American or Pohnpeian?

During the Nest in the Wind presentations, it became apparent that many of the differences that students were trying to make between American and Pohnpeian culture were actually similarities that were slightly tweaked. The concepts that governed these cultural rules were the same even if some of the ways these rules were carried out were different. For example, when a woman in Pohnpei is pregnant, she is able to say anything she wants in whatever style of language she pleases. The regulations of language, which are extremely binding and a symbol of status, are brushed aside for a pregnant woman. Likewise, in American culture, when a woman is pregnant, she is justified in eating whatever she wants, no matter how absurd the craving. American women value being seen as thin as more important than many other things, but when they are pregnant, they consider it to be within their job as a pregnant woman to eat whatever they desire. For both cultures, what is seen as a major restriction to women in their respective societies is excusable for pregnant women to partake in during pregnancy. This is just one of many examples of how two cultures that appear to be extremely different are in reality rather similar, reinforcing the idea that Americans should not be so quick to judge cultures that we deem to be less civilized than our own.

College Culture

Not only has anthropology taught me how to better observe other cultures, but it has taught me to investigate my own culture, or various culture groups that I fit into, with a new perspective. In doing so, I am beginning to recognize the college life as its own culture, filled with its own set of norms and abnormalities that may be quite different from that of the “real world.” Because I live on campus and do not have a car, I do not often leave campus, and if I do, it is to set locations. As such, I am living in a city that I probably would not be living in if I were not going to school here, and I have no idea where anything is off-campus. Thus, everything I do is on-campus, causing me to live in a world largely separated from the rest of society. College culture utilizes time in a unique way. Where when I was living at my house I had a set curfew; many activities in college do not start until after when my curfew was. Socialization as well as homework time is pushed back later in the night, and I am able to wake up later than when I am elsewhere. Space is also experienced in a new way. Since I am living with other people, I am constantly sharing space with others and only occasionally completely alone, and even that requires more effort than when I am home. I am learning how to change the method in which I use space to better fit this environment. Likewise, campus food is different from food elsewhere. Students walk into the Commons or Plaza to receive food already prepared. Granted, the food may not be what the student is used to eating, but the student did not have to do any work to get it. These are just a few examples of how college has created its own culture, made possible by students rarely ever having to leave campus.

My Two Cents on Anthropology

I have found my time in the Introduction to Cultural Anthropology class to be very interesting. Initially, I had no idea what anthropology was actually about; I guessed that it investigated past civilizations and cultures that no longer existed, which I figured had little value to me living in today’s culture. However, I was delighted to discover that anthropology is in fact about currently existing cultures and how everything – language, space, time, relations, bodies, etc. – is related to culture. This makes sense because cultures are so diverse, which explains the way every aspect of society is run. I understand anthropology and how important it is to understanding people of different cultures, especially since I am now more aware of the emic and etic points of view, which remind me to avoid judging others from an ethnocentric viewpoint. The concepts of anthropology are also useful in helping me understand my own culture. I am extremely interested in learning about different cultures, which stems from my love of travel, and so anthropology appears to directly fit into one of my already-established passions – I just did not know how to name this passion before looking deeper into what anthropology is all about.

Defining Important

While I think that Delaney did a good job at picking important people, places, and performances, the VIPs that she picked were meaningful to her due to her personal experiences. Because Delaney and I come from different backgrounds, we find different VIPs significant. I consider American president George Washington and Rwandan president Paul Kagame important. Both of these outstanding men were the first presidents of their respective countries, and as such, they were responsible for setting the precedent for how their country would run in future years. Both men initially refused the presidency because of their fear of having too much power, but were forced into it anyway. The precedents that Washington set in many areas of his presidency and way of life are evident in various aspects of the United States government today. This shows the immense impact Washington had, deeming him worthy of VIP status. I chose Washington because a large part of my identity is based on my life as an American, as are the identities of a large proportion of Americans, a culture widely influenced by the policies Washington enacted while in office. President Paul Kagame was responsible for leading the Rwandan Patriotic Front, which was influential in ending the Rwandan genocide. As such, he became responsible for rebuilding the country of Rwanda and directing it along its path to reconciliation, which he has thus far done a superb job of doing. Kagame is of importance to me personally because genocides and the aftermaths of genocide is something that I have been interested in for a large portion of my life, largely because my mother is a survivor of the Cambodian genocide. I expect that anyone interested in following the development of post-genocide Rwanda or the development of Africa in general would agree with this choice.
Places can also hold significant value to people, based on their culture. The White House, which is host to the president and his family, is a symbol of the president and the quintessential American family. The First family is highly esteemed in American culture, and the American populace tracks the movement of the First family closely. The White House is also symbolic of the American Dream, because the personalities of the past and present presidents are so varied that one can envision oneself becoming president, even though in reality the presidents tended to fit into a set demographic. I chose the White House because I have grown up looking at the White House and often thinking of it as more of a symbol of the presidency than perhaps of the president in office, as I think many Americans do. Israel, specifically Jerusalem, is another place of importance, because it contains holy sites for Muslims, Jews, and Christians around the world. Being a Christian myself, I hold the sites of Israel in high regard, as would many other individuals of those three religions.
I could not think of a more important performance than the Olympics, which Delaney used. The Olympics is a huge performance that brings together a large number of countries in civil competition. The symbolic nature of the Olympics is seen in the pride that exists in carrying the torch and the opening ceremonies. The Olympics is a time for countries to show the world the best athletes that their country has to offer and pit them against the best athletes from other countries. The Olympic Games heightens sporting events in a massive forum that is dependent on nationalism.

Relational Food

During my observational trips to the Plaza and the Irvine Commons, which happened at varying times during the day, I noticed an assortment of interesting things about food and how it relates to other orientations. Individuals who frequent the Plaza tend to do so at hours that are not the stereotypical mealtime hours, especially on weekends. This is because the Plaza is open during the hours when the Commons is not. The tables at the Plaza are smaller than the tables in the Commons, indicating a varying use of space between the two. This makes sense because people tend to go to the Plaza in smaller groups than they would go to the Commons. This is seen in the increased amount of individuals coming to the Plaza by themselves, compared to the number of people that go to the Commons by themselves. However, for both venues, individuals who are by themselves are likely to grab their food and leave. For those who stay to eat alone, they tend to eat along the edge of the room or closer to the TV. In our culture, food is related to socializing and the building of relationships, which explains why individuals who eat alone feel awkward and strive to avoid drawing attention to themselves.