Hollywood plays such a huge role in the way cultures are represented and perceived. I had never really thought about the inconsistencies, stereotypes, and misrepresentations of cultural groups that Hollywood has portrayed over the years until this class. I have seen "Mulan" several times and never once did I think about the huge inconsistencies that the movie exhibits. Fa Mulan is a Chinese woman living in China during 5th century amidst the Hun (Xiongnu) Invasion. There are many clear indications that the movie takes place in China and the characters are Chinese such as, the surname Fa is Chinese, the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City are seen throughout the film, and their are Chinese cultural symbols such as fireworks and "Chinese Dragon Dance." However, there are many inconsistencies and blurring of Chinese culture with other Asian cultures, especially Japanese. For instance, Mulan is dressed up like a Japanese Geisha at the beginning of the movie and her father's army gear looks more like a Japanese Samurai than a Chinese warrior. This cultural borrowing and blurring of cultures is known as transculturation.
I also have never realized how Disney movies are almost always "Americanized." In addition
The film also goes on to exhibit American values that would not have been seen in any ancient, or present, Asian culture. In the Chinese legend of Mulan, Mulan was a very filial and obedient daughter, a valued quality in the Chinese culture. However, the Disney version of Mulan is barely obedient, especially when she doesn't even ask to take her father's place in the army; she just leaves. This clearly exhibits an American attitude to the situation. Also, the love between Mulan and her father is more reciprocal, an American trait, whereas the love exhibited in the Chinese legend is more obligatory. Feminism is also very present in the Disney film. Feminism is also a very Western value, not often found in Chinese culture.
Obviously these things don't mean much to the movie's demographic, but on a cultural level, this movie can seem a bit offensive.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Cultural Diplomacy
I think Martha Bayle's article "The Return of Cultural Diplomacy" makes a good point about American pop culture in countries around the world and whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing. Being a foreigner to the United States I have experienced the impact of its entertainment in another country. I understand how watching shows like CSI and Desperate Housewives can cause a negative perception about Americans. I would like to think that people aren’t naïve enough to believe that Americans really live these lifestyles. However, those who have never been to America have no reason to not believe; this is the entertainment America is sending them about themselves, so why not believe it?
I think spreading jazz music during the cold war probably did help cultural diplomacy at the time. However, American popular culture is different now than it was back then. Music like rap contains a lot of profane lyrics, and the TV shows and movies have many unrealistic storylines that may confuse foreigners about what Americans are really like. I enjoy American music, TV shows, and movies. However, the majority of people around the world, especially in Muslim countries may not. Therefore, I think for entertainment purposes American pop culture is great. However, I personally don’t believe it's a good source for cultural diplomacy because a lot of the time popular culture is not a realistic representation of that society.
In regards to the ethnography presentations, one thing stood out for me and that's stereotyping. One of the issues we had to address was the stereotypes we had about the cultural group. I think whenever were outsiders to a cultural group we will have preconceived notions about them. Therefore, I think this may affect our judgment about them especially when doing a project like this. This is definitely something that I will be paying attention to while working on my project.
I think spreading jazz music during the cold war probably did help cultural diplomacy at the time. However, American popular culture is different now than it was back then. Music like rap contains a lot of profane lyrics, and the TV shows and movies have many unrealistic storylines that may confuse foreigners about what Americans are really like. I enjoy American music, TV shows, and movies. However, the majority of people around the world, especially in Muslim countries may not. Therefore, I think for entertainment purposes American pop culture is great. However, I personally don’t believe it's a good source for cultural diplomacy because a lot of the time popular culture is not a realistic representation of that society.
In regards to the ethnography presentations, one thing stood out for me and that's stereotyping. One of the issues we had to address was the stereotypes we had about the cultural group. I think whenever were outsiders to a cultural group we will have preconceived notions about them. Therefore, I think this may affect our judgment about them especially when doing a project like this. This is definitely something that I will be paying attention to while working on my project.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Responses to Some of the Cultural Diplomacy Readings
In response to one of the articles that we had to read for last week, “The Return of Cultural Diplomacy,” I think that they tend to underemphasize the impact that U.S. cultural products have. In one section of the article, they remark on how U.S. cultural products have been declining in popularity in certain areas of the world. However, I would argue that although some media forms that are exclusively in English are declining in popularity, the stories and structures of many of these media products are still spreading in use and have been effective in spreading American ideals. I know that a few years ago when I was on a student exchange trip in Russia, I was sitting in my host family’s kitchen when I suddenly heard a familiar tune wafting in from the living room. When I walked into the living room, I saw that most of the family was watching a Russofied version of the once popular show, “The Nanny.” The plotline was exactly the same as the American version, and the only big difference was that the characters spoke Russian.
Now, this Russofication of “The Nanny” might not necessarily spread American values or act as a form of cultural diplomacy, but its success shows that American products are still viable (albeit in different forms) in many parts of the world. The article also failed to talk about the success of a variant of “American Idol” in the Middle East. This show, unlike the example used above, does promote American values by giving usually disenfranchised people the chance to practice voting when they choose their favorite candidates on the T.V. show. Other shows that the article also failed to mention includes the show “Friends,” which was popular in Egypt and which is very popular in China now, which gives common people a largely positive view of the United States.
One more comment that I would like to make is in regard to the article about the Confucian centers being set up around the world to promote a positive view of China. Not only are these centers largely used to promote learning only the Chinese language (a shortcoming the article mentions), but also I believe the Chinese are going about cultural diplomacy all the wrong way. Confucian centers are limited in their ability to reach the general populace, and act more like a plethora of small embassies than anything else. If the Chinese want to be able to change a nation’s views on China, I believe that they will have to create cultural products like those produced by American companies now. I believe that this is the most viable form of cultural diplomacy because inherent in selling any product is taking into account local tastes and interests, thereby ensuring the widespread consumption of the cultural product. If a product is not widely consumed, no matter how effective it is on the few people who consumed the product, then the product is an inefficient use of resources.
Now, this Russofication of “The Nanny” might not necessarily spread American values or act as a form of cultural diplomacy, but its success shows that American products are still viable (albeit in different forms) in many parts of the world. The article also failed to talk about the success of a variant of “American Idol” in the Middle East. This show, unlike the example used above, does promote American values by giving usually disenfranchised people the chance to practice voting when they choose their favorite candidates on the T.V. show. Other shows that the article also failed to mention includes the show “Friends,” which was popular in Egypt and which is very popular in China now, which gives common people a largely positive view of the United States.
One more comment that I would like to make is in regard to the article about the Confucian centers being set up around the world to promote a positive view of China. Not only are these centers largely used to promote learning only the Chinese language (a shortcoming the article mentions), but also I believe the Chinese are going about cultural diplomacy all the wrong way. Confucian centers are limited in their ability to reach the general populace, and act more like a plethora of small embassies than anything else. If the Chinese want to be able to change a nation’s views on China, I believe that they will have to create cultural products like those produced by American companies now. I believe that this is the most viable form of cultural diplomacy because inherent in selling any product is taking into account local tastes and interests, thereby ensuring the widespread consumption of the cultural product. If a product is not widely consumed, no matter how effective it is on the few people who consumed the product, then the product is an inefficient use of resources.
What Do Culture and Cultural Diplomacy Mean to You?
I really enjoyed watching the first two ethnography presentations and seeing what cultural group they looked at. Both were interesting because they looked more at a cultural space, rather than a specific cultural group. This made me realize how hard it is to find a clearly defined cultural group. Even groups like Jewish people or Mexicans are not as obviously defined as we might think. There are some people that do not consider themselves part of the group, although they may fit all the criteria. For example, is a student that was raised Jewish, but does not agree with the religion’s beliefs considered part of the cultural group or not? What about someone who is not of Mexican heritage, but has lived in Mexico since they were a child, are they considered Mexican? This goes back to the topic of culture that we talked about in the beginning of the year. What is culture? How can we define it? These ethnography projects reaffirm that culture has many different meanings for many different people.
This connects to our readings about cultural diplomacy. I think that there are so many disagreements about what cultural diplomacy should involve because cultural itself is so hard to define. What aspects of our lives as Americans can be considered our culture, and what parts of this “culture” do we want to share with others? Part of the issue with cultural diplomacy may be that there have only been serious efforts to export American pop culture, but this is only a small part of who we are. We need to try to show the world the more meaningful side of our culture, rather than just violent movies and pop music.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Its the Culture, Stupid
It is the culture, stupid. It always has been.
As a currently applicant for a Boren Scholarship, a Fulbright one-day-hopeful, and engaged student of International Studies, cultural diplomacy and the idea that communication through non-political means can bring about change from the inside of rigidly anti-American societies is my raison d'etre.
However, the conference we attended two weeks ago, and this article, highlight the importance of what has in the lag 1970s Moscow st decade been considered a diplomatic relic of the Cold War. This is abhorrent. What makes the story of Voice of America antiquated?
Dr. Schneider's article echos my sentiments exactly.
I encourage interested classmates to also read this Foreign Affairs article, which underscores many of the same sentiments: http://www.foreignaffairs.com/print/59359
As a currently applicant for a Boren Scholarship, a Fulbright one-day-hopeful, and engaged student of International Studies, cultural diplomacy and the idea that communication through non-political means can bring about change from the inside of rigidly anti-American societies is my raison d'etre.
However, the conference we attended two weeks ago, and this article, highlight the importance of what has in the lag 1970s Moscow st decade been considered a diplomatic relic of the Cold War. This is abhorrent. What makes the story of Voice of America antiquated?
Dr. Schneider's article echos my sentiments exactly.
I encourage interested classmates to also read this Foreign Affairs article, which underscores many of the same sentiments: http://www.foreignaffairs.com/print/59359
On Gross National Cool
I found the 2002 Foreign Policy Article on Japan’s Gross National Cool intriguing, in how challenge us to reconsider the economic prerequisite for pervasive and persuasive international soft power.
The article highlights that in the 1980s, when Japan was at the peak of its 30 year climb from post-war destruction, its cultural influence on the rest of the world was minimal. Even though full employment and national pride were abundant, the country could not seem to reach out to foreign markets. The author of the article proffers that since Japan’s population was much older, youth culture and new ideas had no voice.
Now with an embattled economy, and the value of its much younger population—aptly deemed ‘child kings,’ Japan has found a way to become a regional and larger international influence. Nike, Sony, and Hello Kitty are examples of Japan’s success, and even though the countries hard infrastructure and economic portfolio have a loose footing, Japan has found a way to circumvent traditional power norms with mere aesthetics
Japan is obviously the greatest globalization success story, but maybe bits and pieces of its recent history could be adapted to the less powerful, fledgling democracies of the world. Maybe with a small amount of aid they can develop small a small infrastructure that can support. a niche into the international consciousness.
The article highlights that in the 1980s, when Japan was at the peak of its 30 year climb from post-war destruction, its cultural influence on the rest of the world was minimal. Even though full employment and national pride were abundant, the country could not seem to reach out to foreign markets. The author of the article proffers that since Japan’s population was much older, youth culture and new ideas had no voice.
Now with an embattled economy, and the value of its much younger population—aptly deemed ‘child kings,’ Japan has found a way to become a regional and larger international influence. Nike, Sony, and Hello Kitty are examples of Japan’s success, and even though the countries hard infrastructure and economic portfolio have a loose footing, Japan has found a way to circumvent traditional power norms with mere aesthetics
Japan is obviously the greatest globalization success story, but maybe bits and pieces of its recent history could be adapted to the less powerful, fledgling democracies of the world. Maybe with a small amount of aid they can develop small a small infrastructure that can support. a niche into the international consciousness.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Hip-Hop Ya Don't Stop
After reading "Cultural Diplomacy: It's the Culture, Stupid" I now realize how much of a role the media plays in our perceptions of other ethnicities, religions, and cultures. In fact, I never really would have thought that media and culture would play such a large part in relations and perceptions of people in other countries. As far as media goes, I think it is really important for everyone, especially Americans, to understand how important the potrayal of cultures are. Our minds and opinions are so easily shaped around the images that we see on the television and in movies. It seems that whomever is our political enemy is, whether it be the Russians during the Cold War, or Middle Eastern Muslims during the post-September 11th period, they are also our cultural enemy, best represented in television and movies. There are very few examples that I can give where a Middle Eastern person is the protagonist in a movie or television episode, whereas I can give countless examples of Middle Easterners as "the bad guys."
