Returning to Tuesday’s class in which I discussed the dynamics of cultural transformation and how such transformation generally occurs on the fringes of collectivities…
When we encounter the “change makers” in a culture, more often than not they’re people who have moved away from the mainstream and sought out ways to think outside the box. Most of us, most of the time, aren’t doing that; we’re smack dead in the middle of schools of fish carrying us through the well travelled and comfortable waters (that we don’t even see as H2O). Einstein wasn’t a professor or a student in some top physics program when he envisioned his theories, for example. Those professors would have scoffed at his imaginative discoveries and likely would have lured him into their unimaginative clutches for fear of not belonging. But his independence from the judgement of those he admired allowed him to follow his own call and create a new way of seeing the world.
As I think about all of the sub-cultural groups into which I’m embedded and that cajol me to continue to be a supporting actor in my own life, I’m constantly struck by how much I think inside the boxes that are all around me. I dress like my colleagues; I eat most of the same foods and dishes as others around me; I carry the thoughts that are similar to those of my friends; my music is a mix of the styles to which I’ve been exposed. That’s an interesting example, by the way. I was recently listening to classical Chinese music and it didn’t arouse my senses. So I kept listening…and still nothing. Why not? What am I missing by not hearing a synthesis between those melodic tones and the others that clearly appeal to me. I could be sitting on the most intriguing and dynamic fusion of sound that I could ever encounter, one that would open in my mind some amazing breakthrough idea about life — but I don’t hear it because maybe, just maybe I’m too stuck in the center of some familiar cultural system.
I understand that this is normal, that this is inevitable, that this happens to everyone. But I’m searching for dynamic wisdom…for something much larger than myself Maybe that’s just me.
Check out this video:
Where do these certain individuals get their creative spark to break away from the norm is an interesting question because if I knew I would be receiving an award for my individuality and wouldn’t be at Penn State now. I feel that life experiences give the explanation of where this creativity comes from. Look at Jay-z when you think of hip hop you automatically think Jay-z. Who was he a drug dealer but with his experiences having to grow up with little money and dealing with a harsh life he used what he got. What he had was street smarts, wit, and his voice. He used these qualities to his advantage which allowed him to express himself and adding basic beats just topped it off. I feel experiences cause this spark. Walt Disney is another great example of this creative spark. Whoever would have thought that after surviving the Great Depression and being fired from his job at Warner Brothers Studio. On train he would create one of the most recognized faces in the world, Mickey Mouse.
I would never compare Miley Cyrus of having this creative spark that separated her from the norm. Because she never left the Mickey mouse club. The only thing separating her from her peers are her millions of dollars, but her personality is exactly that of a young American teenager. Teenagers that changed music and created a culture phenomena making chain necklaces, spiked hair, and black lips the new norm was the infamous underground British punk band the Sex Pistols. The Sex Pistols brought attention for the first time to teenagers, giving them a voice in the media. They showed that they weren’t going to wear cardigans and go to club scouts. They didn’t act that their life was perfect. They grew up once again in an environment that caused them to use what they had which was anger and attitude. The world met the Beatles a band that were very diplomatic when they first came out internationally, but the Sex Pistols were the complete opposite. No one had ever seen brazen and ignorant musicians, for many teens they were a refreshing sound when compared to everything else that was on the radio.
Also, another quality that I believed that creates this spark defeating the norm is the desire to not conform. Coco Chanel became famous not because of her excellent sewing skills, but she didn’t accept the shapes and norms women had to follow for beauty. She knew that elaborate fussy dresses weren’t things that women really wanted to wear, but it was what men wanted to see women wearing. Her designs broke the norms for women’s fashion, designing pant suits and androgynous clothing gave women more options.
[Reply]
I too have found myself at times “conforming” to such thoughts and actions as those who surround my everyday life. As you said, it’s inevitable. I believe we all WANT to think out the box, but are merely scared to do so because of what those who are apart of our everyday lives may think. I was always told by my grandmother, “You came in this world alone, and that’s exactly how you’re leaving it. Forget what the world thinks or feels, march to the beat of your own drum and always follow your heart.” For years I didn’t take heed to this priceless information. As I came into my early years of adulthood, I was quite rebellious. Not in a juvenile delinquent sort of way; more so, I challenged all that I was told and all that I read. This allowed me to think more outside the box. Sure we look at the scholars that write our texts as some of the greatest “genius’” of the world, but honestly what makes them any different from me? I too have experienced a lot of things in life that I can share with the world, and I’m certain someone will be able to take something out of my experiences and apply it to their daily lives. The greatest God giving gift we have is our freedom of thought and freedom of will. If we all lived, spoke, talked, and acted the same this world would be much more tedious than it is now. I strongly feel that we must all begin to take charge of our own lives. There are so many different characteristics the occupants of our world possess. If we all walked to the beat of our own drum and followed our hearts, our world would be an utopia. Being able to be exposed to the diverse and complex teachings from one another would foster determination to be supporters, educators, and most importantly innovators. There is so much we can learn from other cultures; such things ranging from foods, religion, education, traditional dress, and dialect. That’s simply to name a few. My motto is, “Every day one should try to learn something new from a culture other than their own, and try to apply it to their everyday lives.” I see it as a sign of respect to the various cultures that this world encompasses and a means of stimulation to mental growth. It’s a stretch to believe that in the near future this would happen; however, I’m an optimist and an extreme extrovert. If we could accomplish this task by using a method similar to that of the movie Pay it Forward, we will be well on our way to a utopian society.
[Reply]
My friends and I are a dynamic group. All of us represent different cultures, and all of us have a natural love for learning and experiencing different cultures. I suppose in some way I gravitate to these people- people who are equally similar and different from myself. I love learning about different cultures (especially when it comes to cuisine because I have to say that I love a lot of diverse types of food), including language and religion-wise. My closest group of friends consists of a Honduran/El Salvadorian, a Filipino/Romanian, Chinese, Nepali, Dominican, East Indians, Syrians- my group of friends in general is even more diverse. We all bring something to the table, whether it’s music, food, religion, or general thought. Often, we’ll sit around and have discussions about our families and how our cultures differ or is similar to American culture. I suppose to some extent, even though I consider myself to be very culturally open, I stick to what I know. My friends are mostly first generation American, so we do retain quite a bit of American culture as well as our families, and often laugh at the disparities between our parents and ourselves. I watch the travel channel religiously, but some of the foreign foods consumed in some countries completely turn me off. I’m open, I suppose. I’ll eat eel, goat (a favorite in my country), sushi- I’ll eat things that I haven’t ever heard of, but I won’t ever try fried ants. Never say never, but still. I highly doubt I’ll ever touch those things. Nor will I ever feel compelled to eat a huge rat. I don’t care how supple and delicious you say they are. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. I’ve seen my fair share of those gutter rats (and I’ve probably eaten them without knowing, come to think of it- New York, much as I love it, can be pretty shady) and they are pretty damn gangster. When it comes to my musical tastes, I like to listen to everything from American Rock to Italian Rock, Hip Hop to Bhangra, Reggae to Chutney, Salsa to Bachata. I listen Merengue, Soca, Dancehall, Arabic, Reggaeton, French music, but that’s as far as I’ve ventured in terms of world music. I would be completely up for other types of music though because that’s just something ingrained within me. During the summer, I had my grandpa teach me bits of Hindustani, a derivative of Hindi and Urdu, which originated and is spoken in North India and widely spoken in various parts of the West Indies. My family is a huge mix of cultures and I try to learn everything I possibly can about each and every one.
[Reply]
For me, who is always analyzing life and always trying to be the best person, friend, son, brother, and lover, we need to step outside of our boundaries. So here I am now at Penn State taking a class just like the one I took at my high school, besides the obvious difference that my high school was way more diverse than Penn State. Of course that makes sense especially when I am coming from a huge city like LA, but you grew as an individual when you listened and kept an open mind. I learned many things that you never thought could happen in your city let alone to your friends. I think everyone is different in their own way, but we are all the same yet society tries to say otherwise. I think the biggest thing in society is trying to always fit in. By design our world is always about how we ought to fit in and if you do not then you are out of place. But in reality I think differently, when you follow the herd, you do not have that much say in society; your opinion is not always valid or heard. I consider myself a person that’s constantly avoiding a pack, but in essence always wanting to be a part of the herd thanks to society, yet I am happy just outside. Now we ask where that creative spark comes from to motivate you to open up in a unique way that people around us are not charting. I believe this creative spark is within us. It is the ability to be open minded and not always thinking about trying to be accepted. I believe it is going about things your own way, the way you think is right. As a kid from across the country and with parents as immigrants you value those that do not judge and accept you for who you are. You become more welcoming and more willing to meet new cultures and accept people from different walks of life. I believe there are many things that form us, like our family, the city we grow up in, the friends we have, the cultures we are immersed in, and our own idea of life, goals and happiness. I think all these things add to who we are, for me I have a family that fought tremendous hardships to get to the place of where we are, living in a nice community and putting 3 children through college. For me this made me understand that any person can come from nothing and still be a decent person. And then by me going to a high school where I was a minority, being white, in a school with a majority of blacks and Hispanics, you try to fit in. You learn that those that are like you tend to keep to themselves and are not always welcoming as others. For me, I branched out; I played sports, so I met people of different types of backgrounds. This type of life has led me to respect every human being that I come across. I find a need to unite all types of people; I have best friends that are Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, and many other different ethnicities and religions. Instead of looking at the conflicts and differences we have, I learn how much more we have in common than those that are our very own religion or race. I think we as a society should only try to look at the good sides of each other and try to impact each other’s days. I think us as a society like the feeling of being comfortable and just sticking to those that we know instead of trying new things, when in reality the new things may spice up our world and teach us something we never knew and broaden our horizon. I truly think being different does not always mean a good thing, but it does not always mean a bad thing either. We all should have our standards and we all should live the lives we want. I do not think there is a need to force people to live outside their box, but it does not hurt to teach people about other cultures so if they ever come across someone “different” they are not thinking how weird that person is or that their ignorance plays a role on their thought about other cultures. I think being open minded is a key to being creative, when you are open you allow yourself to be exposed to new ideas and cultures and in the end you find yourself outside the box with ultimately learning new things about our world.
