Nate Ritterbush

After reading the article on nacirema I couldn?t believe that there was a group of people who thought that they needed to cause this much pain to each other in order to be cleansed. Then after reading the next part of our assignment and rereading the article I got a good chuckle. It?s amazing how accustomed a culture can get to ritual and see it as an everyday thing. The article showed me that there are so many different cultures and people and that in order to appreciate them we have to try and realize that there are other ways of living and the culture that you live in isn?t necessarily the right one. Gardners list further hits home this message and it deals with how people learn. People have different strong points and in order to reach these types of learners it is important to structure information or experiences that can reach as many of the intelligence?s as possible. All of the definitions helped give words to many ideas and thoughts that are often observed. I liked how the reading told about how people can be members of many cultures and in micro cultures. I would think that if everybody stopped and looked at all their micro cultures they might realize that although people can be very different they still can have similar ideas and practices. Through this commonality we should be able to be much more receptive to new ideas and to contrasting ideas.

Marlyn Anderson

I think too often we think of culture as representing a large group of people and fail to recognize that various cultures can exist within the greater whole. If culture is recognized as a learned behavior, then it is possible that I belong to more than one culture. Culture is broader than ethnicity or religious affiliations, it encompasses all of our behaviors that link us to a collective group. Nacirema, which spells American backwards, was an interesting article. It opened my eyes to the fact that my normal routine can sound so strange and "sadistic". The author forces the reader to analyze his/her own behaviors. It is easy to judge other cultural practices as strange and wrong just because they are different. The challenging part is trying to understand one's own behaviors before judging others. Aesthetic Education: I find the whole idea of multiple intelligences to be very interesting. I agree that everyone has different learning styles and preferences. Multiple Intelligences allows the learner to explore culture through a variety of contexts and does not limit him/her to a defined course. Therefore, a "cultured" person has a greater understanding of the culture because he/she has experienced it through music, art, movement, words, etc.

Charlene Reid

This is a very interesting and helpful article to understand the definition of culture as it relates to this class on diversity and also, briefly as the word is used to mean something else by scientists and educators. But to an anthropologist, it is "learned behavior acquired by individuals as members of a social group"(Charles Wagley). This ideas of it being learned behavior makes a lot more sense than it being genetic. I believe that children inherit tendencies from their parents, but this would not apply to the culture that they grow up in. I do agree that the Anglo based US culture does tend to view all people alike and that the dominant culture is considered superior by the members of the dominant culture so why bother to worry about other cultures and their challenges. It is easy to ingnore other people/cultures problems with racism and prejudice when you haven't been a victim yourself. I also agree with the statement made regarding povery. We do associate many cultures with poveery because that is where we have seen most of these groups. Comments on "Body Ritual among the Nacirema" When I first saw this article as part the assignment I briefly glanced at it and began to wonder where in the world were these people from and why hadn't I heard about them before. I got through the first three paragraphs and was interrupted. At that time I was thinking that I wasn't looking forward to finishing this article because it seems to be about body mutilation or something. Later as I was re-reading the instructions about the on-line readings, I realized that Nacirema was spelled backwards and the artlcle was about Americans. I had a little chuckle then and found the description of this particular culture, according to Horace Miner, rather humorous indeed. I think Miner wrote this article to awaken in people the necessity of being open minded about other cultures. The habits and customs of the Nacirema's seem extremely unusual as described in the article, even though when you know who the article is really talking about, all of those ritual's, etc., seem very reasonable and necessary. Well, that is how many cultures think and feel about the rituals, ceremonies, customs involved in their culture. They feel they are necessary and there are good reasons for doing things the way they do in their culture. I think that the dominant culture in the U.S. is misunderstood a lot by other cultures. I think for the most part the average Anglo-American wants all people to be treated fairly and have just as much opportunity to be happy, educated and have monetary means as they have. However, it is very competitive in the dominant culture, even between those belonging to the dominant culture. Comments on Aesthetic Education The arts do familiarize and educate us to appreciate various cultures. Words alone are inadequate to learn or appreciate a culture. Comments on multiple intelligence I have not previously been exposed to this concept before. I had only heard of it. People do learn in different ways and this needs to be considered when assessing how intelligent someone is. This helps educators in the teaching process and when working with students from various cultures. It would be interesting to know more about the subject.

Jon Connor Self

I feel that the readings of this unit are intended to change the perspective in which we view our own culture. Particularly as a white male, I find myself often assuming that my culture is the culture that everybody else lives in, rather than taking a more relativist approach, which is often more appropriate. However, the dictionary, the Nacirema article, and the multiple intelligences article brings up ideas that you cannot effectively evaluate or critically think about a culture without first thinking about it within that culture's particular context. One of the first tenets of psychology is that behaviors are purposeful and serve functions. Why should the tenets of a culture be any different, or interpreted as wrong or irrational? There are a couple problems brought up by these articles though. First is the question of cultural relativism in a multicultural society. If we are all to function under the same body of laws as one people, it becomes increasingly difficult (although not impossible) to maintain such an open belief system. Secondly, theories such as gardner's multiple intelligences give unique perspective, but there is little evidence pointing to the utility of his theories. How can these issues be resolved?

Karen L. Fitzgerald

Culture: I found this article both informative and interesting. The part I'd like to write a little about is the part about the mono-culture perspective. As I stated in the intro-story about myself, I really haven't considered it a priority to study my ethnic background. This article made me realize why that might be. It says that “having never been the victim of racism and prejudice, they can dismiss the importance of cultural differences.” I realize that I am one of those people. I have not faced racism or prejudice. Thus I have easily dismissed the importance of cultural differences. Through my studies in this class and others in the Teachers College at UNL, I am realizing more and more how rich these cultural differences are and how worthwhile they are to examine and celebrate. Also, I realize that I, too, am a member of various micro-cultures that are also worthwhile (i.e., middle-class SES, female, left-handed, single-parent family…).

Nacimera: I realized immediately that this was America spelled backwards. The things the author chose to write about are mostly about personal appearance and hygiene. I guess I would fall under the category of a Nacimeran since I find these things pretty important, especially hygiene. Until I read this article, I hadn't really considered these things to be odd, and that someone of another culture would be completely perplexed by them. It opened my eyes to realize that people of other cultures may not understand many American rituals (like going to the dentist). It goes to show that no matter how “normal” a people of one culture thinks they are, there's another culture that'll think you're completely abnormal!

M.I.: Throughout my coursework in the Teachers College, there has been a lot of discussion about multiple intelligences. Just the other day, I was able to rate my own intelligences and was surprised to find that, according to this particular test, intrapersonal was my highest. When in my practicum settings, I am always trying to figure out students’ intelligences. It is usually difficult. While I find this approach potentially helpful in trying to help students learn, I haven't figured out away to effectively determine, then cater to, each individual student's intelligence. If anybody has any suggestions that they've either considered or actually used, I'd be thrilled to hear about them.

Kasey D. Kerber

I found all the articles to be interesting, but I was especially captivated by Horace Miner's "Nacirema." The entire presentation of our society as one concerned with outward appearances, using "magic" to try to preserve it (such as vials in medicine cabinets) was quite fascinating. I thought the commentary was a brilliant way to show that even the things we Americans do without a second thought could be looked at in a cultural context by an outsider. It also makes me think twice about all the different documentaries I've watched about other cultures- whether it be the ancient Mayans or the South American rain forest tribes of today. While we look critically at some aspects of their culture, like piercings, tattoing, scarring or disfiguring- they might look at our culture as trying to cheat time with the use of evil potions. I was also intrigued by the readings dealing with behaviors. I remember learning about this (slightly) in a few psychology courses, but never more than a few paragraphs was ever dedicated to the subject. I definitely agree that behavior is shaped by others' perceptions of our actions. The diagram showed this very well, I thought. For example, if a child says something contradictory to her parent's or society's religion, a swift round of reprimanding will shape that child's future behavior. As far as questions are concerned, I was slightly confused by the very bottom of the behavior formation diagram. There is an arrow pointing to the left, stating "in the presence of others." I was completely stumped on how this fit in with the rest of the diagram. All I could think of was that the behaviors formed are done so in the presence of others. Is this correct? (Ed note: Separate Behaviors are learned in separate groups. You behave in one way at work and another way at home and another way among friends, No?) Well, these are my primary thoughts after examining the readings of Unit 1. I'm unsure of whether I've spoken enough or whether I need to write some more. Please advise me if I need to examine the readings in further detail, as I'll be happy to do so.

