Aurana Srithavatchai, Design 2007
Cultural Values and Individual's Independence
Major
Architecture
Mentor
Julia Robinson, Architecture
Brief Bio
I am an international student from Thailand. I play piano, and I read a lot of books.
Future Plans
I got a job at an architectural firm. I then plan to go back to school for my masters.
Why Research?
I was not sure what I wanted to do for my masters. I was looking as psychology, and I heard psychology was a lot of research. I tried doing some psychology research to see if I wanted to continue into psychology.
What Did I Get from Research?
I learned how to research. I learned how to write an academic paper. I learned how to get abstract thoughts down onto paper. I also learned how to refer to other research.
How Did I Start?
I had done research previously with my faculty mentor. This time I focused on the psychological aspect that was architecturally related.
Advice for Another Student
It is a really valuable experience even though it was tough. I had to be sure I sat down and got things done every week. It was more like a job then what I had considered research. However, it was a great time.
Project Description
I looked at how different cultures could affect people differently. I always wondered why students from Thailand were grouped together and did not want to get out of their private zones. I wanted to see what happened socially when people from an interdependent culture, like Thailand, came to the United States. I looked specifically at how housing was arranged. I found students from Thailand were more attached to their friends, and their decision making process was different because of their attachment to their friends and family.