Homework #9- Individualism as an American Culture

1. Name three topics that Americans often think that it is rude to talk about. For each, why do you think that Americans think that they are rude topics?

Americans have an unwritten rule book of what is considered appropriate for conversation and what is considered inappropriate. In a casual conversation, especially with people who have met only for the first time, it is considered rude to ask about someone’s personal life. The word personal in personal life explains it all, and many Americans believe that their business should not be broadcasted to any and everybody. Inquiring about anyone’s financial situation is a big no-no as well, because it is a very private topic. The amount of income one makes at their job should never be a topic of discussion either. We feel that by exposing these private aspects of our lives it gives others grounds to talk about and judge us.

2. How do concepts such as the care of the elderly and Buddhist philosophy provide strikingly different models for behavior in Thailand and the United States?

Thailand families are very closely knitted together and their family ties are strong even with the members of the extended family. If an elderly member of the family were to become ill, they would immediately be moved into the home of one of their children and grandchildren. All members of the family pitch in to nurse the elderly member to health, and are glad to do so because of the respect that elderly people hold in many Asian cultures. Attending to a family member in need and family togetherness means being a “morally good person”. In contrast, American families tend to grow apart. If there was an ill, elderly member in an American family they would most likely be cared for by professional or sent to live in a nursing home. For the elderly persons own child to care for them can be a burden because they have other things to worry about and their own family to tend to. By the Buddhist standards, the described American family may have “good morals”.

3. What incidents in your own life experience illustrate the value placed on individualism in American culture that other cultures might find strange? (Be specific)

There is not a specific moment in my life that puts emphasis on the individualism in American culture. However my family is definitely not a family that spends time together; we go on about our own individual lives. Each on of has our own room and spend most of our time there and when we are not in our rooms we’re out with our friends, at school or at work. We rarely come together and just have a moment to talk to each to other. I’ve made some attempts to get my family to hang out together but they never seem to work. We used to go on summer vacations every summer, but for a few summers in a row we have not gone anywhere together. Other cultures place emphasis on family togetherness, yet many American cultures are just like my family.

Homework #8- Introduction to American Life

1. The pamphlet says: “American life as depicted in television or in movies is not an accurate picture of what you will find”. List two things that an international student visiting IUP would find different than TV / movies. Why do you think that TV / movies portray these things different than reality?

Most of American television consists of stereotypes, as to what different aspects of American life should look like, or what is more entertaining to watch. If an international student was to watch various television shows or movies that depicted American life before actually stepping foot onto American grounds, they would get mostly stereotypical images that suit different demographics or races. For instance, an international student may think that all African-American people are violent and most likely live off of welfare, while all white people live in these suburban communities and live a very comfortable if not wealthy life. Also, as an international student visiting a college I wouldn’t be surprised if they expected the American college life to be a scene straight out of the new movie “Project X”, with loads of drinking, drugs and sex. Although sometimes this is the case, that is not all of our behavior 24/ 7; instead, international students would find that a large number of the college students are not about that partying life. The portrayal of American life, contrary to reality is solely for the purpose of entertainment. The producers and directors of television shows and movies are after the high ratings and what they think people want to see.

2. How does the pamphlet describe Americans view of time? Why do you think Americans view time in this manner?

The pamphlet conveys the point that Americans base their lives around what time it is and how much time we have to complete a certain task. It is also said that time is an indication of a level of respect. For instance, arriving on time or completing a task on time is a sign that you respect the other people involved and that the situation is of importance. However, if one is tardy then it shows that they do not care about the other person’s time, and do not respect the other person. Americans tend to want to be very organized, as in things should be placed into categories and different tasks should be done in order of importance at a given time. The whole perception of time is essentially to make things easier on us. Whereas, we set time goals for ourselves so that nothing will conflict or appear jumbled together and unmanageable.

3. The pamphlet argues that Americans do not like interruptions – Why does it say that this is the case? In the groups that you are in (clubs, family, friends), are interruptions welcomed or thought of as negative? Why?