Dan Shafer

Unit 1 Culture is a strange thing to think about. While we so often think of a culture as a people group, that may only be a part of the picture. Inside each group there are the smaller class, different cultures that thrive within themselves. More interesting yet is to think that as a person learns new behavior, they may change their own culture with those behavior, or start a culture of their own if some but not all follow in their footsteps. Nacirema was an interesting read. Confusing until the end, I left it still wanting, unsure of the purpose, and yet intrigued by the lifestyles shown. As a new teacher, I have been hit over the head with information on Multiple Intelligences. As a teacher I am constantly aware that not all students learn alike and that in order to meet the needs of all students, a variety of teaching strategies are needed. Currently all areas of intelligence must be subject to each other in the learning environment so that all students are addressed in some fashion. This represents a the positive role of the teacher as we learn to address specific learning needs of all students. >From Behavior Formation "Beliefs: accepted assumptions and convictions presumed to be valid but without evidence of validity; based on reputation, tradition but not necessarily logic or scientific proof" I found myself questioning this definition as I read it. Especially since I consider myself a scientist, it is interesting that the definition assumes that scientific proof is valid. (Considering that much of scientific proof is based on theory or speculation, much of science proof must be a belief in itself.) The other problem presented by this definition is a question, "Who then can say what the evidence of validity is?" Especially if the validity cannot be directly reproduced.

Jean Wright - Unit One Culture –

The definitions contained in this article are exactly what I think of when I use or hear the word culture. I hadn’t thought about culture as being a learned behavior, but it makes total sense now that I have read the article. I might need to find another article to read about one of the examples given, because I had never heard about this. The article says,” For example, we find some physical ailments of humans exclusive to particular cultures.” Interesting! The comment in the section of monoculture perspective from Springs book, “Largely through cultural isolation and avoidance of unfamiliar cultures, the American Euro centric culture is maintained. As Joel Spring points out in The Intersection of Cultures: "having never been the victim of racism and prejudice, they can dismiss the importance of cultural differences ..." There is a tendency to view all people alike and play down differences which, in turn, gives the concept of diversity a negative connotation." Eek! This is me. Some of the links about multiculturalism lead to articles that talked about the backlash US Muslims are receiving. I am not talking about the articles about true hate crime, but comments people made that offended the Muslim people. When I read these I thought about how the things people say can be offensive, but they do not even know it and they certainly do not mean harm in it. It is hard to understand the feelings of racism if you haven’t experienced it. I am continuously offended by what people say about the military, but I have to remember they have not lived the life and they do not know what they are talking about. >From the outside it is hard to understand. Lately whenever I hear newscasters talk about all the training the military is doing to prepare for the war I get irritated. My husband has been in the Navy for 16 years and they are always training, drilling, and preparing for wartime situations. Their job is to be prepared. It is not something they are just doing now because of the situation. People who make these comments have no idea that it is irritating, and yet it is. I think the same thing is often happening today. I know many people are saying bad things and they do mean harm, but many others are offending simple because of their ignorance of the culture. I often wish I had a strong connection with another culture, with traditions, language and music of my own. When I see people dancing in the clothing of their people with their music playing I feel they are very lucky to have that heritage to pull them together.

Nacirema - I didn’t really like reading this article. Nacirema leaves me feeling uneasy because I see the faults in my life and in our culture. I do not like the way we (I) are so concerned about looks, and the way we appear to others. I like the way other cultures value the old people with the worn out bodies, hair, and faces. This is a reminder to focus on the important things in life and try to ignore many of the things that waste our time.

Aesthetic education – I am very interested in the area of multiple intelligences. I bought a book by Howard Gardner this summer, but have not had the time to look at it just yet.

Behavior formation – I hadn’t thought about it like this before, but now that I see the chart I believe it is true.

Jean Wright (Part I of II)

Comments on Chapter one: I finished the readings for Unit one, but before writing my comments I felt the need to go back and comment about chapter one in The Intersection of Cultures. This chapter left me feeling confused and unsure about my opinions on the goals of a multicultural education. I am a Caucasian stay at home mom, and my husband has his master’s degree. We are upper middle class. I am embarrassed to say I have never thought too hard about the differences in earning depending on your race and sex. My husband is military and the pay chart is the same for everyone. However, most of the navy officers I know are indeed white males. This whole chapter was a bit of a shock to me. The sections about the power elite and their culture were very interesting to read. I was naive enough to think any well-educated person could be successful. The fact that they need to have light skin color and adopt the white elite culture is definitely disturbing to me. I am glad to be taking this class to learn more about how to deal with a multicultural classroom.

Paul Davis

Nacirema: The fact that this article was written in 1956, when we were much less of a consumer society amazes me. Madison Ave was a relatively new industry, and the incredible power of television had not taken hold yet. I question from what culture is his point of view is from. It appears to be Native American. While it is easy to criticize the amount of time spent on hygiene and beauty, I would argue that every culture since the dawn of man has had an ideal of beauty, both male and female. I suggest this is simply a function of biology, however, the exact ideal becomes a cultural, learned ideal. The private rituals that he refers to taking place in the "shrine" are learned cultural behaviors as well. There are many norms that people follow, and throughout the course of history they have changed from time to time. (Hairstyles, facial hair, make-up styles, etc.). I'm not sure if the Prof was trying to create a piece of light humor, biting satire, or scathing indictment. Probably it is a combination of all. I think the lesson from it, if you allow yourself to understand it, is that from another point of view we are aliens! Many of our everyday actions, both personally and professionally, would seem very unnecessary and perhaps counterproductive from another (Native American) point of view. I can certainly identify with the article, since I have never understood some of the same "rituals" as the author. I also believe that in 1956, most Americans would not have understood this essay at all, and if they had they would have been outraged. Today, I think our attitudes toward diversity are much better, however we have a long way to go. Since much of our attitudes and beliefs are formed by the media, I think many of them are inaccurate. It seems that in order to REALLY understand another culture we need personal exposure, and for many this is impossible. Why? Well, we like to stay within our comfort zones, we are unable to travel, and we rely on the media and "elders" to provide answers for us. It is easier that way. I also think that many other cultures could have the same problems when assessing us. However, much of their analysis is probably accurate, since our culture is preoccupied with things and their creation. I think most other cultures believe that American culture is more focused on the individual rather than the group, and that is very accurate I believe. Unfortunately, I can't think of any misconceptions held by others about us. Any ideas they get from us comes directly from us, since we have been very forceful in flaunting our culture in the face of others.

Behavior Formation: My only comment on this is that as a civilization becomes more "advanced", I see the possiblity that beliefs may become shaped more by media rather than community leaders. Example: the U.S. is based on the Judeo-Christian ideals of the Bible and Ten Commandments, the norms set out in the Constitution (the rule of Law), and the accumulated knowledge of the sciences. The media can elevate conventional wisdom (opinion repeated often enough that it is presumed to be fact) . Unfortunately, many believe that if they see it on TV, or read it in the newspaper it must be true.

Intelligence: The issue of multiple intelligence is a "hot button" for me personally. My background is psychology, and I have done much research of Myers-Briggs and Keirsey models of personality theory and how they relate to intelligence. Without getting into an in-depth analysis of these issues, I will just say that there is no question in my mind that each of us has been given certain gifts of intelligence, and it is imperative that we recognize these differences. I think it is vitally important for the education establishment to allow the innate gifts of everyone to be developed. Yes, I think intelligence is innate, and it is developed by the interactions we have with our environment. It seems silly that educationally we attempt to force people into boxes in which they don't fit. Yes, I believe we all have a box that we fit in, just don't force us all to be the same. What a boring world it would be !

