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:
After watching this video I really got to thinking about the social norms of our society. I really do not feel as if anybody is breaking social norms. In one way or another all of us are conforming. People may have their differences but in all we are basically all the same. I think that may be a few people that break these norms. For example I believe that my professor for my Bi Sci 3 class breaks social norms. He is what you would probably call a “hippy”. But he’s not one of those burn outs who just thinks it is cool to smoke weed and not shower. He is a very intelligent person who in my opinion does not conform at all to main steam society. In class he showed us the birthing of his daughter Katie. She was born at home in water and it basically a very ceremonial act unlike the rushed process at the hospital. After she was born they took her placenta and planted it in the dirt. Now normally people would think ew or this is really weird. But I believe that this is beautiful thing. Just because it doesn't go along with main stream society does not mean its wrong or weird. I really gain respect for people when they have the ability to go against social norms. I am all for doing this I just do not feel like I have any original ideas and if I did then I would have no problem putting them out. I feel like I am not very creative person so it is hard for me think of new things. I guess this goes along with not training my brain to break norms. I never really stop to think “oh we are all wearing the same clothes….kinda odd”. If you really think about it going along with social norms is kind of weirder than breaking them. It is pretty weird when we all look around the girls are all wearing the same idea of an outfit, same hair styles, and we are all just walking around in a daze like frame of mind. I think that all of us need to wake up and find out who we really are as a person. These means looking deep inside of us, cleaning out all the junk and considering things like what do I really believe in, or who am I? I think that our country has a huge problem with doing things like asking questions and challenging authority but I believe this is a great step in not conforming. But I really do not feel like our country will ever get to this point and people will never be able to think for themselves.
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This is an excellent question and one that I have often asked myself throughout my entire life. I believe that everyone can agree that we live in a time period where people are constantly judging others. The largest amount of blame for this falls on the media. The media has created this universe where they determine what is "cool" and acceptable. Take the television channels E!, Bravo, and the Style Network for example. Both of these stations have tons of shows whose primary plot is to judge somebody. Whether it includes judging someones clothes, or their body type, or even how they raise their own children. And the worst part is that these shows are extremely popular.
Let's face it, America is obsessed with judgment so we all conform to certain groups to feel accepted.We listen to certain music because that is what is accepted by the group of people we are like. We dress and even act the same to a certain degree for the same reason. We all conform for different reasons and to different degrees, but in the end everybody does it. However, as much as we are all alike, I think that everyone has something unique about them that they bring to the table. Some people are really good at music or painting or playing sports. Others are creative with the way they present themselves, or how they treat others.
I for one feel that I swim upstream when it comes to my goals for my future. Most people here at Penn State are only worried about getting a good job after graduation that will make them a lot of money. I know my friends are really concerned about entering the corporate world at an entry level where they won't get paid well. And almost all of my friends are graduating with majors that they don't even like because they wanted to earn a decent salary. However, I have different views when it comes to my career. I don't really care what I end up earning as long as I can help people in the process. I have a huge passion for working with non-profits, and I'm sure you are all aware that most people who work with non-profits don't make very much money at all – but it doesn't bother me. Yes, I agree that having a large amount of money in the bank is nice and can even help you feel more secure in your choices. Nonetheless, money is not the most important thing in my book. Actually I believe that money causes a lot of problems in this world. Do not get me wrong, I do not plan on living on some hippie convent for the rest of my life eating only what I grow and bartering for my goods. But I do not want to put all of my effort working for some company that I hate just because they give me a big paycheck at the end of the day. Call me crazy, but I'd rather be making a little money helping people.
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Well this blog topic is certainly a smack in the face. It’s something that I find myself thinking about a lot – especially when I see someone on the street or in a bar or stuck in their own mystical daze in class – when I see someone who is, without a doubt, going to turn the world upside down at one point or another in his life because yes, he is just that “special.” This is the philosophy student in me speaking out, but I truly believe that person has something in their spirit, in their essence, that sends out vibes all around and attracts the opportunities needed to change the world or gather other people of similar essence around. In Buddhism, if I remember correctly, the belief is that we are all existing in our present lives as human beings because, through all the past lives we have lived, we’ve come close enough to have a shot at enlightenment; that’s why we’re here. And yet, as Sam brought up, it’s a scarce number – those living on the fringe – that actually do take a shot and make it; they reach enlightenment…in Burroughsian terms, that eternal city where every door leads to another door.
The fringe subcultures of creative non-conformists exist in all the places that one would expect: universities, big cities, California and Vermont (woohoo!) These places have either the reputation, the opportunity, or both to serve host to people who think outside the box. And yet, take Penn State as an example for a breeding ground for such subcultures. There are some 45,000 young people here; most of them look the same, talk the same, follow the rules of the man in the same oppressed way. I’ve been here for three years and I’m just as much of a conformist as I’ve always been; I always go to class, I always do my homework, I always do what I’ve been conditioned to do every hour of every day. I’m essentially a half-assed hippie from Connecticut who preaches the importance of feeling alive and doing what I want and listening to my heart; but when time comes to put up or shut up, I have to shut up. And I have to think to myself: maybe it’s going to take a few more lifetimes of being a human to totally nail my shot at enlightenment.
