The photo board has provided me an opportunity to immerse
myself into a platform which embraces and portrays my own perspectives, in
contrast to the perspectives of many others within my society.
Ryan states ‘The word culture has always had multiple
meanings’ (2010). Indeed, the definition of culture is complex. One’s personal
culture will also vary individually, and this was exemplified by the numerous depictions
presented on the photo board by all the members of the CLSY500 community.
Personal cultural photos ranged from tattoos, food, activities, and much more. Ryan
goes on to explain that culture is the embedded norms we all obey usually
without thinking about it, and that norms are learned as one grows up (2010). I
agree with Ryan’s point of view, but for me, culture can often be actions or
thoughts that are intentional. For example, the photo I chose for P1 was a
traditional Niuean war dance performance. This specific dance is not a part of
our everyday lives, but my family and I intentionally integrate old Niuean traditions
into our modern lives to enable us to relive the culture of our ancestors.
James George noted that one’s identity is an ongoing
process. I agree with George. I often struggle to pinpoint all the aspects
which complete my identity. My role as a mother is permanent and most of my
everyday life revolves around my role as a parent, so I found pinpointing my
identity as a mother easy. The photo board’s identity photos enabled me to
acknowledge that my identity, as well as others, can encompass numerous things,
and that people from different cultural backgrounds can identify themselves
with aspects I too identify with, such as being a Christian.
The photo I presented which depicts the human rights of
Syrian refugees is an issue within society that is increasingly becoming more
common. News of War, injustice, and political upheaval within society today,
specifically in the Middle East, is bombarding our media forums. Human rights
are seemingly non-existent in countries where extremists and dictators have
acquired power. Article 14 (1) of the UDHR has
enabled innocent peoples to seek refuge from persecution. Having become a
mother, I personally value the innocence of children, and so I felt the need to
highlight the lives of all the children who have been affected by war and the
sad fact that their rights are being ignored.
Pew Research Centre state ‘there are 2.18 billion Christians
of all ages around the world’ (n.d). This substantial number of people indicate
the major influence the historical emergence of Christianity has on society
today. As the billions of people the principles of the Bible have influenced merge
in to society, society inevitably adopts some of the Bibles values. One can
also draw a comparison to the commandments of the Bible that are also international
laws, such as murder and theft being illegal.
The photo board process has enabled me to develop a better
understanding of what I value, and also enhance my appreciation of the cultural
diversity and differing values of the society I live in. Hall’s cultural
iceberg model highlights that a large portion of aspects of culture are hidden
(1976). Although the photo board has produced a wonderful display of cultural
behaviours and beliefs, Hall goes on to note that only by interaction with
individuals from different cultures can we truly uncover the behaviours that
lie beneath the surface (1976).
References
Hall, E. T. (1976) Cultural iceberg model. Beyond culture (1976).
Pew Research Centre. (n.d). Global christianity – A report on the size
and
distribution of the world’s christian population. Retrieved April 06, 2015, from http://www.pewforum.org/2011/12/19/global-christianity-exec/
Ryan, M. (2010) Cultural
studies: A practical introduction. Hoboken: Wiley, pp.viii-xii.
UN. (n.d). The
universal declaration of human rights. Retrieved April 07, 2015, from
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml#a14
Note: Also referred to James George video lecture.