Aesthetic Education I agree absolutely that the arts become the methods by which a culture transmits norms, beliefs, etc. to other cultures, and also to educate younger members of its culture. The arts can truly define a culture (by its abundance or lack thereof). Art is an expression of the soul, whether it be in the form of music, dance,drama, literature, athletics, painting, etc. When a cultures art becomes oppressed or prostituted for money, I believe it symbolizes a threat to that culture, either from within or outside. Some would argue that art is leisure, and worthless to pursue. I disagree. Art is an expression of humanity - its good, bad and ugly. If art, and its appreciation becomes expendable (such as during the Nazi reign) culture itself is doomed to fail.

Cultural Terms:

Cultural relativism - Yes there are no good and bad cultures, butI don't think many people act under this assumption. Many believe that if it is DIFFERENT -it must be bad. However, I think we can agree that ALL cultures have certain common ideals (Bible, Koran, etc.) that relate to humanity. A big issue is the treatment of women. Many Eastern cultures treat women as inferior. Is this wrong? We would say yes.

Transmission of culture - Art is a leading transmitter of culture I believe, and obviously the educational systems and institution of a societyas well transmit culture.

Cultural diffusion - Man is very pragmatic, and will easily diffuse aspects of a different culture if it will be useful in his culture.

Intro: Culture

The biggest point that I took from this intro is that I think there are several reasons why we have culture clashes in the U.S., and they all relate to the ideals and norms which we have fostered, and are the basis of our culture.

1) The Bible, and it's message of the Ten Commandments,

2) The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the basic freedoms of all of our citizens. Because of these two, our country has been more open than any other the world has ever seen. While our founders were Anglo-European, they built our country on the foundation of the 2 things listed above. Because of these tenets, people from around the globe have flocked to the U.S. - because they are free to bring their culture with them. I believe we must do a better job of educating all citizens of these ideals that our country was founded upon and must continue in order to survive.

Di Kitterer

I find it fascinating that numerous factors influence and contribute to cultural developments in societies. Culture includes various aspects in our lives, such as beliefs, morals, perceptions, philosophies of knowing, education, the arts, fashion, food, etc. From readings and personal experience we become aware of cultural differences that exist within an area or region, although there may be some similarities between the groups. A point made in the culture of poverty segment of the readings states the existence of universal cultural. I wonder if this universaltality only concerns poverty or if there are other universal cultural traits. Maybe altruistic feelings and behavior are universal. Or altruism may be genetic or innate. Because different cultural groups exist within a single society, I believe it is necessary to become aware and accepting of other cultures. We do not have to adopt other cultural traits or adapt our own culture to achieve this understanding and acceptance. I believe it is important to educate ourselves and others as to how and why cultures develop, especially if we are to learn to cooperate and live with others. If we are not aware of the different cultures and able to develop acceptance and understanding of people who are different from us, then how are we going to get along and be at peace with one another? People behave in a particular fashion for a reason. Cultural traits don't just pop up out of the blue. Some people who do not understand a culture may think that the people of that culture are odd. Such are the views and attitude expressed in the Nacirema article. However, if we take the time to figure out the reasons behind the behavior, then this may help us to understand the culture of another society. Another point I find interesting from the articles and readings is cultural diffusion. Cultural diffusion is increasing because of technology and communication according to the reading. I agree with this point. An example of cultural diffusion may be the effects of western media on eastern cultures. I see the effects everyday here in Tokyo, especially with the younger generations. Their dress, speech, and attitude has changed from the typical Japanese culture. People from the older generation complain about the cultural differences in the young Japanese. (Although, it seems that a lot of older generations from all sorts of cultures complain about the younger generations.) Wagley points to an exception to cultural diffusion, "A political system, a religion, or an ideal of what is beautiful, however, is more resistant to diffusion than are the material aspects of a culture." This statement reminds me of a movie that came out in the early 80's, "The Gods Must be Crazy." It is about the bushmen in the Kalahari, Africa who find a coke bottle. The bottle is the one and only object they have been exposed to from the modern world. They are fascinated with the bottle at first and find various uses for it, however they soon believe it is evil because it has introduced a want, need, feelings of jealousy and contempt for one another over something they never needed before. It is an excellent movie which completely supports Wagley's statement. I highly recommend the movie. :-)

J Ortgies

Culture: The concept of culture is intriguing. I found the issue of culture and poverty to be thought-provoking, particularly the statement, "It can be difficult for many to distinguish between the culture of poverty and the culture of a particular racial or ethnic group if one only has experience with the particular racial or ethnic group in poverty." How true! We don't often consider poverty to create a culture in and of itself. It is very easy to stereotype individuals based on our own experiences, rather than allowing them to be who they are.

Nacirema: This article was interesting also. Considering that it was written in 1956, it points out several traits of our own culture that were characteristic at that time. It is interesting, too, how much of the article still reflects our values today. Clearly, our preoccupation with appearances and body image are probably even more exaggerated today. I think it can be helpful to "step outside" of our culture in order to question our beliefs and to better understand how our own culture influences us.

Laurel Maslowski

I thought the readings were interesting, especially the Nacirema article. I've taken some classes that deal with the issue of culture and I find it fascinating how the word culture is defined so broadly. Our reading described it as "learned behavior acquired by individuals as members of a social group." According to an article entitled "Whiteness as an 'Unmarked' Cultural Category" (Frankenburg), culture is the set of rules and practices by which a group organizes its values, manners and worldview. Are values the same thing as culture? Can a person have American values but view themselves as part of the Middle Eastern culture? Does stopping at a red light, which I use in the context of a learned behavior, define my culture? Defining culture as a learned behavior is important, because too often people assume an inherent, biological difference exists between people of different cultures, which facilitates dismissing "others and their culture" as either unimportant or inferior. But is defining it as a learned behavior enough? I think combining both definitions is important. Culture is a set of learned behaviors, rules, and practices by which a group organizes its worldview. A groups constructs its worldview through values, customs, and traditions. And I think the Nacirema article is a good example of a worldview. From the writer's worldview, "our culture" was sadistic. And s/he would base his/her worldview on the values, customs, and traditions that were transmitted and then subsequently learned by her/him and accepted as proper rules and behavior. Actually looking back, neither of the definitions mentioned culture as being something accepted by individuals of a social group, which seems like an important aspect. Culture is transmitted, learned, and accepted. Without accpetance can a person be part of a culture

Erin Stutzman UNIT 1- Basic Concepts

Unlike a few of my classmates, I have never seen the Nacirema article before. I found it quite interesting in that it brings to light the fact that it is extremely easy to get wrapped up in our own cultural rituals and assume that other individuals of different cultures will also understand these rituals. In reality, this is not the case as they may have their own set of rituals that may appear funny to us. The term cultural relativism fits in quite nicely here to suggest that what is normal in one culture (brushing our teeth, going to the hospitals, etc.) may appear completely bizarre to people of another culture. This author does a nice job of showing this fact in an amusing way. The short exerts on Aesthetic education and multiple intelligences were also of value to me. Several good points were made in the aesthetic education article about teaching our children other cultures. For example, the author suggests using both words and the arts to teach various cultures to our young students, which is similar to how we teach our own culture t o our children. I believe this is an extremely good point and only makes perfect sense. How could we expect children to learn of different cultures without giving them all of the proper exposure? There is a large difference between reading about poverty and then being surrounded by it, or reading about African American culture, and being immersed in it including relevant art. I have heard many debates as to whether or not there is such a thing as multiple intelligences. When looking at it from a cultural standpoint, it makes sense to say that there are different ways in which one can be intelligent (as the article explains) however I have a few questions. How does one objectively measure which intelligence one has? Is it simply a judgment call by the teacher? I assume that one can have more than one type of intelligence but does not have to have them all? Can one’s intelligence shift from one area to another as they gain more life experience?

