Week 2- Ethnocentric - Blaine Hooper

Understanding someones values and customs isn't always as easy as it seems. I remember living next door to a girl who was of the Muslim religion. My mother and her mother were apart of a neighborhood carpool. In the morning when we would ride into school all the carpool children went and ate breakfast together...she did not. Then lunch time would roll around and the same children would go and eat lunch...she did not. Finally I came home from school on day and asked my mother why this girl did not eat with the other children. I thought perhaps she was shy or maybe did not like me or the other kids. My mother explained to me that during a certain period of time, in the Muslim faith, they were not allowed to eat while the sun was up. I was so confused. Why would someone not eat all day? I remember thinking I wouldn't be able to live if I had to do something like that. The next day during carpool I told the girl what my mother had told me the previous night. I asked her why she was so crazy? The girl sat there for a minute and told me just like I do as a christian read the bible and follow and believe what it says, she as a Muslim does the same thing with her faith and that the period in which she was not allowed to eat or drink is called Ramadan. This girl and I are still very good friends today and now reading these articles and this chapter I now know I was acting very Ethnocentric that day. I think it is important for us as individuals to not forget our own personal beliefs and follow them and yet at the same time we can still appreciate others and their cultures, even if we do not always understand.

In the article that Richard Lee wrote he expressed his feelings and perceptions he had on the Bushmen durning their Christmas Rituals. By not realizing what lee was doing he in fact had a few moments of ethnocentric actions. Lee picked an ox which he thought would be the best! He did this by himself and did not consult with not one person of the actual culture. He was then determined that the bushmen either were wrong or just "pulling his leg" when telling him that he had choosen the worst possible ox for the Christmas occasion. After standing his ground on his decision he than began to fall victum to the constant tormenting of the bushmen on his poor poor choice. He then begain to feel defeat. When he discovered he had in fact made the right choice in the animal he felt like a champion and went to the Bushmen to ask why they had treated him so poorly. Lee then learns that this is the way of their people. Every man in the culture is treated the same way. One of the men tells him it is to ensure humility and "Cool his heart and make him gentile". In all cultures we have silly ways of tricking people into thinking things. For example my grandma used to tell me that if I stuck spoons under my pillow on Christmas Eve it would snow all Christmas day. Obviously my grandmother wasn't telling the truth but that didnt stop this 5 year old from putting spoons under her pillow for 5 years after that.

In the article about fieldwork in Yanomamo I kept thinking "How would I act if put in this situation". Culture shock was a big part of this article for me. I'm sure I would have acted the same way or even worse if I had been put into a violent situation like that. I think everyone is "programmed" to certain morals, values, and ways of living. Not only from culture to culture from house to house as well. Then when we have had our ways planted in us and have had to defend our culture all of our lives, we may be put into a similar situtaion and judge and give up. The fact that he did not give up and the more and more he learned the less and less his thoughts became judging and ethnocentric. He began to think as the people of the culture thought and did what was needed to survive just as the others do. He begain to understand, perhaps not aggree but he was more open to the understanding of the reasons they were doing what it is they were doing. I think it is important as a society for everyone to be exposed to different cultures and give understanding where it need be.