[Reply]
I really enjoy all kinds of music Asian, African,English, and Arabic. Well not all of them but the good once. Maybe I enjoy it because my parents are mixed African Arab, or because I lived in a diverse country, or maybe because we had Asian housemaids. I used to hear a lot from my father about African culture and how do they live. Actually we have some of the African culture. We do have the mix gender gathering which is unusual in the Arab culture, but its fine in the African. Another thing, my mother used to work in a French company which is really a shame in the arab culture. Even though we have some non Arab culture, we do respect the Arabic side of our history. Beside my parents mixed culture, we used to have Asian housemaids. They always come to our house with their music and dancing techniques, so I got to learn some of it. In the United Arab Emirates we do have a bunch of different culture, and i used to live in a British comunity. the comunity I lived in really effected on me in many ways. I used to act exactly the same as they do and listen to what they listen to. Now I am in the USA studying like any American student lived his whole life in the USA, but with a knowledge of different kind of culture. It is really nice to be able to know and enjoy others culture music and dancing.
[Reply]
I could argue that I resisted my subculture because I am one of the few girls I know my age that does not have their ears pierced. In our American subculture, while it is not in any ways a formal right of passing, it is very much the norm for girls to have their ears pierced. Does this mean that I am resisting against the subculture in which I was raised? Often I feel that people associate resisting the subculture with the need to rebel. While I agree that many times that is the case, I think that more often or not an individuals motives for speaking out against the norm are on a greater level. I didn’t choose to keep my ears non-pierced because I wanted to rebel but rather it was simply something I did not want to do. I would sacrifice the chance of “seeming different” than conform to society’s behaviors and do something I didn’t want to do. Now I recognize that weather or not I have my ears pierced is a silly little example but I do think it speaks on a greater theme.
I think the act of coming out as gay is a strong and common instance of when an individual is driven to stand out against the norm and express their own individuality. I think it can give you a deeper looks against the difficulty individuals face when they resist the norm of society in order to stand up for their beliefs and feelings. It is evident that we live in a world where “innocent until proven guilty” can translate to “straight until proven gay”. It is assumed (though not expected) that when you are born that you will grow up to marry someone of the opposite sex, and have kids and live as one big happy all American family. However, more often than not, an individual feels that that life style is not for them. Even though we are moving towards a more gay-accepting world, individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or anything else, are still forced to outwardly resist the cultural traditions of the world we live in. Which for most all individuals is particularly difficult. I recently had a conversation with a friend who is struggling to come out. She came to the realization a few months ago that she was also interested in women. While she is out to a few close friends, she is not out publicly. Even telling herself that she was gay was perhaps the biggest struggle. In the second week of class, Sam talked about how they are pretty sure (but of course you can’t always conclude) that the leading group for suicide comes from gay adolescents. This is because they realize that their personal beliefs and are different than what is normal of society. It’s CRAZY to think that people feel so trapped in the world that they were born into that they would rather die than act against it. Although that is not normally the case, it is at times a sad truth. When you put things in that point of view, it almost makes you respect the individuals who speak out against societal norms.
[Reply]
I think we are all, for the most part, fish comfortable in the well-traveled waters of our society. We are comfortable doing our own thing and surrounding ourselves with certain types of people. However, I agree with Sam in the sense that it is hard for us to adjust to new environments.
I have always tried to be original and be myself, but when you think about it, who are we really? Are we really individuals, or just another version of the person next to us? As we grow up, we model our behaviors and style around our environment and the people in it. No one has a true, unique, unlike-any-other persona out there. If you think you’re an individual, take a moment to question how different are you really?
We are all part of some group or culture out there. When we are taken out of the “safety” of our environment, we tend to retreat because we are afraid of something a little different then the norm. Maybe if we took a step back and truly tried to experience and open ourselves up to the endless realm of possibilities and differences out there, we may all be surprised by the outcome.
Personally, I don’t adjust to change very well. I’m not one to go out of my way to try new things (like Indian cuisine when I’m so used to American or Italian style dishes). For all I know, these new things could be amazing! But I am missing out due to my fear of the unknown.
I think no matter what we say or what little white lie we may tell ourselves, we are all a little like myself. How often do we go out of our way to try new things in anticipation of finding something that may excite us and open our minds to a whole other world? We really don’t go out of our way.
Everyone is comfortable in the safe zone they have created for themselves. Whether that safe zone be the culture you are a part of, or the way you dress, where you live, or who your friends are, we all have one. This safe zone hinders us from transforming our culture as a society. We all need to break out of our mold a little.
In doing so, we may be pleasantly surprised by the stereotypes that we at one time or another thought was so accurate, no longer hold true. Besides stereotypes, we may find that there are things outside our own belief systems that fit who we are better.
Sam said in class that we don’t really pick our religion, for example, it’s picked for us. Well, maybe if we transformed our society into one that was willing to seek new things outside their personal lives, then maybe we would see that our parents and environment aren’t always right and there is more to life then fitting the mold and never experiencing something new.
[Reply]
Honestly, I’ve never truly given thought to any subcultures that I may experience in my day to day life. Since a very young age, I always saw myself as one, not following the crowd, not conforming because it created a sort of heavy pit in my stomach that churned up all the bile bringing it all the way up to my mouth, leaving me with a quite dissatisfying taste. Not conforming was something that was instilled upon me the second I was able to comprehend the concept of conformity in itself. My parents always inspired me to be different, to be unique in my own way whereas I influence others to follow me. This is the only way you can be sure that you are not conforming; it is when you inspire others to conform to your ideals. In my efforts of being unique, I never sought out ways in which I took being unique to an extreme where it would look as though I was crying out for help or some sort of attention for satisfaction that would fill a void. I had no such thing, I never longed to be accepted, or longed to be rejected. In my efforts of discovering my uniqueness I found myself to be quite unconventional in my demeanor, my way of thinking, and even people I associate myself with. For example in high school I befriended every single clique there was in school, yet having none of my own. And with this I was quite satisfied. I think this satisfaction that I gained came from me defying the odds where people all my life told me that cliques were inevitable. To those people I say nonsense.
Sadly though, I think high school, might be a poor example of un-conventionalism. Now that I am in college, the fact that everyone is trying to stand out from each other to make their mark on the path to success defies my ideals of trying to be unconventional. In my journey to become unique I find myself conforming in ways that most college students conform to in the roles that employers see fit. Employers want to see someone that displays leadership qualities, someone that is involved in a plethora of activities, someone that stands out from the rest. But the truth of this issue is that when a room is filled with a group of people that try to stand out, no one stands out. In a sense, it is a sort of paradox that stresses the average college student out to the max, where students resort to binge drinking, pot smoking, or other forms of substance abuse to cope. Some may even attempt suicide with all the pressures that build up from these ideals that employers impose upon students. These ideals aren’t limited to the classroom or college environment. But they reach home and our families as well. There the pressure continues to build where families are worried about their children therefore they see that they must apply pressure just as employers do just so that employers can come to recognize a student’s efforts. And very frequently these efforts are in vain, in that a sizable group of students do not pursue their dreams, they only pursure what society deems honorable. This is the reason for depression, anger, resentment, and many other feelings that plague our society in that it breaks apart relationships on any level.
[Reply]
I find people who think outside the box very interesting. For centuries, people have shunned those who act outside the box. They label them as being weird just because they don’t share the same way of thinking as the majority of the society does. People who think outside the box are forced to change their way of thinking to fit in with the rest of humanity. Those who choose not are doomed to face bullying, ridiculing, and torturing by those who want them to be as they are. Those who do not think like the societies majority are considered to be abnormal. In attempts to fit in and not to be labeled as abnormal, people tend to follow the ways of the society around them. They soon are intertwined in the new society that they unable to view the world as they use to. Now they see the world as the majorities do. I have found myself as a person who always follows the crowd. I listen to the same music that they are listing to, dress as they dress, talk as they talk, and eat what they eat. After a while I began to realize that in a way everyone around me was just alike. So I tried to switch up the way I do things. I began to see why people who think outside the box think as they do. After seeing everyone around you, doing the same thing, dressing the same way, you began to get fed up with it. As Sam said in the video, everyone thinks they are the fish who swims upstream, while everyone else is swimming down. For awhile I thought that I was a fish who swam upstream, but then I realized that I was too comfortable with the habits that I had already picked up on from my surrounding society. The society that I had been exposed to for so long has affected me in a way that sort of makes me afraid of venturing outside the normal. It has created a barrel that keeps me trapped inside of it, but curiosity drives me to find a way out. Curiosity of what I can accomplish if only I could find a way out of this barrel and view the world from outside the box. I could achieve my true potential if I could only open my eyes and see the world as it truly is, but the weight of society keeps my eyes shut and only allows me to view the world as they live it. What I’m basically trying to say here is people who think outside the box, will eventually conform to the lifestyle of the society around them. Although certain aspects of them will remain the same due to the fact they want to be considered different but also be considered as normal.