Craig Little

I especially like Gardener's readings on multiple intelligences. Being an educator I can see so many of the diffferent intelligences he refers to right in my classroom. I see kids with very good intrapersonal skills and some that don't have or haven't developmany at all. Of course the cultural environment they experience each day would be a huge variable. I see kids with great spatial knowledge that can picture things in their minds when we talk about more abstract things like space. Reading this article will help me think about my teaching modalities as they relate to culture. I really liked the article on Nacirema. What a cool way to look at our own culture. This is how we must look to people in cultures outside our own. Do I look like that? I thought to myself. I always considered American culture to be very advanced, why with all our money, technological advances, and such and we are still an immature culture in a lot of ways. We could learn from the aboriginees, they probably have much less stress and more inner peace.

Steve Block

One of the main points I took from this Unit is that culture is learned behavior. I guess I have never looked at it that way but it is very true. We learn it from our parents, friends and our surroundings. Many people are not fortunate enough to be able to travel to see many different cultures. You can read about them or see them on TV but being able to experience it first hand is the best lesson. I have been fortunate enough to travel to a couple of different countries and see very different cultures. One trip was to South America to Ecuador on a International Ag tour through UNL when working on my bachelors degree. We traveled into parts of the country into villages that have never seen outsiders. There was a young student from Kansas standing next to me as we just arrived to one of these villages and I could tell he was very nervous. I asked him what was wrong and he said they were staring at us. I them asked him what are you doing and he replied "I am watching them". I said "In other words you are staring at them to, right" and he gave me this funny look. Two totally different cultures have met for the first time and each thought the other was very odd. The Nacirema article was worded in the way that one of these people saw our culture. That's why Miner wrote it that way to let us know how others cultures see our culture. Very interesting articles and looking forward to continuing on.

Robin Furmanski

I have a couple of thoughts on the Nacirema article. It was interesting to get an outside view of our culture and what appears to be our eccentricities. These eccentricities are often essential to a culture but look and sound odd to different cultures. I can identigy with this article because I am a total Nacirema when it comes to dental hygiene and my dad is a "holy-mouth-man." I failed to identify with "women baking their heads in small ovens" however. This article really helps in illustrating how other cultures might view US culture. I think having mirrors is pretty commonplace, but I never thought that that might seem strange to people. I think there are misconnceptions about our culture, such as Spring's assertation that our cultre is controlled by white, Christian men. Culture being define as, in one sense, "to mean a whole way of life -- the common meanings" is passed down from generation to generation primarily by women of all races and religiions. According to most the the students' ethnic stories, their mothers or grandmothers had handed down cultural traditions. According to Tylor, bulture may include ". . . beliefs, . . . morals, . . . customs: and this is what students had described as their cultural heritage. I am a little confused by the statistic on page 10 of "Intersection". Spring states that a male with a Masters degree earns $71,225/yr while a female with a Masters degree makes only $38,337/yr. I think it would be more fair to compare within a field of study rather than a degree. And, can I just say, "Right on!" to E. Gosier, author of "When it comes to mental health. . ." from the St. Petersburg Times. Holding a BA in psychology and working at the Regional Center for a year, I attest to the fact that more culture awareness training is needed in that field. In my 4 years of study, this topic only came up once!!

Susan Mohorn Nacirema article:

I think that he wrote the article with the intention of making people realize how much they prejudge other cultures without trying to gain an understanding of why they behave and believe the way they do. THe article makes you realize that other people could look at our culture and see our beliefs and actions as very strange because they don't understand why we do what we do. Often times we probably do the same to other cultures. It makes you realize that you need to be more open to trying to understand why they do what they do and that even if they do something different from us, it doesn't make it wrong, it's just different and usually stems from a lack of understanding. Personally I can identify with this article as there are many things in my life for which I think that I'm misunderstood by others, everything from the way I eat to not letting my toddler watch television. I think there will always be certain misconceptions about others if people aren't willing to learn about the other person's culture and belief system and most importantly try to understand why they believe what they do. Our actions stem directly from our world-view and the things we believe about life. Being able to understand what someone else is thinking helps you to understand why they behave the way they do. I think the concept of cultural relativism is interesting. On one hand the definition is saying we can't say that one culture is better or worse than another but in everything that I've read so far, the comments about the white, eurocentric culture are negative. While they might not actually be placing a judgement on the white culture, they seem to be predominately focusing on only the negative aspects of that particular culture and on only the positives of some others, like Native American. It seems to me that there is a tendancy in mc education to vilify the white, eurocentric history and culture and to romantacize other minority cultures as a way to invert the balance of power. For example, if textbooks of the past focused on Eurocentric information, the new ones will be Afro-centric or women centered. To me, this is just shifting from one bias to another. We're saying that the dominant culture is evil because they have dominated others. If we move to a society where the dominated are the dominant culture then we have only reversed the roles of power. As things are now, it seems like we're saying having a dominant culture is bad, so creating a different dominant culture doesn't make things better for everybody, only some, which is what we're saying is part of the problem with the current dominant, only some benefit. Again, if we're just shifting the power balance, we're not actually dealing with the greater source problem of a) creating a pluristic society where everyone is respected and treated equally and b) where there is reconciliation between the various races. Shifting the balance of power between dominant cultures will perpetuate the differences and anger between the different cultures/races/etc. Also, about relativism, Hitler believed that for national unity they should exterminate the entire Jewish population, how can we say that it is ok for him to believe that and that I just don't agree with it personally, but I can't make any sort of moral judgement against that because everybody's beliefs are equal, just different? I don't think that multiculturalism really is relativistic, we're saying that we need to educate against hate, prejudice, intolerance, etc. If other people harbor hate or prejudice as part of their world view on what basis are you making that moral judgement that they way they believe is wrong? There is some sort of external absolute standard that is being applied that allows one to say hate and prejudice are wrong. (By the way, I agree that hate and prejudice are wrong, I'm not defending that belief system, I'm just trying to say I don't think that I don't think that multicultrulism is really realivistic, I think it is applying some sort of higher external absolute standard).

Paula Lange

I read the articles with much interest. It is interesting to think about how rituals were/are established. I find myself, now that I have children, establishing our own "rituals," whether it be a certain ritual at bedtime or a new holiday tradition, so that when they are older they will have memories of those rituals. I've kept some of the ones I've had from my childhood, but also got rid of some I didn't like. Also, when looking at other cultures, such as when watching "the Discovery Channel" on other tribes in foreign countries, it is easy for me to judge that that a particular tribe may be substandard compared to people in the U.S. because of lack of dress, type of housing, no autos, etc., but I have to sit back and realize that this is their lifestyle and that this tribe is probably fairly content--this is the only life they know. I think the saying goes something like you don't miss what you don't have. When I was reading the section on cultural/genetic testing where, in order for a test to have more validity, comparative testing in a different native, cultural environment would be necessary, it's an interesting concept, but wouldn't the process be difficult to implement? See, to me, the words "different" and "native" when talking about cultures doesn't make much sense. It sounds contradictory. If you put people in a different, native environment, won't it essentially be putting them in basically the same type of environment they came from, therefore, testing would not be that much more reliable?? Or will it be more reliable based on doing the above?? "The Body Ritual Among the Nacirema" was funny. It's amazing how people here are so focused on their looks and, what for, when looks will all go away eventually as the body ages. Women and make-up is a classic example of persons who are so focused on what they look like. I'm not sure why Miner wrote this article other than to make us Naciremas look like total idiots. But when you look at rituals of the group as a whole and when rituals are scrutinized day after day, year after year, such as having a morning cup of coffee every day, it certainly does make one think about the beginnings of these rituals. But you could analyze every thing a person does day after day, minute after minute, and always wonder why you do what you do? But these rituals have been learned and have been passed down from generation to generation. We Naciremas, as the years have gone by, have had to become more open toward diversity. A lot of it stems from new rules and regulations imposed by government. Most of us are so opinionated that our opinion is the only one that matters--to us anyway. The media has certainly had a lot to do with our attitudes--we listen to what they say and either agree, disagree, etc. When a case is in the media--such as O.J. Simpson--we become judge and jury. It really is amazing.

