Had to create another blogspot. Why? My password didn't work and I had to reset it. Now I am starting again from scratch with a brand new blog log...
It is September 09, 2010 and the topic of discussion is the debate of a pastor in Gainsville burning the Quran...On CNN.COM, it is now news that Pastor Terry Jones has changed his mind and will no longer burn the Qurans on the anniversary of Sept. 11. Instead he will meet with the religious leader who is planning to build a mosque by the zoned 9-11 area.
I really am torn over the debate. No one has really mentioned that the burning of the American Flag by extremists is offensive as well. It is surprising that this display of anger and ignorance has not been a topic of discussion and yet radicals in other nations are mocking the United States in similar fashion, whether it is by burning the American Flag or making a mock-up doll of the President of the United States and burning the doll. It's all ridiculous and done to instigate personal beliefs.
Class Notes: Characteristics of Culture
It is learned. It is shared. It is an adaptation. It is dynamic.
Manifestations of Culture.
Culture is manifested in an infinite number of ways through social institutions, lived experiences, and the individual's fulfillment of pyschological and basic needs. It is primarily manifested through our values, our nonverbal communication, and our language.
My Thoughts: there are many cultural mannerisms that are different from those and if we have not traveled to these locations, we need to be cognizant of other people's culture, even if it takes going online to study the geographic region of where people come from.
Ethnocentrism: Ethnocentrism is the inability to view other cultures as equally viable alternatives for organizing reality. Ethnocentric individuals see their own traits as natural, correct, and superior to others.
Ethnocentric individuals view other cultures as strange, inferior, or wrong.
By overcoming one's ethnocentric view of the world, one can begin to respect other cultures and learn to function in multiple cultural groups.
Further Thoughts: Interestingly enough, there is discrimination and narrow-minded viewpoints of shared cultures. For an example, a student in class described her experience in her high school where she was trying to make a foreign exchange student feel more welcome. It was soon realized he was from Spain and he mentioned that his Spanish is better than hers....
I think we all have to be open-minded and judge character not by design but by shared tolerance.
Cultural Relativism: Our identities in any single group are influenced by our historical and lived experiences and membership in other groups. Group identity is based on traits and values learned as part of our ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, class, native language, geographic region....
Biculturalism and Multiculturism: Individuals who have competencies in two or more different cultures and can function proficiently in them are considered bicultural or multicultural.
Some individuals are forced to become bicultural, living in their own ethnic community and working in another cultural community where...
Dominant Culture: The dominant culture in the United States has recvd most of its influence from Western European traditions.
Research: Acculturation which in essense, is adopting or taking on the culture of a new group. This usually involves immigrants taking the culture of the dominant group as their own. This may include taking on the new language...(Constant acculturation, Dissonant accult., Selective accult). Rambaut & Portes 2001
Many things to consider when it comes to these various topics.
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