However, culture and media can have a positive effect on cultural relationships as well. In the article by Cynthia Schneider she says that people in Egypt based their opinions off of the television show, "Friends." In this aspect, we can use media as an advantage to further our political and cultural aims across the world. We can show other countries that all Americans are not filthy rich money grubbers and power hungry tyrants. In the same aspect, Schneider claims that hip-hop and jazz can bring our different cultures together because everyone can identify with a similar struggle. We are not so different from Russians and Middle Easter Muslims, and we can used culture and media to bring us close together and further our understanding of each other.
However, culture and media can have a positive effect on cultural relationships as well. In the article by Cynthia Schneider she says that people in Egypt based their opinions off of the television show, "Friends." In this aspect, we can use media as an advantage to further our political and cultural aims across the world. We can show other countries that all Americans are not filthy rich money grubbers and power hungry tyrants. In the same aspect, Schneider claims that hip-hop and jazz can bring our different cultures together because everyone can identify with a similar struggle. We are not so different from Russians and Middle Easter Muslims, and we can used culture and media to bring us close together and further our understanding of each other.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Public Diplomacy Conference and the East Asian Wave
One topic discussed at the Cultural Diplomacy conference that I found interesting was if public diplomacy should be government mandated or something separate from the government. When people think of the U.S. government's relations with other countries they often think of things like wars, treaties or negotiations, but many forget the use of soft power can be just as important. If American can change its image and reception abroad through this kind of diplomacy, there may not be the need for hard power negotiations.
I think that the government should provide support for cultural diplomacy (through money, travel, contacts, etc.), but that these cultural diplomats certainly need not be members of the government. As the speakers at the conference talked about, ambassadors to the U.S. can be anyone from famous basketball players to dancers to study abroad students. In many ways these person to person relations can build much stronger connections than government to government relations can. As successful friendships and partnerships are built between Americans and citizens in other countries their views of America will hopefully begin to become more positive and in turn these positive images will spread throughout the country.
On a different, but somewhat related note, I think that the reading "The rising East Asian 'Wave'" could provide a framework of cultural diplomacy that America could follow. Rather than trying to spread its influence through policies, the South Korean government used pop culture and cultural diplomacy to spread the popularity of Korean culture. Korea took the stars of the country's most popular TV shows and music groups and transformed them into ambassadors of Korean culture. Now Korea TV shows and music are hugely popular throughout East Asia. This export of pop culture has created more tourism at home and also a better image of Korea abroad. America would be smart to follow this example.
Cultural Diplomacy and Disney's Appeal Abroad
I am still a little confused about the driving force behind cultural diplomacy and whether it is a coordinated effort by the government or simply a consequence of one country’s culture interacting with another. For example, there has been discussion in class about the ‘Korean wave’ and how the Korean government has sought to expand the demand of its cultural industries abroad. Although done for economic reasons, this cultural expansion abroad has led to increasingly favorable views about Korea in surrounding countries. This stands in stark contrast to American pop culture, which is primarily promoted by large, American multinational media conglomerates that produce cultural products in the U.S. with the express intent of selling the same content abroad. Thus, these media conglomerates facilitate cultural diplomacy by distributing American cultural products all around the world. Whether this has led to favorable views of the U.S. or not is debatable, but what is important is that the U.S. government has been largely hands-off when it comes to promoting American culture abroad.
Putting this issue aside for the moment, I would like to comment on one of the articles we had to read for last week. I thought the article pertaining to the movie, Mulan, was particularly interesting because it shows how multinational media conglomerates like Disney repackage other’s cultures for American (and others) consumption. In the case of Mulan, Disney took a Chinese myth, applied some Disneyfication, and produced a brand new story that blended several facets of American and Chinese culture. And, while the article focused on this blending of two different cultures to produce an entirely new cultural product, I found Disney’s Mulan movie an example of the company’s earlier attempts to produce a cultural product that could appeal to universal values.
I think it is interesting to note how the most famous Disney movies today are produced by Pixar, which, with the exception of The Incredibles, uses characters that are not human. By removing people from the equation entirely, I see Disney taking its original goal of trying to make a universally loved product to a whole new level. Sure many of the locales and stories have an American flavor (the movie Cars comes to mind), but the fact that they utilize non-human characters makes them just that much easier to love by a diverse group of people. This is relevant to the debate that came up at the beginning of the class which talked about values as being relative or universal. Given Disney’s success and its use of non-human characters, then, I would argue that Disney has found certain universal values that it can market to throughout the world.
Putting this issue aside for the moment, I would like to comment on one of the articles we had to read for last week. I thought the article pertaining to the movie, Mulan, was particularly interesting because it shows how multinational media conglomerates like Disney repackage other’s cultures for American (and others) consumption. In the case of Mulan, Disney took a Chinese myth, applied some Disneyfication, and produced a brand new story that blended several facets of American and Chinese culture. And, while the article focused on this blending of two different cultures to produce an entirely new cultural product, I found Disney’s Mulan movie an example of the company’s earlier attempts to produce a cultural product that could appeal to universal values.
I think it is interesting to note how the most famous Disney movies today are produced by Pixar, which, with the exception of The Incredibles, uses characters that are not human. By removing people from the equation entirely, I see Disney taking its original goal of trying to make a universally loved product to a whole new level. Sure many of the locales and stories have an American flavor (the movie Cars comes to mind), but the fact that they utilize non-human characters makes them just that much easier to love by a diverse group of people. This is relevant to the debate that came up at the beginning of the class which talked about values as being relative or universal. Given Disney’s success and its use of non-human characters, then, I would argue that Disney has found certain universal values that it can market to throughout the world.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Russian Culture-Cultural Diplomacy
I honestly had no expectations for the panel on cultural diplomacy that we saw on Thursday. To be fair, I wasn't even sure what cultural diplomacy was at the time. Through this class, however, I have come to understand that culture and perceptions are very important in relationships among nations. I thought the man spoke specifically on Russian culture was extremely interesting and informative. I think it is important for us to understand how other nations value their own culture, what they think of our culture, and what they think our views of their culture are.
It's important to point out what the Russians think about their own culture. It is not apparent to Americans that Russians value their culture so highly, and when we fail to appreciate it as much as they think we should, that causes problems between us. I, for one, have even been to Russia and did not realize that Russians value their culture so much. Unfortunately, however, Russia is not alone in their perceptions of Americans. The general consensus for many nations seems to be that all Americans are power-hungry and money-grubbing. This is why perceptions and cultural understanding is so important to international relations. We need to focus on cultural sensitivity as well as what our actions are being perceived as.
It's important to point out what the Russians think about their own culture. It is not apparent to Americans that Russians value their culture so highly, and when we fail to appreciate it as much as they think we should, that causes problems between us. I, for one, have even been to Russia and did not realize that Russians value their culture so much. Unfortunately, however, Russia is not alone in their perceptions of Americans. The general consensus for many nations seems to be that all Americans are power-hungry and money-grubbing. This is why perceptions and cultural understanding is so important to international relations. We need to focus on cultural sensitivity as well as what our actions are being perceived as.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Popular Culture Around The World
I thought the discussion about popular culture was very interesting, especially the way it differs among cultures. Back home we pretty much watch the same shows that air here. People have gotten as addicted to Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, and Lost as people in the US.
I have to admit I got a bit excited when we started discussing Star Academy and the TV series Noor, even though I never watched either one of them. I remember when I was in high school and Star Academy first started. People went crazy. And with good reason I believe; it was the first time a show like that happened in the Middle East. I personally would have been more likely able to tell you who won American Idol, but the majority of people in Middle East were able to relate to this show more. The same goes for Noor. Turkey had been doing their own TV shows for some time. Noor was the first show that got dubbed in Arabic and it became a huge hit. It also led to a lot more Turkish TV shows being played in the Arab World. I think the reason people loved it so much was because they could relate to it.
A lot of controversies followed both TV shows. Star Academy was based in Lebanon which is a somewhat more liberal country than others in the Middle East. However, many religious figures thought it was an outrage that both the girls and guys were living in one house. I actually remember my grandmother commenting on it too. Also, they didn’t approve of the way some girls dressed on the show. But I don’t find it surprising; I guess it just kinda comes with the territory.
In addition to younger people watching the American TV shows, there are many Arabic soap operas that are extremely popular. I believe it is because they can simply relate to it more than they would with Gossip Girl, for example. When Noor became popular, tourism definitely increased in Turkey, like Professor Hayden mentioned. I personally know people that wanted to go see the house were the show was filmed. I also remember my dad telling me how some woman went so far as wanting to get married there.
All in all, I think entertainment, whether its TV or music, or popular culture in general exists all over the world. However, I think people view things differently, and therefore it can differ depending on what people would relate to or simply like.
I have to admit I got a bit excited when we started discussing Star Academy and the TV series Noor, even though I never watched either one of them. I remember when I was in high school and Star Academy first started. People went crazy. And with good reason I believe; it was the first time a show like that happened in the Middle East. I personally would have been more likely able to tell you who won American Idol, but the majority of people in Middle East were able to relate to this show more. The same goes for Noor. Turkey had been doing their own TV shows for some time. Noor was the first show that got dubbed in Arabic and it became a huge hit. It also led to a lot more Turkish TV shows being played in the Arab World. I think the reason people loved it so much was because they could relate to it.
A lot of controversies followed both TV shows. Star Academy was based in Lebanon which is a somewhat more liberal country than others in the Middle East. However, many religious figures thought it was an outrage that both the girls and guys were living in one house. I actually remember my grandmother commenting on it too. Also, they didn’t approve of the way some girls dressed on the show. But I don’t find it surprising; I guess it just kinda comes with the territory.
In addition to younger people watching the American TV shows, there are many Arabic soap operas that are extremely popular. I believe it is because they can simply relate to it more than they would with Gossip Girl, for example. When Noor became popular, tourism definitely increased in Turkey, like Professor Hayden mentioned. I personally know people that wanted to go see the house were the show was filmed. I also remember my dad telling me how some woman went so far as wanting to get married there.
All in all, I think entertainment, whether its TV or music, or popular culture in general exists all over the world. However, I think people view things differently, and therefore it can differ depending on what people would relate to or simply like.
Fighting Back Against American Pop Culture
One thing I find interesting is that it is viewed differently around the world. It is undeniable that American pop culture has a worldwide influence, but many countries, especially ones whose culture is very different from American culture, are beginning to fight back. This can be seen in Korea, with Hallyu and the growing popularity of Korean cultural exports in much of Asia. These countries are rejecting the influence of America, and instead seeking pop culture references that more closely reflect their own lifestyles. Unlike American pop stars, the stars of Hallyu recognize their position as ambassadors for Korean culture and they make a conscious effort to portray Korea in a positive light and to reach out to fans in other countries. These stars even learn the languages of countries where they have a large fan base so when they perform there they can sing in the native language and make a connection with the fans. This mutual appreciation is not something you see in American pop culture.
Another example is the news broadcaster Al Jazeera in the Arab world. Rather than allowing their news to come from an American station like CNN where the news is designed for American, not Arab audiences, Al Jazeera was created as a regional source of news. Now Arabs can hear their news from a network that understands their culture and knows what they are interested in hearing about. Regional media and production centers are being built all over the world to allow countries to create movies and TV shows that reflect their own culture, rather than American culture.
When talking about these topics in class, I remembered hearing about a similar movement that is going on in France, relating to French radio stations. In 1994, the French government passed a law saying that 40% of the music played on all radio stations must be French-language. This law was passed in response to fears that French culture was being diminished by the infiltration of a large amount of American music on French radio stations. To help make this law possible, the government also urged French record companies to increase their production of French music that would appeal to the young generation and compete with the popularity of American rock music. This once again illustrates how countries around the world are fighting back against the influence of American pop culture and trying to create their own brand of pop culture that will eventually have a global influence.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Ahh, Globalization of Culture
I grew up in rural/suburban Pennsylvania, where the difference in cultures is not very wide-spread. Neither of my parents have ever been out of the country and neither of them really have the desire to do so. I'm not saying that given the opportunity to venture out in to the world, that they wouldn't do it, but both of them are quite content with the way things are in York, Pennsylvania. I, on the other hand, have always been intrigued by different cultures and countries. Ever since I was little, I always enjoyed different cultures, languages, and trying ethnic food. Therefore, given the opportunity to venture outside America, I took it.
