have struggled with my own sexuality for a very long time, and still find it incredibly difficult to define. However, I am by no means the only person who struggles with this topic. Whether it is sexuality or gender, many others around the world share this struggle, and it is often made worse by the opinions and actions of those around us - which is exactly why LGBT+ rights are so important.

For my final photo, I struggled to find a topic. History as a whole directly shapes society, and I could link every single point in the history of humanity to modern society. The invention of the printing press, however, is directly linked to modern education, and the experiences that we all have at AUT.

I found it fascinating to look through posts within the Google+ community, particularly posts for the subject of human rights. This subject was perhaps the most varied among the class, and many of the stories shared were on issues that I was not aware of. Culture was another interesting subject, as it gave me a unique insight into multiple cultures that I knew little about. This assignment not only allowed me to glimpse the personalities and experiences of my classmates, but taught me a great deal about the culture and society of those around me.