[Reply]
I find people who think outside the box very interesting. For centuries, people have shunned those who act outside the box. They label them as being weird just because they don’t share the same way of thinking as the majority of the society does. People who think outside the box are forced to change their way of thinking to fit in with the rest of humanity. Those who choose not are doomed to face bullying, ridiculing, and torturing by those who want them to be as they are. Those who do not think like the societies majority are considered to be abnormal. In attempts to fit in and not to be labeled as abnormal, people tend to follow the ways of the society around them. They soon are intertwined in the new society that they unable to view the world as they use to. Now they see the world as the majorities do. I have found myself as a person who always follows the crowd. I listen to the same music that they are listing to, dress as they dress, talk as they talk, and eat what they eat. After a while I began to realize that in a way everyone around me was just alike. So I tried to switch up the way I do things. I began to see why people who think outside the box think as they do. After seeing everyone around you, doing the same thing, dressing the same way, you began to get fed up with it. As Sam said in the video, everyone thinks they are the fish who swims upstream, while everyone else is swimming down. For awhile I thought that I was a fish who swam upstream, but then I realized that I was too comfortable with the habits that I had already picked up on from my surrounding society. The society that I had been exposed to for so long has affected me in a way that sort of makes me afraid of venturing outside the normal. It has created a barrel that keeps me trapped inside of it, but curiosity drives me to find a way out. Curiosity of what I can accomplish if only I could find a way out of this barrel and view the world from outside the box. I could achieve my true potential if I could only open my eyes and see the world as it truly is, but the weight of society keeps my eyes shut and only allows me to view the world as they live it. What I’m basically trying to say here is people who think outside the box, will eventually conform to the lifestyle of the society around them. Although certain aspects of them will remain the same due to the fact they want to be considered different but also be considered as normal.
[Reply]
I normally don’t like to follow people around or do the exact same thing they do, so I typically don’t. Yes there are many times when I conform to what’s around me, from the way I dress, to how I wear my hair, and so on….but how different and thinking outside of the box can a person be? I feel is someone tries to do their “own thing” like make up their own style of dressing, then I think some people just think that that person is trying to be unique…saying it as he/she is trying to follow some other unique people by acting or dressing like that. Anyways, yeah I like to do my own thing, I have no problem doing things by myself or doing something that other people wouldn’t normally do. But is that really being innovated or is it that I just have an independent mind. I remember in middle school my girlfriends would always go everywhere together, like to the vending machines and not what, but I wouldn’t normally go with all of them or if I wanted something I would go by myself to get it. But like you said in the video, some people think they’re being unique and innovated, yet they really aren’t. So actually I think I’m more better described as an independent person rather than innovated with my daily or usually routine. I think for someone to be completely innovated and thinking and doing things that are out of the norm, they would completely have to basically not follow anything in which the “norm” is. That person would have to do things and be in places that were completely unfamiliar to them for the start, and of course would have to be completely unfamiliar to the general public. For me, I wouldn’t stop or remove myself from the things I love doing because those make up the person I am today. What I would do is to immerse myself in different cultures, be open-minded about everything, try different things, and not be hesitant to do something that I really want to do if it was seem to be out of the norm. Who really decides whether a person is being innovated or not? Like I stated earlier, a person can be doing their completely own thing in which may not be seen usually by others, but one can probably always point out that some other person, character, or whatever has been doing that already. A person has to be really creative and out of the box to I guess be seen as acting out of the norm. Observing different places, I think NY would have the most innovated and unique people when comparing it to the rest of the country, especially coming is to Penn State. I feel that many New Yorkers do whatever the heck they feel like doing and wearing, unlike people here at any college. It’s probably easier to be more innovated when you’re already a grown adult, and I mean have already graduated from college. Going to school and living amongst other college students can really limit the innovation that some people may have. When people leave college, their met with a whole new diverse group (depending where they go). But let au that after college people probably feel less concern about what other people think of them and feel more comfortable doing their own thing.
[Reply]
This is a very interesting question. I like to think that I am outside of the box and I do my own thing. It is a fact that most people follow mainstream culture. Why is it that we all dress alike, we all eat the same foods, we all like the same music. Why do we like what we like? Do we chose it or are we subconsciously sucked in by mainstream culture. For the most part I can say that I am a leader. I like things that some of my friends and family don’t like. I have always been told that I have this I don’t care attitude. I am sucked in through mainstream culture though because I do like the clothing most people wear and I like shoes. I can say that I do my own culture thing because my parents are not from this country and we eat different food and dress different. I only wear the clothing when my parents make me or when I know that my sisters and I are going to wear it. I admire people who step way outside of the box and are really different. They give you a different perspective on life. I meet this girl in high school and I use to think that something is really wrong with this girl until I got to know her. The only reason why I thought something was wrong with her is because of mainstream culture. I hate that we have words like normal and weird. Who is to say what is normal. If a 100,000 people decided today to jump off the golden state bridge would that be normal because a lot of people did it. I don’t think that mainstream culture is bad but if you are not careful you could get sucked in to deep. I think that the college mainstream culture is also a good but bad thing. Most people change when they get to college they start doing things that they would not normally do like drinking or smoking, and for girls having sex. I don’t know why we pick and choose what we do. In a way you think that you are in control but are we really? My parents also effect what I do but not as much as with my sister. My sister wanted to be a chef but my parents told her that she would not make enough money so she did not do it. I told her that she should do what she wants. What makes her happy because in the end she will resent them and be miserable. I do what makes me happy and most of the time I don’t do what my parents think is right. I live in two different cultures the American and African one. The rules are very different so when I do something that is ok in American standards it is not ok in African standards. I was born here so I battle with both cultures to make my parents happy and to make myself happy.
[Reply]
I agree with Dr. Richards that we all basically follow some sort of path due to our cultural experiences but I believe a lot of us have some unique thoughts and actions (of course based on our cultural experiences). I like to be “different” from my friends and family so that life is not boring and full of clones. I do not want to be wearing, speaking, acting, and thinking exactly like the people I am always with because then life so repetitive.
My parents have taught me many values and I definitely follow a lot of what is familiar to me but I also have developed into a free thinker, and do not always agree and do what my parents suggest. I am lucky enough to have the freedom to disagree without getting in trouble, whereas many people are forced into thinking and behaving in a certain way based on their cultural upbringing. What I am saying is that I have it easy to be an independent thinker and therefore maybe I can change up my life a little more than some people. My ways of thinking and changes from those around me are still very closely related because I have not really experienced a lot of what is out in the world.
Also I find that in my generation there are the people that just follow the culture they are comfortable with; the people that change from the norm because they truly are happier doing so and have good intentions for it; and then the rebels (that just pick their lifestyle based solely on what they know is going to upset and hurt their loved ones). Ever since my sister went to college she has tried to rebel against everything she ever used to be in her culture at home. I understand that my sister has different beliefs and styles than the people she is close too, but she has not impacted anyone else to be like her style. Her style is based on rebellion and that does not get her anywhere. Part of rebellion is about mocking her old ways and making fun of people that do not follow her style. I believe this will turn out to be a positive situation because she will come to terms with how she likes to live her life through trail and error. Eventually she will become a different type of person that feels comfortable being with others that are different from her and intermixing in all cultures.
The “Einstein’s” of the world are very few because they are so above and beyond the general human being. I wish that I could say I was the creator of this idea or lifestyle, but to be honest about almost everyone, our lives are based on experience. We grow, learn, and live life the way we do because we see examples all around us. I have grown comfortable to the food, clothing, music style that I hear most frequently and a huge cultural change in these normal everyday things would probably not be very suiting to me.
I conclude still agreeing with Dr. Richards, that I wish there was something different and truly dynamic about me. I think I am and will always be a culmination or some variation of the culture I grew up in.