During my senior year of high school, instead of attending my senior homecoming, I was taking a tour of a Soviet Siberian political prison. I was given the chance to go on a mission trip with my church to Moscow and Tyumen (Siberia), Russia. This opportunity gave me the chance to experience a country and culture completely different from my own. One of the things I remember telling everyone when I returned was that I couldn't believe how many TGIFridays I saw in Russia. Then, last semester, I was given another opportunity to experience another culture for an extended period of time. During the spring semester of 2009, I spent over four months living in Prague, Czech Republic. I think I was even more intimidated to venture to Prague that I was when I went to Russia, only because this time, I was travelling alone.
However, when I landed at the Ruzyne airport in Prague, I was greeted with signs in English and Czech and massive advertisements for KFC and McDonalds. Then, throughout the semester I was constantly surrounded by "Americanness." I couldn't escape the musical talents of Katy Perry and Lady GaGa. The television, of course, had its Czech channels, but there was not a time when I couldn't find "America's Next Top Model," MTV spitting out the latest (and not-so-latest) American and English music, and American-made movies dubbed in Czech.
I loved my time abroad in Russian and the Czech Republic, but I can't help but wonder what the time spent in these countries would have been like without all the American influence. Would it have been much different or would it have been surprisingly similar?
During my senior year of high school, instead of attending my senior homecoming, I was taking a tour of a Soviet Siberian political prison. I was given the chance to go on a mission trip with my church to Moscow and Tyumen (Siberia), Russia. This opportunity gave me the chance to experience a country and culture completely different from my own. One of the things I remember telling everyone when I returned was that I couldn't believe how many TGIFridays I saw in Russia. Then, last semester, I was given another opportunity to experience another culture for an extended period of time. During the spring semester of 2009, I spent over four months living in Prague, Czech Republic. I think I was even more intimidated to venture to Prague that I was when I went to Russia, only because this time, I was travelling alone.
However, when I landed at the Ruzyne airport in Prague, I was greeted with signs in English and Czech and massive advertisements for KFC and McDonalds. Then, throughout the semester I was constantly surrounded by "Americanness." I couldn't escape the musical talents of Katy Perry and Lady GaGa. The television, of course, had its Czech channels, but there was not a time when I couldn't find "America's Next Top Model," MTV spitting out the latest (and not-so-latest) American and English music, and American-made movies dubbed in Czech.
I loved my time abroad in Russian and the Czech Republic, but I can't help but wonder what the time spent in these countries would have been like without all the American influence. Would it have been much different or would it have been surprisingly similar?
A Short Anecdote about Popular Culture
Last week I was working busily at my desk at my internship, and decided to do something bold.
My desk is located directly across from the office of a former ambassador to the Middle East, who writes and edits for our magazine. Everyday since I have started, our dialogue has been minimal--"hey," "hello," and that's pretty much it. My desk is also located close to the coffee machine, an area of the office he frequents. For my own selfish reasons--the fact that I am applying for three National Scholarships and could use the recommendation--I decided that I should enhance our discourse and strike a conversation.
He is in his late 50s, I am 19. He is from the Deep South, and grew up on a farm. I grew up in South Jersey and entered the work force at a Cold Stone Creamery in a strip mall. He has negotiated the trade of oil and prisoners between hostile governments. I, well, have not.
Last week as the ambassador was pouring himself some coffee, and said to, seeing that I was eating a black and white cookie and said "That looks good." Now what I could have said was "It is thank you." But what I did say was:
"The key to eating a black and white cookie is you want to get some black and some white in each bite. Nothing mixes better than vanilla and chocolate. And yet, still, somehow racial harmony eludes us."
I quoted Seinfeld.
Bold, right? Now, quoting Seinfeld is second nature to me, but I think I should have caught it and stopped myself in the work place, this could have backfired horribly. In my defense, I was overtired and had spent the entire night studying for an economics exam I had taken that morning. However, his response was surprising.
"If people would only look to the cookie," completing the quote.
We both laughed and, like the pivotal moment in every episode of House*, I had an mini-epiphany. Popular culture is really the preeminent forum for people with wide disparities of personal experience to connect with one another and communicate. Although me and the ambassador both speak English, are both working and living in Washington, DC, and are both interested in United States foreign policy in the Middle East, without the help of Jerry Seinfeld I would not have made this connection.
*any anecdote about popular culture should not be without its own reference.
My desk is located directly across from the office of a former ambassador to the Middle East, who writes and edits for our magazine. Everyday since I have started, our dialogue has been minimal--"hey," "hello," and that's pretty much it. My desk is also located close to the coffee machine, an area of the office he frequents. For my own selfish reasons--the fact that I am applying for three National Scholarships and could use the recommendation--I decided that I should enhance our discourse and strike a conversation.
He is in his late 50s, I am 19. He is from the Deep South, and grew up on a farm. I grew up in South Jersey and entered the work force at a Cold Stone Creamery in a strip mall. He has negotiated the trade of oil and prisoners between hostile governments. I, well, have not.
Last week as the ambassador was pouring himself some coffee, and said to, seeing that I was eating a black and white cookie and said "That looks good." Now what I could have said was "It is thank you." But what I did say was:
"The key to eating a black and white cookie is you want to get some black and some white in each bite. Nothing mixes better than vanilla and chocolate. And yet, still, somehow racial harmony eludes us."
I quoted Seinfeld.
Bold, right? Now, quoting Seinfeld is second nature to me, but I think I should have caught it and stopped myself in the work place, this could have backfired horribly. In my defense, I was overtired and had spent the entire night studying for an economics exam I had taken that morning. However, his response was surprising.
"If people would only look to the cookie," completing the quote.
We both laughed and, like the pivotal moment in every episode of House*, I had an mini-epiphany. Popular culture is really the preeminent forum for people with wide disparities of personal experience to connect with one another and communicate. Although me and the ambassador both speak English, are both working and living in Washington, DC, and are both interested in United States foreign policy in the Middle East, without the help of Jerry Seinfeld I would not have made this connection.
*any anecdote about popular culture should not be without its own reference.
Good Citizens and Wikipedia
For this past week’s discussion, I found two different concepts particularly interesting. The first topic that I found interesting was the idea that people often spend more time watching T.V. than participating in local organizations. Although I had been aware that people often do not care about what happens in local situations (given how low local voting turnouts usually were), I had never really considered what the implications of this situation were. For instance, I imagine that many people who watch television spend a lot of their time watching entertainment shows or the national news. This is not necessarily a bad thing, except that the time spent watching these programs could be time spent on improving the local community. Now, I am not advocating that people drop all of their leisure activities to work on improving the local community, because that is unrealistic and people should have time to unwind. However, I feel like these activities that occur on the television push many people to neglect issues that might be facing the community. So, people that are engrossed with their television every night might be really concerned about the Iraq war, instead of worrying about the credentials of local candidates running for office. Thus by being good national citizens in being aware of national issues, these same people are neglecting their duties as local citizens in not properly serving their community.
The other topic that I found interesting this past week was the issue of media convergence. The anecdote about the differences between the quality of the Star Wars movies and the Lord of the Rings movies was a good one, because a lot of parts about the former were lacking when compared to latter. Now I know one of the big reasons why this was the case. I think this is interesting because this appears to be a classic case of how self-proclaimed ‘professionals’ pretend to know what is ‘better’ than people part of the average community. Although I am sure many experts are far more qualified to speak about a variety of issues than is the every day person, I still think there are some areas where experts should not pretend to be so high and mighty.
I feel a good example of this is Wikipedia. For just about every single class that I have taken here at AU, without fail, I have had a professor tell me that I should not use Wikipedia. They are always equipped with the story of how they found some article that was grossly inadequate, that the information can be tampered with by ‘just about anybody,’ and that because it is not maintained by professional scholars it can not be a trusted source. I know that anybody can change the content on the pages but I do not believe the information on the site is as terrible as some professors make it out to be. I know that a lot of students and professors alike go to Wikipedia as a good starting point for research, and that even Supreme Court justices visit the site to get themselves acquainted with particular topics for cases. I also think that in many ways, Wikipedia is superior to other encyclopedias. Wikipedia is constantly being updated so that it contains the latest information, which is something no printed encyclopedia can accurately claim. And, I would bet that the few pieces of information on Wikipedia that are wrong are often corrected in a short amount of time so that the whole issue is just really overblown. Academics should not be annoyed/scared that people without visible degrees are encroaching on their intellectual territory, but should instead embrace this high-minded project more readily.
The other topic that I found interesting this past week was the issue of media convergence. The anecdote about the differences between the quality of the Star Wars movies and the Lord of the Rings movies was a good one, because a lot of parts about the former were lacking when compared to latter. Now I know one of the big reasons why this was the case. I think this is interesting because this appears to be a classic case of how self-proclaimed ‘professionals’ pretend to know what is ‘better’ than people part of the average community. Although I am sure many experts are far more qualified to speak about a variety of issues than is the every day person, I still think there are some areas where experts should not pretend to be so high and mighty.
I feel a good example of this is Wikipedia. For just about every single class that I have taken here at AU, without fail, I have had a professor tell me that I should not use Wikipedia. They are always equipped with the story of how they found some article that was grossly inadequate, that the information can be tampered with by ‘just about anybody,’ and that because it is not maintained by professional scholars it can not be a trusted source. I know that anybody can change the content on the pages but I do not believe the information on the site is as terrible as some professors make it out to be. I know that a lot of students and professors alike go to Wikipedia as a good starting point for research, and that even Supreme Court justices visit the site to get themselves acquainted with particular topics for cases. I also think that in many ways, Wikipedia is superior to other encyclopedias. Wikipedia is constantly being updated so that it contains the latest information, which is something no printed encyclopedia can accurately claim. And, I would bet that the few pieces of information on Wikipedia that are wrong are often corrected in a short amount of time so that the whole issue is just really overblown. Academics should not be annoyed/scared that people without visible degrees are encroaching on their intellectual territory, but should instead embrace this high-minded project more readily.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Stereotypes and Communication
I thought the film that we watched in class about how Hollywood stereotypes Arabs was enlightening. As naïve as it sounds, I had never really considered Arabs as being a group that had been significantly marginalized. In my classes, if there was talk about discrimination, then the African-American or Asian-American experience usually was at the center of the discussion. My interaction with Arabs had also been limited. Growing up in middle school and high school, I had only a few friends from the Middle East. I was fairly good friends with one man in particular, but there did not appear to be anything remarkably different between the two of us. Besides celebrating different holidays, we grappled with and talked about the same issues and problems I imagine a lot of young students did back then. This is part of the reason why I was taken aback at the portrayals of Arabs in movies and how they are stereotyped, despite having watched a few of the movies (like Aladdin) that the film had discussed.
While acknowledging that these stereotypes have existed, however, I would also contend that Hollywood is not entirely to blame for their creation. If somebody wants to make a movie about terrorists or terrorism, then that somebody is not going to cast farmers from the American Mid-West. Nobody would believe that farmer Joe would become upset by the exploitive policies the U.S. government had employed against him and others, and thus would result to hijacking an airplane. It does not make sense why farmer Joe would do such a thing, which is probably the reason why there have been no farmer Joe’s that have hijacked airplanes. If one is going to make a movie about said topic, then there has to be some historical backing behind it otherwise the audience won’t buy the storyline. Unfortunately, there have been some Arabic individuals in groups that have employed such methods in the past, and since Americans are aware of this history, such a plot line is more acceptable to them. I think that if one were to actually ask these people after the movie whether they thought all Arabs were terrorists, one would be hard pressed to find somebody who would make such a ridiculous claim.
Now I know that Arabs have not just been stereotyped as terrorists and that the film mentioned a lot of other qualities that Americans (or Westerners in general) ascribe to Arabs. Spirituality is another characteristics that Hollywood has consistently employed in their portrayal of Arab characters. However what is the basis for this particular stereotype? The fact that theocracies still exist in the Middle East while in most other places of the world they have been done away with, shows that faith does play a large role in many Arabs’ lives. On top of that, the fact that governments in many of these countries compete with fanatical religious groups in terms of how strictly they can follow religious practices and beliefs also speaks to this issue. This is not necessarily wrong in any sense, it is just more foreign to Americans and Westerners who have more secular governments and practices. So, it makes sense why Hollywood would pick up on these facts and translate them into believable characters. Is it wrong to think that all Arabs are this way? Yes, morally and literally. However, stereotypes have to have some sort of basis – the do not just simply fall out of the sky. Also, if people are concerned that there are only negative images of Arabs in American and Western movies (and sometimes other media), then people have to remember that cross-cultural communication is a two-way street. It is a dialogue between two different groups of people. And, as we talked about in class how America wants to reshape its image abroad so that people better understand and appreciate the American life, it only makes sense that Arabic nations should wish to do the same.