It is stated that Americans do not like interruptions when we are talking. This is mainly because communication is the sharing of ideas and thoughts and when someone is speaking they are sharing the thoughts that may be important to them. When a person is interrupted while speaking, it is as if their feelings and their thoughts on a certain topic are disregarded. It is more respectful to wait when the person is done getting their point across then the other person may add-on to the conversation, either by agreeing or disagreeing to the first person’s ideas. In many of the groups I am associated with, interruptions are thought of as negative. In most cases if I am confused about something that was said then I would wait until after they are done speaking to ask my question/ questions. In an environment where I am surrounded by friends, the interruption rules may be slightly lenient. I am easily able to interrupt my friends than others whom are not as close to me, or older than I am because I am in a more relaxed atmosphere.

4. Read the section “Status and Hierarchy” to the end of the pamphlet. Find a sentence that you find interesting or includes something you did not know. List the sentence and explain why you thought it was interesting.

One sentence that really stuck out to me was “Of course, most students will not violate any laws while in the United States.” This sentence literally made me question the knowledge the author of this pamphlet really has about college life. It is clearly an opinion and it makes me question does the author honestly know everything that goes on around college or university premises. Me living on campus makes me whole heartedly disagree with this statement, because with my own eyes I witness students violating laws all around me. Although they may not be going around pointing guns at others or murdering other people, other crimes are, maybe less serious crimes are still being committed.

Homework #7- “Learning from Ladakh” and “The Global Village Finally Arrives”

Learning from Ladakh

The introduction of a money based economy, that was once a cooperative labor economy can be quite a hard adjustment. Traditional villages relied on farming and building things from the resources in their surroundings, not so much as buying these things in exchange for cash. The relationship of the people whose economy has made a change over to a market economy has being strained. Instead of having a wholesome conversation, the overall tone of the conversations/ arguments has shifted toward the issue of money. I wouldn’t say that a new money based economy made them dependent on things they didn’t know existed; it just made them dependent on things that didn’t require the exchange of money then but now is impossible to acquire without the use of money.

I do believe the Ladakh were better off before the introduction of money. Money is becoming increasingly important in society and it has turned us all into money hungry individuals. To be free of all the troubles that currency causes is relieving. As a traditional village, they were able to provide for themselves and knew exactly where they were getting their resources. Now a part of the international money economy, their basic resources come from foreign lands. Just like American society where a market economy obviously makes the rich grow richer and the poor grow poorer, the same thing is evident in the Ladakh village and small cities.

The Global Village Finally Arrives

The sentence that I felt was an important piece in this essay was the quote that was said by the director general of UNESCO, Federico Mayor Zaragoza. He said “America’s main role in the new world order is not as a military superpower, but as a multicultural superpower.” America is not known for how fast our military can invade a country, but on how diverse we are as a nation. Many other nations are not as diverse as we are, not holding as many cultures or beliefs as the people in America hold. Countries overseas are using America as a model in order to diversify their nation as well.

For a while now in American society, we try to instill in each other and our children that diversity is a good thing. We try to convey the notion that everyone is equal, and also everyone’s culture and beliefs are just as important as another’s. Living in a multicultural society gives one a chance to experience new things and broaden their horizons. A negative aspect of living in a multicultural society is the possibility of their being a language barrier. When a lot of cultures come together and speak different languages, others may not be able to completely understand or attempt to understand their language. Adding onto the above stated negative aspect of a multicultural society is that there could be many contrasting ideas in cultures and beliefs that could ultimately lead to heated uproars, and in severe cases, bloody battles.

HW #6- Globalization of Eating Disorders and Macho Men

Globalization of Eating Disorders

In a society based on body image and appearance we can’t help but to compare ourselves to those around us and people in the media. As a part of American culture, women are portrayed on the television screens and billboards as very slender and sleek. In turn, I do not see that body image as the only way a woman should look. I can say that I am influenced by the people that are mostly around me, where they do not seem to be overly obsessive about their body image. Most people that I have encountered at home in Philly have a full shape and are content with themselves. At most, the change in body shape would include being more shapely instead of stick thin.

