Culture: 'The Three Spinners And' Tom Tit To

The diversity of culture is an incredible notion. It is unfathomable how the anatomy of the human race is so similar, yet so different in the behaviors and ideas that take place. The two primary cultures I am focusing on throughout this essay are the differentiation between popular culture, and indigenous culture. I will also make the point of folk culture, and how it has slowly transformed itself from its self sufficiency, to relying more on the ways of popular culture.

Culture is one of the most relevant elements that can define not only a society but also a country’s cumulative beliefs and system. Often noted as the origins of a country, culture is definitive in the sense that it harbors all the elements that can provide justification on the traditions and norms set by the society for its members. More often than not, the society members follow norms in order to create a harmonious community, and the beliefs and the traditions serve as the poles or grounding rules for each member to follow. Culture is very dynamic in the way that it can change over a variety of foreign influences but what is permanent about it is that original elements about it often lingers with the influences, therefore making it multi-faceted and broad. More importantly, culture serves as an individual and unique trait each society has, and therefore sets it apart from other countries and other societies.

In our society today, culture is not what it used to be hundreds of years ago. There is no more “pure” culture. Our culture today is enriched with many different traditions and customs that are being shared and adopted. Due to emigration and immigration, a variety of diverse customs, beliefs, and knowledge moved with every exiting and entering human being. Thus, changing and shaping the culture of many. Throughout the world, the beliefs and religious views of culture are dissimilar around the world. By taking the time to read, listen and learn about certain people’s culture, there will be knowledge and understanding that will be gained.

Since the inception of human civilization there have been countless cultures and societies which have helped shape the current world today as we know it. The modern human race dates back more than 200,000 years and in that time frame many cultures have risen to great virtue and success only to deteriorate or cease to exist altogether. First before examining one of these cultures we must know what culture truly means. The Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Culture Center defines culture as a “dynamic social system,” containing the beliefs, behaviors, values and norms of a “specific organization, group, society or other collectivity” learned, shared, internalized, and changeable by all members of the society (Watson, 2010). In

Slave songs, therefore, do not pardon the institution of slavery; in fact, they do just the opposite. They are indisputable affirmations of injustice, accentuating the oppressive cage that is slavery. They are the mode of communication of a living dead who yearn for the blessings of a life unfettered: for liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Slaves sing of ideals that are not theirs to possess—ideals that their country and fellow men have denied them. The caged bird does not sing because it is happy; it sings because it is dreaming of happiness.

Having no rights, being owned by other people, and being punished as your “master” sees fit. This was the reality for many people around the world in the early 1800 's. In the novel The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd, this is illustrated clearly from the views of a white woman, Sarah Grimkè, and the perspective of a black woman, Hetty “Handful” Grimkè who was under the Grimke’s ownership. Sarah opposed the way of life for Southerners in Charleston where slavery was a common occurrence in every white’s household. With her abolitionist views, Sarah treats Handful as if she was any other white. In The Invention of Wings, slavery is seen from two perspectives: one is from the whites who see it as necessary and useful to have

With our modern day technology and ever changing society, it is important to keep folk cultures alive and not allow them to slip away. “Piecing it all Together” by bell hooks describes how she remembers her grandmother patiently and skillfully telling the story of her life through the art of sewing a tedious quilt. Chris Rose in his article “Let the Good Times Roll” depicts the tragedy, perseverance of a community, and the total comment from all to rise up and move on and celebrate their heritage and traditions. Folk cultures are the backbones that shape and mold every individual during their lifetime blending together traditions and skills, foods, beliefs, heritage and shared values that are taught and/or passed down from generation to generation, providing a common identity or direction for people within a family or community.

Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass both were very influential advocates in favor of the rights of people of color. Both fought for what they believed in and had many ways of getting their point such as talking about topics that can relate to the reader which makes them feel more attached to the story. Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass’s use of pathos in their speeches work to make their argument stronger because they want to appeal to the reader’s emotions to rally support for their cause. In his speech “Second Inaugural Address” Abraham Lincoln reminds them that they all read the same bible and all pray to the same God. They have the same religious beliefs and that is one major factor that shows that slaves were not different from

Originally illiterate and unaware of the evils of slavery and segregation, Douglass was taught the basics of the English language by his slave master’s wife. Soon after the beginning of his instruction, Douglass had developed a raging fire that could only be quenched with more knowledge. As his pursuit of reading and writing lead him to become literate, it also gave him a real-world understanding of the evil concept of slavery. As time went on, he began to resent his master and mistress for subjecting any human being to such a fate. It was his belief that the color of your skin or your country of origin should have no standing to what rights and abilities any person has. Becoming literate further exemplifies Douglass’ refusal to adhere to societal expectations, as people of black heritage were not allowed to be taught how to read in the United States. This was the way of the land, but it didn’t inhibit his resolve to become a learned man who was capable of understanding language, reading and writing. This passion is what set him apart from other people, not his

The wife of Douglass’s master began teaching him to read as he was just a boy at the time and he appealed to her humanity. When Hugh Auld, Douglass’s master, found out about what his wife was doing he became livid and forbade her to teach him anymore. Auld said that if she taught him to read he would become “…unmanageable, and of no value to his master.” And that it would make Douglass “…discontented and unhappy.” (Douglass, 20) It was at this moment that Douglass realized “…the white man’s power to enslave the black man”

In the 1700s slaves were brought to the Americas to work as low at plantations, read to learn that in the end, you will be free. Virginia Hamilton’s excerpt of her folktale, ”The People Could Fly,” is directed toward people that are suffering or causing suffering. In the story, a slave named Sarah who is whipped to the point that she cannot walk, and a man helps her fly away. The moral of the story is, in the end, you will be always free and everything will be okay. I have several pieces of evidence that support my thesis.

Several factors affect the formation of one’s culture, Palispis, E. (2007) quoted Sir Edward Tylor, “Culture… refers to that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as member of society.” (Palispis, E., 2007) In this context culture is something we acquire from the people we have lived with since we were born, it is not something a person can learn overnight nor can be disposed effortlessly.

The word “culture” can often be mistaken as geographical ways of living such as food, clothing, etc. However, culture is not only ways of living in different places, it is valuable practices that are passed on for years and years in a civilization. Language, government, morals, knowledge, religion, and food are all different components of one’s culture. Different cultures can be found in places ranging from large communities, to families, to the inner self of a person. In One World: A Global Anthology of Short Stories, many of the short stories, including “Among Strangers”, “Growing My Hair Again” and “The Third and Final Continent” exemplify the importance of culture.

Often slaves who attempted a secret education were penalised and this led to either disfigurement or even death. Certain slave writers focused on the quest for literacy which these slaves believed were in a way often linked with their personal quest for freedom. Slaves who managed to learn to read and write were the ones who were most likely to escape, because they could use their hard-earned knowledge to forge their own passes after having read about the successful escapes made by the other similar slaves from the other plantations. Like the Negro spirituals – religious songs sung by the Negroes – the slave narratives have had a profound impact on the contemporary American literature scenario. And like the lively negro spirituals — which often contained secret codes and messages that were decipherable only by the enslaved blacks — the slave narratives were considered dangerous and subversive by many of the slaveholders and these plantation owners feared that these narratives might lead to slave revolts and

Elie Wiesel Holocaust survivor and writer said “Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future.” (brainyquotes.com) What Mr. Wiesel means by this is often culture is stored in written texts such as ‘My Favorite Chaperone’ a short story by Jean Okimoto, and ‘The Chocolate War’ by Robert Cormier. Stories also explore what happens to a culture when it attempts perfection but fails such as ‘The Giver’ by Lois Lowry. The book ¨My Favorite Chaperone¨ explores how cultural differences create conflict in families. The book ¨The Chocolate War¨ is a story about how school settings also have a culture that influences how students and faculty treat each other. The novel ¨The Giver¨ gives an example of a dystopian society that tries to achieve true equality but fails. In a compare and contrast of these texts all the cultures determine what the acceptable norms are, what the social order is, and the degrees of punishment for breaking the standards. This mirrors our own culture.