While acknowledging that these stereotypes have existed, however, I would also contend that Hollywood is not entirely to blame for their creation. If somebody wants to make a movie about terrorists or terrorism, then that somebody is not going to cast farmers from the American Mid-West. Nobody would believe that farmer Joe would become upset by the exploitive policies the U.S. government had employed against him and others, and thus would result to hijacking an airplane. It does not make sense why farmer Joe would do such a thing, which is probably the reason why there have been no farmer Joe’s that have hijacked airplanes. If one is going to make a movie about said topic, then there has to be some historical backing behind it otherwise the audience won’t buy the storyline. Unfortunately, there have been some Arabic individuals in groups that have employed such methods in the past, and since Americans are aware of this history, such a plot line is more acceptable to them. I think that if one were to actually ask these people after the movie whether they thought all Arabs were terrorists, one would be hard pressed to find somebody who would make such a ridiculous claim.
Now I know that Arabs have not just been stereotyped as terrorists and that the film mentioned a lot of other qualities that Americans (or Westerners in general) ascribe to Arabs. Spirituality is another characteristics that Hollywood has consistently employed in their portrayal of Arab characters. However what is the basis for this particular stereotype? The fact that theocracies still exist in the Middle East while in most other places of the world they have been done away with, shows that faith does play a large role in many Arabs’ lives. On top of that, the fact that governments in many of these countries compete with fanatical religious groups in terms of how strictly they can follow religious practices and beliefs also speaks to this issue. This is not necessarily wrong in any sense, it is just more foreign to Americans and Westerners who have more secular governments and practices. So, it makes sense why Hollywood would pick up on these facts and translate them into believable characters. Is it wrong to think that all Arabs are this way? Yes, morally and literally. However, stereotypes have to have some sort of basis – the do not just simply fall out of the sky. Also, if people are concerned that there are only negative images of Arabs in American and Western movies (and sometimes other media), then people have to remember that cross-cultural communication is a two-way street. It is a dialogue between two different groups of people. And, as we talked about in class how America wants to reshape its image abroad so that people better understand and appreciate the American life, it only makes sense that Arabic nations should wish to do the same.
Misrepresentation of Arabs in Film
When reading the two articles about Arabs being portrayed as enemies by the government and the misrepresentation of blacks throughout out the media neither concept was new to me since I had learned about them before or seen it happen in real life, as with the portrayal of Arabs as enemies. What did surprise me, was the video about Arabs being vilified throughout the history of American film. This was something that I had been surrounded by my whole life, but I had never noticed it or heard people talk about it. This is a prime example of how representation can lead to misconception if the viewer is not aware they are being show information that is not entirely true. I grew up loving the movie Aladdin, and I never once stopped to think that the movie may have been representing Arabs unfairly; I just liked the movie for its entertainment value. It is true that movies need antagonists to be entertaining and this is most likely the movie industry’s aim when they portray Arabs as bad guys, but it is not fair to always use one cultural group as the enemy. The bad guys in movies do not need to be Arabs in order for the movies to be entertaining. This repeated negative portrayal leads Americans to have a negative view of Arabs in general and view them all as enemies. It may be true that Americans can only understand the Arab world in terms of violence, but the film industry, which has such a large audience, should use their medium to try to change this negative perception rather than reinforce it. The film industry should increase their efforts to make films that show Arabs as protagonists, or at least in a more positive light.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Portrayal of Arabs In Movies
Being an Arab and from the Middle East I thought the readings, video, and discussion were all very interesting. I do think there are a lot of misconceptions about our culture, but I've never actually encountered anyone that thought the extremes are really true, not have I ever been targeted in any way due to my culture.
In regards to the video we watched about the way Arabs are portrayed in movies, I think that it's understandable in an entertainment sense. A point was brought up in class that people don’t want to see the good or nice things because it won't be that entertaining and I totally understand that. Throughout history of movies, Arabs have been portrayed in a negative light. Very few movies show both sides; Arabs are mostly portrayed as bad, dangerous guys. However, the way Arabs are portrayed is not the norm and when their depicted that way over and over again it may lead to misconceptions where the lines between fact and fiction are distorted. And not just for Arabs, this kind of stereotyping can happen with any culture.
This is where stereotyping causes a problem in cultural communication. It can cause misunderstandings and problems when dealing with people of a different culture. Therefore, I don’t think issues like this are always a good idea, even if you think it's simply entertainment because it can be misleading to some people.
In regards to the video we watched about the way Arabs are portrayed in movies, I think that it's understandable in an entertainment sense. A point was brought up in class that people don’t want to see the good or nice things because it won't be that entertaining and I totally understand that. Throughout history of movies, Arabs have been portrayed in a negative light. Very few movies show both sides; Arabs are mostly portrayed as bad, dangerous guys. However, the way Arabs are portrayed is not the norm and when their depicted that way over and over again it may lead to misconceptions where the lines between fact and fiction are distorted. And not just for Arabs, this kind of stereotyping can happen with any culture.
This is where stereotyping causes a problem in cultural communication. It can cause misunderstandings and problems when dealing with people of a different culture. Therefore, I don’t think issues like this are always a good idea, even if you think it's simply entertainment because it can be misleading to some people.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Technology and Iran
I was going to talk about my reactions to the video we watched in class last week, but just before writing this I came across this article in Frontline's Obama's War page: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbureau/2009/10/iranian-blogosphere-reacts-to-obamas-peace-prize.html
This article shows the maxim of the Internet's potential as a method of political organization and expression. Only hour's after it was announced that Barack Obama would be awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize, twitters and facebooks around the world--specifically in Iran, exploded with commentary. The article a variety of opinions from Iranians concerning Obama's nomination, but notes that many of the commentary has been negative, citing that it should have been awarded to Neda, the young woman causality of this year's contested elections that became the face of Iran's green movement.
Many political scientists attribute the rise of Democracies around the world to how well democratic sentiments can manifest themselves out of clearly organized social networks, amoung many other factors. However, I do wonder if the youthful dissidents in Iran could use an online forumn to create a politcal organization stronger than what the 2009 election's witnessed. Could twitter be the new South African trade union or early English industrial factory? Only time will tell.
This article shows the maxim of the Internet's potential as a method of political organization and expression. Only hour's after it was announced that Barack Obama would be awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize, twitters and facebooks around the world--specifically in Iran, exploded with commentary. The article a variety of opinions from Iranians concerning Obama's nomination, but notes that many of the commentary has been negative, citing that it should have been awarded to Neda, the young woman causality of this year's contested elections that became the face of Iran's green movement.
Many political scientists attribute the rise of Democracies around the world to how well democratic sentiments can manifest themselves out of clearly organized social networks, amoung many other factors. However, I do wonder if the youthful dissidents in Iran could use an online forumn to create a politcal organization stronger than what the 2009 election's witnessed. Could twitter be the new South African trade union or early English industrial factory? Only time will tell.
My own Experience with World of Warcraft
Reading the article about World of Warcraft last week was particularly interesting to me because I actually used to play the game back in high school and during my first two years of college. Although it has been sometime since I entered that digital domain, I found the major points of Taylor’s cross-cultural analysis truthful and relevant. For example, the whole issue of Chinese farmers is something that is referenced and talked about amongst most of the World of Warcraft players that I played with. Everybody supposedly knew how hordes of Chinese players (that didn’t speak English) would ‘farm gold’ (ceaselessly playing the game to collect in game money either by killing monsters or selling items in the in-game auction house) to sell online for real money. Not only was this process seen as dishonorable, since the point of the game is improving one’s character, but it also furthered a stereotype about Asians in general that is pretty prevalent amongst the online gaming community. Now, although gold ‘farming’ is a real thing (this can be seen by in-game inflation in the prices of items) I never fully realized how prejudiced this label was until I read Taylor’s article.
Another aspect of WoW (World of Warcraft) that Taylor discusses is the concept of age. Here, too, prejudice is widespread. For instance, players that are rather inexperienced or that have high-pitched voices are often referred to as 12-year old boys. While there are plenty of younger players that do play the game (my friend’s brother was only in 7th grade when he started), this age prejudice is employed to belittle any player that appears to be lacking in experience. While this concept of youth was a focus of Taylor’s piece, she does fail to mention how many players that appear to be old are also stereotyped in WoW. We have all heard of the stereotype of the ’40 year old-guy who lives in his parent’s basement’ that is really nerdy, immature, and that hasn’t quite grown up yet because he is so immersed in video games. Some WoW players are often attributed these qualities because they either sound really old or they are seen as taking the game way too seriously. Because these people are so gung-ho about getting new items and participating in 5 hour raids (basically group quests in special zones called dungeons) they are often made fun of and marginalized by the more casual, main stream player.
Another interesting aspect of WoW that I think is worth mentioning is the major in-game rivalry that exists within the game. The main, in-game rivalry that exists is a feature that is built into the very fabric of WoW on PvP servers (on these servers, players can attack each other). This rivalry is between the Alliance and the Horde. When one first starts the game and is creating one’s character, the very first decision one has to make is whether to join the Alliance or Horde. Once that decision has been made, for that particular server, one can not switch sides or create a character on the other side so that one is effectively put into one faction for the entire time that one plays. This fundamental shepherding of players into one camp or the other might not have been enough to create a rivalry if it were not also for the language barrier that exists between the two groups.
Alliance can not talk to Horde, or vice versa, in – game. When a player from a different side speaks, it just shows up as unintelligible speech. As one can imagine, this situation can create a lot of conflict when one actually encounters a player from a different side somewhere in game. Depending on one’s intentions, if one does not want to fight a person from another faction, then he or she might use several emotes (waving, etc.) to show one’s peaceful intentions. If the other person waves back, then often the two people have made a silent pact not to attack each other while they are doing quests or whatever that it is they are doing in that part of the world. Often, however, characters from two different sides are doing the same quest and thus have to kill the same monster, capture the same object, etc. This makes conflict more likely since both parties are seeking the same thing while neither wants to wait for the object to respawn. If the two people were on the same side, then they could form a group and do the quest together. Since that is not an option for people from opposing factions, violence often ensures.
Another aspect of WoW (World of Warcraft) that Taylor discusses is the concept of age. Here, too, prejudice is widespread. For instance, players that are rather inexperienced or that have high-pitched voices are often referred to as 12-year old boys. While there are plenty of younger players that do play the game (my friend’s brother was only in 7th grade when he started), this age prejudice is employed to belittle any player that appears to be lacking in experience. While this concept of youth was a focus of Taylor’s piece, she does fail to mention how many players that appear to be old are also stereotyped in WoW. We have all heard of the stereotype of the ’40 year old-guy who lives in his parent’s basement’ that is really nerdy, immature, and that hasn’t quite grown up yet because he is so immersed in video games. Some WoW players are often attributed these qualities because they either sound really old or they are seen as taking the game way too seriously. Because these people are so gung-ho about getting new items and participating in 5 hour raids (basically group quests in special zones called dungeons) they are often made fun of and marginalized by the more casual, main stream player.
Another interesting aspect of WoW that I think is worth mentioning is the major in-game rivalry that exists within the game. The main, in-game rivalry that exists is a feature that is built into the very fabric of WoW on PvP servers (on these servers, players can attack each other). This rivalry is between the Alliance and the Horde. When one first starts the game and is creating one’s character, the very first decision one has to make is whether to join the Alliance or Horde. Once that decision has been made, for that particular server, one can not switch sides or create a character on the other side so that one is effectively put into one faction for the entire time that one plays. This fundamental shepherding of players into one camp or the other might not have been enough to create a rivalry if it were not also for the language barrier that exists between the two groups.
Alliance can not talk to Horde, or vice versa, in – game. When a player from a different side speaks, it just shows up as unintelligible speech. As one can imagine, this situation can create a lot of conflict when one actually encounters a player from a different side somewhere in game. Depending on one’s intentions, if one does not want to fight a person from another faction, then he or she might use several emotes (waving, etc.) to show one’s peaceful intentions. If the other person waves back, then often the two people have made a silent pact not to attack each other while they are doing quests or whatever that it is they are doing in that part of the world. Often, however, characters from two different sides are doing the same quest and thus have to kill the same monster, capture the same object, etc. This makes conflict more likely since both parties are seeking the same thing while neither wants to wait for the object to respawn. If the two people were on the same side, then they could form a group and do the quest together. Since that is not an option for people from opposing factions, violence often ensures.
