Blog Post – British Economy

The industrialized country of England is the largest economy of all countries in the United Kingdom. Contributing the the GDP in the United Kingdom, its strong suits and driving factors are services, manufacturing, construction & tourism. Before the 18th century, England was mainly an agricultural economy until the Industrial Revolution occurred where it then progressed into a highly urbanized and industrial region of the 18th and 19th century. England transformed into a heavy manufacturing powerhouse; distributing iron, steel, textiles & shipbuilding etc. When the Great Depression hit in the 1930s, foreign competition led to a decline in the production of goods, therefore increasing unemployment throughout the country. The country then recovered by adapting more automotive, chemical, electrical and machine tool manufacturers as the leading industries. In the 20th century, population and urban growth increased and let to a significant decrease in the amount of acreage of farms in England. Despite all the industrial growth over the past three centuries, there are still some countries that continue to maintain heavily agricultural to this day. In 2018, the United Kingdom held a booming gross domestic product (GDP) of $2.8 trillion with a population measured at 66 million. The United Kingdom uses what is called the British Pound, 100 pence makes up £1 pound and a pound it roughly equal to the value of the US dollar. With a diverse economy, the quality of life is considered to be measurably high while the unemployment rate currently stands at 7.6% and continues to maintain an upward growing economy.

Journal Entry 2

Studying at the University of Birmingham, England, I will be able to consider the following information discussing stress factors and learning styles & utilize this to prepare for the the successful possible study abroad experience. In preparation for an upcoming study abroad experience, it is recommended to thoroughly understand and be aware of what Paige (1993) considers to be the 10 most important cross-cultural stress factors of intercultural experiences. A variety of different types of stress factors are mentioned, describing the different challenges and opportunities for one to make abroad. If these stress factors are understood and considered while in different social situations, it can be beneficial to grasp these concept and learn from them to be able to make cultural adjustments. The first stress factor is Cultural Differences, this targets the amount of difference between the home cultural, and the different elements of the host culture. The greater the differences the more challenging the experience will be, a person has to evaluate the host cultures values and behaviors in different social situations. The second stress factor is Ethnocentrism, which measures the degree to which we view the host culture and how accepting the host cultural community is accepting of outsiders. This idea considers the fact of one measuring the reality of the host culture and relating it back their own, leading one to negatively evaluate the various aspects of other cultures. The third stress factor is Cultural Immersion, looking at the amount of contact one will have with the host culture persons. This factor stresses on the fact that if one were to be too immersed in another culture, the more stress may occur causing “culture fatigue”. Cultural Isolation is when a person doesn’t invest in the host culture enough, not experiencing the host culture to its entirety. Lastly, Language, is a major stress factor when traveling to another country. The language barrier in soe study abroad trips can bring about previously mentioned cultural isolation, overall making for a stressful experience. By understanding these possible cultural stress factors, a initial assessment and coping strategy can be thought of ahead of time, & allow one to strategically handle these challenges. Overall, these concepts are presented for a person to gain new intercultural skills and become more effective in the host setting. After completing the Learning Style Survey, I was able to identify different types of learning styles to my preference. Since I am considered an analytic learner, the book states that I can pull ideas apart and do well on logical analysis and contract tasks; being able to guess means and predict outcomes while noticing similarities quickly. Also suggested is that I am more particular in preference and tend to focus more on details and remember specific information about a topic well. I would agree with the results from this survey, because I consider myself a visual and hands-on learner. The characteristics mentioned in the results provided me with a good understanding of more specific information on how I use my physical senses to learn. I will use this information provided to help me completely understand and utilize my strong suits while at the University of Birmingham, England.

Journal Entry 1

I will be studying at the University of Birmingham, in England. I completed the “Who I Am” diagram where I chose 8 words that described my specific cultural identity. The most important parts of my cultural identity are distinctive compared to my soon-to-be host culture. I chose words such as active, social and observant which I think accurately describes how I identify myself because I enjoy being engaged in what is happening around the community. I like to think that I am an observant individual and I feel this will benefit me abroad as I will be interested in learning more about other individuals and the atmosphere in different social settings. By examining and communicating with other individuals of the host-culture I will be able to gain information and increase my own cultural knowledge. It will become a day-to-day habit to observe the way people act and way in which they talk. Immersing myself in England’s way of life and potentially venturing to other parts of Europe will allow me to increase my understanding of other cultures beyond Birmingham. From what I have heard about Birmingham, England the education system and teaching styles are completely different than the education system in the U.S. At the University of Birmingham it’s not unusual to have one big exam or one research paper for the entire grade of a class whereas North Central College has 3-5 exams per class in a term, plus all the other graded aspects such as quizzes, attendance and participation etc. With that being said, another trait of mine that I mentioned was curiosity and I will be very interested to experience not only the difference in class styles, but the transition abroad that I will have to adapt to as well. I I have high expectation for my study abroad experience and I feel that I will not be disappointed. A country’s culture and values are what individualizes each one from the next and studying abroad will give me the opportunity to grasp an entirely different perspective on my area of study. By directly examining and observing the different teaching styles at the University of Birmingham and then comparing such aspects to the universal principles of the liberal arts education at North Central College, I will develop an entire well-rounded perspective as a college student. I am also eager to learn more about the National Health Service (NHS) that is free for all citizens in the United Kingdom. The National Health Service was created in 1948 which provides free health care to 64.6 million people in the UK, and to 54.3 million people just in England. Residents of the United Kingdom are very pleased with the services that the National Health Service provides. They utilize an interprofessional patient-centered approach that gives the best possible health care service tailored specifically for each patient. By identifying my cultural identity I will be able to use these skills of mine to learn about the social and cultural aspects of Birmingham while expanding my network internationally.