Ethnography Reflection

When the idea of an ethnography project was first introduced in the beginning of the year, I was daunted by the task, partially because I did not really understand what we were being instructed to do. Once my group decided on Howard University, I was a little bit intimidated and anxious, as seen by our explanations of our stereotypes of the university. I even remember feeling a little bit sick to my stomach on the ride there from nerves.

Once we got there, it was a completely different story. We really did not know where we were or what we were doing. Thomas had called ahead and had learned that there was a shuttle to campus. The shuttle was late and students began gathering around us, some staring. Once the shuttle arrived, we began casually chatting with the people on the bus and I found myself becoming more at ease, especially when I was reunited with my childhood friend, Lindsey.

When we got off the bus, people noticed that we looked lost and helped us find our way. Once we were in the dining area, it felt like we were just getting lunch at a new place. We noticed our surroundings, sure, but most people do that when they are in a new environment. I even felt awkward taking notes because I felt that I was using the people around me as test subjects when they could end up being potential friends.

The way people acted there put me at ease. I had already been homesick and having people around me behaving as though we were in the South made me feel as if I was back home.

Overall, the experience was a positive one. Our group bonded and even made plans to meet up after the project was done. I am truly glad to have had this experience, one that I will never forget!

Korean Hallyu=Soft Power in Asia

The "Korean Wave" is a key example of soft power and its positive effects. Created in direct reaction to losing production to China, they had to create a way to sustain their economy. So, they created an entire entertainment industry, complete with drama, film, and music. With key branding, the advertising for the country was aired in Japan, China, and southeast Asia. The effect was an increase in tourism and an obsession with Korean culture, to an extent by some. "K-pop" stars became popular, even though they might not sing in the language of their fan's country. To aid this, many music stars are fluent in more than one language so that they can expand their fan base. The end result was that Asian women were having plastic surgery to look more "Korean" and women wanted to marry Korean males.

I believe that America should take note. Korea has created a sphere of influence (not exactly in the history sense of the phrase) in the sense that Asian countries began to notice the country. With an increase in tourism, more people explored the country which also boosted their economy. If America was to create more entertainment opportunities that were geared at gaining support, America's reputation as a whole could improve. Not to mention it would return us to the good days of decent popular culture that was something to be proud of and not embarrassed by....

Cultural Diplomacy= A Must!

When studying cultural diplomacy, the question arose as to whether we should let pop culture speak for America. In my opinion, it should! The only other way that other countries learn about America is through our foreign policy initiatives, which are sometimes not the greatest. Pop culture is the only positive aspect of Americans in some countries.

I think that it says something when countries that want to bomb us are addicted to "Baywatch", or other examples of quality trash TV. In order to form positive relationships with other countries, we need to find common ground, which in this case is entertainment. During the Cold War, America still had a positive influence on the USSR, thanks to jazz. Though uniquely American, all could relate to it. It wasn't vulgar, though some believe the culture associated with it was, and added to the culture. Everyone appreciated it for what it was. Entertainment is probably the best area for cultural diplomacy. It doesn't change the structure of the government or change a country's values because it is only there to entertain.

If we were to find or create a positive way to access other countries, our own reputation might improve. But we also need to be receptive to other countries' "cultural diplomacy". We need to learn from others and not just think that others need to learn from us.

Disney's Effect on Children- Are We Raising Racists?

I had heard speculation that there were hidden messages in Disney films, such as that the smoke in "Aladdin" spells out words such as "sex." But when discussing Hollywood's effect on how we view Arabs- it got me to thinking about other Disney films.

"Aladdin" portrays Arabs in any stereotype possible, as mentioned in the video “Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People” that we watched in class, many of those stereotypes being false. But then "Pocahontas" stereotypes Native Americans and makes it seem that she had to get rescued by the British guy in order to be happy in life. "The Lion King" brings to life African stereotypes too.

Though these films are supposed to educated the children and show them other cultures and good values, what are they really teaching them? The hidden messages in these films can be misleading and can possibly lead to racism later on in life, I believe. Children need to be exposed to the truth (though not at an extremely young age in which it could damage them), but they also need to learn values. So while Disney is a good alternative to most of the trash on TV, there is still more work to be done.

But it ended up working...

When Professor Hayden gave us the ethnography project assignment at the beginning of the year, I wasn't buying it. I thought that kids would probably end up making up a bunch of stories to make it sound like they had had some sort of experience. Students would pretend like they had gained insight into some other culture and they would give their presentation and forget about it.

Luckily, this turned out to not be the case at all. Having done the ethnography project myself, I really feel like I learned something. I don't think I ever recognized the very real differences in culture that can exist in so small a space. I didn't think there was much difference in culture within a single state, much less a city.

Even hearing the cultures that people had chosen for their project, I doubted that there would be any definitive norms or behaviors. And yet when people gave their presentations, I was very much surprised by how many differences there were even within the American campus, much less the mall.

I am glad that we got to do these projects. I feel like my view of what defines a culture has definitely changed. I used to think that a culture was a fixed group of people and everyone had one culture. Now I recognize that everybody's identity is mixed in with multiple cultures and the definition of "culture" can vary depending on the context.

Last week, the presentation which is concerning of the ritual subject, it has given me the idea of a ritual. Yes, a ritual has combined actions, religious, social and anthropological points. All are related to specific occasions, or at free will of the individuals, or communities. Especially is to whom has a very religiosity, and always want to pray. According to Merskin, prayers believe that praying is comforted them in sorrow, giving them strengthen of the journey ahead. I believe that each group has different religion and each one has its own religious rite. This depends on individual groups, which creates social bonds.

What is Culture? (Baby Don't Hurt Me, No More)

After watching one's group ethnography presentation and then doing one myself, I started thinking about what exactly defines a culture. This question came during the presentation about the Davenport Coffee Lounge and whether or not the group members considered "Davvers" to be a culture. But what is this elusive word?

It's a word we throw around a lot in class. Martin and Nakayama define it as "learned patterns of behavior and attitudes shared by a group of people".

So, by this definition, nearly anything can be a culture, right? Do the people walking on the sidewalk in Manhattan in rush hour constitute a culture? For the most part, they all walk at a similar pace and value getting places quickly. They use similar mannerisms (i.e. the hand motion used to hail a taxi) and are generally stereotyped as "typical New Yorkers". In class, Professor Hayden discussed how people immediately pegged him as a California native, implying that people from the area display certain behaviors and mannerisms, which is essentially a simplistic definition of culture. Most people, however, would not consider such a widespread, disconnected group like this a culture.

In class, we discussed the different cultures of the schools at American University (i.e. the difference between an SIS student and a Kogod student). I can definitely buy that argument, but I've heard from some people who, for example, consider University College programs "cults". Is a cult a culture? Are the people who go to clubs and frat parties a culture? The list of possibilities is endless.

As this class (and unfortunately, this blog) comes to a close, I realize that there are things that I simply don't know. I have my own personal views on what constitutes a culture, but it is impossible to create a universal definition that can apply to every situation/circumstance. It's not an easy answer but it's the truth.