Katherine Lamb - Clash of the Cultures

Assimilation vs. Acculturation

03/11/14

               When a nation is nicknamed, "The Melting Pot," the question of what that nation's "culture" is seems to arise. What is America's identity? From the 1860s to the 1920s there was a huge immigration boom in the United States involving many (but not limited to) Irish, German, and Italian settlers, all of whom brought their own social, political, and religious backgrounds from their home country. Once settled there was the issue of one's own identity... Whether it was appropriate to leave behind his/her previous identity and assume whatever the American identity was, or cling to the previous identity all the while Americanizing. The latter choice is what is known as acculturation, or many cultures/ethnic backgrounds clustered and working together. The former choice is better described as assimilation, where the first thing one does when coming to America is to find the nearest clothing store and physically shed off where he/she came from and assume what he/she is now just by looking like everyone else. Many immigrants lost a sense of personal identity, whereas some were able to adopt a new identity all the while keeping a few cultural aspects of where they came from, and perhaps that is why America is known as "The Melting Pot." One of the many things that immigrants brought with them was religious affiliation. Democracy allows for many different religions to coexist, which is perhaps why the the Vatican has decided to address not just Catholics but humanity as a whole. This democratic nations allows the freedom of religion (hopefully free from persecution), which is perhaps why so many individuals have been able to "acculturate" with regards to religion instead of having to "assimilate."

Culture --> Lifestyle --> Religion

03/13/2014

             While thinking of the best way to describe culture I had the thought that perhaps it is most synonymous with lifestyle. What one group of individuals eats, how the group is governed, what festivals/celebrations are alive, and all the other aspects that make up "daily life." A lifestyle sounds like a routine, and maybe culture is the ongoing routine of that lifestyle. What this lifestyle is like seems to determine religion and how certain religions are practiced. For example, a highly liberal nation that is known to be more open-minded and accepting to individual freedom may have numerous types of religions... And even more diverse, the types of religions may be practiced differently and may form smaller denominations. If one has the freedom to practice whatever religion he/she chooses and has the freedom to interpret the religion in his/her own way, then it seems likely that religion would become more intertwined in that person's lifestyle. The religion could be twisted and interpreted, and the person could change the malleable religion into whatever he/she believes fits his/her lifestyle. Without the kind of culture that permits various sorts of lifestyles, there is a restriction on religion.

Cultural Exchange --> Social Change

03/17/2014

        One TED talk by Andrew Lewis raised the argument that cultural exchanges create social changes, and it led me to wonder what examples can be found today and whether those changes were good or bad. Culture can be a description of a society. Is the society free? Does it promote liberty and democracy? Some cultures do, but what if those cultures give way to "negative externalities" when that culture is confronted with one that does not promote freedom. An estimated 27 million individuals are enslaved, all working without compensation and often risking their lives to provide goods and services that are perceived by others as valuable, whereas these workers are often perceived as disposable. When one culture is demanding these goods and services, there might be some other culture willing to fulfill that demand, but also willing go so far as oppress, enslave, and violate human dignity.
        In the TED talk below, Lisa Kristine documents slavery cases in almost 70 countries, and makes the case that slavery today is about commerce. This is an extreme example, but I think it does an excellent job of showing how it is possible for a bad outcome to arise when two cultures clash. Kristine notes that although slavery is illegal everywhere, it still exists all around us. Why? A society that has a foundation built on the belief of liberty can indirectly fuel the existence of slavery. It is mentioned in Gaudium et Spes that, "Never before has man had so keen an understanding of freedom, yet at the same time new forms of social and psychological slavery make their appearance"(Gaudium et Spes 4).  Many economies are growing and booming, yet it may be the case that this growth is at the expense of another. Cultures need to have the fundamental belief that everyone should be treated as human beings, all deserving respect, dignity, and the same natural rights, or else we will continue to encounter this outcome where one culture negatively (even if it is indirectly) impacts another. That is the social change that is now needed. Cultures clashed and in some cases there was a negative social change towards oppression and loss of human dignity, and so there needs to be yet another social change that protects and promotes human dignity and freedom.

Witness: Illuminating the World of Modern Day Slavery

By: Lisa Kristine