Digital, Digital Get Down (My tribute to *NSYNC)
I thought the discussion and Frontline video were really interesting in last Thursday’s class. I generally look at all the technology we have at our fingertips as a good thing. We are able to communicate with people almost anywhere, anytime, and any place. Some people feel that being able to communicate 24/7 is a bad thing, however. It is convenient, but at the same time taking a walk around campus, you will see 75% of the people walking around talking on their cell phones, while 20% are chatting away on facebook chat or emailing. The remaining 5% are probably eating or talking to people in person. However, I feel that the claim that technology has corrupted out youth is a bit far-reaching. Yes, technology is a huge part of our generation, but just because we use broken and abbreviated speech while texting and emailing, does not mean that we are not capable of composing a proper letter or essay.
As far as the in-class Frontline viewing on youth and technology, that was really eye-opening for me. You always hear about the 14 year old kid chatting with the 45 year old man and the unfortunate kidnappings of kids meeting with people on the internet, but this special exposed other things to me about technology. Technology is not the problem, it is how we are using and reacting to it. Technology like myspace, facebook, and IM are tools for communication and connecting with friends. Unfortunately, as frontline exposed, we are using these sites for gathering a heightened number of friends and doing things that make us feel a little naughty, but since it is on the computer, it’s not so bad.
I really feel that parents play a huge part in the way kids approach technology. For instance, that crazy over-bearing mother that constantly was asking her kids what they were doing and asking them for their passwords is not the right way to deal with kids and the internet. It is good to be concerned, but at the same time, I have found that many times when a child has an extremely controlling parent, they tend to be worse off. She only made the problems worse because her kids felt that they had to hide things from her and go to other people’s houses just to use the internet. At the same time, however, I think it is necessary for parents to monitor their children’s use of technology. For example, I don’t think that 13 year-olds should really have cell phones, and I think that having a centrally located computer for the kids is a pretty good idea. This will allow the parent to monitor what the kids are doing and also how much time they are spending on the internet. If the parents are interested in what their children are doing on the computer, not the extent of standing over their shoulders every time they are on the computer, I feel that technology might not be such a big problem for today’s youth.
As far as the in-class Frontline viewing on youth and technology, that was really eye-opening for me. You always hear about the 14 year old kid chatting with the 45 year old man and the unfortunate kidnappings of kids meeting with people on the internet, but this special exposed other things to me about technology. Technology is not the problem, it is how we are using and reacting to it. Technology like myspace, facebook, and IM are tools for communication and connecting with friends. Unfortunately, as frontline exposed, we are using these sites for gathering a heightened number of friends and doing things that make us feel a little naughty, but since it is on the computer, it’s not so bad.
I really feel that parents play a huge part in the way kids approach technology. For instance, that crazy over-bearing mother that constantly was asking her kids what they were doing and asking them for their passwords is not the right way to deal with kids and the internet. It is good to be concerned, but at the same time, I have found that many times when a child has an extremely controlling parent, they tend to be worse off. She only made the problems worse because her kids felt that they had to hide things from her and go to other people’s houses just to use the internet. At the same time, however, I think it is necessary for parents to monitor their children’s use of technology. For example, I don’t think that 13 year-olds should really have cell phones, and I think that having a centrally located computer for the kids is a pretty good idea. This will allow the parent to monitor what the kids are doing and also how much time they are spending on the internet. If the parents are interested in what their children are doing on the computer, not the extent of standing over their shoulders every time they are on the computer, I feel that technology might not be such a big problem for today’s youth.
The Internet: A Black Hole of Distraction
I thought the movie we watched was more entertaining than informative because it portrays the extremes of teen internet usage, many teens use the internet and social networking sites all the time without it negatively effecting their lives. It is amazing how quickly things change in the world of technology because although the movie was only about 2 years old it seemed very outdated. The people in the movie like girl who created a new identity and the anorexic girl used the powers of the internet to create a new self because they were not happy with the way they were. For many people though, the internet is just an extension of who they are in real life and they use it to stay connected to the world and communicate with others in their lives. The internet is an extremely useful tool for communicating with people whether they are old or new friends and whether they are your neighbors or live halfway across the world. The internet could certainly be a dangerous place, as the overprotective mother in the movie fears, if kids used it to talk to random strangers, but the large majority of kids, especially if they are teenagers, are smart enough to realize not to talk to people they don’t know, and especially not to tell them personal details. I think that the older generation today does not realize how in tune teenagers are with the world of the internet, we have grown up using it and so we know how to use it and how to avoid dangers.
I think the most dangerous thing about the internet is not sexual predators lurking in chat rooms, but the great potential for distraction and procrastination that the internet provides. On one hand the internet provides an incredible amount of resources that should make it quick and easy to do research or homework, but this vast mountain of information also provides a million different ways to avoid doing that homework. Facebook is the ultimate example of this. Facebook is a great tool because it allows me to keep in touch with friends and family and see what is going on in their lives, but when it comes time for me to sit down and do work I always find myself going to Facebook or similar sites for a distraction. I have often found myself wasting hours jumping in between these sites, just wasting time and not using the sites for their intended informative purpose. It seems that the internet has instilled a short attention span into many of today teenagers. Now, we not only have trouble focusing on our work, we have trouble focusing on our distractions. When I am procrastinating I often find that I go on Facebook only to get bored after a few minutes so I then go and check my email and then get bored again and will go play a game or go back on Facebook or something similar. Parents should be more worried about this dangerous trend than that of internet predators.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Technology Around The World
I thought the video we watched was very interesting. It raises a number of questions concerning the internet. People can do whatever they want on the internet and information about everything is readily available for everyone. I thought it was fascinating how some people basically lived a double life online. They would be completely different people or characters online. I think that shows how the internet can let people do whatever they want. This also shows that the credibility of people on the internet can never be known for certain which can lead predators and fear of safety.
Another issue brought up in the video was parental control. I think it is understandable for parents to be worried about their kids but I also think there should be a limit to it and some things should be left private. When I was in high school our computer was in the TV room of our house, a common area where everyone was coming and going. I know a lot of parents who do that. However, I think wanting the passwords or your kids Facebook or emails is going too far.
In response to the cultural differences of online use, I think some aspects differ but for the most part people use it for similar reasons. I'm from the Middle East and people back home are addicted to Facebook as much as people here in the US. So, despite where you are I think if you use technology you're utilizing it for the same reasons and the problems people face are the same.
Another issue brought up in the video was parental control. I think it is understandable for parents to be worried about their kids but I also think there should be a limit to it and some things should be left private. When I was in high school our computer was in the TV room of our house, a common area where everyone was coming and going. I know a lot of parents who do that. However, I think wanting the passwords or your kids Facebook or emails is going too far.
In response to the cultural differences of online use, I think some aspects differ but for the most part people use it for similar reasons. I'm from the Middle East and people back home are addicted to Facebook as much as people here in the US. So, despite where you are I think if you use technology you're utilizing it for the same reasons and the problems people face are the same.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Analysis Question #2
Issues dealing with nuclear power are very sensitive in today's world. In order to plan their negotiations the US needs to consider, their opponent's way of talking, language, and nonverbal communications. I think the most important thing when dealing with people of a different culture is respect. Obviously Iran does not want to be shown as a lesser nation. Consequently, you need to understand their customs and ways of thinking not only to avoid disrespecting them but in order to better get through to them. Not all people respond well to threats. Therefore, one must take into consideration a more conversational negotiation. While to those who may view that as a sign of weakness, you should then resort to threats or a more firm confrontation.
Language is always an issue when is comes to politics. When addressing a particular country, should you do it in their language? I don’t think that would be necessary but that is when translation and interpretations come into play. They should make sure that their speech is translated the way they want it to be. Otherwise it can mean a different thing than they want it to.
Nonverbal communication is as important as verbal communication. This may include silence, eye contact, as well as facial expressions. The way you address people is important because it can mean different things to different people and therefore may cause misunderstandings. You don’t want people to think your dangerous when you're really not. The textbook gives a good example of this in politics. During the Gulf War, the US secretary of state met with Iraqi officials and calmly told them they would attack them. The Iraqis took his calmness for fear and thought they wouldn’t do it. They were wrong. I believe that is the perfect example of misunderstanding nonverbal communication. And since Iraq and Iran have similar cultures they may have the same interpretations. As a result, they should be careful as to not give their opponents the wrong impression.
Language is always an issue when is comes to politics. When addressing a particular country, should you do it in their language? I don’t think that would be necessary but that is when translation and interpretations come into play. They should make sure that their speech is translated the way they want it to be. Otherwise it can mean a different thing than they want it to.
Nonverbal communication is as important as verbal communication. This may include silence, eye contact, as well as facial expressions. The way you address people is important because it can mean different things to different people and therefore may cause misunderstandings. You don’t want people to think your dangerous when you're really not. The textbook gives a good example of this in politics. During the Gulf War, the US secretary of state met with Iraqi officials and calmly told them they would attack them. The Iraqis took his calmness for fear and thought they wouldn’t do it. They were wrong. I believe that is the perfect example of misunderstanding nonverbal communication. And since Iraq and Iran have similar cultures they may have the same interpretations. As a result, they should be careful as to not give their opponents the wrong impression.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Analysis Questions #2
Respect and accommodation are key when negotiating with Iranians. First, setting is of high-importance, a lavish meeting room, with coffee and tea in abundance would first communicate a respect and a genuine concern for the diplomats well being. These types of amenities would be offered to any diplomat in Iran, so showing great hospitality would ease the tensions of the negotiations.
Secondly, make sure not to launch directly into negotiations and business. Iran’s would enjoy some personal context, so make genuine small talk. Though Iran is a very modern country, it is a still considered polychromic in many aspects, so practice patience in your negotiations. There might be many asides and digressions, but ultimately there will be substantial discourse.
Finally, do not use high-pressure tactics. Power leverage might make a Western business man fold, the Persian people will not stand for such an insult. Negotiate on an equal plain, respectfully, and more progress will be made.
Secondly, make sure not to launch directly into negotiations and business. Iran’s would enjoy some personal context, so make genuine small talk. Though Iran is a very modern country, it is a still considered polychromic in many aspects, so practice patience in your negotiations. There might be many asides and digressions, but ultimately there will be substantial discourse.
Finally, do not use high-pressure tactics. Power leverage might make a Western business man fold, the Persian people will not stand for such an insult. Negotiate on an equal plain, respectfully, and more progress will be made.
Blissfully Polychronic
Before matriculating into the American University to study international relations and foreign affairs, I was going to be an artist. I was sure of it. I was the president of both the poetry and art clubs in my high school, and spent most of my time outside of the classroom recording music by myself or with my friends. How I ended up an International Relations major is another story altogether, but my frustrations with polychronic and monochronic time, in retrospect, probably played a large role in this transition.
"Art can't handle deadlines!" is something my senior art adviser would hear me say constantly when I would show up empty handed for class. Though an easy excuse for a lazy painter, I still believe it to be true. When I was creating more art and music, my life was blissfully polychronic, and what motivated my work was not a looming deadline, but pure muse. I gritted my teeth less, and slept much better during this time. However, as my school urged me to expedite my creative process in order to make application deadlines for various collegiate fine arts programs, I found myself questions my passion for it more and more. They were bending me into monochronic rigidity, and it disturbed me.
I did end up getting together a portfolio, and was accepted to some of the most prestigious fine arts programs in the country, but I knew from the process that making art my career was not a wise decision. Though I miss being able to paint as much, I do not resent or hate art, and believe that giving my creativity a deadline would have just made me loathe it.
Although I do grit my teeth, wrinkle my forehead, and get much less sleep than is healthy or normal, the study of International Relations--for all its miserable monochronic-ness--has become a new passion. Although I find myself slipping into a former polychronic self and scribbling away a night that would be much better spent studying, or blogging, I am perfectly happy in that moment. That was the trade-off, and I am glad it worked out.
"Art can't handle deadlines!" is something my senior art adviser would hear me say constantly when I would show up empty handed for class. Though an easy excuse for a lazy painter, I still believe it to be true. When I was creating more art and music, my life was blissfully polychronic, and what motivated my work was not a looming deadline, but pure muse. I gritted my teeth less, and slept much better during this time. However, as my school urged me to expedite my creative process in order to make application deadlines for various collegiate fine arts programs, I found myself questions my passion for it more and more. They were bending me into monochronic rigidity, and it disturbed me.