[Reply]
I feel like every kid my age has been brought up by their parents, teachers, and other elders to “think outside the box” and it hasn’t really gotten our generation very far. Maybe not intentionally but we are probably the most closed minded generation that has ever walked the earth: we ALL have to have the newest ipod, we ALL have to change our facebook statuses every 5 minutes, and we ALL have to get that newest outfit to try our hardest to look better than everyone around us. Although it may be completely subconscious we are all completely driven by the media, which allows equal exposure of new products, styles, trends, etc. for everyone. I know that college is supposed to be that time in our lives that we are supposed to branch out, find ourselves, and not allow judgment to impede becoming who we are, but it wasn’t until college that I realized how similar everyone is and how intolerant most people are of differences. When I go out at night I see the exact same outfits on girls and sometimes the same with guys, which is proving that people are all shopping at the same stores and trying their best to fit in with everyone they hang out with. I notice the conformity even more being involved in the Greek System here at Penn State because the recruitment process of freshman is almost nauseating. All of these girls that we talk to everyday are trying there hardest to fit in with the group and tell us what they think we want to here when all they really should be doing is trying to be themselves. When people are different from the norm, they are often criticized. These people are probably the ones that will succeed the most. When I think about “thinking outside the box” and the concept of “being yourself” I think about Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.” I remember reading this poem my sophomore year in high school and it has stayed with me ever since. I honestly think that it is the only piece of poetry I remember learning about in high school. Robert Frost stands at a fork in the road and is deciding which path to take: the first is worn down from travelers and the second is grassy and untaken. He decides to take the second and says, “two roads diverged in a wood, and I– I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” This poem is basically all about “thinking outside the box.” It is encouraging us to do things differently and to not to be afraid to do so because it will pay off in the end.
[Reply]
I find myself thinking inside the same boxes as the people around me. Yet that is because I chose them for my friends. I identified with them and got along with them, and we have similar tastes and ideas. It is so great when one of us makes an exclamation in response to some reference we notice, at the very same time as another! The exact thought, uttered at the exact time, in the exact instant! It seems too beautiful an occurrence to say “you are not thinking outside box, you are conforming to what your friends and the people around you think.” I don’t want to sound defensive or anything, but at the same time, I do. I feel as though it is possible to be over-thinking this thing. I love it when my friends and I get excited about the same idea, and we laugh uproariously when we say things at the same time. It strengthens our friendship and our bonds. We make our memories together and bask in the warmth of having friends who are there for you. So what if we are sticking to our culture and don’t branch out to new things. Is it wrong to stay the same? It isn’t like we don’t challenge the ideas and whims of each other sometimes. I have a few friends who make bad comments about people who don’t deserve them, and I call them out. We try to keep each other in line, because of course we aren’t clones of each other.
I also think that you are over-thinking the example of music. Actually, maybe I will just say that I think it’s a terrible example. Music, and any other art form, is a hugely complicated expression of an INDIVIDUAL. It is their creation, expressing or invoking the emotions they dictate. If you don’t feel anything for a song, no matter how hard you try, it doesn’t mean that your missing anything. It may just mean that you don’t identify with the emotions or character of the artist. Ok, so beautiful Chinese music doesn’t move you. Maybe it was just that one song? Listen to death metal thrasher music and see if it moves you. It could!!! Then you would be identifying with hardcore Scandinavians. Different music is going to affect you differently, if at all, the same with any art form. INDIVIDUALS see different things, whether or not they have been exposed or brought up in only one culture, race, background, heritage, whatever you want to say, or MANY. The reactions will be different. I think that the dynamic wisdom or whatnot that you are searching for, that is larger than you, is how much you need to take into consideration before you make a statement or opinion on something, OR, as you tell us in class, someONE. Saying that you aren’t affected by certain music, and that it means you aren’t thinking outside of boxes, is too simple a thing to make out of how much goes into the beauty of music. Maybe, though, I am being too critical and defensive for whatever reason…
[Reply]
The concept of the fish being the last to see the water really intrigued me, because it is true. We rarely acknowledge our own environments or even pay much attention to them. It is only when an outside party points it out that we take notice of our own “water”. This is where knowledge comes into play. With all of our technology and ability to travel, we are able to see more things and realize that we truly are traveling with the herd. Many years ago, however, people were unaware of different life styles and therefore never acknowledged their own bubble of existence. The issue is how and when does someone step outside of this bubble and explore the world beyond what they “know”. This situation has troubled me when I think of how my life is somewhat laid out by the typical American life of college, career, marriage, and family. Since I have not been able to travel beyond what I “know”, I have been unable to see what else is out there and what other paths I can follow or if I can forge my own. Yes, the most innovative people stepped away from the norm but how far? I feel that it is practically impossible to stripe yourself of your background and subcultures. Where and how we are raised never leaves us. In a sense it does define us, although the definition can be tweaked. Can anyone ever swim completely upstream or are they simple swimming at altered angles? It would be extremely difficult to forget and remove every subculture from your being and choose your own path. For some, their path is chosen the day they are born, such as royalty and slavery. I feel that it is rare to find someone without any ties to their subcultures; however, there are many that can reshape their bubbles and think beyond what is common. Essentially that is what we are doing in this class; allowing ourselves to think beyond what we typically think and explore our thoughts that have never surfaced. The way in which we all think may be the ultimate defining characteristic of how we are all unique. Even if people follow the group, they still think differently. It is those that chose to embrace their unique quality of thought that become innovators. Those who take it a step further and act upon these thoughts make a difference in the world. They allow for others to see that change can occur simply by thinking differently or more in depth. I know that I am part of many subcultures and I do follow them to an extent. It is within my mind and thoughts that I step away from the mainstream. Our minds and thoughts are incredible in that no one has to know them unless we take action and speak up. Thus, we all have the capability to be innovators and to make a difference all because of our unique characteristic.
[Reply]
Although I, too, would love to say I follow the beat of my own drum, I know that in more ways than one I am very much affected by the culture around me. I am all about the Sushi craze, the smart-phone Blackberry craze, the Ugg boot, leggings craze. In my subculture; the society that I feel I belong to, these material items seem significant to the wellbeing and happiness of my life. That in itself, says a lot about cultural change. and subculture. Considering not all people I encounter at Penn State, or anywhere else for that matter, find these items essential to enjoy life the way they know it, we see that subcultures do exist within a culture of a school or any other large area. Subcultures come to be from a group of people in a larger society come to have the same values and attitudes as each other. And so, I think, if one person can influence another, a subculture can occur. And if one subculture can influence another, social change might occur.
If it, being culture, happens at a larger collectivity, as Sam says, then at some point, it must happen at an individual level. This is perfectly sensible. It goes along with the idea of many psychological and sociological issues including groupthink; the idea that individuality and independent thinking are lost when members of a group resist conflict by going along with the social ‘norms’ of others in the group. When a few individuals influence a few others to think a certain trend is worth following, we begin to see a subculture eventually develop, no matter how small this subculture might be. Furthermore, when we see a subculture influencing a bigger population of society to share values and attitudes, we can count on seeing some form of cultural transformation. When applying this theory, then, we can thank the trendsetters for constantly morphing and changing or society and it’s values, styles, and opinions. If it weren’t for these trendsetters, cultural change couldn’t be applied. Trendsetters can be anyone; a girl in your sociology class dressed in strikingly different apparel, a new band with a fresh taste of music, a restaurant opening with a twist on average dishes.
Sam asks how I, myself, am different? I don’t know how ‘different’ I can really consider myself to be. Although I have my own thoughts and feelings for sure, my own ways of thinking about things, in many ways I am just another jaded person, affected by the many subcultures of Penn State University and the cultural changes of the world I live in. Yet I’m trying to open myself up to be somebody a little more unique, and maybe eventually break some trendsetter ground myself!
[Reply]
HA! HA! HA! So funny, yet another joke about President Obama being black! I hope someone caught my sarcasm there. Honestly, I do not see what’s SOOOOO is funny about the poster that they sent out showing that our 44th president as a pair of eyes. They are implying that Obama is SO black that you can only see his white eyes, but not just any normal pair of eyes, VERY large cartoonish eyes in the dark lower corner. After how many months of campaigning and now well into the second half of his first year in office, shouldn’t some of these jokes have died down already? Obama did not start frying catfish on the back patio of the White House and you do not see him with fried chicken and watermelon at every meal, he is just like any other human being so stop the jokes. If Obama was playing into the stereotypes that Americans have set for blacks then yes by all means crack your jokes, he would be inviting them.
And the fact that the image of the US Presidents was sent out by an aide in the Tennessee State Legislator just adds to my disgust. I mean I guess it would be expected that someone who works in government would have a stronger opinion of the President, but I would expect that opinion to be based on intellect and what he has done/not done, not race.
The second story of Boston police officer Captain Justin Barrett calling Bates a “banana eating jungle monkey” just makes me laugh. Honestly how old are you Captain Barrett? Having multi racial friends DOES NOT mean a thing except that you are at least tolerant of other races. I would love to know how Captain Barrett was going to explain that calling someone a “banana eating jungle monkey” was a compliment or make in a fun loving manor. I am usually pretty good at trying to spin words, but when I thought about it I could not see any way he meant that in a positive light. It is completely degrading and makes Bates sound like a barbaric, uncivilized person which I am sure he is not. I bet the only remorse Captain Barrett felt was the fact that the public got wind of his racist comment and now he looked like an asshole (sorry there is no other way to describe it).
People are just blind to racism when they themselves are taking part in it. No one wants to think of themselves as a racist because everyone “hates” racists. At least the people prancing around in their white robes in the KKK have the balls to admit their dislike.