Diane Reece

I thought this was a good background. The Nacirema reading was good. I think we all are guilty of making prejudgements without having a true picture. We make judgements based on our values or perceptions, which are made up of our past experiences. How dare we assume that everyone has those same experiences!!! I enjoyed the article on Culture too and related it to my experiences growing up in the southwest. Every so often I will encounter prejudices regarding the Hispanic culture. This is so hard to understand. But the lesson is for me is don't make judgements from the outside looking in, but don't judge until you can do so from the inside. I grew up with a respect for the Native Americans because I studied that culture and was exposed to many of the traditions. Regarding the other readings - I was first exposed to Gardner in a class I took last summer and this last school year, tried to implement some assignments, based on his theory. I believe that kids function differently intellectually. This will be interesting to relate to differences between cultural groups. I was excited to read about the recent interest in the arts to understand cultural diversity. My family is deeply involved in the arts; my husband is an ex-band instructor and both my children are very involved in music, art and drama. A great example also of this were the Indian pow-wows I mentioned earlier. Wow - what vivid expressions of what their culture believed in and valued. I am enjoying the readings - thanks

Angela Moore

I recognized the article, The Nacirema Page, from some years ago as an undergrad, so there was not the surprise ending as the first time. Tongue-in-cheek writing can elicit different responses - my is humor. I suppose to some our lifestyles are incomprehensible or bordering on insane. But it goes both ways. I enjoy listening or reading about foreign exchange students who are in their final month of staying. The "newness" of America has worn off and many are able to stand back and take stock of the idosyncricies of American (Midwest) life, both the good and the bad, according to the way they have been brought up. Miner could have written this to get people to look at their own lifestyles from another point of view. Things are not always what they first seem to be. I can identify with the article in a variety of ways and from both sides of the story.

[Other Thoughts, Comments & Questions] One misconception in my mind about culture is people tend to assume that a person must think only one way because of the culture you were brought up in or now live/work in. Why? The media portrayal of cultures tend to be one-dimensial; basic illiteracy and/or refusal to learn; or a "game of one-up-manship". Question: In the Intro to Culture, does Joel Springs in a Mono-culture Perspective believe that (all) "European-American...having never been the victim of racism and prejudice, they can dismiss the importance of cultural difference...." or is he saying that there are people like that in the world? I've read it a couple of different times and I come away with a different viewpoint each time. Is it a definition of Mono-culture Perspective or he is saying that European-Americans are that way? Another question: In the Transmission of Culture, Wagley states that all human behavior is entirely learned or drastically modified by social learning" If this is true what accounts for one person who was abused as a child turn into a child abuser as a adult and a different person with the same type of abuse turn into a child advocate? I know this is only one example, but I would like to understand his theory better. I enjoyed the articles of aesthetic education and multiple intelligence. Though when I taught school, I found it very difficult to "hit" all of the intelligences in order for each student to learn in my classroom. I agree that everyone learns differently; however, I also believe it is dangerous to assume that there is only one way a person can learn. High school students are also familiar with "multiple intelligences" and I had students tell me that they learn one certain way and anything else didn't work with them. Understanding that aesthetic education and multiple intelligences are only a tool, not a solution to me is an important concept to recognize. General observations The background you use in taking a different view affect the way you see a different culture. I look and react to culture differently when I wear my "teacher hat", my "parent hat", my "working hat", etc. etc. Of course an outside observer observes, they are still limited to their point of view and cultural bias for comparison. Yet, does that make them bad/racist? If I have never lived outside of Nebraska, do I need to apologize? I don't believe so. In visiting with a Spanish teacher, who teaches Spanish in a community with a high percentage of Mexicans/Hispanics, she said that the many of her students struggle to know their native language well enough to help them understand English. What becomes a priority?

Sara Moses

As I was reading the material for Unit 1, I found myself constantly analyzing my own perspective. I think that what perspective you take into a situation, and then what other perspectives you allow yourself to take, are what help you understand and accept cultures that are different from your own. The most obvious example is the story of the Nacirema. I had read the story about 6 years ago (in high school in a very rural town) and remember trying to figure out where these people with these strange rituals must live. This time as I read the story, I changed my perspective and of course, I understood it much better. I think it is easier in this case for me to change my perspective because it is my own culture. It was a good exercise in trying to understand how someone from another culture might perceive me. I've also noticed that lately as I am checking my perspective about another culture, I am also checking how someone from that culture might perceive me. I think this has allowed me to accept many other ideas, beliefs, attitudes, and behavior when I realize that my own ideas, beliefs, attitudes, and behavior may not be understood by someone else. This process was much easier for me to put into words after reading about the mono-culture perspective. I am trying to not allow myself to ease into this perspective. I think another example of taking a different perspective is represented with Gardner's definition of intelligence. He looked at the construct of intelligence and said that there are other elements that although were there, were not being examined. He shifted his view from process and content and allowed himself to understand intelligence from a different angle. Taking perspectives, I think, is based on your own individual experience. This idea fits with the definition of cultural relativism. The background that you use in taking a different view affects the way you see a different culture. The definition talked about the necessity of internal comparison when trying to understand a different culture. This makes me wonder whether we need to have a good understanding of our own culture first

Michael Hale

In the Introduction to Culture reading I was struck by the statement that "culture is learned". It's so basic and true yet people still shake their heads when a kid goes berzerk with a gun in some school. The middle school I work at had a bomb scare just before Christmas break. There have been two kids escorted from school because they threatened violence against another kid or kids. Where did they learn this? I've been back for over a year now from a year teaching in Ecuador and I'm still experiencing reverse-culture shock. I also relate very much to the native-american view of culture as stated in this reading. I recently read a book about native-american shamanic practices and was struck by the awesome potential of fostering a relationship with nature. The idea of "Cultural Relativism" has always been confusing to me in terms of observation. How is it possible to see another culture through their eyes? It's an ideal that can't possibly be experienced. No matter how the outside observer observes, they are still limited to their point of view and cultural bias for comparison. Even an inside observer has their own bias that can only distort their objective view of their culture. I understand the concept and agree with it but I don't understand how you can objectively observe another culture or your own without personal and cultural bias clouding it. I got a kick out of the "Nacirema" reading. I especially enjoyed the section on the "holy-mouth-men". I had visions of Steve Martin's character in the movie "Little Shop of Horrors". The article was interesting to me because it used humor to point out some of the more mundane and even rediculous things we do as a culture. The reverse culture shock I've been experiencing was temporarily relieved after reading this article. We are "magic-ridden people" with need for a little dose of introspection. When Malinowski said, "the function of all cultural institutions is to fulfill biological and psychological needs", did he have spirituality in mind also? Aesthetic Education is a very important concept to me. My reason for being in education relates to this idea that arts are an integral tool in education and understanding. I believe I learned so much about Chinese culture in the short time I was there because I constantly sought out different forms of artistic expression. Gardner's Multiple Intelligences definition is very interesting to me. It's already giving me new insight into how to tailor the lesson plans we use with our funtional life skills students. It seems so straight forward and obvious that people learn and think in these different ways. How does this relate to standardized tests, I wonder? I've always felt that the SAT and ACT are geared towards a very specific intelligence. I identify most closely with the musical, interpersonal and naturalist intelligences. I'm also extremely curious about the existential intelligence. Could it be a spiritual intelligence?