I did end up getting together a portfolio, and was accepted to some of the most prestigious fine arts programs in the country, but I knew from the process that making art my career was not a wise decision. Though I miss being able to paint as much, I do not resent or hate art, and believe that giving my creativity a deadline would have just made me loathe it.
Although I do grit my teeth, wrinkle my forehead, and get much less sleep than is healthy or normal, the study of International Relations--for all its miserable monochronic-ness--has become a new passion. Although I find myself slipping into a former polychronic self and scribbling away a night that would be much better spent studying, or blogging, I am perfectly happy in that moment. That was the trade-off, and I am glad it worked out.
Analysis Question #2: Some Advice for American Diplomats
Although I don’t know the specifics of Iranian culture, I can advise the State Department on general techniques for communicating with the Iranians. The most important thing is to know that communication is deeply connected to culture, whether it be regional, ethnic, religious, etc. Any diplomat who is going to meet with the Iranians should be well informed about Iranian history and culture, and of course have a mastery of the language, not just in vocabulary and grammar, but in idioms and other nuances of the language that don’t translate exactly.
Nonverbal codes are also just as important as actually speaking their language. The diplomats should find out if Iran is a contact or noncontact culture, which will dictate how the diplomats should approach and greet the Iranians. If they are a noncontact culture, for example, the U.S. diplomats should be sure not too stand too close when speaking and not to touch the other person. The diplomats should also be aware of how Iranians feel about eye contact and act accordingly. It is possible that the Americans may have to avoid most eye contact to show the Iranians respect. Also, the diplomats must be cautious with their gestures, because many gestures are not universal, and something as simple as a “thumbs up” could be something different (and possibly even offensive) in the Iranian culture. One thing they should be able to rely on is the use of universal facial expressions that show happiness, fear, disgust, etc. Since these expressions are almost always universal, diplomats should be able to trust their instincts when reading these expressions. Finally, the diplomats should be aware of whether Iran generally uses monochronic or polychronic time. If the Iranians use polychronic time, the Americans should not count on the Iranians to be on time or keep appointments and they should be flexible if meetings need to be rescheduled. For the American diplomats it is most important that they are always aware that verbal and nonverbal language is not universal language and they must be careful and respectful when talking to the Iranian representatives.
Incompatibility of Monochronic and Polychronic Time
I found Hall’s discussion of polychronic and monochronic time and its effects on bureaucracies to be the most interesting part of this particular piece because of its economic and political ramifications. As a student of international relations, I am constantly concerned with issues dealing with development, governance, etc. While I had always been aware of how cultural differences affected a state’s ability to adapt to capitalistic and democratic norms, I was unaware of these differences in how time was perceived. As Hell mentions, these differences in time perception affect (at least) how bureaucracies deal with constituent concerns, how centralized bureaucracies are, and how employees within the bureaucracy see the ‘bigger picture’ behind their work. Although Hall also talks about how these differences are not ‘good’ or ‘bad’ in terms of efficiency and governance, he does admit that monochronic time and polychronic time are incompatible. Given that the current international political and economic structure is dominated by ideas that were largely spread by monochronic cultures, one might be able to begin to see why some states or particular cultures have had trouble adapting.
Hall, included in his discussion of how polychronic and monochronic time do not mix, also talks about how foreigners have trouble dealing with these differences in time perception. While he provides his own personal anecdote in which he is thrust into the fast-paced and jam-packed schedule in Japan, I have been fortunate enough to have experienced the effects of living in a polychronic culture. One winter break I had the wonderful opportunity of staying with a family friend in Kuwait. Upon arrival into the country, I had to show that I had indeed been invited by someone within the country, so that I could make my way past the airport. Luckily enough for me, this family friend had some connections within the airport so despite the fact that she had lost her passport and visa a week earlier, I was able to accompany her out of the airport in a relatively timely manner. I was unaware of how lucky I was until after we had gotten into the car and she told me some of the horror stories of other people who had been stranded at the airport for days while waiting for approval to enter the country. It turns out that because of her close relationship to some one within the bureaucracy, my approval was streamlined. In this way, Kuwait’s polychronic culture actually worked in my favor.
My luck ran out after this incident, however, as my friend later informed me that our planned trip across parts of the Middle East had to be cancelled. When I pressed her for the reason why, she told me that she was still waiting for the American Embassy to issue her a new passport, which in turn was holding up her ability to get a new Kuwaiti visa. Without these two documents, neither of us would be able to legally re-enter the country. American monochronic culture had left us at the mercy of some pre-determined schedule in which my friend would have to wait for the embassy to process her request. At the time I was unaware of how different cultures perceived time. Now, however, the ease that I got into the country and the difficulty that my friend had dealing with the U.S. embassy makes much more sense to me after reading Hall’s article.
Hall, included in his discussion of how polychronic and monochronic time do not mix, also talks about how foreigners have trouble dealing with these differences in time perception. While he provides his own personal anecdote in which he is thrust into the fast-paced and jam-packed schedule in Japan, I have been fortunate enough to have experienced the effects of living in a polychronic culture. One winter break I had the wonderful opportunity of staying with a family friend in Kuwait. Upon arrival into the country, I had to show that I had indeed been invited by someone within the country, so that I could make my way past the airport. Luckily enough for me, this family friend had some connections within the airport so despite the fact that she had lost her passport and visa a week earlier, I was able to accompany her out of the airport in a relatively timely manner. I was unaware of how lucky I was until after we had gotten into the car and she told me some of the horror stories of other people who had been stranded at the airport for days while waiting for approval to enter the country. It turns out that because of her close relationship to some one within the bureaucracy, my approval was streamlined. In this way, Kuwait’s polychronic culture actually worked in my favor.
My luck ran out after this incident, however, as my friend later informed me that our planned trip across parts of the Middle East had to be cancelled. When I pressed her for the reason why, she told me that she was still waiting for the American Embassy to issue her a new passport, which in turn was holding up her ability to get a new Kuwaiti visa. Without these two documents, neither of us would be able to legally re-enter the country. American monochronic culture had left us at the mercy of some pre-determined schedule in which my friend would have to wait for the embassy to process her request. At the time I was unaware of how different cultures perceived time. Now, however, the ease that I got into the country and the difficulty that my friend had dealing with the U.S. embassy makes much more sense to me after reading Hall’s article.
Using Non-Verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication is perhaps one of the most important forms of communication that is necessary to understand. It requires more interpretation than verbal communication, and sometimes expresses thing that we do not or cannot outwardly express. Non-verbal communication also is perceived and used differently in different parts of the world. For instance, someone used the example that while in the Middle East, an American female student waved her hand to a male teacher. In America, a hand wave is used as a greeting, but in the Middle East, a hand wave is a beckoning gesture that the American student did not intend to imply.
Personally, I am a very quiet and reserved person. I could just have received a thousand dollars in a sweepstakes or I could have just gotten a really terrible haircut, and act the same way in either case. I’d generally say how I feel, but would not express physical emotion. I also tend to have a “pissed-off” look on my face, as I am told. I’m usually not pissed off, I guess that is just the way my face looks. However, to other people, it looks like I am angry about something even when I am not. I have to be aware of how other people perceive my non-verbal communication. However, my non-verbal communication seems to leak out when I am frustrated. I work at a restaurant, and sometimes the customers can be really difficult and ignorant. Usually I am very pleasant to the customers, but for some reason when I would go to seat them at a table and they would complain that they would like to move to another table in another server’s section, I had a really hard time hiding my frustration. I know that by the look on my face and my use of silence, they knew that they were being difficult.
It is important to always be aware of how we are being perceived by the people around us. Depending on what part of the world you are from, different gestures can be deemed unacceptable or vice versa. By using facial expressions or inserting silence into a conversation, we can imply things that are meant to be perceived without actually having to say the words. However, this can also have a negative effect and could cause some trouble.
Personally, I am a very quiet and reserved person. I could just have received a thousand dollars in a sweepstakes or I could have just gotten a really terrible haircut, and act the same way in either case. I’d generally say how I feel, but would not express physical emotion. I also tend to have a “pissed-off” look on my face, as I am told. I’m usually not pissed off, I guess that is just the way my face looks. However, to other people, it looks like I am angry about something even when I am not. I have to be aware of how other people perceive my non-verbal communication. However, my non-verbal communication seems to leak out when I am frustrated. I work at a restaurant, and sometimes the customers can be really difficult and ignorant. Usually I am very pleasant to the customers, but for some reason when I would go to seat them at a table and they would complain that they would like to move to another table in another server’s section, I had a really hard time hiding my frustration. I know that by the look on my face and my use of silence, they knew that they were being difficult.
It is important to always be aware of how we are being perceived by the people around us. Depending on what part of the world you are from, different gestures can be deemed unacceptable or vice versa. By using facial expressions or inserting silence into a conversation, we can imply things that are meant to be perceived without actually having to say the words. However, this can also have a negative effect and could cause some trouble.
Monday, October 5, 2009
The Importance of Understanding Nonverbal Communication
I believe nonverbal communication is very important in expressing yourself and is as important as verbal communication. I thought the class activity was both interesting and funny. No one could tell their story without nonverbal cues. I felt their stories were much more effective with nonverbal communication because these behaviors reinforce their ideas. Therefore, nonverbal communication is important for general communication and getting you ideas and thoughts through to people.
Different societies have different ways of nonverbal communication. Like we discussed in class, cultures have various ways of communicating and expressing themselves. As a result, it is important to understand the ways of a differing culture when you know you're going to interact with them because it could lead to misunderstandings. For example, the kissing when greeting like mentioned in class, or the wave by Judith in the textbook, can cause awkward situations which could have been avoided.
I also think that when you spend a significant amount of time in a certain country or with certain people you will start to adopt their behavior and nonverbal cues. For example, I have been studying in the US for two years and there are certain actions or manners that I was not comfortable with but have become accustom to with time.
Different societies have different ways of nonverbal communication. Like we discussed in class, cultures have various ways of communicating and expressing themselves. As a result, it is important to understand the ways of a differing culture when you know you're going to interact with them because it could lead to misunderstandings. For example, the kissing when greeting like mentioned in class, or the wave by Judith in the textbook, can cause awkward situations which could have been avoided.
I also think that when you spend a significant amount of time in a certain country or with certain people you will start to adopt their behavior and nonverbal cues. For example, I have been studying in the US for two years and there are certain actions or manners that I was not comfortable with but have become accustom to with time.
The World of Time Is Not So Black and White
When thinking about monochronic and polychronic time I don’t think the two concepts are as black and white as Hall makes them seem. Many people would say that the US is ruled by monochronic time, but I think it is impossible to pin down the US as being one or the other because both of these concepts of time are used often. Monochronic time is certainly dominant in the business world because we put a value on time and thus have to have every moment of time scheduled so that we don’t waste any. On the other hand, many Americans are polychronic (according to Hall’s definition) because they often do many things at once. A businessman may be in a meeting while simultaneously writing a report and checking his stocks online. Outside of the business world many Americans operate in polychronic time, having idea of things they want to get done, but not necessarily having a specific time or order in which they must do them.
Another interesting point that Hall makes is the monochronic time is considered masculine and polychronic time is considered feminine. I think in many ways this is an unfair oversimplification. Monochronic time may be associated with males because they dominate the business world, but in reality everyone uses both monochronic and polychronic time. For example, I am a female, but because I am a student I feel that a lot of my time is run by monochronic time. I often become obsessive about budgeting my time and I frequently make order lists of things I have to do and when I will do them so that I know I will have time for everything. On the other hand, I also incorporate polychronic time into my life because I usually will put my family or friends before a task. If I had some kind of serious family problem I would certainly attend to that before worrying about missing a class or not doing an assignment. All in all I think Hall’s piece does a good job in showing that there are different ways of looking at time, but that he over generalizes in saying that certain cultures are either on or the other, and not both.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Languages and Interpretations
I speak two languages, Arabic and English. I've been speaking them since I was very little and am fluent in both. However, depending on the situation or topic I sometimes prefer to use one over the other because I find it easy to express myself. Also, I was used to using both languages sometimes even in the same sentence. It’s a bad habit and coming here I learnt that I need to focus on just speaking English without throwing some Arabic words in there. The textbook talks about the relativist position which is the view that a particular language shapes our perception of reality and cultural patterns. I speak two languages and I don’t feel like one changes the way I view reality. So I definitely agree with the nominalist position that perception is not shaped by the particular language we speak.