[Reply]
Somebody obviously has to be a “trend-setter” in society. But I honestly do not know who that person is, or where they come from. It is really hard to pinpoint exactly who the first person is to do something vs. who is the first to follow. An unsettling thought I had was “will I ever be truly the first person to do something or think something?” And how will you really ever know if you are legitimately the first person to ever have that specific thought or wear your hair a certain way? Even so, people always still try to claim that they were indeed the first. Does it really make you a better, smarter, more respected person to be “the trend-setter”? Is it really that bad to be “the follower”? Why can’t I follow a specific trend because I like it, rather than my need to fulfill some cultural norm? For instance, roughly 50 kids from my high school graduating class joined me at Penn State main campus freshman year. I suppose I could have applied to some completely random college in the state of Vermont, but I actually really wanted to go to Penn State. But was I just following my 49 other classmates? If so, which one of us could be considered “the trend-setter” who decided that Penn State was the cool college to attend? In high school is where I think a lot of kids follow or choose to not follow trends. However, I do not think that there was one specific person who did not adhere to any trends or cultural norms. There were obviously different cliques at my high school: the jocks, the nerds, the preppies, the goths etc. But all of them adhered to their own groups’ particular norms. It may not have been the norm of the jocks to wear black trench coats to class, but that was the norm for the goths. So who was the trend-setter, the jocks or the goths? Were the jocks stepping out of the box by wearing jerseys every day, or was it the goths and their trench coats? I don’t actually agree that either of these subcultures were going against the grain. Just because someone doesn’t follow the trend of one subculture, doesn’t necessarily mean that they don’t follow the trends of another. Basically, this blog by Sam really got me to thinking. Literally, I sat here for an hour trying to process my thoughts into words. And I still am not sure what makes someone “a trend-setter”. All I have realized that it is very hard to classify someone as a true trend-setter, because most of the time, someone has been there, done that before you get the chance. Even so, I don’t think there is any shame in following a trend. Be your own person, of course. But if you want to swim downstream with all of the other fish, that’s cool, go for it. Just do it because you want to swim downstream, not because you feel like you should.
[Reply]
It’s extremely difficult to be the innovative, missing piece of a puzzle when we are taught to simply belong. We are always taught to follow a certain way of life. Growing up not belonging is one of your greatest fears. Personally no matter how hard I try, I will never be that much more different than a peer, or someone else who is in the same subculture as me. For someone who does try, they are outcast and seen as strange. Not as innovative and provocative, just plain weird. I believe that we often are forced into these preset subcultures because we need a place to belong. Even if you are absolutely insane, with an appetite for human flesh and ancient Indian music, there are other people out there who want to be just like you because they need someone to relate to.
I like to consider myself one to be eccentric, having an eclectic taste in music and food, and as open minded as my teenage knowledge will allow me to be. In that sense, I’m on a campus with about forty thousand or more people and there are about then thousand more just like me. We all search for something that is dynamically larger than ourselves and way of life. We are always searching simply because of our human nature. If we had no one to relate to, and no subculture to belong to, would we really be able to survive. Einstein was an intelligent and innovative man, but he was seen as insane. He didn’t receive an education like most of the people he worked with and he seemed to be fine with that. I applaud him for that because there often days that I wish I could live without the criticism of people who are not in my subculture.
Mainstream is a trap that we all fall into at some point in time. Whether it be music, the latest food and vitamin from Asia or a clothing trend we all fall into the category of mainstream no matter what. It’s inevitable. And if it wasn’t we’d all be first in line to be the most different. We stick to what is familiar and comfortable without offending anyone. I want to offend some people. But no matter who I want to offend there is someone right there with me wanting to do the same thing. The most creative that pushes me to be innovative and different is my mind. I would like to believe that I think in ways which others don’t. I’m the one to say things that you were thinking but were afraid to say. With that being said my innovations to what I know and what I am taught.
[Reply]
So Sam, in his infinite wisdom, throws out another interesting idea to ruminate on. How much of an individual am I really? Are any of us really individuals? I think this issue relates back to many other things, such as enculturation, culture, and the specific society in which someone is raised. In my personal experience, for example, the most innovative and truly unique people I have met have been bred that way. I think that the way in which people think is so molded and shaped from such a young age that if that sort of free roaming creativity is not fostered by something outside of the traditional academic setting, then it can and often does disappear. We are all pretty much in the same classrooms from age 5 until at least age 17 or 18. That’s crazy! We are taught how to think, and seemingly nobody has a problem with that. So then the correlating question arises of how people can and have broken free and how change occurs. Even as I look at myself, I can feel some sort of repressed being inside, and it encompasses many more things than just education. We have been force fed everything, but I still like to believe that inside each of us is something special, something unique, that we could unleash if we wanted to. It’s almost sad to watch this in action in my own life and in the lives of others. For example, there are some times when I would just love to start dancing in the middle of a store, but I never do. Why? It is because I have been told not to, and that’s it and that’s all. I have always wanted to break free from the molded, sculpted person I have been made into, but the truth is that it is HARD. To abandon the foundations of thought and action can jeopardize a lot of things. I think that change comes when certain special people, like Einstein, are comfortable enough with themselves to be brave and shrug off what people tell them. These are the only people that I think have really forged their own path.
Now, on the one hand, I think it would be fantastic if every last person on this Earth had the means and strength to forge their own path; but, on the other hand I don’t think that could ever work. I think society purposely tries to squelch such radical, unique individuals, as illustrated with any number of individuals (Rosa Parks, Timothy Leary, MLK). I think it is bad for society as a whole to have everyone running off in their own direction. I’m thinking that chaos would ensue, almost like an anarchist playground. I think that if enough people strayed from the ‘norms’ then this would be a dramatically different place, although I’m not sure if in a good way. And to be bluntly honest, I’m not sure many of us have the courage. Like Sam said, we all like to think we are uniquely creative and think outside of the box, but do we really have the strength to do just that? All I can say is that I hope one day I will.
[Reply]
I completely agree that our world is made up of many cultures. And within each culture there are subcultures that divide us endlessly. The unfortunate part of this situation is that the smallest of subcultures leads to such large divides in our world, society and community.
Like you said in class the other day we are all “Americans”. However if we are all Americans how come we speak different languages, dress differently, listen to different types of music and act in different ways? Subcultures, created and formed by “trendsetters” appealing to some and not all of a culture create these divides. The amount of subcultures is seemingly never-ending.
I myself fall into an endless list of subcultures. Some subcultures more superficial than others. For example, I can be considered part of the white American subculture. The Jewish subculture. The kind subculture. The athletic subculture. The girly subculture. The brunette subculture. The Penn State subculture. The sorority subculture. The American Apparel subculture. The Ugg subculture. The list can go on and on and be divided into as many subcultures as one can imagine plus more.
Although it may seem my subculture list is long and shallow I do believe the qualities I posses are good characteristics for myself to have. I do follow trends and may purchase the hottest new bag but I also do believe I am a unique individual. No persons will have the exact same list of subcultures. A person may poses many similar traits thus placing them in similar subcultures, but a persons’ combination of all subcultures is definitely exclusive. Similar to all the people who have ever followed a trend, the cheerleader, the jock, etc. those who go against the trends can be divided and considered into subcultures of their own. Hypocritically, those who mock the perhaps young trend seekers are in the subculture of individualists against conforming.
However not all subcultures can be so distinctly divided, which I believe is the good part of the subculture world. Like in my sorority, we are all so different. Some of the girls are girly, some athletic, some brunette, some blond, some Jewish, others Christian, some wear designer clothes and others do not. Even with all these differences plus many more we can all be considered part of the same subculture, the sorority subculture at Penn State. And I am glad to be a part of one such diverse subculture.
In the end there is no win or loser to the topic of subcultures. Everything we do can be considered following a trend to some and be completely different to another person. Thus the very act of living a life different to that of another human being places us in a sub cultural group, thus a divided world.
[Reply]
When I first thought of this topic of “stepping outside the box” and not following the crowd in everything that I do, I thought, “yea yea I’ve heard this before.” My parents, teachers, pastors, and other influential people have always preached to me to be different, and do my own thing. Up until now I always thought that I was different and didn’t follow the crowd in most things that I do. I can say that I follow the crowd less than my friends as I normally just do what pleases me. Many of my friends just follow the mainstream ideas of what should be done or worn or owned just to do what everyone else is. Don’t get me wrong sometimes you have to do what the rest of society is doing to get by in everyday life, but when it comes to things that I have control over, I do mainly what makes me and my close friends and family happy. I have always been different from my friends in many of the things that they do for fun. When I was younger, when a lot of my friends were inside playing video games I was outside screwing around with my brother shooting at birds with BB guns, building forts, and doing anything that involved the outdoors. This is what I had fun doing and what made me happy. But what does make me happy? When I thought of it after Sam brought it up in class, I realized that I enjoy what I grew up around, mainly being interested in things that the most influential person in my life, my dad, had always been interested in. My dad always enjoyed hunting and fishing with his dad and that’s probably why I like doing the same thing. My dad always liked and played baseball and basketball which is what I ended up playing in high school. Perhaps this is a lower level example of the ethnocentrism that we talked about in class. I have unconsciously always been more comfortable doing the things that I am comfortable with, things I feel secure doing, not trying anything new. So when I talked about what has always made me “happy” what if I wasn’t happy, what if I just did it because it was the only thing I knew and was the only thing I felt comfortable doing. Honestly, I’ve never thought of it a whole lot until it arose here in SOC 119. I have always thought that I was being different because I was doing something acceptable in society, but something not all that normal to my friends. What if I stepped outside the box and tried some new things that I normally wouldn’t would I be happier? This course is really making me think about that.