Marisol Baquerizo

As reading and thinking on THE question that could explain how all cultural base is learned I concluded that one of the central questions of human existence concerns how genetic inheritance, social inheritance, and life experience interact in making people what they are. How much control do individuals have over what they become? In considering the impact of culture on human behavior, one of the most sensitive issues that arise is social class. Historically, the class into which people are born has determined what their lives can be, although in today's world, skill, wealth, profession, and other factors may be more important than lineage in determining social status. Even where there is greater class mobility, the influence of birth status continues to be a significant factor. As we know analysts often divide citizens into lower, middle, upper middle, and upper classes (and sometimes use even finer distinctions) based on parent income, occupation, and education. Students, at schools, in the upper grades should actually examine how those and other socioeconomic indices are determined and become familiar with their uses and limitations. School can help students understand that one can be proud of one's own cultural origins without having to denigrate other cultures. Religious, racial, language, and national prejudices are deep, generational, and not easily eliminated, but at least students can realize that those attitudes are part of everyone's cultural inheritance, and they can become familiar with the effects such attitudes can have on human behavior. This approach is controversial, for many people believe that there are absolute standards for acceptable and unacceptable human behavior. And, of course, students themselves are learning what is and is not acceptable behavior in different settings and are having to face the consequences of their own, sometimes unacceptable, behavior. This fact may be used to enhance the relevance of studying behavior in the context of culture, as long as the scientific study of behavior is not turned into an occasion for moralizing. Lastly and overall I think there is no better or worse culture is just the way people met their needs using what they'd learned, known and experienced based on the environment they've been raised.

Nacirema/Culture

All human beings, regardless of their culture, have the following basic needs that must be met in order to survive: food and water; clothing and shelter; reproduction of culture through marriage, family tie, education. Humans also have a need to interpret and explain the world around them through religion, philosophy, and science. The way you satisfy your needs can be a reflection of your culture. Every culture fulfills its needs in different ways, resulting in the great cultural diversity that we see in the world. We should emphasize similarities and differences when studying other cultures. Both similarities and differences can enrich our knowledge of other cultures. However, there is a tendency to point out differences between our own culture and the culture of others. A focus on differences often leads us to view other cultures as "simple" or "less" than our own. It 'd be helpful studying other cultures without making judgements about them. This approach is called cultural relativism. One way to achieve cultural relativism is to study cultures scientifically and without cultural biases.

For example, Americans are used to their daily activities that they consider normal. Cultures from the outside might consider our practices odd and even unnatural. We tend to look down or up on others while thinking that our culture is superior to all cultures. The purpose is to open cultures' eyes, and to realize that we should respect others beliefs, rituals, and lifestyles even if they do seem distorted to us.

Stacy Strawn

Nacirema - As I read this article, I kept thinking that much of what Miner was describing we do in our bathrooms, our shrine. We, our society, defines what our bodies should look like by the models and advertisements used to promote brand names and the images those bodies create for the brands. I wasn't quite sure how to interpret the medicine men. I'm still not sure how I grasp that whole concept. Doctors, spouses, lovers.I just don't know. But, the fascination with the mouth, now that's something I can relate to. As a society we are concerned with how our teeth look, how our breath smells, and how we appear to others. Again, it goes back to image. During the last hundred years, we have seen such advancements in dental technology. I am always amazed at how unhappy people look years, back. I attribute that to bad dental hygiene. Who wants to show off teeth that are crooked, or missing, or damaged, or even stained? I believe that culture is developed by marketers and advertisers. They are pushing images of perfect bodies and pretty teeth in the heads of children, teen-agers and adults. We believe if we use these products they will help us look younger, thinner, prettier, more athletic, etc. We have so many misconceptions about others, all of which comes from pre-existing beliefs about individuals, races, religions, or cultures. These beliefs are learned from everywhere - look around and see what you see, how your friends dress or act, what you read, what you watch, what you hear. I really enjoyed this article. It made me look at our culture from a different perspective, and it also gives me a new perspective to present to my marketing students. Thank you. Behavior Formation - This is a concept that I brush on briefly in my marketing classes. It is very similar to the Communication graphic with the sender, receiver, and feedback loops. Like I said earlier, I believe that much of our culture is created by the marketers and advertisers. They portray images of the ideal self, bodies we want to appear like. In this day and age, it seems to be more and more about keeping up with the Jones'

Marcus Shorney

I think that a good basis of knowledge was given in this unit. I agree with the Multiple Intelligence concept. Being a psychology major I have learned a bit about the Multiple Intelligence concept before and is something that I have always thought of being true through my own experiences. I can see that some of my friends a very gifted in some areas but lack in others, as well as observing my own successes and failures. Where does artisans such as painters fall, under musical, or bodily/ kinesthetic intelligence, should this be another category? I do not feel that I am a creative person when it comes to painting or drawing so my appreciation for the idea of art and understanding culture is lost on me. I think that in my life it is not something that defines my personal view, but in defining other cultures I definitely see the relavence in the expression of art as culture.

Nacirema: This article is interesting. I am not sure if I was looking too much into it or not but I knew by the second paragraph that it was a play on US culture. The article more than anything else was a bit of a laugh, some entertainment. Looking at our culture from the outside may seem foreign to say the least, but reading this article a reflecting on the authors intent; it seems to me that Miner assumes that people are overly ethnocentric (is that the right word, I mean their culture is the only good one). I like to think that most of my friends have a pretty open view about other people and cultures, sure their will be bias but not to the extent that Miner seems to presume in my view. Bottom line, entertaining article but I did not gain much from it.

Stacy A. Kosse

In Joel Spring's "Intersection of Cultures" chapter one, I found myself reflecting on what is the "American Culture." I believe I have held the melting pot idea through much of my young adulthood. It has been only recently that I have been challenged to consider where these ideas came from. My future career as a School Psychologist has made the study of culture very real for me. In this position I will be working with families with different cultures from my own. I hope to do this with as much understanding as possible. As a teenager I had an experience that revealed my parents racist beliefs. This was very startling to me. The experience involved a African American boy stopping by my house when I was not home. My parents later confronted me asking, "What is a black boy doing stopping by asking for you?" I was so enraged at this blatant show of racism and defiantly shot back, "I can be friends with whoever I want!" Since I worked hard at not holding the racist ideas of my parents I entered adulthood feeling pretty comfortable. However, in the last few years my views have been challenged. I'm starting to realize that I has wanting to believe everyone living in this country was American and therefore the same. My desire to not be racist caused me to overlook our unique cultural differences. When I joined EMAC here on the UNL campus I had the opportunity to hear students of different ethnic backgrounds talk about their experiences. I, like other whites in the group, felt uncomfortable realizing the privileges we've unknowingly experienced all our lives. So when I read Spring chapter one, I had a frame to connect to what he was saying (e.g., dominate versus dominated cultures). As a white, I am from the dominant culture, with it comes certain privileges. I am also female and come from a lower-middle class family. My gender and lack of wealth could be considered a disadvantage, yet less than the disadvantage imposed on most other cultures. In the section on gender, Spring discussed the challenge some women face to become "one of the boys." I immediately thought of Virginia Woolf and her association with the Bloomsbury gang (all male authors). The authors question of whether we teach economic success versus cultural diversity left me pensive. Ideally I'd like to reconcile the delimina to have both. Could one argue cultural idenity is better than wealth? Yet does it have to be at the expense of wealth? And we don't live in utopia so the reality is, right now anyway, educators are in a position which forces then to choose. Who decides? In conclusion, I have come any with eyes that are more open and more questions than answers.

Nacirema: The artical by Miner "Nacirema" was humorous yet I beleive successfully communicates an important lesson. I beleive the artical helps Americans see themselves through the eyes of an outsider. Through the tale it is fairly easy to see that they are talking about "us" (Amereicans). Yet you have the advantage of taking a new perspective. As you think about how our actions would look to an outsider, you are able to rethink how others different from yourselve may have a reason for doing things a little bit different then you. I believe Miner wrote the artical to help people of the dominate culture, Americans see that there actions can be viewed as odd. This may enlighten some who have taken for granted that their way is the only and or right way. Through humor the author causes that reader to question what is valued and why we do the things we do. I beleive the reader has a unique opportunity of putting on someone elses shoes, the shoes of an outsider, someone outside the dominate group. It may help us to be slower to jump to the "they are odd because they do it that way" conclusion and to look for why do they do this differently from me view. Yes, I could identify with the story. As someone from the dominate group I have at times judged tha actions of others as odd, never stoping to think where this comes from. I would like to be quicker at desiring to understand a peoples culture not judginf and comparing it to my own. Finally, as indicated "Nacirema" obviously spells American backwards. This story is about me.

