Highschool

 

Topic: Rites of Passage

Source:  Cultural ANTHRO. Chapter 7

Relation: In this chapter of ANTHRO the author brings up how High school students not only self identify but also how they identify others around them. This sort of grouping by others is considered to be a rite of passage into adulthood.

Description: Remember that day, 9^th grade, you stood with shaking knees at the sight of this huge high school campus. The upperclassmen standing out front of the campus, cat calling to the “new meat” (Freshman).  After you got over the initial fear of getting ripped to pieces you started to self identify who you were (or at least attempted to). The majority of the time however you would be classified into groups biased off of what others said. In Robbins he lists the major groups of cliques that normally exist on campus: Preps, Jocks, Rockers, Nerds, Punks, and “G’s”. No matter who you hung out with your group would comprise of who you were most comfortable around, meaning who you identified best with. So not only did other people classify you, you almost always agreed with the classification in order to be a part of something bigger than yourself.

Analysis: Four years of hell is what most people call high school. Others even call it a rite of passage. It is the first time that you can be actively judged by people who (for whatever reason) you want to please. Yet, as soon as you move on to the “real world” you set of values on classifications change. For the majority of us these values change to “keeping up with the Joneses”.  The cliques evolve into who has money, and who doesn’t. So when observing the high school world, it is a rite of passage into the real world.

Husband, Wife, Two Kids, and a Dog

Topic: Ideal Family Forms

Source: The obsession with the “Perfect Family”

Relation: I have been raised by a single mother, and I have encountered firsthand the stigmas associated to a Family that others perceive as not a family  

Description: I was talking with my mother the other day, and she sounded as if she was upset, apparently someone had commented to her that they were surprised that I had “made it” this far, especially considering the family I came from. Unfortunately there is this stigma in existence that because a child doesn’t have a “man” in his life he won’t be able to grow up well-adjusted and is prone to drug abuse. This type of talk from people who consider themselves in the “perfect” family is what causes these stigmas to continue to be spread.

Analysis: I have seen for the longest time people look down upon my mother for choosing to remain unmarried. There is this concept of the Perfect Family being a Husband, Wife, Two Kids, and a Dog. And for some reason this view of a perfect family is the only view of a family that can produce active members for the future generation of a society. I myself find this concept a bit dated considering the number of single moms and dads is on the rise. This change in what is considered an “Ideal” family should allow stigmas regarding children of single parents to die out  

The Passing of the Spyglass

Topic: Rituals

Source: Maritime Traditions

Relation: Maritime Traditions are almost always born of ancient rituals of the sea  

Description: The passing of the Spyglass can be done in many ways; from a whole ceremony between the entire crew, to an old Skipper passing on his most prized possession to the next Captain of the vessel. The passing of the spyglass is one of the most ancient and most important rite of passage among sailors. In times gone by a crew member was considered an officer once they were given their first spyglass. This ceremony has since evolved into a rite of passage, basically saying that this person that they view in front of them is no longer considered a child, but a man, and henceforth treated as an equal among all adults.

Analysis: Inherently many people view a spyglass as an object that should only be viewed, and not touched. However to those of us that have received one. It represents the view that we are now an equal among our elders. With this thought process a ritual is born. Though time and tradition an act that was originally used to signify a sailors candidacy as an officer grows into a rite of passage. 

Failbook or Facebook?

Topic: Communication Technology

Source: Facebook

Relation: I applied for a job this week, one of the questions that I was asked is if I would allow my employer to view my Facebook page

Description: While in an interview I was asked if it would be alright if they viewed my Facebook page. I told them they are more than welcome just understand my privacy settings are extremely high and I very much doubt they would be able to see anything on my page. This greatly upset them and they told me that I might be trying to hide something. I pointed out that I use Facebook to communicate with my friends, not my future employers. What I did on my own time on my own Facebook page is no issue of theirs.  At the end of the interview I pointed out to them that it was extremely rude of them to attempt to push me into lowering my setting so the entire world can know what I’m doing just so they can delve deeper into my life.

Analysis: While many people consider Facebook to be this huge thing that everyone needs to be a part of I feel like you shouldn’t allow your Facebook life to be so open. I’ve seen many times friends post things that undoubtedly they would not say to a person’s face.  I also feel that it is unfair that someone who is looking to hire me just about demand that I give them access to my personal life. My personal life is just that, personal. 