I thought the discussion about President Obama's speech in Cairo, Egypt was very interesting. I am Arabic and a Muslim so I am the intended audience in his speech. I've seen it in both English and translated to Arabic by interpreter. I first saw parts of it on TV translated to Arabic but I later caught it online in English. The translation to Arabic was accurate but the speech becomes lacking in emotion therefore, you can get a different understanding. Since I speak both languages I understood what was being said in both but hearing it English is definitely more effective. I think translation and interpretations in any situation can cause this problem. The textbook describes this as high-context communication. It's a style of communication in which much of the information is contained in the contexts and nonverbal cues rather than the actual words. In this speech in particular, everything from pitch and tone to emphasis is important in order to understand how President Obama really feels about the topics he's discussing.
In addition, quoting the Quran was not a very big issue to me. I though it was appropriate and in context with his speech. In addition, not matter what his intentions about doing it were, he did it respectfully. So in my opinion, I did not think it was offensive in any way. However, I do think it is understandable that people may criticize him for it. Different people have different outlooks on their religion and politics and may take it offensively.
I thought the discussion about President Obama's speech in Cairo, Egypt was very interesting. I am Arabic and a Muslim so I am the intended audience in his speech. I've seen it in both English and translated to Arabic by interpreter. I first saw parts of it on TV translated to Arabic but I later caught it online in English. The translation to Arabic was accurate but the speech becomes lacking in emotion therefore, you can get a different understanding. Since I speak both languages I understood what was being said in both but hearing it English is definitely more effective. I think translation and interpretations in any situation can cause this problem. The textbook describes this as high-context communication. It's a style of communication in which much of the information is contained in the contexts and nonverbal cues rather than the actual words. In this speech in particular, everything from pitch and tone to emphasis is important in order to understand how President Obama really feels about the topics he's discussing.
In addition, quoting the Quran was not a very big issue to me. I though it was appropriate and in context with his speech. In addition, not matter what his intentions about doing it were, he did it respectfully. So in my opinion, I did not think it was offensive in any way. However, I do think it is understandable that people may criticize him for it. Different people have different outlooks on their religion and politics and may take it offensively.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Language and International Relations
In the Martin and Nakayama text there is a quote from modern French philosopher Dominique Noguez that explains the animosity created by the lingua franca status of the English language that I found compelling, interesting, and personally relevant as I begin my first semester of Arabic.
Interested in the political, economic, and ideological fissures that divide the Near East,I started my college career with the intention of studying International Relations and conflict resolution. However, learning the Arabic language seemed far too daunting and non-essential for a career hopefully spent in academia. As my education has progressed, and I have realized that in order to enhance my studies and make me a pragmatic diplomat and peace advocate learning Arabic is certainly essential.
Although the world may be filled with English speakers, learning the language of the people that I aim to help is the responsible, reciprocal choice. Learning Arabic will in the future help me diffuse many Western animosities, and eliminate the problems inherit with interpreters and translators. Starting as a complete novice in the language, I can only assume that interlanguge will become a problem when I begin to apply my Arabic language skills, but I am willing to work on them and correct them for the benefit of knowing the language.
Interested in the political, economic, and ideological fissures that divide the Near East,I started my college career with the intention of studying International Relations and conflict resolution. However, learning the Arabic language seemed far too daunting and non-essential for a career hopefully spent in academia. As my education has progressed, and I have realized that in order to enhance my studies and make me a pragmatic diplomat and peace advocate learning Arabic is certainly essential.
Although the world may be filled with English speakers, learning the language of the people that I aim to help is the responsible, reciprocal choice. Learning Arabic will in the future help me diffuse many Western animosities, and eliminate the problems inherit with interpreters and translators. Starting as a complete novice in the language, I can only assume that interlanguge will become a problem when I begin to apply my Arabic language skills, but I am willing to work on them and correct them for the benefit of knowing the language.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Language and Cultural Values
I was also intrigued by the article, "How does our Language Shape the way we Think," by Lera Boroditsky. I found her discussion of how language shapes people’s perceptions of direction and gender fascinating. However, I have to admit I was a bit disappointed by her lack of discussion of how these different perceptions actually affect how people act. She mentioned how the relationship between the word death and its gender affected how artists tended to portray this event in paintings. This is the only relationship that she shows to the reader that demonstrates the tangible effects of these differences in language. The rest is left to our imagination.
Unfortunately, my own experience with languages has similarly left me with examples of how words frame aspects in different ways, without necessarily showing how it affects people’s behavior. For example, (and I am not necessarily sure if this is true) I have been told that in Chinese the word for prosperity is constructed with the radical for house or home, and with the radical for woman. The actual structure of the character has the radical for house over the radical for woman, giving the connotation that when one has a woman in the home, one is prosperous. One could make the argument that such a connotation could influence how Chinese people view gender (women in particular) as well as marriage. However, looking at the Latin roots of many of the English words that I use every day, I would be hard-pressed to tell anyone what these roots are, what they mean, and how they affect my thinking. I am inclined to believe that the average Chinese person would be in the same boat as me.
Conversely, although it might be more difficult to show how language affects behavior, language can still inform us on how it is influenced by culture. The ‘prosperity’ example notwithstanding, another curious Chinese word is the word for teacher, or laoshi (老师). While I am not familiar with the individual meanings of the radicals that make up this character, I do remember from my study abroad trip to China that I always had to refer to my teachers as there last name first, and then the word laoshi. This is slightly different then in the United States, where we usually only give college instructors the title of professor (and even that title is only given sparingly). In China, all teachers are to be addressed like this, inside and outside the classroom, so as they are always given the respect and deference they deserve. This characteristic of Chinese culture and linguistics could be related to how Confucianism dictates how relationships are maintained between different people and different strata in society. So, although it might be more difficult to determine how language affects behavior, language and culture are so closely related that their correlation could inform scholars and others, how particular people behave.
Unfortunately, my own experience with languages has similarly left me with examples of how words frame aspects in different ways, without necessarily showing how it affects people’s behavior. For example, (and I am not necessarily sure if this is true) I have been told that in Chinese the word for prosperity is constructed with the radical for house or home, and with the radical for woman. The actual structure of the character has the radical for house over the radical for woman, giving the connotation that when one has a woman in the home, one is prosperous. One could make the argument that such a connotation could influence how Chinese people view gender (women in particular) as well as marriage. However, looking at the Latin roots of many of the English words that I use every day, I would be hard-pressed to tell anyone what these roots are, what they mean, and how they affect my thinking. I am inclined to believe that the average Chinese person would be in the same boat as me.
Conversely, although it might be more difficult to show how language affects behavior, language can still inform us on how it is influenced by culture. The ‘prosperity’ example notwithstanding, another curious Chinese word is the word for teacher, or laoshi (老师). While I am not familiar with the individual meanings of the radicals that make up this character, I do remember from my study abroad trip to China that I always had to refer to my teachers as there last name first, and then the word laoshi. This is slightly different then in the United States, where we usually only give college instructors the title of professor (and even that title is only given sparingly). In China, all teachers are to be addressed like this, inside and outside the classroom, so as they are always given the respect and deference they deserve. This characteristic of Chinese culture and linguistics could be related to how Confucianism dictates how relationships are maintained between different people and different strata in society. So, although it might be more difficult to determine how language affects behavior, language and culture are so closely related that their correlation could inform scholars and others, how particular people behave.
You vs. you
I guess I never really focused on how language affects the way we interact with each other. Obviously, different languages make it harder for us to communicate with each other, but I didn’t realize the language plays such a significant role to cultures and perceptions of people. In one of our discussions in class, we spoke about the differences between foreign languages. Languages are not only structurally different, there is also an etiquette to some as well. We have to be culturally aware of our speech.
It is important to understand the significance of using language to address people. Contrary to English, in many different languages there is a formal and informal form of speech. In English, if I ask a professor, “how are you doing today” it is no different than if I ask my little sister the same question. I will still say to my little sister, “how are you?” Even though the professor is a figure of authority and my little sister clearly is not, I used the word “you” to address both of them. In Russian, and many other foreign languages, there is a formal way to address your superiors. I made the mistake of answering my Russian professor’s question of, “kak dela (how are you doing)” with “harasho, a ti (good, and you).” What I should have said was “harasho, a vi (the formal version of good, and you). I was firmly reprimanded for my mistake. Due to this incident, I was scared to address anyone in Russian for fear that I would mistakenly refer to them in the wrong case.
Even though English doesn’t have a clearly defined case between formal and informal language, we do have certain ways in which we address different people. For instance, if I am greeting my friends I might in a playful way say, “what up, yo.” I wouldn’t necessarily address my mother in the same way, and I certainly wouldn’t address my employer in that manner. It is important in every conversation, no matter who we are speaking with, to always be respectful and culturally sensitive to foreign languages and speech.
It is important to understand the significance of using language to address people. Contrary to English, in many different languages there is a formal and informal form of speech. In English, if I ask a professor, “how are you doing today” it is no different than if I ask my little sister the same question. I will still say to my little sister, “how are you?” Even though the professor is a figure of authority and my little sister clearly is not, I used the word “you” to address both of them. In Russian, and many other foreign languages, there is a formal way to address your superiors. I made the mistake of answering my Russian professor’s question of, “kak dela (how are you doing)” with “harasho, a ti (good, and you).” What I should have said was “harasho, a vi (the formal version of good, and you). I was firmly reprimanded for my mistake. Due to this incident, I was scared to address anyone in Russian for fear that I would mistakenly refer to them in the wrong case.
Even though English doesn’t have a clearly defined case between formal and informal language, we do have certain ways in which we address different people. For instance, if I am greeting my friends I might in a playful way say, “what up, yo.” I wouldn’t necessarily address my mother in the same way, and I certainly wouldn’t address my employer in that manner. It is important in every conversation, no matter who we are speaking with, to always be respectful and culturally sensitive to foreign languages and speech.
Thinking About How Language Shapes Thinking
I found the article “How Does Our Language Shape the Way We Think?” very interesting because it asked if people who speak different languages think differently. I, like the author Lera Boroditsky, think that they do. This is evident to me both through the examples the author gives and from my own experiences in learning languages. Reading about the Aboriginal tribe who bases directions on the cardinal directions fascinated me, because I couldn’t fathom looking at the world that way and always having to be aware what direction you were facing. Because I was raised as an English speaker, I think it would be close to impossible for me to adapt to that way of thinking because that is just not the way I am programmed to think.
I have been studying French for 7 years, Spanish for 4 years and Latin for one year so I have a fair amount of personal experience in learning languages. It is definitely true that to learn a new language you are not just learning a new set of words, but a whole new way of thinking. This is illustrated by the failure of online translators, which can only translate word for word and cannot understand the complex thought process that goes into organizing a sentence or paragraph in another language. The formal and informal forms of you are a clear example of how people who speak different languages think differently. Generally in America people are less respectful of their elders and those in positions above them than are people from countries who have both a formal and informal “you” in their language, like France or Mexico. For example, in school America students often have a close relationship with their teachers and may argue or chat with them as they would with friends. In countries who have this formal and informal language there is a clear distinction about who should be treated with respect, and thus a student in France would not consider talking down to a teacher acceptable.
One final example that my language teachers over the years have told me about is that even after becoming fluent in a foreign language people revert back to their native language when doing math and working with numbers. Many languages have different ways of organizing numbers (for example “80” in French translates to “4 20’s”) and thus a specific way of thinking about math and numbers. The difficulty people have with doing math in different languages shows that different languages do indeed create a different way of looking at and thinking about the world.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
U.S. Health Care Reform Response
Although I have not been following the health policy debate that closely, I still believe that identity plays a big role in how these discussions are framed. Since the central issue is how the government is going to dispense healthcare to Americans, this debate probably revolves around different identities because of the different ways this legislation would impact specific identity groups in America.
Health-care costs are a more serious concern for the elderly then for young students (who worry more about the costs of education) and so they might be more vocal on their views about this policy change. Although it is true that any changes in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will affect young people when they grow older, the effects of the legislation would be felt immediately by older Americans. Older Americans also do not have the option of adapting their incomes, ways of life, etc. in response to the legislation like younger Americans can, which is another reason why they will try to influence the debate more.