Marisol Baquerizo

This Learning Topic " the Intercession of Cultures" proposes to explore the concept of human culture. Culture is not easily defined, nor is there a consensus among scholars, philosophers and politicians (nor, probably, among the rest of us) as to what exactly the concept should include. It will be great if we could easily outline some of the broad ranging debates which have gone on about the concept of culture during the past century. Furthermore, we should be able to offer some insight into what the culture debate means in our own lives and to provide some examples of how cultural meanings are formed, maintained, and changed. As I was reading, it seems to me that part of the debate about culture revolves around issues of perspective and ownership. Within a nation such as the United States, a nation whose cultural heritage includes elements from every corner of the world, there are a great many perspectives coexisting and intertwining in the cultural fabric. When we all ask ourselves as individuals, "what belongs to me, to my culture?" we are rewarded with a spectacular variety of responses; in this way, different perspectives and ownership of different cultural traditions enriches everyone. But when we ask "what belongs to us, to our culture?" we ask a much harder question. Do the people of the United States, or of any culturally complex human society, necessarily share common cultural elements? If so, who gets to decide what those elements are? Here is something to think about! This debate is a crucial one in many cultures throughout the world today. In the U.S., the debate promises to impact the way we educate the children, that is, the manner and shape in which culture reproduces itself and the way we write laws or rules. Culture is everything we learn! In other words, culture is not inborn; culture is not race; culture is not nationality. Culture is everything we learn! In other words, culture is not inborn; culture is not race; culture is not nationality. It is also important to recognize that people can learn to adapt to another culture. However, people can only be taught which culture is appropriate in any given circumstance when they have been exposed to more than one culture. If culture is learned, then we must ask ourselves, "What are inmates learning while Students are in school? What are we teaching them?" One of the main purposes of public school is "socialization." In my opinion, one of the problems with the "back to basics" movement was that our society was so intent on teaching the basics that we forgot to teach children how to survive in socially acceptable ways which, in the end, was probably far more important. Many children are so busy trying to survive that they fall way behind academically and then drop out. When a person drops out of school, he does not finish the socialization process. He does not identify with the dominant culture. Society (our laws, beliefs, logic and language) does not make sense to him. Often a student who dropped out of school in the sixth grade will have little understanding of our society because he was already failing in school long before that. Then, this person's culture may not be as positive as it could. Culture is not only a huge topic to talk about it is also a issue we should be aware about when teaching or being part of any learning process.

Carolyn Volkmer

I learned from this unit that culture is a learned behavior. We judge other cultures and may think they are strange when we have know idea what their culture is all about. We must realize that people looking at our individual culture will think we are odd. This is what the story of Nacirema was all about. I first thought that these were strange things that this tribe was doing. I thought I could never do these type of rituals. Then when I realized the story was talking about us, it made me stop and wonder what another cultures thinks of us. In essence each individual has their own culture and we must be respectful and accepting of everyone even though they may be quite different from us. I use to think that I was sheltered from different cultures out in my small farming community. But I am learning that everyone has a different culture then me. Farmers have a different cultures then their counterparts living in the town. My next door neighbor who may be Lutheran where I am Catholic will have a different culture then me. So I guess I am not so sheltered from different cultures after all.

Kelli Jensen

I am really enjoying these articles and learning a lot. In the introduction to culture I cringed in the section of Mono-culture perspective because it is so true of euro-americans and I belong to this group. And I am guilty of some of these things too, not understanding the importance of looking at multiculturalism since my experience with prejudice is extremely limited and racial prejudice is nonexistant. My interest in other cultures began in a high school literature class when we read "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou. I think reading that book at that point in my life helped me when I left rural America and was exposed to different cultures. I am also very interested in Gardner's breakdown of multiple intelligences. In the classes I teach (chemistry and physics), I try to incorporate many different methods of teaching to reach the people who are not logical/mathematical/spatial learners. And the students all seem to have a lot of fun with this. So, even though all of the students in the school where I teach would be classified as "rural white kids", they may all have different intelligences. And this knowledge and awareness of different intelligences should be utilized in any classroom no matter what cultural group the students belong to.

EUGENE KIRIANOV

The main point of the unit introduction is that culture is learned behavior acquired by individuals as members of a social group. The article "Nacirema" gave me a very good example on how we discern other people, their culture. It made me think about my ability to look at others. My roots are Russian, and sometimes I catch myself misjudging only because people do things differently than in my culture. The article is a good "eye opener". It proves the statement made in this unit, that the only way to objectively judge another people is internal, through their eyes. The chapter on Multiple intelligences is very interesting. People have different abilities, different talents. It is especially important to take it into consideration with children. I know one family whose child was labeled as "low functioning" in school because he was often immersed in his own thoughts, and it was hard for him to always be tuned to the lesson. He was offered to be placed in a special class for the children with limited abilities. His parents refused. Instead of that they started homeschooling their children. The child turned to be a very bright individual, an interesting person to converse with. In many aspects he is far above the children of his age. He knows more, and he judges things better. He just has a different ability to perceive things. He has his own unique intelligence, and we teachers, or future teachers, have to pay attention to this uniqueness.

Kelli Jensen

I sure got a kick out of this article. I realized quickly whose culture this was. I think the underlying message of the article is that we all, the human race, appear wierd to any outsider looking in on us. And before we know and understand what a person's value system is or what socioeconomic challenges they may have, we should not judge the things they do. If America as a whole were not such a wealthy country, the efforts on appearance and self-pampering probably would not exist like they do. Isn't it ironic what people will do to themselves because of their culture and value system? Americans value beauty and youth and will go to great lengths, even harming themselves, to attain and maintain these traits. Imagine what a South American tribal sort of person would think of breast implants and face lifts! I think that article is a humorous, yet accurate description of us.

Annette Biddison

I am enjoying this class! You have opened many doors to questions on our society. Working as a para in special ed. at an elementary school, we often discuss multiple intelligence. Some children, (and adults) just seem to have an incredible gift for spatial, logical, naturalist, and even for art. My own son, who is in a special ed. program, had an IQ test. His reading and writing skill were slightly below average, but his spatial and logical skills were superior. In school, I think we often want children to conform to the norm - focusing only on what the average, dominate culture provides. How does this affect those whose multiple intelligence are not traditional or if their culture limits the outcome of such basic psychological testing? I wonder if we hinder a child by focusing mainly on their weaknesses and their abnormalities than improving and encouraging the gifts they have. Children from a non-traditional culture must have difficulties playing catch-up with language and social skills to normalize them into our "Nacirema" society.

Theresa Greinig

I have to admit, I immediately recognized the article "Nacirema" to be "American", spelled backwards. Therefore, I had a pretty good idea the article would present the culture in which I live from a different perspective than I am used to. However, once I began reading it, I did have to remind myself that I was reading about me - because I found myself feeling a bit taken a back by some of the descriptions. Overall I thought the article was great! It once again made me realize that just because something is portrayed in a different light, it is not necessarily mean that a particular practice is that "different" once you understand the concept behind it. As an experiment of my own, I printed a copy of this article, separated the various descriptions and took it to a public program planning meeting at work. As part of the introduction, I passed everyone a description and asked them to read it silently. After a few minutes, I asked everyone to share what they had been given and respond to it. - It took awhile for everyone to catch on! We all agreed that as a group we need to broaden our bases in our dealings with cultural diversity and planning programs. - The article became a great tool for us to look closer at the community around us, to evaluate our attitudes and preconceptions towards that community and at how we present ourselves. I also found the information of Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence to be very interesting. I had been interested in his theory in the past, but seemed to miss the connection with cultural background. While this connection makes sense, I hope we have the opportunity to touch on this more throughout the course.

