International_Cultural_Indentity

There is no knowledge in instinct just reaction! Cultural Identity Interview and Analysis By Summer Russell Stanley Klatka INS/305 Axia @ University of Phoenix The United States, religion and materialistic ideas: Religion in the United States is as diverse as the many personality that reside here. The most beautiful thing about the U.S. and I think one of the most attractive qualities that remain here is that we are free to do and say as we please with virtual ease. However, without discipline true freedom cannot be attained and/or maintained. In the world of Islam religion is their world and all resides in the eyes of God. Where as the United States divides Church and State the Native American people pride themselves on their culture, religion, family ties, and the truth of the earth, water, fire and wind. All man is created equal and deserves to be treated with the respect and dignity. In the eyes of Native American people humans are born free of sin but in the eyes of many Westerners and our ancestor like the Puritans man is born evil with the possibility of doing good for others (Jandt (2004). A summary of the rules, norms, traditions, and values of that person’s culture or subgroup, based on your Week One questions. Some of the traditions the Native Indian culture enjoys is “living around the Great Lakes and extending east and north, used strings or belts called wampum that served a dual function: the knots and beaded designs mnemonically chronicled tribal stories and legends, and further served as a medium of exchange and a unit of measure. The keepers of the articles were seen as tribal dignitaries”. Men who wear these ornaments are viewed amongst the people as men of stature and great wisdom. How do assumptions about cultural “norms” impact your interviewee’s behavior on a day-to-day basis' Along with many of Confucians’ philosophies his main objective was to respect others, find and maintain balance and harmony within ones community and teach others to maintain this philosophy too. This is not so much the case in the mind of a Westerner. Westener’s typically want to get to the point of the message and compassion is surely lacking. Which in turn leads to miscommunication and can impact business relationships, personal relationships and forge with a potential bad situation for all parties involved. If he or she does not understand the manor of which, cultures like the Native Americans people and don’t strive to understand their desires to work with others and a part of our society but with a distinct background of their own. This cycle of disorganization and miscommunication makes it difficult and can lead to assumptions about what is classified as a “cultural norm.” How does he/she respond to those challenges' The Native Indians people focus on spirituality and on the maintenance of a harmonious relationship with the spirit world, often “achieved by ceremonial acts, usually incorporating sand painting. The colors—made from sand, charcoal, cornmeal, and pollen—depicted specific spirits. These vivid, intricate, and colorful sand creations were erased at the end of the ceremony”. Most find comfort in their spiritual enlightenments. Does your interviewee recognize any privileges or advantages associated with assimilating to the “normative” culture' How does he/she react to that recognition' What does that person cite as being sources of strength or support' The American Indian people focus on spirituality and on the maintenance of a harmonious relationship with the spirit world, often “achieved by ceremonial acts, usually incorporating sandpainting. The colors—made from sand, charcoal, cornmeal, and pollen—depicted specific spirits. These vivid, intricate, and colorful sand creations were erased at the end of the ceremony”. An analysis of the theories from the course that are related to your interviewee’s experience. Many people whether inside the U.S. or out view much western society as loose, materialistic and narrow-minded so those in other culture do not the influence of mine, mine and mine to become apart of their reality' However reluctant those people maybe the reality is that the media brings this to their homes. Another point could be that many who do not speak English as a native tongue and are not educated in our history and what happens today feel overwhelmed and out of place and this creates fear and fear creates hatred and prejudice against those who are unfamiliar and who are family. Much is lost by limiting your mind from becoming a Big mind…without having the ability to understand the concept of individuality many become stuck, in a sense, to their daily routines and miss out on the valuable lessons life has to teach us all. The United States is (well from my perspective) the most diverse place in the world when it comes to nationalities and their routines. When limited one tends to think limited rather then the opposite. All of this ties into the experiences that are felt by the Native Americans people in their daily lives. In my opinion prejudices, stereotyping and racism all stem from insecurities in the people sending out that message to others. The role of communication is up to the person taking in the information for him or herself. Prejudice against another is a learned emotion and is usually passed down from generation to generation Jandt, Fred (2004). The role that negative communication plays in our society is detrimental to all for