I find culture to be a very interesting concept. It’s kind
of like our nose. It is right in front of us but we never notice it unless we
are told to notice it. Culture shapes our perspective on life and what we think
of different actions and ideas. Culture is the reason why we shake hands when
greeting someone and why we stand when the national anthem plays at a sporting
event.
When I was reading the section of the book that talked about
different cultures and their customs, it reminded me of the theory of evolution.
Every living thing on this Earth is the way it is because of what has happened
to its ancestors that shaped it into what we see today. For a giraffe to have a
long neck it had to evolve over thousands of years. But the animal that we
think of as a giraffe could be a very different animal if something as simple
as a lack of trees thousands of years ago caused it to eat grass. The same goes
for our culture. Cultures vary all around the world. What is normal here in Minnesota
could be looked down upon in Alabama
because of the different beliefs and ways of life that cultures have. Everything that happens to the people of a
certain region changes their culture in a small way just like evolution. This
is why every culture is different in some small way from other cultures and why
other cultures seem so unusual.
Cultures are different because of what they have gone through
and I think the fact that there are many different cultures is what makes life
interesting. Many people look down on cultures different from there own. They
constantly compare them to what we find to be normal and/or right. I enjoy other cultures. I have traveled to Asia
and Europe and have been able to experience these different
cultures and I loved it. Different food and customs are things that I welcomed.
I think that if there weren’t different cultures there would be nothing exciting
about going to new places and there would be nothing new to try in life.
Culture not only represents who we are now, it represents what we have been
through and where we are going. It gives us something to be proud of and
something to admire in others.
I think you have a very good way of describing your main points, so the reader has a good understanding of what you're talking about. It might be good to explain more about how evolution has affected the giraffe and what would be different if the giraffe had no trees. I am familiar with the concept of evolution, but I don't know a lot about it. When you say " But the animal that we think of as a giraffe could be a very different animal if something as simple as a lack of trees thousands of years ago caused it to eat grass. "It might be good to expand on this a little bit more so that the reader who doesn't know a lot about evolution can have a clearer understanding. Also what do you mean by Cultures are different because of what they have gone through? Maybe expand on this a little more. Also your photos were a nice touch.
ReplyDeleteSolid, but you missed an opportunity to make this more sociological. I.e., Discuss ethnocentrism using that word! You write this: "Many people look down on cultures different from there own. They constantly compare them to what we find to be normal and/or right." But, you don't discuss the concept using the sociological jargon you've been given (see pages 113-114). In future posts, remember that the point is to demonstrate your engagement with/understanding of the material!
ReplyDeleteIt is really cool that you have had the opportunity to experience other cultures. I too love the excitement that goes along with different cultures. I think you did a really good job explaining cultural differences.
ReplyDelete