Seminar 1: Someone elses shoes: Diversity

G.B. Bakker: Wednesday 10.00 u L0105

The content of the lectures

We started the lecture with some theory about diversity and identity.
Then there was a first silent-wall exercise in which we had to give our own
opinion about diversity. Example questions were: How do you deal with
diversity? ; Are you well aware of your own identity? ; Is it difficult for you
to accept diversity? This was followed by a discussion on the different
answers.
The next exercise was to make our own identity circle. Which contains our
gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, stage of life, talent and
handicap and social economic status. In the middle of each aspect we had
to write things that cannot change. On the outside we had to write the
things that might change such as your handicaps or your stage of life.
After this we discussed with our neighbour the visible and inviable identity
aspects, which aspects we are willing to share with others, which aspects
people ask questions about and which aspects we can use in our work or
school work.
The next exercise was about creating a new identity. We had to choose
numbers between 1-5 for each aspects and then the speaker gave us
aspects for each number. At the end we created a whole new identity.
Some of us became women in stead of man, hetro-sexual in stead of
homo-sexual etc. There were some funny results after this exercise.
At the end we discussed how we have to deal with diversity in our own
work-life.

Short reflection on why you chose each topic

I chose this topic because I wanted to know more about my own identity.
Diversity is also a subject that interests me a lot so this was also very
meaningful for me.

What I learnt from the topic

I learnt more about my own identity and about how to react when things
changes. After the exercise on new identity, we saw that everybody
reacted in a different way. Some people where happy others where not
happy about there new identity. Some of these changes might really
happen in the future so we really have to know how to deal with them. I
also learnt to have more respect for diversity and that it really is possible
to agree with people that have a different identity.

Critical listening skills

This lecture was the most interesting to me. It was different from the other
ones because it was only in a small group of 20 students which made it
possible to interact all the time. It was also possible for us to have very
interesting group discussions. The speaker did also a great job as chair of
the discussion.

Seminar 2: Changing marketing trends and its effect on

culture and cultural shifts.
Marushka Andrews (Aruba) : Wednesday 4/05: L0110

The content of the lectures

There was a short introduction at the beginning about the speaker and her
home country.
We discussed about trends. What a trend is and what trends can do.
Trends come and go, it is just a period of time.
Marketing trends of today: Social Media Marketing, Mobile Marketing,
Experience Marketing, Relationship Marketing, Growth Hacker Marketing
(not using advertising to grow (app builders, create something cool and
theyll use it, just like Snapchat etc.), Corporate Social Responsibility, Word
of Mouth (is the oldest way of marketing and something that will never
disappear)
What are cultural shifts?
Hat are we doing now could harm in the future, when they realise there is
a change in mind-set. Even in music there are cultural shifts, like very old
music had to change so more people would listen to it.
We also discussed the Marketing Trend : Yoga. Before it was not so
accepted to do Yoga but these day Yoga is very popular. Mrs Andrews
explained that you can do Yoga everywhere you go in the world at all
places.
Then we discussed the different shifts of social media. Some of them are
negative such as talking to someone while texting of playing with your
phone. Others are positive such as the use of skype which makes it
possible to have meetings from your desk with people all over the world.
Another shift of social media is that a lot of people do online shipping in
stead of going to a shopping enter.
Another point we discussed was where were you 5 years ago. Then we saw
that there was a lot of difference. For example before people read a lot of
books, now a days people tend to read more e-books or just play on their
phones in stead of reading.

Short reflection on why you chose each topic

I like change and it would be interesting to learn more on the effects of
changing marketing trends on culture and culture shifts. I would also

What I learnt from the topic

I didnt really learn much from this lecture, most of the things Mrs Andrews
mentioned I already knew.

Critical listening skills

Mrs Andrews presented her topic in a very interesting and enthusiastic
way. It was easy to keep on listening during the presentation.
Unfortunately, the subject was not so interesting to me.

Seminar 3: Economic Freedom & World Happiness, The

relationship between Liberty & Quality of Life
Al Kamienski: Wednesday 4/05: A5 at 15.00.

The content of the lectures

This lecture was about economic freedom and world happiness. The
speaker explained us what happiness means for different people and why
it is different. He explained us also the 5 dimensions in happiness:
1. Mental, Emotional well-being
2. Psychological well-being: anxiety, depression, working out helps,
continue doing it.
3. Socializing, changes with technology (Snapchat). Friends and family.
4. Spiritual dimension. We have to connect to something
5. Professional: quality of work life, you have to like what you are
doing. The income must provide your basic consuming.
The next topic we discussed was does freedom makes you happy. We saw
different statistics to see if economic freedom really makes people happy.
In most cases freedom was very related to happiness. There was only one
remarkable difference which was for South America. The statistics showed
that these people are not very free but they are somehow happy. Which
we think is because they are happy with the little things.
Further we also discussed trade freedom

Short reflection on why you chose each topic

I choose this topic because I wanted to know more about the relationship
between liberty and quality of life.

What I learnt from the topic

I learnt more about what happiness actually is and on how happiness is
seen in different countries and by different people. I also learnt the
relationship between freedom and happiness. We also saw the statistics of
the different countries, which countries are the happiest and which arent.
This was interesting to know for the future, if would go abroad for work or
studies I would prefer to go to a happy country.

Critical listening skills

The speaker was really clear and motivated. It was easy and interesting to
listen to a person with so much enthusiasm.