I do believe the American culture have different body image standards for both men and women. The trend in women body image used to be thin with absolutely no shape or visible fat, but now and days many people are turning towards a curvier figure. I say this because a lot of women are getting breast implants and butt injections to enhance their figures. Marilyn Monroe is a supermodel known for having a curvy figure aside from the thin models that were glorified during her time. The expectation of a man’s body in America is more of a chiseled, muscular figure. A man is seen as more masculine if he has more defined muscles and less of man if his muscles don’t bulge out of his shirt. Male models are perfect examples of how American culture views the ideal male. Try looking at a body builder magazine or a model for Calvin Klein and then at the average male and see who is glorified more.

 

 

Macho Men Visit the Doctor Less

When I think of the term masculine my mind tends to drift toward an image of a man with a body builder physique, maybe with a few good looking girls at his side. Although this is my primary thought of the word “masculine” I also know that the word does not only deal with physical traits, it can also be a mental thing. Masculinity in a mental way, I believe, is what a man thinks his role is in society. For instance, the traditional “Masculine” man holds onto the notion that he should be the primary bread winner and provider; that he is stronger physically and emotionally than women, or even that he is invincible. Masculinity is not a term only used for men; women can be described as quite masculine too. Any woman that exhibits a quality that a man should have, or acts like a man in anyway is considered to be masculine.

American males are pressured to act masculine mostly from old traditions. Conservative people view men as the strong ones, who can complete any task on their own without help; they are strong minded, and strong willed. A masculine man should never feel or be put into vulnerable situations, which takes us back to the text as to why “masculine” rarely go see doctors. Back in the day, men would work and tend to the hardships of the day, while the women would stay at home tending to the domestic affairs. Another way American males are pressured to act masculine is because of the media. The media portrays men as these sex symbols that have string of several girls at his feet. When men witness this on television, they see that as the way a man’s life should be. A guy that can get girls can also be looked at as masculine in American culture.

Homework #4- New Politics of Consumption

This economy’s culture has become so materialized that everyone wants the latest gadget, or the next best thing. This society is based on who can afford what, and if you can’t afford or do not have a gadget, like an iPod you are looked down upon and even talked about. People tend to isolate others that are not in the same class as them. The technology that is coming out now is rising in prices, yet majority of the people cannot find jobs to purchase these expensive items.

I believe if the average salaries of the American population were to increase to a more reasonable income it would ease the problem that I stated above but not eliminate it. There will always be a number of people in American who will make much more, salary wise, than some others. However, with the new rise in average income people will most likely take advantage of the act that they are gaining more money. That means going over board to buy more material items because they think it is easily affordable now.

One societal factor that encourages “competitive consumption” would be the ability to “keep up” with your identified reference group. If a group that one person may identify him/herself with is able to spend their money on certain goods and services, than chances are that person would want to have that same opportunity to have exactly what they have. They would compare themselves to others that belonged to the same social class, driving a wedge between people who lived in the same community. Another societal factor would be the idea of inequality where the share of wealth was only controlled by a small percentage of the population. Therefore, the wealthier people were doing an excessive amount of spending.

Because of “competitive consumption” I always want the newest gadget or new clothes, even when I’m fully aware that new item may not be in my or my parent’s budget because I do not belong to an upper middle class family. The things that I am able to or not able to buy gives people an idea of what social class I belong to.  Overall, because the majority of my friends live in the same area that I do, it is possible that they may feel or go through the same thing that I go through when it comes to spending. For example, whenever I go to the mall with my friends we cannot excessively spend money, we have to budget ourselves and most times we can’t buy all the items that we may want. Whereas, a person that belongs to an upper middle class family may have the privilege of buying almost all the things that they desire.

Homework #3- Moral Machines

Each year that passes by, society becomes more technologically advanced than the previous year. With every new invention there are glitches that need to be rectified but how often are those glitches fatal? The event concerning the cannon in South Africa was indeed catastrophic, but the number of technological fatalities should not occur that often. If the number of catastrophic incidents were to increase in technology more and more over time the public would eventually fear the use of these inventions and their possible glitches, leading to the possible slowdown of technological supply and demand.