The Health-care debate is also probably affected by the disparity of wealth in this country. For example, those that have significant sources of income or money are not going to be worried about government insurance programs because they can afford their own private insurance. For poorer Americans living pay check to pay check this might not be the case, which probably gives them more of impetus to speak out on these issues. Since wealth in this country can also be traced along ethnic or racial lines, the health care debate can also be seen as affecting these areas of identity. Since a higher proportion of African-Americans live below the poverty line in the United States, this health care debate will most likely affect them more and so they might lobby their congressmen to support their views. On the other hand, Asian-Americans, who make (on average) some of the highest incomes in America, might be more apathetic towards this legislation because of their financial security.
Health-care costs are a more serious concern for the elderly then for young students (who worry more about the costs of education) and so they might be more vocal on their views about this policy change. Although it is true that any changes in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will affect young people when they grow older, the effects of the legislation would be felt immediately by older Americans. Older Americans also do not have the option of adapting their incomes, ways of life, etc. in response to the legislation like younger Americans can, which is another reason why they will try to influence the debate more.
The Health-care debate is also probably affected by the disparity of wealth in this country. For example, those that have significant sources of income or money are not going to be worried about government insurance programs because they can afford their own private insurance. For poorer Americans living pay check to pay check this might not be the case, which probably gives them more of impetus to speak out on these issues. Since wealth in this country can also be traced along ethnic or racial lines, the health care debate can also be seen as affecting these areas of identity. Since a higher proportion of African-Americans live below the poverty line in the United States, this health care debate will most likely affect them more and so they might lobby their congressmen to support their views. On the other hand, Asian-Americans, who make (on average) some of the highest incomes in America, might be more apathetic towards this legislation because of their financial security.
How Insults Illuminate Gender Identity
In chapter 5 of the textbook, there was one section that talked about the differences between being a man and being a woman, being masculine and being feminine. This short discussion on gender identity sparked my interest because this has been a topic that I have always been somewhat fascinated with. So, in the hopes that I do not offend anyone, I want to talk about how men and women insult each other and how these insults reflect the traits that are associated with each gender that were highlighted in the book. For women, the trait I want to draw attention to is “appearance still counts,” and for men, the trait, “don’t be female.”
When one wants to insult a woman, there are several ways to go about it. For one, (and this insult usually comes from men) if it is known that the woman is a pro-active feminist, then when she is talking about an issue (usually related to gender) one can call her a ‘femi-nazi.’ However insulting as this may be, this insult is not all inclusive. Many women do not actively adhere to what some claim is an abrasive ideology, and some even go as far as saying they do not like other women who always bring up the gender issue, regardless of what feminists have done for women in general. If one wants to insult most women in America today, then one has to attack her image. This attack can take several forms. One can either insult her physical appearance and how it deviates from what is deemed attractive in today’s society, or one can attack her record in terms of sexual activity. These insults usually are very degrading and hurtful for women, but what I find interesting about them is that one can not readily apply these same insults towards men.
When insulting men, image is not so much the focus as is the perception of masculinity. If somebody calls me a “whore,” I very well might laugh at the ridiculousness of the concept. However, if other insults start being thrown at me, like calling me a “little girl,” then I might be put more on the defensive. Men are so keen on protecting their masculinity that small phrases like, “Come on, be a man” are enough to prod them into doing things they might not really want to do. Of course there are probably other insults that come to people’s minds when one wants to put a man down, but these gender specific insults are very illuminating when looking at how people construct their gender identity in America today.
When one wants to insult a woman, there are several ways to go about it. For one, (and this insult usually comes from men) if it is known that the woman is a pro-active feminist, then when she is talking about an issue (usually related to gender) one can call her a ‘femi-nazi.’ However insulting as this may be, this insult is not all inclusive. Many women do not actively adhere to what some claim is an abrasive ideology, and some even go as far as saying they do not like other women who always bring up the gender issue, regardless of what feminists have done for women in general. If one wants to insult most women in America today, then one has to attack her image. This attack can take several forms. One can either insult her physical appearance and how it deviates from what is deemed attractive in today’s society, or one can attack her record in terms of sexual activity. These insults usually are very degrading and hurtful for women, but what I find interesting about them is that one can not readily apply these same insults towards men.
When insulting men, image is not so much the focus as is the perception of masculinity. If somebody calls me a “whore,” I very well might laugh at the ridiculousness of the concept. However, if other insults start being thrown at me, like calling me a “little girl,” then I might be put more on the defensive. Men are so keen on protecting their masculinity that small phrases like, “Come on, be a man” are enough to prod them into doing things they might not really want to do. Of course there are probably other insults that come to people’s minds when one wants to put a man down, but these gender specific insults are very illuminating when looking at how people construct their gender identity in America today.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Cultural Identities and US Health Care Reform (Discussion Question)
Debates over health care, and politics in general, often come from what the citizens of the country culturally identify with. Many times we are able to dissect demographics of the country and off of previous experience, estimate what they stand for. People of different racial groups, ages, genders, and classes will approach major decisions differently.
In this particular debate, I feel that identity plays a significant role in the way people approach health care. Many different factors and identities are present in the health care debate but in my opinion, class, race, and gender are the most prominent identities found in this dispute.
The biggest divide in the health care debate is between classes. People in the mid to upper class systems are most likely against health care reform. Why? Because they already pay for health insurance and feel that they will eventually be paying for universal health care for people that do not deserve it. This also divulges into racial identity as well. Many white people continue to hold onto the perception that many of the lazy, welfare-ridden people are black. In their eyes they think that black people are unfairly taking advantage of the health care system, and using their tax money to do so. It doesn’t surprise me that the picture that Professor Hayden used in correlation with this discussion question was of a health care reform protest, complete with white southerners yielding a confederate flag on their chest. Also, gender identities get involved in the debate, because according to Michelle Obama, “Eight in 10 women, mothers, report that they're the ones responsible for choosing their children's doctor, for getting them to their checkups, for managing that follow-up care” and “[w]omen are affected because, as we heard, in many states, insurance companies can still discriminate because of gender.” By hearing these statements, as a woman, I would of course take an interest in health care reform.
There are many different genres of what we identify with. In choosing a particular identity, we are affected in certain ways that other identities are not.
In this particular debate, I feel that identity plays a significant role in the way people approach health care. Many different factors and identities are present in the health care debate but in my opinion, class, race, and gender are the most prominent identities found in this dispute.
The biggest divide in the health care debate is between classes. People in the mid to upper class systems are most likely against health care reform. Why? Because they already pay for health insurance and feel that they will eventually be paying for universal health care for people that do not deserve it. This also divulges into racial identity as well. Many white people continue to hold onto the perception that many of the lazy, welfare-ridden people are black. In their eyes they think that black people are unfairly taking advantage of the health care system, and using their tax money to do so. It doesn’t surprise me that the picture that Professor Hayden used in correlation with this discussion question was of a health care reform protest, complete with white southerners yielding a confederate flag on their chest. Also, gender identities get involved in the debate, because according to Michelle Obama, “Eight in 10 women, mothers, report that they're the ones responsible for choosing their children's doctor, for getting them to their checkups, for managing that follow-up care” and “[w]omen are affected because, as we heard, in many states, insurance companies can still discriminate because of gender.” By hearing these statements, as a woman, I would of course take an interest in health care reform.
There are many different genres of what we identify with. In choosing a particular identity, we are affected in certain ways that other identities are not.
Social Networking
I thought the discussion about Facebook was very interesting. I used to have a Facebook account which I was devoted to, but deleted it because I began to have a privacy complex and felt people would always know what I'm up to.
A few issues were brought up in class regarding social networking. First, I feel profiles set a certain image about a person that may or may not be true. This can happen in two ways. Either someone would, for whatever reason, give false information about themselves, or people develop a certain impression about an individual based on his or her photos, wall posts, or number of friends. For example, like we discussed in class, if you have 1000 pictures in comparison to someone with 7 people will probably come to the conclusion that you are more popular. Second, meeting new people online is different than meeting someone in person. A lot of students, for instance, meet their roommates through Facebook and although you get along online doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be the same when you actually meet them.
I think that although it is a good way to contact people, we have become so dependant on it for that reason that we no longer care for one on one interaction. Also, the more we use Facebook, and other social network, the more we start to believe that a profile defines a person and could pretty much tell you what their like and that is not always the case. I believe social networking may be useful but I really hope it is not going to dominant our social lives. As a reformed Facebook junkie I urge you to step away from the computer!
A few issues were brought up in class regarding social networking. First, I feel profiles set a certain image about a person that may or may not be true. This can happen in two ways. Either someone would, for whatever reason, give false information about themselves, or people develop a certain impression about an individual based on his or her photos, wall posts, or number of friends. For example, like we discussed in class, if you have 1000 pictures in comparison to someone with 7 people will probably come to the conclusion that you are more popular. Second, meeting new people online is different than meeting someone in person. A lot of students, for instance, meet their roommates through Facebook and although you get along online doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be the same when you actually meet them.
I think that although it is a good way to contact people, we have become so dependant on it for that reason that we no longer care for one on one interaction. Also, the more we use Facebook, and other social network, the more we start to believe that a profile defines a person and could pretty much tell you what their like and that is not always the case. I believe social networking may be useful but I really hope it is not going to dominant our social lives. As a reformed Facebook junkie I urge you to step away from the computer!
Health Care Identities Discussion Question
The biggest divide in identities in the health care debate seems to be political identities (ie. Democrat vs. Republican). In today’s system of political parties most people strongly identify with one side of the political spectrum and will blindly follow their beliefs, possibly ignoring what they truly feel as an independent individual. This clear political divide can be seen in the health care debate as Republicans and Democrats sling insults back and forth rather than focusing on the issue in a nonbiased way. Republicans accuse Democrats of being socialists because they support health care reform, whereas Democrats call Republicans selfish elitists for opposing any reform. The truth is that many people may support or oppose health care reform for different reasons than these stereotyped ones, but these strong political identities make it hard to focus on the issue holistically.
Another way people identify themselves in this debate is by class. Many people in the lower and middle classes support this reform because these are the people without access to affordable health care, people who the result debate will affect directly and immediately. For many of these people the debate on health care could mean the difference between life and death or financial stability and bankruptcy, depending on if the health care bill is passed. On the other end of the spectrum there are upper class people, many of whom oppose the health care reform because they are worried they won’t be able to use their own doctor or the quality of their private health care will diminish. In this way, many people’s opinions on health care are influenced by the class that they identify with.
Finally, age is another way that people identify themselves in the arena of the health care debate. Many people who identify themselves as young support health care reform because they want to be guaranteed good care for the rest of their life no matter what, not depending on how financially successful they become. Many old people on the other hand, oppose the reform because they are afraid that the government will start cutting funding for end-of-life care and will deny them treatments that would extend their life. The age group one identifies with therefore significantly affects one’s opinions on health care reform.
Facebook vs Myspace (Response to Sept. 17 class)
What I found most interesting about last class was our discussion of how social networking affects our identity and the issue of class in Myspace vs. Facebook. I think the use of social networking sites can be either good or bad, because it can allow one to change and lie about their identity, but it can also allow people to be more open and to foster closer relationships.
There are countless examples of people who use Facebook or Myspace to create a new identity, probably because they are not happen with their true self. These people might post a provocative profile picture and make up interests and status postings to make themselves seem cooler. This can also be harmful because users can become dehumanized and may hurtful or inappropriate things to people that they would never say to their face.
On the other hand, many people present their Facebook as a true representation of themselves and use it to share and learn information about both old and new friends. These people post truthful updates about what is going on in their lives, share pictures with friends and family and communicate with and befriend people with common interests. In this way, Facebook can help solidify one’s identity rather than alter it.
Lastly, I think the book brought up a very interesting point about how Myspace and Facebook are associated with different class distinctions. I admit, I have often thought this myself, although I think it is likely an unfair stereotype. I generally associate Facebook with academic connections, such as connecting and reconnecting with new and old classmates. Also, Facebook was originally established for college and high school students to connect (although it has since been opened up to everyone). Myspace, on the other hand, can be used by anyone and makes it much easier to alter one’s identity since the user can choose their own username (rather than your real name, which Facebook uses) and customize their page however they want. Also, I generally think of Facebook as being used to communicate with people you already know, whereas on Myspace it is common to “friend” random people you have never met. For these reasons, Myspace is often seen as lower class and “trashy”. Although I’m sure there are many exceptions and users who do not fit these stereotypes, there seems to be a general opinion that Myspace is of a lower class than Facebook.
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