[Reply]
It is hard to be different in a world with such diverse people. However, it is possible to stand out amongst ones friends, to be different. I am much different than my friends but most likely similar to other people somewhere in the world or somewhere even at Penn State. In a sense, I like to think I dance to my own beat. I do not like to chew gum. Most people think I am crazy when I tell them that. I also never really cared for music, that which is “normal” music. I like to listen to classical piano music even though I do not play the piano. Although, in order to fit in, one must know some music; thus, I listen to the radio and have a “favorite” band but I only know the words. I could not tell you who the artist is. Furthermore, I do not know actors or actresses nor do I know the titles of movies despite the fact that I watch them. My friends, on the other hand, love music and movies but they know not to expect much when it comes to my knowledge about the subjects.
For the most part my friends like to shop, go tanning, go out and party and they always have to be together with one person or another. This is not me. I hate shopping. Do not get me wrong, I like having knew things but I wish they would just appear in my closet or bedroom. When I shop I know what I want, I go in and get it and then I leave. As far as tanning goes, I do not do it. The only sun I get is from working or playing outside. Partying is also not my thing. I drink occasionally but it is only on a social basis. It is for this reason that I stand out from most people at Penn State. Lastly, I do not have to be with someone all the time everywhere I go. I like to do something’s by myself. One may ask why I hang out with the people I do. The truth is that I like to be a positive influence on people. I love volunteering for things like Habitat for Humanity and doing outdoor activities such as backpacking and kayaking and I can usually get my friends involved. Also, I try to be a good person in the sense of religion. I go to church every Sunday and I do my best to read the Bible and pray. Basically I keep my friends around because they are different than I am and I enjoy that and I think they keep me around because I give them a sense of adventure. I may blend in with a crowd somewhere but in my crowd, I stand out.
[Reply]
The unending quest to find what makes me different. Colleges asked me about it, interviewers for leadership positions ask me about it, future employers will ask me about it. Yet the search continues. I, like many others have found it hard to answer this question. Whenever I am prompted, I can only seem to think of the ways that I am like others. The way I dress, the way I style my hair, even the way I answer this very question has all been borrowed from others. As Sam said, I like to think that I am different, that I am forging my own path in life, yet I am sure that it is the same path that many other 19 year old college girls are taking. It takes some serious searching to think about ways that I am different when it all seems the same. But then, among the boring sameness of it all, I somehow realized that in minute ways, I am indeed different than others.
My best friends, like most, are JUST LIKE ME. We are all white girls from the same socioeconomic class, going to the same university, living in the same dorm, eating the same foods. However, in a way I am very different than these girls with whom I share most of my life. I love adventure. The thrill of trying something so extraordinarily new is my drug of choice. Even if an experience turns out to be one of the worst of my life, the anticipation of widening my horizons is exhilarating and if nothing else, leaves me with a good story in the end.
My experimentations with food, music and culture have led to some of the most delicious and most disastrous concoctions of my life. I have uncovered some of the most wonderful flavors of food, people and society just because I tried something new.
After reflecting on my life around the age of 16, I was bored. My life had been nothing but a boring collection of slightly exciting memories. From that moment on, I refused to live inside the box of doing what I was ‘supposed’ to. Who decided what I should or should not be doing? While my parents may have preferred I stayed inside the box, I am so happy to finally be outside the confines of those four walls. I have been through all of the emotions of humanity. I have EXPERIENCED and I have lived. Since my decision to live an exciting life I have adopted the motto that one cannot grow without being uncomfortable.
My friends, so often missed out on great fun because they were worried about what others would think. Afraid to go to meetings where they would know no one, roommates and friends stayed home to do what was comfortable: stay home in pajamas and watch a movie. However, even when I was panicked at the thought of walking into a roomful of strangers, I told myself that it would be worth it. And so far, it has. Those strangers became some of my best friends, opening new doors, and showing me areas of life previously unexplored.
While some may see this as another way that I am the same, I see it as a way that I am different. I am not channeling this ‘fringe’ part of my existence, I am simply living it. I am not looking to start the type of revolution or movement to which Sam is referring, but maybe, just maybe, that could be the very thing that puts me on the fringe.
[Reply]
It’s difficult to determine to what extent I follow the “mainstream” when my culture is made up of a myriad of different ones. My world encompasses my identity as Japanese, an American, and finally living in Shanghai, China as an expatriate. So how do we measure if I’m simply a fish “smack dead in the middle of schools of fish” when I’m a breed of my own.
Or so I thought.
I have an excessive need to eat rice with every meal, unnecessarily bow on the phone while talking on the phone in Japanese, and inevitably feel as if I failed when receiving any grade below a 90. Conversely I have a very strong affection for Spongebob regardless of my age, uggs are a staple shoe in my wardrobe, and meatloaf is one of my favorite dishes. So while I do dabble in certain prototypical Japanese shenanigans, I also participate in American trends and “act White”. On one hand I am following the pre-paved road of my culture, but on the other hand, could it be possible that I am walking two polar opposite paths simultaneously?
I moved to Shanghai when I was thirteen. There I met a community of people in similar situations – people of mixed race, living abroad, just as confused and complex as I was. And they became my school of fish. It was expected that we were bilingual, if not trilingual; it wasn’t unusual if you were born in a place on the opposite side of the world from your nationality, and moving every two years was the norm. By being diverse, international, and multicultural, we are following the “mainstream.” To like Japanese TV, but like Reggae music, and dresses like a European, and only eats Middle Eastern food is in fact the norm. Therefore, in this perspective, I don’t think I have done anything yet that goes against the mainstream.
However, going to college in a small town like State College, instead of Europe, Australia, or even New York, I believe, is going against the mainstream. I am swimming amongst fishes that have, for the most part, have had similar experiences. They’ve lived in the same town since birth and have attended predominantly white schools. With a new school of fish, I could continue to swim in my own direction, against this new current. Or, I could give in, and swim in the opposite direction, along with these new white fishes. If I end up in the suburbs, with a White husband, and born and raise my children in one town, I would consider myself to have gone against my “mainstream”.
My mother is of “similar” breed as me. Born in NY to first generation American parents, her grandparents were heavy accented, very traditional Russians. She moved to Italy when she was two years old, and continued to live in England and Singapore afterwards. She came back to the US for college, and met my Japanese father, where they married and lived in Japan for many years. She then had children and gave us similar experiences as she did.
My father on the other hand, went against the mainstream Japanese culture by attending university in the US, marrying a white woman, and starting his company in Shanghai, China.
I can only wonder where the current will take me, and what the “mainstream” for my children may be.
[Reply]
I must say I have been a follower for most if not my entire life. Being an individual is great however, not something that I wanted to be. I went through stages in my life that completely changed me. I would be an athlete for a couple of years and act like an athlete and be with different athletes. Everything I did for those years would be sportive. Everything I bought was athletic. And everyone I surrounded myself with was in some way connected through sports. Once I went into high school, I tried out and became one of the cheerleaders. I mingled and giggled my way through the next two years while shopping with the girls and attending the various sweet sixteen’s and keg filled parties. Once again, something changed and I quit the squad and decided to join the speech and debate team and the school student council. I gained new friends, lost the old, and concentrated on the school events. I still attended the sporting events and watched my former athletic friends and my formal cheering buddies. However, I would leave with another group of friends and just lived my life not worried about what click I was in but that I had friends that I felt comfortable.
Living my life knowing that I wasn’t an individual or even knowing that I wasn’t even trying to set myself different from everyone else was okay for me. However, I now realize that while trying all those different activities and making all those different friends, I was trying to figure out who I was as an individual. I wasn’t so much “following the crowd” as I thought, just making my own crowd.
Individualism only comes so far because once you become you’re individual, you are bound to find someone else who feels the same way or acts the same way. This world is filled of different people, but all in all creativity and inspirations come from somewhere. Creativity and inspiration comes from another individual or another individual’s work. We all mess with each and together as a society in this world, we learn what we like, how we dress, whom we share with, and exactly who we are as an individual.
A posting titled “In a school of fish” on angel says, “I fear that this will happen to all of us until its no longer our bodies on the outside but an opaque film that allows no one to see out and be inspired to do something great. So we’ll all be stuck, playing it safe.” I feel the opposite. We are in a world where the population continues to grow. New talents are emerging everyday and individuals are finding themselves, whether fitting into an already made subculture or creating a new one. Creativity will continue because our society, whether we like it or not, is always meshing with the entire world and this world changes. Don’t believe me, well just look for yourself throughout the past. So much has changed, and even though things like the 80’s look is coming back, there are differences all throughout.
