Madeleine Pollitzer
Cultural Artifacts
Here you can see a few examples of my cultural knowledge, and how the courses I have taken have allowed me to integrate culture with Spanish and the health sciences. Feel free to click the examples to get a better idea of my cultural understanding!
Spanish Contemporary Literature: Papel de Loreto Sesma
This group paper was written during my time abroad for a research assignment aiming to highlight key figures and their impacts in Spanish literature. We focussed on exploring the life and works of Loreto Sesma, a key author, poet, and musician in Spanish modern times. In this paper, we analyzed what inspired Sesma most, the evolution of her career, and most importantly how she impacted the lives of her audience. This project helped me to gain a better understanding of the scope of impact literature has had on the lives of many Spaniards, and how many modern works are evolving to connect to society in today's day and age. After completing the paper, being able to present our findings to our class and professor also helped me enhance my public and Spanish speaking skills, which can directly be utilized in a career in Spanish healthcare.
Spanish Civilization and Culture: Consumo de alcohol: EEUU vs. España
This research paper aimed to explain a prominent societal issue, the consumption of alcohol, and compare this issue between the populations in the USA and Spain. I explored common habits of alcohol consumption in each country and how these habits shaped and were shaped by their distinct cultures. This was followed by an evaluation of key similarities and differences of alcohol consumption in the two societies, and reasons for these comparisons. Being able to conduct this research while living in Spain, I was able to not only rely on literature for information, but supplement this with first hand observations of daily lives of Spaniards. This immersive experience helped me to pay close attention to detail and develop important interpersonal skills while maintaining an open minded perspective. The consumption of alcohol is a determinant for the onset of many diseases, and I now know how to tie this lifestyle choice to distinct health outcomes, which can be a skill to think holistically in the future when working in public health. A 10 minute partner presentation was also given about similar ideas from the paper, which resulted in enhanced societal vocabulary and speaking proficiency.