Yes, technology is evolving rather quickly but the invention of an Artificial Intelligence that has morals and can reason on its own is absurd. How can one program morals into an object? We as humans and even animals are actual living creatures so we tend to have these capabilities. An Artificial Intelligence that has the ability to think and decipher between right and wrong based on emotions just goes against everything I believe to make humans, or animals ourselves. It’ll make me think that, if a person wanted a desired emotion or ability that they didn’t possess, could we seek help to program it into our brains?

As the talk of developing artificial intelligence arises, one can’t ignore the positives and negatives of these elaborate inventions. I’ll start with the negatives because those are more obvious to me. One negative to developing an artificial intelligence for certain tasks is that it can put millions of people out of work. They mentioned that they could program these machines to care for the homebound and the elderly; whereas, many people already have this as a career. The excessive use machines doing what was once a person’s job saves the company large amounts of money simply because robots don’t need paychecks. Another negative would be the amount of money put in to develop these machines. This country is already struggling economy wise as it is. To develop an artificial intelligence will require a lot of government funding that this country cannot afford at the moment. In addition to the AI’s (Artificial Intelligence) taking care of the elderly as a negative aspect, it can also be looked at as a positive aspect. Some of the elderly and homebound are neglected and have no one to care for them. Using these machines as aids to them could be very beneficial.

My family has always owned a computer since the time I was very little, on account that my father works with them. Throughout the years of owning a computer I can see the significant changes of each computer we owned. Back in day of “ancient” computers, internet access was much slower than it is today. Being faithful owners of computers with Windows software I can attest to the witnessing of the “blue screen of death”, as Dr. Dories puts it. If you have ever owned an old Windows computer, you’d know that too many blue screens constitute that computer as trash heap.

Homework 2- Morality

At the beginning of the article “The Moral Instinct” I initially listed Mother Theresa as the most admirable and Norman Borlaug as the least admirable, and Bill Gates took the spot right in the middle. Mother Theresa has always been the epitome of a saint, while Norman Borlaug is not necessarily widely known, or at least I didn’t know who he was. As the author gets into details about the works of Mother Theresa, Bill Gates and Norman Borlaug, I realized that my opinions did slightly change. I came to the conclusion that all of these people are equally admirable in their own light. I believe there cannot be an effective ranking of who’s more admirable because it will merely be an opinion.

There are plenty of admirable people who live today. In my opinion, Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama are two very admirable people who are alive today. Oprah Winfrey is known not only for having a talk show and being one of the richest people in America, but she is also notable for her philanthropy and charitable works. She has helped thousands of students get through college and is known for opening up a girls’ school in South Africa called the “Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls”. Barack Obama is a person to be admired because he has broken a huge barrier. We all know that Barack Obama is the first African-American president of the United States, and that is something to truly admire. He became president of this country in the middle of economic struggles and is trying his best to rebuild the economy. Obama is even running for his 2nd term in office. You have to love his perseverance!

By choosing Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama as admirable people it tells me what traits I look for in a particular person in order for them to be considered admirable. Helping people in general is a good moral trait and those who exhibit that trait are considered admirable to me.

In a sense, morality is a universal standard that we all live by. For example, most of us will agree that killing is beyond wrong, or helping somebody up when they fall is right. As young children we learn the differences between right and wrong, and those morals are put to the test when we go out into the world by ourselves, whether if it’s going to school or looking for a job. On the other hand, there can different variations of moral standards between cultures. For instance, we can all agree that killing and committing other crimes is wrong, but in some cultures if a crime that was committed is large enough then the doer of the crime can face some harsh punishments, like the death penalty. The death penalty is still killing right? So therefore shouldn’t it be considered a bad moral? Well, in some cultures the person committed of a crime should face the same infliction of pain as they inflicted upon others.

Haidt believed that there were 5 themes of morality that were overall universal and those themes include harm, fairness, community or group loyalty, authority and purity. The order of importance between these themes differs between cultures. Americans may rank group loyalty as the most important moral theme because people belonging to the same social group or community almost have an obligation to stick by one another. I say obligation because those who turn their backs on people similar to themselves are automatically deemed a trader or backstabber and no one wants to be shunned.