Heyam Mohammed

cultures are different from place to another place, from city to another city and from country to another. I believe that every where in this world people have different habit, tradition and in every place we live we are entierlly respect the culture we belong to. cultural is not only habit or tradition we take from our family. I believe that cultural is more than this. it is heredity, life, people in the past. cultural is every thing we do, eat, talk, dress, movements, languages, accents etc. I am from a country that has a very restrictive cultures which mixed with religion. I came here to USA and was shocked at the beginning of their culture. now I am really want to know allot about american's culture. I read the article about body ritual among the nacirema. the article is very intersting to me and I am really getting some information I never heard before. reading this article makes sense to me that never believe that my culture is the most strange culture. many people have different habit we never know unless we read and understand.

Ryan Knippelmeyer

What I took most from these readings was that culture is a learned behavior. Those behaviors are learned through the people that surround you. The Nacirema article was very interesting and it makes you think about the family traditions that you follow or the interesting things that you consistently do with a group of friends. I have never enjoyed going to the dentist, and reading this article has definitely supported my theories. This assignment has made me think about, that in every culture, people are doing things for a reason and most of the time I don't take the time to consider those reasons. -

Kelly Wilson

I was up last night reading the Nacirema page and was in total awe of this tribal community until the very end of the paper where it says "did you get it?" I suddenly felt so silly because, it was all about us. I just couldn't believe that there was some remote place that had such strange rituals. I even read it to some of my friends and they were freaking out with me. It was a very clever paper. I'm also enjoying this class very much. It's making me actually have to think about things that I don't normally think of. I am currently a Preschool Teacher and a mother of a 5 year old daughter whose best friend is and Asian African American but, she never thinks of her friend as different and nor do I. I guess that's what you are trying to teach us as adults to do. Thanks so much

Laird Haberlan

Horace Miner's Nacirema was a good article to allow us to see ourselves from a different perspective. It is essentially a view of our culture as might be seen from another culture. Reading it the way it is written makes it seem very odd, just as we might see another culture and view it as odd. One lesson we can learn here is that others may view our culture no different than we view their culture. We are looking in a mirror and seeing ourselves from the view of another culture as I read the piece. It is a little humorous to see how we do things, what we think is important, the values we cherish, our self awareness, and the mundane aspects of our life. It truly is integrated behavior. I can easily identify with the article because I can see a lot of myself and my culture in the article. They are showing me how I act, what my rituals are, and how I interact with others within my culture. I knew shortly after the first few paragraphs that the article was about ourselves; that is if you are a euro american. Someone reading this from another culture in the highlands of the Andes may think quite differently. The article does help to show how a culture works because of all the interaction between the people and the things they hold important as a constant in their culture. It also helps show our attitudes towards diversity because it outlines the differences between our culture and that of others. We hold certain attitudes, beliefs, and pre-judgements about others in our society because they are a part of our culture and as such we have come to define their role, responsibilities, and values as well as where they fit in the socioeconomic picture of our culture. It is as if the actions of the family and groups of a culture breed the same actions in others.

Pat Janike

I found the article written on Nacirema very entertaining. Unfortunately I read too far on the Unit 1 web page before I read the article so I knew the "secret realization" from the beginning. I would guess that the article would mean two entirely different things if I had read it without that realization. Obviously the article boardered on sarcasm to make it's point. However, I thought it provided a good example of the perspective someone outside our culture would see us (as really odd). From that I realized that when I may find a culture as strange, I should consider looking into the reasons why they act the way they do. As far as aesthetic education, I think it is sad when a part of a culture's artistic entity is lost. I find it very interesting to see how different humans have come to express their culture in so many diverse ways. It shows how creative humans can be. The most interesting topic to me was the concept of Multiple Intelligences. I've always found topics like these intriguing. My brothers and I were all so different even though we grew up in a similar environment. I have always related to the Mathematic/Scientific and Spatial intelligences. While it is dangeroug to label people, I think teachers can be much more effective if they spend time considering the strengths of the different students. I greatly appreciated the links on this topic.

Jill Kranda

I think the biggest point to be taken from the unit introduction is that culture is learned behavior. I feel more than a little embarrassed that the first time that "Body Ritual," I believed that it was true--about some native tribe with disgusting rituals. At the beginning of the unit, I had read your note that this article is actually about our culture, but had already forgotten when I read the Nacirema article at a later time. At the end of the unit, I reviewed your notes about the unit, and I caught the point you made about the article being about us. I read the article a second time, and then everything became obvious. I realized how amusing really was, especially parts such as the "ritual ablution of the mouth for children which is supposed to improve their moral fiber," and the many references to our medical system. This article was, for me, certainly an eye-opener. It made me think about how we/I judge the behaviors of other groups because we don't understand their cultures. We make judgements using our own morals and beliefs, which we want to impose upon them. We think "our way" is the "right way." I think one step in possibly overcoming this thought would be to gain a full understanding of what is meant by cultural relativism (glossary of terms). If we can understand and accept this concept, it will help us to not prejudge other cultures as wrong or immoral. I remember learning about Gardner's multiple intelligences during my undergraduate studies (then there were 7). Gardner's findings were taught to give the prospective teacher information that would aid in finding the most effective ways to teach the individual child based on that child's learning style. I don't recall any mention being made of them in the context of multicultural education or of how they might benefit a teacher with students of diverse cultures. It will be interesting to explore the topic further in this course.

Janis Masin

I will never view going to the dentist the same way again. After reading Miner's article Body Ritual among the Nacirema, it made me stop and think that people are so quick to judge different cultures and rituals of those cultures without taking the time to try to understand them. The way that Miner wrote about the dentist was so clever. It truely sounded horrible. I took my children to the rainforest movie at the Henry Doorly Zoo this summer and they showed some of the tribes with all the bones in their faces. We all were so grossed out. So what is the difference between rituals? Every culture has them, but to that culture it is nothing strange. It is when we are a stranger to that culture that we don't understand. The old saying to not judge a book by it's cover, is what I did while reading the article. But then I realized that Miner was writing about our American culture and I knew I was judging before I learned the whole story.

Matt Reiling

I would say that the one thing that stood out most in my mind from this Unit was Cultural Relativism. It is so easy to see another culture as inferior or practicing rituals which we may think are wrong or even illegal. It makes all too much sense that to truly understand another culture you must put yourself inside it and follow the same ideals, norms, knowledge, beliefs, experiences, and expectations. To me the idea of cultural diffusion turns a majority of people into hypocrites because they choose to agree with one aspect of another culture (maybe even practice) but speak out against another aspect. If you are interested----I would say that I have Bodily/Kinesthetic, Linguistic, and Interpersonal intelligence.

I think Miner's article was good in making me think about American culture. I thought about some of the differences in culture in Harlem and Nebraska and how those differences can cause communication and understanding gaps. It also makes me think about how in our culture we think all the things we do are right because we do them. We are very egocentric in this country. I also understand the symbolizes he uses by spelling American backwards. It makes me look at things in common culture I would not do because of my sub-culture. For instance going to a tanning bed is not something I would ever conceive of doing. That is something that is just not done is the Black sub-culture. I also think about New York and how basketball is such a big part of the culture. All kids play basketball and it is very common while college football is the big thing is Nebraska. It go even do further into people in the city don't understand or have a true appreciation of farming. This article just makes me think not to judge other cultures as much or look at them funny. For instance in a class we talked about women cutting off their clitoris and people said it was sick. In reality it is just a part of their culture we don't understand.
Nate

I think Miner's article was good in making me think about American culture. I thought about some of the differences in culture in Harlem and Nebraska and how those differences can cause communication and understanding gaps. It also makes me think about how in our culture we think all the things we do are right because we do them. We are very egocentric in this country. I also understand the symbolizes he uses by spelling American backwards. It makes me look at things in common culture I would not do because of my sub-culture. For instance going to a tanning bed is not something I would ever conceive of doing. That is something that is just not done is the Black sub-culture. I also think about New York and how basketball is such a big part of the culture. All kids play basketball and it is very common while college football is the big thing is Nebraska. It go even do further into people in the city don't understand or have a true appreciation of farming. This article just makes me think not to judge other cultures as much or look at them funny. For instance in a class we talked about women cutting off their clitoris and people said it was sick. In reality it is just a part of their culture we don't understand.
Nate