Answers?

Well I will try and do my best to answer a bunch of insightful questions. Wifi has been scarce as has been my free time.  I keep on getting notifications that the comment section may change and the contents may become deleted and so to play it safe I want to post these answers because these questions tug at fundamental causes to problems and phenomena in Argentina.

From my Earlier post in order
Shawnte 1. The food is delicious and cheap too. The peso is around 45 ARG pesos for 1 USD which is a 8 peso rise since I've been here. I have only heard the class system used or referenced among older locals. In this reference it was based on the type of people in la clase baja. The use of class is used in a more general sense to describe economic standing. In my experience this use of the phrase transcends age.

Jerod 2. The leniency unfortunately is only a custom on arrival time and does not always extend to assignments. That's for the best though, if I am honest.  If it is used as a way to build rapport with students that is news to me! I will pay attention and post a follow up answer.

Brittany 3. The classes are much different in the sense that the students drive the content. The professors maintain a broad list of topics to cover and the depth is at times left up to the student. That being said it is challenge by choice. If you don't challenge yourself you will get real bored real fast because the classes are normally 3 hours long. The atmosphere is interesting because all of the classes are small-less than 6 people-which requires an atmosphere of respect and understanding. The campus is small and it is in the center of the city. It has 5 floors with a cool rooftop view. They are too different to compare. But I will say that Gilman has got the cafe here beat haha. One of the biggest differences is the declaration of bias by professors. This is a new concept for me and I have yet to make up my mind about it. I am interested to hear what people back home think.

April 4. I think that my host family rolling with the mispronunciations is a key example of inclusion in the culture here. Beyond that, friends from a mentor and men-tee program have been integral in a higher level of immersion and fun. My family has included me in card games and afternoon mate which helps to fill voids of time and helps get to know my host family. The only professor not native to Mendoza is from New York ,who teaches Spanish and English literature. Outside of him, it is the students who bring diversity and different perspectives into the classroom from all over South America and Europe to my fellow gringos.



From most recent post
Shawnte 1.  I do feel like a westerner. Even after being assimilated into a Spanish and Portuguese speaking workplace and a Spanish speaking family I still, after 2 months, cannot help but feel different even in our best moments of "togetherness." In the past I have not been able to put my finger on it, but now I think a huge part of it has to do with some of my cultural traditions and by default subconscious expectations.
                     Everything from greeting all coworkers at work with maybe a hello back home, to now where it is a beso on the cheek. It has already been a month at work and it still feels very unnatural. From helping to make dinner at home to having dinner being made for me here-with this is a lack of independence in the kitchen but that is a story for another time-I feel like a honored house guest instead of the "host-son?" who lives upstairs.
                     The willingness of Americans from the United States to speak up about a situation is equaled by Argentine cultural, yet, in my two trips to Chile I found that the Chilean culture is a more passive one where friends in supermarket lines split up and whoever gets to the front of line first will call their friends over. While this happens the other Chileans in line may become angry but will not confront the skippers.
                  However, in the sense of true westerner like a cowboy, I have only experienced one time where I walked into a restaurant with shutter windows and as I stepped in all the heads turned my way. Outside of restaurants with shudder doors, I experience that pretty much every time...

Emily 2. Machismo is very real in Argentina. This idea is inherently present in the Spanish language which can be seen in phrases describing genders which label the group using "ellos" or the masculine plural pronoun. In terms of in the culture here, it is seen in catcalling, whistling and honking at women that is persistent from cars on the street and in restaurants. This is a trend that transcends age (according to several female classmates) with experiences of staring and whistling from elderly men too. Men also have more priority in higher positions in the workplace and there is a pay gap in positions of equal title (according to a professor).
          The majority of Argentine political figures are men, however Argentina has had two female presidents, Eva Peron and Cristina Kirchner, who have made leaps and bounds in women's rights. In the context of the male leaders here, the concept of one step forward and two steps backwards is not a totally inaccurate way to describe the political patterns of past presidents.
        All this being said, feminismo is a very well represented here. Of the three protests I have accidentally wandered into, the flags and drums of feminism and women's rights have been loud and well represented.
      One of the worst, best examples was watching the 1800 o clock news- (necessary context: a string of sexual violence against women in Buenos Aires)-when I saw a headline that read "Are women who dress promiscuously asking for for sexual violence." This is another example of the idea of Machismo and the persistent prevalence in Argentine culture.

Addie 3. From what has been described about the LMR theory I would agree in the given classification of ARG. From wine to petroleum to tourism and meat, they do it all here.

To take an unsolicited step forward to give ARG a feeling, I would say a lot of hurt right now. From economic crises that persist often putting them at the mercy of the U.S economy without much interaction in the context of trade. This is because the Argentine economy is backed up on the dollar instead of the gold standard.
                    Ever since a socialist administration privatized huge industries such as the petroleum industry and mining industries foreign investment is scarce. In order to draw in foreign investment the current administration, Macri, has had to make economic reparations to pay off debt in order to be in good standing with the IMF. This has been very polemic, and it is not a topic for casual conversation.