Those Who Fall Behind Will Stay Behind

Topic: Globalization
Source: This weeks chapter was on Globalization and its effects
Relation: A good friend of mine got into a discussion about Globalization, where we both found out we have polarizing viewpoints.
Description: While taking a walk downtown my friend was expressing his concern about how a Walmart was going to be moving into the Eureka area. As a point of contention he pointed out how local items are always cheaper, and I happened to disagree. So a bet was born. We both had $20 dollars to spend, my objective was to only spend that money at a chain store, while his objective was to only spend that money at "mom and pop" stores. Whoever got the most for there money would win. 
Analysis: When we returned from our separate trips we both had an almost equal amount of items, the main difference was that my items said "Made in China" whereas most of his didn't have a "made in" label. It was important to note however that all of my items came from a single store, but my friends items came from trips all over town over the course of a day. In my personal opinion I feel having a single store to go to for all my shopping needs is far more effective then burning a day running around from store to store. So while globalization might have its ups and downs it comes down to what the populace wants, which is cheap and easy, especially in this economy.

It's a game of chess, played in real time, by gladiators in suits of armor

Topic: American Football

Source: Its Super Bowl Sunday, the onetime of the year where you can just about guarantee that the majority of your friends will be sitting in front of a T.V.

Relation: This week’s lesson was about the dilemmas of development and how it can affect cultures in major ways

Description: While watching the game someone brought up how everyone becomes a fan for whichever team makes it to the Super Bowl just so they can say that they supported the winning team, even though come next year the majority of the people who supported the winning team will go to supporting only whoever makes it to the Super Bowl. This discussion turned to politics and how people will only support whoever happens to be popular at the time of a major election (eg. Presidential). This discussion slow morphed towards how projects are only popular as long as they don’t affect the individual who is supporting the project. (eg. The building of a bypass over someone’s home)   

Analysis: This relates to our subject matter in many ways. Mainly pointing out that many people will not support causes that affect them on a personal level. They will however support a cause that affects other people but will benefit them the most. However should a cause affect them personally they will do one of two things. 1. They will say that everything is working against them but will not do anything to help fight the situation, they will expect someone else to take up the banner to fight for them. Or 2. Fight back with everything they have but still lose and end up dejected and broke on the side of the road.

How does this relate to football? Think about it, you support a team because they make it to the superbowl, but then they lose. Do you ever admit that a team that you started to follow because they were doing well lost, or do you ignore the problem and hope it goes away. ..

Me? Oh I support the same team no matter what, never mind they haven’t been to the super bowl in my life time. 

What I said vs. What I Mean

Topic: ‘Seeing’ Culture

Source: Shakespeare Hamlet in relation to how it is applied in 1^st world countries vs 2^nd and 3^rd world countries.

Relation: This weeks “lesson” was on Shakespeare, while coincidently one of my friends was writing a major paper on Hamlet.

Description: Hamlet is by far one of the most discussed books in history, and ironically it is often misinterpreted as a story filled with teenage angst. So my mind was blown for the first time when I found out that Hamlet would have been in his mid-thirties. Then after reading Conformity and conflict I had my mind blown again by the following line.

“The poison Hamlet’s mother drank was obviously meant for the survivor of the fight, whichever it was. If Laertes had won, the great chief would have poisoned him, for no one would know that he arranged Hamlet’s death. Then, too, he need not fear Laertes’s witchcraft; it takes a strong heart to kill one’s only sister by witchcraft.” (pg.31)

Analysis: Culture is often considered to be not only local, but generational. Meaning that the localized culture of a single generation will often be different from the next generation in the same area; this often messes with the mind, but one also has to consider items that are not generational, but everlasting. Hamlet is one of those works, It can be continually updated and modified to help express itself. But having other ages, and other cultures look at the same work we come up with vastly different answers for why something was put into the play, or its purpose in the play. With the above quote out of Conformity and Conflict I had my mind blown. In my life I would have never been shrewd enough to remove all obstacles to my power. But the tribe from which that quote comes from shows us that being shrewd to not only protect oneself but ones family was of higher priority than what many of us view as an attempt to kill a stepson. Having a mind that isn’t as focused on self-preservation is a unique gift. I will freely admit that under normal circumstances I will always look to finish a problem with the least amount of hassle possible (eg. I’d stab hamlet myself forget making someone else do it for me). But with the view presented in the book; I was given a view of how someone besides myself would have solved the problem had they been in the position of wanting to kill Hamlet.

Now that I’m done discussing Hamlet I’m going to return to reading books that don’t make my head hurt.