April 7 2021
I attended the virtual Faculty Spotlight ft. Dr. Mary Rodriguez. She works in the Department of Agricultural Communication, Education, and Leadership at Ohio State, and she brings a female lens to her work. She was a part of the Peace Corps in Africa before getting her Ph.D. in International Development. Through these programs, she was able to travel to many countries, while learning a lot about gender, development, and how research impacts the lives of women.
She shared with us many different stories about her travels which were extremely interesting. One thing she shared that I found particularly fascinating was that in some countries, the male eats the protein first. This is viewed as a sign of respect, status, and wellbeing of the person, as the male is the head of the household. Then, the protein goes to the male children, female children, and then the mother. The mother puts herself at risk of nutrition insecurity by prioritizing the well-being of her family. It was also the women’s role to integrate new diets into the household, such as soy or tofu.
Finally, the advice she left us with as IA scholars seemed very valuable. First, she said there is a lot to be learned by observation. For example, she learned through observation that a woman does not extend her hand to a man in the Muslim community. Second, she believes that being adaptable is extremely important, as she had to learn how to teach a language that was two removed from her own. Third, she feels that listening skills and humility are essential for working with cross-cultural groups and the international field as a whole. I will take these skills with me in my future career in the international field.