[Reply]
Watching Sam’s video on cultural transformation made me really think about things. I honestly can’t say that I do one thing that is out of the norm. I don’t listen to different and unique music, I believe that I wear typical clothing for a male, and I am picky eater. I do NOT like trying new things, and I am a basic 19 year-old student. When I was reading the article, the first person that popped in my mine was Martin Luther King Jr. He is one of the few people in history that have gone out on a limb to do something different. Although he knew the danger in fighting for civil rights, he still persisted on and fought till his death. He was the fish that was going upstream, while all the others were headed downstream or hiding somewhere. MLK didn’t sit there and allow the segregation like so many others did. If he listened to others, where would the United States be today? Would segregation still be a large part of our daily life? In my opinion, I feel as if it would. As I said before I can’t really write anything that sets me apart from the others. I really think it has to do with a level of comfort. I am comfortable with whom I am. When I walk out every morning I don’t think of myself as noticeably different from others. I guess since I think that way that largely has to do with why I don’t try something new. I think most people think why try being different and taking the chance of being looked at differently, when I am content with myself already? Sam said he was not interested in the Chinese music that was played for him, and that probably has to do with that he is comfortable in listening to music heard on the radio or popular bands that everyone in the USA knows. The Chinese music wasn’t the “norm.” I really think some people think inside the box because they are afraid of what others will think of them if they step outside the box, and if they will judged or not. In today’s society people are always looking at others, and even if they don’t know them they are in some way judging them in their mind whether it is the way they dress, how they do their hair, or what they are eating. The type of person who is motivated or as Sam says “sparks,” someone to think outside the box is probably ready for a change. They are tired of the same old, boring, routine. When they decide that they are ready to try something different in their life, apart from what others are doing, they don’t think of what others are going to think of them. I started a sentence out with “I consider myself an average guy,” but then something came across my mind. What is average? My explanation of an average person my age could be completely different than what another person’s definition of ‘average’ is. It is funny when people ask others “are you a leader or a follower?” Many answer leader, but no one ever asks them what makes them a leader? What have they done that is different from the person sitting next to you? This journal makes me really think about my own life. I will always care what my family and closest friends think, but I really shouldn’t care about what the person I meet at a party and talk to for three minutes thinks of me. I should be motivated to do something different for a change. I think it’s time to start thinking outside of the box and my comfort zone for once in my life.
[Reply]
I like to think of myself as a unique woman. I want to believe I am someone who is different and innovative. Al though, I do follow some mainstream cultures. However, never the less, I’m different and my own person. I often find myself saying before I walk out the door “do I look to weird today; so different to the point that those who don’t share my same perception may question my sanity or do I look as if I maybe setting a new trend”. Often I see life differently than others. My perception of things is usually not normal, but I enjoy being weird. I like being a person who is one who thinks outside the box and sort of doesn’t conform. When it comes to style I rock sneakers and skinny legs and t-shirt dresses. However, one day I dress punk and the next prissy and then a mixture of the two the next day. Sometimes I animate myself. I design and produce a new copy of me. When doing so I allow different sides of myself to shine through. Many of my friends say I have multiply personalities because I am never really the same person all the time. I constantly change style, dialect, and attitude. I think I redefine myself without actually purposefully doing so. Why do I stray from being completely mainstream; because I carve to be different? Being fully mainstream is never good a good thing. I don’t care to be normal. However, I don’t take things as far as Lady Gaga. Her statements are a little beyond me. I try to speak loudly without yelling if you catch my drift. But let me not stray to far from the subject at hand. I’ve explained how I’m unique, but one wants to know where does that spark come from? Where does it originate? For me I would say growing up in an environment where materials were limited and scarce pushed me to become creative and inventive with forms of entertainment, fashion, food, and even education. When you don’t have you find the time to make do what you do have. You begin to think more about things and discover knew outlooks. You find yourself teaching yourself and others about these things you’ve began to look closer at. Then ideas form and then you act on those ideas to bring them to reality. Then you find yourself experimenting until you’ve made art or discovered how to make something work , or fix something that was once broken, or make something new that was old. That creative spirit comes from, for me and many that I know of, trying to make something out of nothing. When put in that situation you have to be creative and I think that creative spirit stays with you is most cases even if it’s in the slightest way of doing things.
[Reply]
I find that it is extremely easy to slip into the subculture of being “in the norm” and doing as the people around us do. However, doesn’t this make the most sense? If everyone is a product of their environment, wouldn’t we all act, dress, eat, etc like the members of our family and the friends we grew up with? At my high school, there were very distinctive social groups that depended on religion, wealth, and style. Even though my high school was relatively small (800 total), this was a way for each student to feel like they were a part of a small subculture in a large group. But these subcultures, instead of merely acting as a means for everyone to feel like they belonged, acted as a way to not include others that were not “in the norm.” For example, if you looked around the cafeteria of my high school, you would see a table of all the pretty, rich, and mostly Jewish people (this was considered “the group to be in”), a table of black people, a table of the smart, geeky Asian and Indian people, a table with the theater kids, and everyone else in between. The worst part was that even the teachers and coaches recognized these social groups and gave special treatment to the students and athletes that they knew were the most wealthy and powerful in the community. All of these subcultures dressed alike, acted alike, ate (or didn’t eat) alike, and drove similar cars. When there are such clear, distinctive social groups and everyone is fighting to “fit in” and be a part of the “popular one,” we all tend to lose sight of who we truly are. Everyone is so worried about conforming, that they forget to be their own person. You might purchase a school bag that wouldn’t normally be your bag of choice just because it is the popular bag to have at your school. Or you might wear Ugg boots in the winter even though deep down you think they are really ugly just because they are considered in style and to be “the norm.” It is easy to lose track of our true likes and dislikes when we are surrounded by others. On the other hand, rebelling from conforming and being alternative or unique has also developed its own subculture. Sometimes I think people try so hard to be unique and not “the norm” that they end up fitting into their own stereotype. So what do we do? Do we lose ourselves in the mainstream culture of our environment or do we risk being different? I think once and a while we all need to take a step back and reevaluate our choices. Did I see that movie because I really wanted to see it or because I knew everyone else was going to be talking about it? Do I really like wearing leggings? That way, we can make sure that we are making choices based upon our true needs and desires, and not based upon the wants and desires of others.
[Reply]
This blog made me think back about my life for a while. I would say I could be included one of the people who was affected by American culture. I am an international student who has been living in America for 3 years. I have lived in Korea for about 15 years and I came to US in my sophomore year. By that time, I was a typical Korean girl who wore uniforms to school everyday and Korean trendy clothes. I can’t still forget the first day of school in America. The clothes, songs, appearances and the languages made me extremely confused. Not like Boston, New York where other Asian cultures were affected, the town I lived was extremely rural so any Asian cultures haven’t reached yet. My school was consisted of 98% white students. I had to force myself into the American culture as soon as possible to adapt myself well. I didn’t want to be one of those Asian outsiders who are made fun of. So basically I did lots of things to be ‘Americanized’. Whenever I think back my immature years when I wanted to look just like one of American girls, I laugh at myself a little bit. On the other side of my head, however, I believe things that I did to be look ‘cool’ were inevitable and that actually led me to adapt here very well.
People often ask me if I am going to live in America forever. I always answer ‘No’ but I really do not know what am I going to do later. Whenever I go back to my home country during summer, something has been changed that I can’t really understand. Then later on, I usually realize that something has not changed but I have. Whenever I feel that, I get anxious because I don’t want to lose my identity and my culture. I could say me changing is inevitable, but that could not be the excuse.
Just like I imitated what American teenagers did, anyone in any cultures are likely to go with the flow of the celebrities and the ‘populars’ in that society. In Korea, half of my friends did plastic surgeries to make their eyes bigger like white people because having that surgeon has been one of the trends for about years. I asked my American friends if they look actually better for them and they’ve all liked the Asian eyes better. Personally I think the eyes with plastic surgeons look better. It was interesting listening the American’s perspectives about the eyes. Even though each country has its own culture, the cultures are all likely to go with the flow as far as I’ve been experiencing. It is fascinating and interesting looking at the two nation’s trends at once.
[Reply]
Individualism and the idea that no one is really a set background, race, or person is very true now that I think about it. The idea that Sam brings up is a very interesting idea that none of us are purely “American.” We all immigrated to the United States at one point taking over the Native Americans land. The only way we categorize ourselves is by what we know and how we were raised. I am white and I have “white norms” while blacks are black and they have a certain norm as well. It is very interesting to think about how people place themselves in certain groups on the basis of what they know. So how can someone be “wrong” or “right? That doesn’t sit well with me because they are only wrong and right based on what they know. The idea of hypocrisy is very interesting to me because it comes back to the idea of who’s right and who’s wrong. Who am I to say that blacks are all gangsters and are very violent? That’s a stereotype to which blacks are given for the most part. It’s also hypocrisy. This is something that we deal with in our everyday society when people put labels on others based on what they know. This is a form on ignorance and people don’t understand that there is not right and wrong, there’s just customs and certain norms we associate ourselves with.
