By: Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart
In this Essay, both Norris and Inglehart argue that Samuel Huntington was wrong on his views about why the Western and Muslim worlds clash. Huntington believed that it was due to the differences in government systems and because the Muslims do no believe in the Democratic system that is used by the U.S. government. This essay states otherwise, they say that there has been surveys done that ask many different countries about their thoughts of the democratic system and even predominantly Muslim countries agreed with the democratic system and believed that it would help their country. This does nothing for Huntington's case. Although they do believe that there is a clash they believe that it is in the traditionally of sexuality. In the Muslim culture they are staying very conservative as the generations persist but in the western cultures the younger generations are becoming more and more liberal. In the United States the younger generations are much more accepting about women being involved in jobs outside the home and much more OK with homosexuality than younger generations in Muslim societies.
This seems like a very logical explanation for our separation. Although this may be part of the fact why our societies collide so much, I feel as though this can not be the only reason for the attack of 9/11. They may not agree with the way we do things but it can not only be the difference in the way we treat women. This difference may keep them from choosing to go with a democratic system but I find it hard to believe that it would persuade some one to kill so many. It is true that the younger generations in America are becoming continuously more liberal and yet the Muslim generations stay conservative. This all just seems so strange that two different countries could have such different views on how to treat sexuality and equality. Although I guess if they feel as strongly about not allowing women to have jobs outside the home as we do about allowing women to have the same rights as men, they may feel like it is time for them to step in. They may feel as though it is time to "change" us. I have no idea who is right on this matter or if it even really does have to do with the women or if it just has to do with the fact that our values are so different. Either way, there is a dispute and it needs to be resolved in some way or another.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Cultural Baggage
By: Barbara Ehrenreich
Barbara Ehrenreich was worried about her past, well not only her past but her families history. She wanted to know where she came from, she wanted to know what types of traditions had been passed down throughout her family history. she wanted to learn about where she came from. She spent much of her life trying to figure this out and trying to learn about traditions that had once been shared with her family. She even tried to start traditions with her children and start believes that were non existent. Her children knew that she was only trying to force these ideas upon them and that she didn't honestly believe what she was saying. She finally learned that it isn't what she got from her family, but the things that were new and changing that was the tradition of her family. The tradition of her family was try something new, to ask questions, and to learn from the new.
This seems like a very legitimate family tradition. Although it took her a while to become secure about what her family history is she finally learned that it was ok to do new things. She realized that it is ok to change what you do and not follow what other people tell you to do. Although I love traditions and I love doing the same thing every Christmas and Thanksgiving I also have no idea where these traditions came from. We do not have any traditions in my family that date back to past centuries, we don't eat any traditional food that came from one of my ancestors home land and we don't talk about all the different cultures that are mixed up into my family. I know that I am French and German but besides that I have no idea where I am from. My mom always just tells me, "your everything white mixed together." This tells me nothing, I know nothing about the people before me. This is why i can relate to Ehrenreich so well. It makes so much sense that following new ways and making my own decisions and not just doing things because thats the way it's always been done is a good way to live.
Barbara Ehrenreich was worried about her past, well not only her past but her families history. She wanted to know where she came from, she wanted to know what types of traditions had been passed down throughout her family history. she wanted to learn about where she came from. She spent much of her life trying to figure this out and trying to learn about traditions that had once been shared with her family. She even tried to start traditions with her children and start believes that were non existent. Her children knew that she was only trying to force these ideas upon them and that she didn't honestly believe what she was saying. She finally learned that it isn't what she got from her family, but the things that were new and changing that was the tradition of her family. The tradition of her family was try something new, to ask questions, and to learn from the new.
This seems like a very legitimate family tradition. Although it took her a while to become secure about what her family history is she finally learned that it was ok to do new things. She realized that it is ok to change what you do and not follow what other people tell you to do. Although I love traditions and I love doing the same thing every Christmas and Thanksgiving I also have no idea where these traditions came from. We do not have any traditions in my family that date back to past centuries, we don't eat any traditional food that came from one of my ancestors home land and we don't talk about all the different cultures that are mixed up into my family. I know that I am French and German but besides that I have no idea where I am from. My mom always just tells me, "your everything white mixed together." This tells me nothing, I know nothing about the people before me. This is why i can relate to Ehrenreich so well. It makes so much sense that following new ways and making my own decisions and not just doing things because thats the way it's always been done is a good way to live.
Fear Not Globalization
By: Joseph S. Nye Jr.
