I was most engaged in this course when we talked about what pregnancy is like in other countries. This was interesting to me because the reason women did not want to go to health centers was because the right of passage of delivering a baby was not honored at a health center nor was the country’s religious practices. I related to this most because it was very eye opening to see that the way we are delivering babies in the United States, which I always thought was the best way, is actually not personal at all. Birth in the United States does not honor the mother as the one who is the one who is giving birth but rather the doctors. 

I personally learned a lot in this course about anthropology but also ethics, what we think is the best way to do something can seem barbaric in other countries and is not always right. This course also taught me how to explore the things I’m interested in with an academic lense. What I will take away most is to question things more, just because it is natural to do something one way where you are from doesn’t always mean that is the way you should do it; be curious but smart. 

Even though this was a short online summer course, in future sessions I would suggest including more than just writings as responses. All students are different learners and writing is not always the best way to deliver ideas for some students. The incorporation of artistic expression in the form of video blogs or drawings would be both engaging and promote the flow of ideas.