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.
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I can sympathize with being culturally sensitive to other countries for the purpose of maintaining amicable relations. However, I think that in terms of the Russians and how they were portrayed during the conference, I think that America should not change the way it deals with this particular country. I think that any casual observer of America would realize the high regard that many Americans have (whether they know it or not) towards Russian culture. I know that in high school, I had to read several pieces of literature by Russian authors, including the famous Dostoevsky. And in terms of holidays, what American hasn't heard the famous Nutcracker suite being played around Christmas time, or the 1812 overture during the 4th of July, both pieces composed by the Russian composer, Tchaikovsky. No, I think Americans have a lot of respect for Russian culture and that this has always been the case. I think the real problem that the Russians have, then, is that modern Russian culture is not as popular in America as American culture is in Russia. This can not really be helped since the American government can not force Americans to like Russian cultural products, and thus this issue pertains more to the shortcomings of Russian cultural industries than with American policy.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your analysis. I do think that American's really do value Russian culture, and the examples you present are perfect indications that we appreciate and enjoy their cultural works. Also, it is very true that American's are not as well versed in modern Russian culture. I can't think of any famous people in America that are from Russia. The only Russians we are familiar with are maybe Alex Ovechkin, Maria Sharapova, and Vladimir Putin. Now, granted we are fans of their athletes, but I think a lot of American's are still apprehensive of Russia because of the Cold War and when you ask most Americans who the most famous Russian person is today, it's usually Putin. And obviously, most American's do not necessarily care for him. Also, I do think it true when you said that Russian popular culture is not as prevelent in America as American culture is in Russia. I think that the Russian's do really have a hard time with that fact.
ReplyDeleteKendra, I too didn’t know anything about cultural diplomacy when I got to the conference. I agree with your view on understanding the way others value their cultures. As the basis of this class, we need to understand the beliefs and habits of different cultures in order to better know how to deal with them. Valuing ones culture is a vital aspect in this issue. Some nations, or individuals, are not very traditional when it comes to their culture and customs. As a result, this may lead to them not paying attention to the beliefs of others. However, I think it is important to realize how others value their culture because it would decrease misunderstanding and promote good international relations, like you mentioned.
ReplyDeleteAs for the way Russians, as well as other countries, view that all Americans are "power-hungry and money-grubbing," I think this leads back to stereotyping. When we misunderstand a culture or only have a single outlook about what it is like, we end up stereotyping, and this can lead to problems in both day-to-day social encounters, as well as in the world of politics.