Kate 4. My boss is a very charismatic and has proven to breed loyal employees through personal and reward power. For example he has gifted me two free tours into the Andes in exchange for my work translating travel documents and creating brochures. He tells jokes in three languages and from the little Portuguese I understand he is upfront and honest with his coworkers.  Although he doesn't ride a horse to work, he is still a great leader.

Unknown 5. Yes I agree that relationship-oriented is a good way to describe the Argentinians who I have met. When they like someone it is most often a genuine like which is a stark contrast from Americans from the U.S. who have been described by multiple people as being superficial in their relationships.
                   Other examples of collectivism or lack thereof are interesting. Argentinians are not afraid to chase down people who don't pay the 18 peso fee on the bus. When it comes to speaking up about a ladron in your back pocket this bold nature is less common. The reasoning of safety must be understood, but nevertheless, I relate the two in the same context of post-conventional morality and am somewhat confuddled at this occurrence.
                      On a side note, I hope to visit Buenos Aires in the future with the intention of not just experiencing the unique city but also to form my own opinion. I have only heard bad things about the favelas and children under sixteen who rob locals and tourists alike without consequences from the police. I have heard several stories of packs of children around the age of 10 who first threaten people verbally, ask for their money, and then if met with resistance they do not hesitate to beat people up and mug them. It is such a hard situation to imagine much less understand.

Alex 6. Being the first or the best or at least to compete to do so. This is the true western-ism that is hardest to divorce for me. I find when I do it is always a rewarding experience. These experiences have included slower mountain hikes to talk to those in the back of the pack and not speaking up in class as much. In both occasions fellow gringos fill in and take my place which reaffirms me that it isn't just me who does this.
                  In my Spanish class where cultures from all over Europe and South America collide it is most always the gringos answering questions in class. This is partly due to the "dog eat dog" type of classroom set up where quiet and reserved people have little chance or requirement to speak up.
             The cultural approach to a family situation I have tried was speaking really loudly at the dinner table. Out in public everyone is discreet with conversation and conversations between westerners ring out loudest. However, in the home, at the table it most often is borderline shouting. A part of this could be contributed to the stereotypes of Italian families.

Dani 7. Well, one of the first and most often things I am corrected on is the term american. The term itself does not just refer to Estadounidenses but is a more general term to describe those from the Americas. This seems like a weird thing-I know-but I have to admit that it makes sense. This is a political correctness that is dependent on the audience, but in the wrong audience great offence can be taken. This is a paradox of the Argentinians of whom many have self-proclaimed to be politically incorrect. Most would agree this terms common usage by foreigners here politically incorrect. I guess this is a battle that the Argentine people chose, justly so, dealing with identity. The paradox comes in because this "we're politically incorrect" is a sad excuse for the racism and machismo that still exists, often without cultural taboo. Which is another paradox because Argentina is historically a country of immigrants. I digress...
                I have really realized how interconnected and isolated the world economy can be depending on the country you are in. I encourage everyone to look into the stark differences even between Argentina and the vecino to the west, Chile, in historic trade and diplomacy with the U.S.
                      I think that even though the global citizen mindset is not yet my mindset, it has developed into a frame of thinking to help describe differences culturally and to help explain why the bidet is not more common in the U.S.. I think by the end of the two months this answer will be different.

Chris 8. I would wholeheartedly agree that relationships are held closer when dealing with leader and followers. This results in a bit of a LMX double edged sword but in my experience that can be really good or really not good. The work ethic and expectation is much healthier and wholesome which at times can slow progress but in the long term, I have heard in anecdotes, yields more sustainable results.

Enzo! 9. The behavior of the past presidential administration (Kirchners) which turned out to be corrupt and stole a lot of money from the people here. This is confounding contrast to the love and desire to bring back that administration. The investigations are ongoing but according to my local friends dirty deeds were done but no thinks anyone will face justice.

Bryce 10. The nonverbals I experience pretty much say "No pasa nada" a case in point was today when my teacher arrived 30 minutes late and just began normal weekend conversation. However frustrating it may be, I must admit that I too take advantage of it. Last week I came an hour late which although extreme was still accepted; mostly due to my cool story on a cat and mouse chase of a drug trafficker and a team of smugglers and an unfortunate 30 pasengers along with myself stuck in the middle of the witch hunt.

Katie 11. That is an interesting metaphor for sure. The best application is seen with the economic elite whose names and legacies along with their supported economic policies and laws have stood tests of time. A good example of this is with the military regime in the 70s. That being said, the ship in the metaphor would be more accurate with 2 decks and a 15 foot ladder between them that only works half the time. Where after people fall the ladder is used to slowly regain control. All this to represent the fall but the common rebirth and rejuvenation of ideology and power that is problematic to the development and future of Argentina.


I appreciate everyone's insightful questions.
        It is necessary to realize bias and in my case on top of being a foreigner especially from the U.S. you should understand where my information on top of experiences are coming from. It is a short list of people which someone like me can just start up an open conversation about politics, economy and cultural differences including backwardness.
                     I turn to my host parents who in their seventies have traditional views of the world, but in the same moment, are very open minded about other countries. The other prominent source of information is my history professors who are young and progressive in their teachings and opinions. There is longer list of people in the middle of this spectrum I have described. But these two sources are the sides of which I swing like a pendulum as I form opinions about the inter workings of the political system and economy here.