 |
| Find it on Amazon.com |
This being the first
anthropology book I’ve ever read, I came into it without any expectations
except to be stretched. Now, an anthropology book isn’t my first pick, but it being
a part of the curriculum for online schooling compelled me to read it. In the
end, I’m glad I did pick this up; the insight (and not just the grade) is vital
for one who will be working cross-culturally. Some of the key lessons that I’ve
learned from this book include the following:
First off, it appears that
culture is not so static as much as it is an ever-evolving conversation. As a
missionary, one of the things that I’ve noticed is the common perception that
Native America would have remained the same had the pilgrims not landed, or
Africa would have remained the same hadn’t missionaries “ruined” the African
culture (more on that in a later blog).
This has apparently never been true. Whether a people-group is isolated
or rubbing shoulders with another people-group, their culture is ever changing.
We must not be ethnocentric in thinking that we Westerners make or break the
world. The peoples of the world are involved in the fluid conversation of
culture, and that culture can change apart from American or European influence.
Secondly, the West is not
the sole influencer in globalization, nor is globalization a modern Western
creation. Rather, America is being globalized as well, not simply globalizing. Case
in point: We look at McDonald’s getting a footing in China and the word
Westernization comes to mind. But what do we call Californian Suburbanites
doing Saturday morning Yoga? Indianization? America is not solely influencing
other cultures, but being influenced as well, and it turns out that globalization
is far more complicated than just some cruel capitalist wearing a suit and
sitting behind a desk, seeking the next culture to stamp out.
Due to this book, I’ve also
noticed the… egotistical attitude of America in general. I was on a ranch in a
particularly large southern state when I met a cowboy (literally, he had spurs,
a hat, and a lasso) who told me how superior America is to other or
“second-rate” countries. Had I read the book before I met him, I could have
pointed out his ethnocentric attitude. Being ethnocentric means that you
glorify your culture over that of other nations. It’s the view that if everyone
just did things my way, the world would be a better place. One’s own culture becomes
the standard. This is what was perhaps the most interesting lesson I’ve learned
from this book: the potential to be ethnocentric. It was evident in the thinking
of early anthropologists, and it’s evident in American culture now. While the
rest of the world is swimming in speedos, American men are wearing swim-trunks.
The ethnocentric American looks at the rest of the world swimming and says,
“They’ll eventually come around,” while the anthropologically savvy person
realizes that we’re just the weird kid in the corner of the pool swimming in
little pants.
The end goal is not to come
to hate American culture, but to put it in its appropriate place. I love being
an American, but I do not hold America up to a glorified light. I love the fact
that I grew up in Philadelphia visiting Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell,
watching baseball, and eating Philly cheese-steaks. I love America and its
passion for freedom, but I understand that American culture is not the answer
to the world. Jesus is the answer.
There is so much more I
could say about this book, but I’ll wrap it up and recommend it for this reason:
to stave off any ethnocentricity in yourself.
No comments:
Post a Comment