Week Three

This week we discussed Cultures and Social Class. Living in Idaho and Utah for most of my life, I haven't had a huge exposure to other cultures, but this last semester I had the opportunity to live in Israel for 4 months. There was no shortage of diversity there! It was fascinating to me how sometimes culture dictates what is appropriate and what is not. In America, there is no problem with your hair being seen. There are many living in the Middle East who would disagree, because of the culture they have been raised in. The way that boys and girls, men and women interact in the United States is vastly different as well. Girls and boys did not play together. They seemed to always be in groups of their own gender. Families seemed to be a much more private, sacred thing to most of the cultures I saw. Many of their traditions were beautiful and things that I would like to emulate. But some of the traditions did not seem to be as healthy.
As we examine our own culture, I think it is important to scrutinize it carefully. Are there aspects of it that are unhealthy? Are there things I do just because I am supposed to, not because it is healthy? Am I placing importance on the right things? Our discussion about Social Class and Cultures raised many of these questions to me. It is important to understand where others come from so that we can understand them better, but also to see where we come from.
These questions reminded me of a short story that I read in High School, called The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson. As you read this, think of what traditions, or family rules there may be in your family that are unhealthy, so that they are not perpetuated to the future.