Joseph S. Nye Jr. is much against the people who protest against globalization. He debates that although many similarities have resulted in many countries over the years it is not the United States fault, nor is it because of us that the worlds of today have many similarities. He debates that although there is a correlation this does not mean there is causation. He points out that there are many cultural differences among these countries, it is that many only see the similarities. Yes there are large industries and cities, but this is only due to the mere fact that our world is evolving and revolutionizing. This is not because the United States is changing other countries. Nye argues that what if some other country had developed the computers and Internet, it still would have spread to other countries, other countries still would have developed into technological worlds.
Before reading this work it is asked "is globalization a force for good or bad? will it turn all nations, cultures, and peoples into reflections of each other?" I believe that no, everyone is keeping their own historical backgrounds and every country has their own culture and different ways of doing things. It seems as though every country has a McDonald's and yet at every McDonald's in different countries, different things are served. This may be minor and yet it means every culture is keeping their uniqueness. although every country may be revolutionizing it does not mean that we are becoming one mesh. The United States may mesh all of the cultures together but in many cases it is encouraged that we keep our traditions and our cultures alive so that not only can we be united but we can also teach us our own ways. Even if the world is globalizing it is not bad to learn from other countries achievements and mishaps. Although we are keeping our own culture and sharing new ideas and creations this does not mean that the United States needs to be blaimed or have fingers pointed at them for any negative that may come out of this. Every country is only educating other countries about their world and their ways.
Joseph S. Nye Jr. is much against the people who protest against globalization. He debates that although many similarities have resulted in many countries over the years it is not the United States fault, nor is it because of us that the worlds of today have many similarities. He debates that although there is a correlation this does not mean there is causation. He points out that there are many cultural differences among these countries, it is that many only see the similarities. Yes there are large industries and cities, but this is only due to the mere fact that our world is evolving and revolutionizing. This is not because the United States is changing other countries. Nye argues that what if some other country had developed the computers and Internet, it still would have spread to other countries, other countries still would have developed into technological worlds.
Before reading this work it is asked "is globalization a force for good or bad? will it turn all nations, cultures, and peoples into reflections of each other?" I believe that no, everyone is keeping their own historical backgrounds and every country has their own culture and different ways of doing things. It seems as though every country has a McDonald's and yet at every McDonald's in different countries, different things are served. This may be minor and yet it means every culture is keeping their uniqueness. although every country may be revolutionizing it does not mean that we are becoming one mesh. The United States may mesh all of the cultures together but in many cases it is encouraged that we keep our traditions and our cultures alive so that not only can we be united but we can also teach us our own ways. Even if the world is globalizing it is not bad to learn from other countries achievements and mishaps. Although we are keeping our own culture and sharing new ideas and creations this does not mean that the United States needs to be blaimed or have fingers pointed at them for any negative that may come out of this. Every country is only educating other countries about their world and their ways.
Mute in an English- Only World
By: Chang-Rae Lee
Chang-Rae Lee tells a story about her child hood to depict the challenges that many people from other countries face everyday. She tells a story about her mother and the struggle she had to deal with to even talk to the butcher at the market. Lee was only 6 or 7 when her mother would take her shopping with her in hopes that she would be able to help with the communication barrier. Her mother would practice her English, watch TV, and carry a book around that would help with her English. None of this seemed to help, due to the fact that her mother spent most days inside tending to the children, not being able to practice her English skills with a fluent English speaker. Lee picked up on the Language much quicker because she was young and in school, her father also because he spent many days at work speaking in English. Although it took her mother many years of practice and embarrassment to learn English, she never did learn it to the point where she could express emotions while speaking English.
Chang-Rae Lee was trying to illistrate the difficulties that many have with the English language when the travel here from other countries. Although she understands the fact that many were upset about the only Korean signs, she hoped that they would understand why a Korean may want signs in their native language. As I read this story I felt sorry for Lee's mother. I felt as though she tried, and yet there was nothing that she could do. I think this was Lee's point. She wanted people to stop with the, "your in our country learn our language" saying that you here so often. This is no ones country, we have all traveled here from different parts of the world and Lee wanted people to recognize that even though English is the most dominant language in the United States there are people here from many different native tongues and it would be helpful to post signs in many different languages. I'm sure that Lee's mother is not the only person that never mastered the English language befored she died and I'm sure she will not be the last. We do not have to abandoned the English language we only need to be more understanding and helpful with those who may not yet understand the language.
Chang-Rae Lee tells a story about her child hood to depict the challenges that many people from other countries face everyday. She tells a story about her mother and the struggle she had to deal with to even talk to the butcher at the market. Lee was only 6 or 7 when her mother would take her shopping with her in hopes that she would be able to help with the communication barrier. Her mother would practice her English, watch TV, and carry a book around that would help with her English. None of this seemed to help, due to the fact that her mother spent most days inside tending to the children, not being able to practice her English skills with a fluent English speaker. Lee picked up on the Language much quicker because she was young and in school, her father also because he spent many days at work speaking in English. Although it took her mother many years of practice and embarrassment to learn English, she never did learn it to the point where she could express emotions while speaking English.