[Reply]
How can we lead ourselves to be original and think differently than others in society? Most of our childhood and adolescent lives, people have told us what to do and how to behave. Until we move out from under our parents roof; the food we eat, the school we attend and many times, even the places that we go to are controlled by others that surround us or typically, our parents. Through our lives, guidance counselors advise us to take specific classes. Friends suggest places for us to shop at. Parents cook us dinner. So why think on our own and start a new trend when it seems everything is already basically being handed to us? It is so easy to get sucked into certain subcultures. It is so easy to be tempted to do as others do and follow them through life. But why is this? Why can’t we all think, speak and act as individuals? In the end, it comes down to the fact that being part of a “normal” subculture simply makes life a lot easier.
Most people would much rather take the easy path in life than struggle. They would choose to be a follower rather than a leader if it would appear to make like more trouble free. But, in reality, being a follower can make the simple things in life so much more complex. One situation of this involves a straightforward task, getting dressed in the morning before class. The leader in life, one who does not want to necessarily assimilate with everyone will put on what she truly wants, with nothing else in mind. This process should take no more than three minutes. However, what about the one who feels the NEED to look as “cool and trendy” as all the other people? This is completely different. They will pick out something that they think will impress others, or something that everyone else is wearing. It will take much longer for them to decide what to wear. These people worry too much about the simple things in life and not about what really matters in reality. This is what is so unfortunate about society. It has been this way for years, is this way today, and I’m sure will be in the future as well.
People need to think out of the box. They need to “break-out” of these subcultures and begin something new. But of course, we know what will happen when people are unique and start to think on their own… people will follow! And this is when the cycle almost seems to begin again. It is a circular pattern that makes it difficult for anyone to stand out. Just as Sam Richards discussed with new genres of music, as soon as people begin to follow something new, others will follow as well, and then it will once again, be “the norm.”
[Reply]
This cultural transformation and our personal lives blog seemed very interesting to me. Sometimes you don’t stop to think things like this. There are people in life who do things because that is what they have been taught to do so and because is what you are suppose to do (norms). The majority of people in this life do things because that is what is morally right or simply because that is how they have been raised. Most of the time people tend to follow the mainstream culture. This I tell you from personal experience. A perfect example is female models. There is a notion that people who are beautiful are tall, and extremely thin. Due to this misconception you see a trend in more and more females that want to be like the models. There is delusion that the thinnest and tallest is the most attractive or beautiful. Shifting from this thought, I think that minorities in the United States tend to stay connected to their own subculture and stay ways form the main stream culture. A very interesting example is the students here at Penn State. When you go to the HUB and you observe, the first thing you see is that most of the students sit within their racial group. For example, Hispanics will sit mainly with the Hispanics, Blacks mainly sit with blacks, and whites mainly with whites and so forth. Sometimes this happens not intentionally, but because is the group who they know or are either comfortable with. To some extend we are confined to one’s own culture and its own ways. In my case I am a minority and yes I try to stay within my own subculture. I try to stay within my friends; however, there are times in which I also have gotten the chance to meet other individuals outside of my circle of friends and outside my racial group. In a dominant racial group not to a very large extend are individuals confined to a subculture that is dynamic and not connected to the mainstream. By this I mean the majority group prefers to follow its own subculture then to place itself outside of it and try to relate to a minority group. Majority group Individuals prefer to stay within what they already know then to go into something unfamiliar. Sometimes is not because they want to, but because is how they have been raised and how things are around them. For example, it is more likely for an individual who is a fan of certain sport to follow the same sport than to change his sport. Sometimes we behave, act, and do things a certain way not because we want to, but because there are invisible forces that drive us to act or think a certain way. There is no one who is not shaped by these invisible strings. I think that trends are started because something happen without you really wanting to start a trend. Often people try to follow norms and what you are suppose to do, and trying to do so you find yourself doing things not expected.
[Reply]
I feel that as much as I want to stray from the mainstream, I rarely ever find myself doing so, and that’s kind of upsetting to me. I think that other cultures and societies are extremely interesting, and I would love to get to know about them more and to emerge myself into their thinking and their ways of life. But I have never gone out of my way to try this. I guess it’s just easier for me to stick to what I know and not put myself out there and try something completely different, something completely unlike anything I’ve ever done.
Even what Sam said about listening to different types of music and not feeling anything. I try to listen to as many genres as possible, because I love finding new music and artists and listening to their stories through their music and lyrics. However as much as I think that I listen to a variety of music, I guess I don’t really expand as much as I think I do. All the music on my iPod is in English. Although I do listen to many different English genres, I’ve never expanded myself to listen to any other culture’s music. I don’t know if it’s because it doesn’t appeal to me or if I have just been too focused on the stuff that I like to try anything new. Either way, I don’t think it’s wrong that I haven’t listened to anything else, but I feel like expanding my knowledge, even through such a simple step as music, could be beneficial and make me feel even 1% more worldly.
I also stick to mainstream foods. I sometimes order Chinese food or sushi from a Japanese restaurant, but that’s about the extent to which I try food from other cultures. Last year for one of my sociology classes, we went to an Indian restaurant downtown. I liked about half the food, but I hated the other half. The stuff I did like, though, I liked a lot and would love to try it again. However, I still stick to restaurants like Rotelli’s or Applebee’s, places that I’m used to.
I think one influence that stops me from trying new things like this is the people I hang out with. All my friends usually stick to the same types of food when we go out, because it’s the “normal” thing for us to do. I know there are other people out there that try new things on a weekly basis, but that’s just not my group of friends. Although I would like to change, I think it’s something that may happen beyond my college years, when I’m on my own and when I decide that to be more of a focus in my life.
[Reply]
As I read this, I wonder when I became so strange as to not want to be so much like everyone else. Things were different when I was younger, when you want to be like everyone else (the plight of the “lonely Jew on Christmas”). But since grade school I’ve learned to embrace my differences, my collection of random interests and desire to pursue all of them is a good thing. After a few years in college you hear terms like “well-rounded” and “marketable”, but I feel it more depends on where it comes from. Do you actually care about all these varying fields, or is it just to pad your resume? I’m not saying I’m the only one with noble interests, but I’m saying there’s a difference between the two.
I understand about fitting into the boxes and getting caught up in our environment. But I don’t know if such people are always diverging from the rest of the school of fish. I think it was more important that they just look at the world in a different way. By Stephen Covey’s theories, using a different lens, or being more self-aware of the lens you already use. I think that if a person completely goes against what the rest of the society is doing, they will be more feared than respected enough for anyone to trust or believe what they’ve said or discovered. (We all know that society is scared of crazy people.)
I also don’t believe that the great thinkers of the world had no outside influences to encourage their thought. Not that I consider myself a great thinker, but I know to improve my knowledge and skills in my field of interest I tend to read as much as I can. I have my own ideas, but they have influence from varying ideas and theories in the field.
Maybe in this technological age it’s easier to find and have instant access to different ideas and subjects, but I don’t think most people would take the time to try and find them. I don’t think people are that lazy, because you can do from the comfort of your own couch, but I don’t think people have that passion to do it. Or if they do have the passion, many people are scared; scared to be considered an outsider, scared to fail, scared to succeed.
I think the biggest problem, especially in this country, is people play it too safe when it comes to their lives. They don’t try to surpass what is expected of them. People just settle into their lives to work in a cubicle for a corporation they don’t care about, except that they sign the checks on payday. We need to do more, and go further to make a difference. It may only be a little at a time, but even that little bit could change a life.
[Reply]
This is a very familiar topic that I’ve been dealing with ever since I decided to leave the town where I was born and raised. I could say with no doubt that I have been exposed to a mixture of cultures that not many people around me have exposed to. I believe that everyone has built their own sub-cultures and each sub-culture is usually similar within the group of people that the individual have been around with. However, people around me have changed constantly due to my journey. This is not that I have problem with being around the same people for a long time, but it just happened. I was born and raised in Seoul, Korea with major influence of Japanese culture from my father. Also, unlike to many other Asian kids, I grew up watching American cartoon shows. I do not know how I ended up watching them but I did. Then I came to the states when I turned sixteen and started listening to “black” music. My high school was located in very white area, so that I was usually around and hung out with white kids. After I got out from the high school, I came to Penn State and lived in the dorm they called “Multi-cultural” dorm. Then I started hang out mostly with black kids. I want to say that building a unique sub-culture was inevitable for me, and I’m sure it is to everybody else. However, I believe that sub-culture shouldn’t be the boundary for people to draw lines between each other. It is a characteristic that should be shared with different sub-cultural groups rather than keeping it within themselves.
And I want to mention this because this is a racial relationship class that I believe that people very likely tend to take a sub-cultural group as a racial group. I’ve been getting this question way too many times that “Do you have a racial issue?” I mean this is just who I am, I’m not trying to do something else or somebody else. I’m just trying to be me and this is who I am. One shouldn’t have to limit oneself into a racial group. As I get older and go to different places, I’ve realized that there are way too many fascinating objects and subjects in this world and Who is you to tell me to stop here just because of my outer appearance?
I believe transformation of culture is an undeniable matter. Culture is changing by this second that we’re letting it to fly by. However, the real important point for us is not to just absorb what’s out there. Everyone should try to build and spread one’s own sub-culture.
[Reply]
I found your blog via Google while searching for lack of recycling in kenya, thank you for posting ral Transformation and Our Personal Lives — Race Relations Project!
[Reply]