many reasons. One being that our youth then sees others for the color of their skin and then judges all who look alike unfortunately many men have gotten themselves beaten up or even killed just because. Fear is a contributing factor but is not the sole reason why people hurt others. All throughout the ages every nationality has been discriminated against at one point in time. The good thing about education and the desire to be better then our “four father” is that many have begun to see that everyone is human regardless of the color of their skin or the background to which he or she was born into. When others speak strongly about how other cultures have enriched our society’s way of life in a positive manor the energy begins to create an atmosphere of great understanding and the need for compassion for all. Over the course of the United States growth many immigrants have fled to our country in order to provide a better life for themselves. One example of miscommunication is when Chinese immigrants were used to build the railroads throughout America: once built Americans and the government condemned the men and their families out of fear. And one in which communication is used to prevent misunderstanding. Now comparing and contrasting the role of religion in culture in the United States and the Native Americans the important perspective of religion is the understanding that our early ancestors grew and advanced because of other cultures and these cultures spread from one part of the world and back again. From my view point and it is unfortunate, the U.S. has gotten away from spirituality and religion and is more focused on how to make the most revenue as possible. The United States society is more geared toward the wealthy then it is toward the middle to lower income families. What they fail to realize is that every one of us plays a crucial part in the circle to which we travel in. Instead of making money and increasing the population I think our society should focus on educating our children about other cultures and their spiritual beliefs. For instance, existentialism focuses on how a people live their lives. The “main themes” are the world is irrational, beyond total comprehension, humans are essentially senseless, and because of this mentality people are born with anxiety and self-doubt. When women and men are faced with an existential predicament they will confront their assorted problems and ultimately the meaning of life will only serve to deteriorate into a life of struggle to find any value in their day-to-day existence. Soren Kierkegaard, Freidrich Nietzsche, Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartr all had significant contributions to philosophy. Soren Kierkegaard, Freidrich Nietzsche and Arthur Schopenhauer said: “the universe was seldom rational, and the philosophical systems that we seek to make everything seem rational are just futile attempts to overcome pessimism and despair” (Moore-Bruder 2005). These are some of the similarities humanity has in relation. Religion is one the most universal languages. We all speak the same philosophy just with different words. For example, Kierkegaard wanted to find out how a person would deal with life when “faced with doubt and uncertainty”. According the Power of ideas Kierkegaard felt that despair was inevitable and this was a result of his or her “having to confront momentous concrete ethical and religious dilemmas” and whether or not humans can be kept in a depression due to the irrationality of the world (Moore-Bruder 2005). Kierkegaard’s thought was no human could ever over come his or her feelings of despair without God’s guidance. I have found that we have many similarities on how we view people on our day-to-day encounters and from what I have described above we all fall into the same category when it comes to dealing with life and the bumps and bruises we are bound to experience. Whether we born in the United States a free person or we are born in other countries we all speak the same language and this speech is the need for comfort and peace of mind. However, The United States is predominantly independent and these individuals view others and their families as competition. Recommendations on how to effectively communicate with people of other cultures. Well the economy gains from interacting with people and many lives are enriched by the intrigued we all have to offer. People can become educated on how simple gestures can mean comfort or engage others in a conversation. Relationships are forged and business ensues and the economy for many people is a little more secure. Many gain creativity and can enrich those around them and the cycle of positive motion continues. Religion and spirituality are another example of how those who dare to be more benefit. Religion and spirituality have the many facets they have because of the interactions of our ancestors. Another benefit cultures gain is the drive to be better and give more in return. Now this is my positive spin on humankind and in all reality much of the world is not giving but few are and the cycle continues to be better. These are my feelings of how other cultures benefit from interactions with our fellow Homosapian. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_the_United_States Jandt, F. E. (2004). An introduction to intercultural communication (4 ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. Moore-Bruder, 2005, Power of Ideas, The Continental Tradition