Chang-Rae Lee was trying to illistrate the difficulties that many have with the English language when the travel here from other countries. Although she understands the fact that many were upset about the only Korean signs, she hoped that they would understand why a Korean may want signs in their native language. As I read this story I felt sorry for Lee's mother. I felt as though she tried, and yet there was nothing that she could do. I think this was Lee's point. She wanted people to stop with the, "your in our country learn our language" saying that you here so often. This is no ones country, we have all traveled here from different parts of the world and Lee wanted people to recognize that even though English is the most dominant language in the United States there are people here from many different native tongues and it would be helpful to post signs in many different languages. I'm sure that Lee's mother is not the only person that never mastered the English language befored she died and I'm sure she will not be the last. We do not have to abandoned the English language we only need to be more understanding and helpful with those who may not yet understand the language.
America: The Multinational Society
by: Ishmael Reed
Ishmael Reed discusses the fact that many cultures influence the United States more than any one percieves in their everyday life. He gives examples such as the fact that in a Texas airport both English and Spanish language was used to instruct people about where to go. He talked about how one man told him of Detroit and all the differences that lie there. Any from mosques made by Islamic people to Hispanic people. He talked of the paintings in the McDonalds's Restaurant that had been drawn by Afro-Americans. Reed does not believe in this "Western Civilization" instead he believes that this a mixture of many different cultures coming together. He discusses the fact that people have been coming here since the discovery of the United States and has been influencing our culture ever since. He argues that it is being fought that even our government system may not have even come from European government systems but instead from the Native Americans that were originally here.
Ishmael Reeds arguments seem more valid than any other argument I have ever read about the fact that the United States in Westernizing the rest of the world. Instead we are being influenced each and every day by every new comer that steps over that border. Each and everyday we are seeing new styles of clothing, of art work, or even music. Some may be due to the fact that we have so many different cultures in one country working together. Others are just the mere fact that new culture is being brought to us every day. Now with the ease of discovering new culture through the Internet it is much easier to share ideas and become the largely diverse country that we are. Every since the United States was founded new people from new countries have been coming to the Americas and influencing every day life and habits. This only seems fair to not blaim the United States for "Westernizing" culture in other countries, but aplaud the United States for being able to bring all of these different cultures together. There are many days where I see something that may be influenced by another country that I do not even recognize that it is influenced by another country. Like Reed mentioned about the Mosque in Detroit, I have seen a Mosque many times before and never thought anything of it being made by people that were not originally from here. If you think about all of our histories, all of our family backgrounds, there are very limited amount of people that can honestly say they cannot trace their family back to a time when they were not in America. This tells us that not only are we influencing other countries but other countries are influencing us more than we know.
Ishmael Reed discusses the fact that many cultures influence the United States more than any one percieves in their everyday life. He gives examples such as the fact that in a Texas airport both English and Spanish language was used to instruct people about where to go. He talked about how one man told him of Detroit and all the differences that lie there. Any from mosques made by Islamic people to Hispanic people. He talked of the paintings in the McDonalds's Restaurant that had been drawn by Afro-Americans. Reed does not believe in this "Western Civilization" instead he believes that this a mixture of many different cultures coming together. He discusses the fact that people have been coming here since the discovery of the United States and has been influencing our culture ever since. He argues that it is being fought that even our government system may not have even come from European government systems but instead from the Native Americans that were originally here.
Ishmael Reeds arguments seem more valid than any other argument I have ever read about the fact that the United States in Westernizing the rest of the world. Instead we are being influenced each and every day by every new comer that steps over that border. Each and everyday we are seeing new styles of clothing, of art work, or even music. Some may be due to the fact that we have so many different cultures in one country working together. Others are just the mere fact that new culture is being brought to us every day. Now with the ease of discovering new culture through the Internet it is much easier to share ideas and become the largely diverse country that we are. Every since the United States was founded new people from new countries have been coming to the Americas and influencing every day life and habits. This only seems fair to not blaim the United States for "Westernizing" culture in other countries, but aplaud the United States for being able to bring all of these different cultures together. There are many days where I see something that may be influenced by another country that I do not even recognize that it is influenced by another country. Like Reed mentioned about the Mosque in Detroit, I have seen a Mosque many times before and never thought anything of it being made by people that were not originally from here. If you think about all of our histories, all of our family backgrounds, there are very limited amount of people that can honestly say they cannot trace their family back to a time when they were not in America. This tells us that not only are we influencing other countries but other countries are influencing us more than we know.
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