Especially in an area of study like sociology, we’re conditioned to think that humans can primarily be analyzed using statistics; in the whole scheme of things, though, let’s face it: statistics can’t account for the intangible – for all those elements of emotion and consciousness that the most intelligent people in the world still can’t get a handle on. So my take on how some people break out of the box and think for themselves?…They were just born that way…they’ve got it, and most of us don’t.
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Uniformity seems to be the “safe” route to go in society, everyone wants to be wanted and accepted. The sad thing is that it starts with people at such a young age for example in the schools that we attend starting at the age of five. In schools even though some of us do not like to admit it but we all separate into social groups that tend to dress alike, act alike and even talk alike. It is not really on purpose it just kind of happens. I actually thought about this topic after I graduated and started my first semester of college and noticed how no matter how someone dresses or talks they are in a sense accepted.
But this week in class I started thinking about the fashion trends that we follow and how funny it is to look around and see the same fashion trends that were around maybe ten or twenty years ago. More outfits that seem to be pretty popular around the college campuses are the leggings that girls wear with just like back about thirty years ago. Jeans with faded or torn jeans that used to show that you were of low income or a hard blue collar worker, now it shows that you have money and you are in style because they are expensive and the most popular people are wearing them.
I also thought about my one friend from home and about the way he dresses. He wears fitted hats all the time and shirts and clothing that would usually be associated with the black race but in fact he is white. The discussions this week reminded me of the times we would go out and groups of white people would actually give us a hard time just because he wore that type of clothing and would yell wigger and other uncalled for names at him. Then I noticed how people who are judged and wear what they want are always getting harassed. The look on his face afterwards spoke a thousand words. The whole situation just really hit me on how important and how much something so minor as to what clothes you wear matter to some people. It is just weird how we associate different type of clothing styles to different types of people and races. Clothing should not matter but people in this society judge you on everything and anything they possibly can find.
People watching is probably one of the most interesting things you can do. The way we dress to impress people is just ridiculous. The social groups that are formed and how mean people are to each other. It is just amazing. People can be the most loving things on earth or they can be the cruelest.
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This was a very interesting and intriguing blog. The whole concept of mainstream is very ironic in a way because one person may believe that they are being extremely unique in doing their own thing but honestly they aren’t. Our whole lives we were told to not be a follower and to be a leader, strive for what you want don’t just settle and hop on a bandwagon with everyone else. We have quotes thrown around such as “don’t walk in front of me because I won’t follow you, don’t walk behind me because I won’t lead you, just walk beside me and be my friend” which evidently states the whole scenario of being independent and not wanting to either lead nor follow, simply just wanting a friend. So many people in our society or subcultures are into so many different groups it’s hard to find relief in something or someone.
Society is so diverse in culture. Throughout the world we live in, we coexist and interact with various types of people. Whether they are of different races, ethnicities, religions, or cultures we all share experiences with them. As far as subcultures go they aid in helping people feel as if they are finally doing something themselves, and not just doing something or being a part of something to be socially accepted in society. They feel as if they are defying the norms of society, and taking things into their own hands.
I don’t like to follow trends, or other people. I don’t know all of the latest diet fads, or hottest fashions for the month. Overall I mainly create my own little subculture in my mind. I am adventurous and outgoing. I like to just be with my friends, and my family. My friends shape who I truly am as well as my family and society in general. Even though I don’t classify myself as mainstream, and dying to fit into society I still follow norms. For example, I wear clothes on my body and shoes on my feet. I will eat certain foods, and turn down others because of some statement in society of why it’s wrong to consume it. I guess I am not courageous enough to be that one person who steps completely out of society to declare that I’m so unique, but I definitely do as I please without a care in the world about society and the criticisms I may encounter.
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What are they thinking? After Obama became president or even before he did, just when he first started running people or racist began uproar, unfortunately. How could a black man be president, they might have said, or even throw around photos such as the one that was posted, to them it is funny, a joke, but to everyone else in society it’s outrageous.
Yes, Obama is president and Michelle is first lady, and they should be treated with respect as should anyone in this world, but can we honestly say that we would have had the same reaction if it were one of the other “white” presidents. After seeing this photo and reading the article, where they toss around words such as “knuckle heads” or “banana eating jungle monkey” I was upset, not outraged just upset at the fact that there are people who think like this. However then I took a second and ran over the last few years that I could fully remember is almost perfect details and remembers every joke made about former president Bush.
Bush was hated by so many for years, and in those eight years thousands of redneck or other racist terms were said about him, but no one ever commuted to fiercely on those. I am in no way justifying what has been done here because it is outlandishly wrong, and no one should ever go without being punished for such a horrible slandering of a person. It is horrifying what was done, but in the end it is just a photo done by some man who wanted to get a rise out of people like us.
Maybe I am just trying to play devil’s advocate or maybe I am right, and we need to stop treating people of certain races differently, we need to stop being more sympathetic to “black” people if a racist joke is made. It is absolutely horrible to be racist but racism has been around for years, before my generation was even born, before the term racist was even printed in dictionaries!
A black background with white eyeballs is a horrible thing to replace someone photo, and that person should get some punishment for their actions, but he was making a joke. Honestly ask yourself, how many jokes have you made about Bush over the past eight years, or how many have you heard? Were you as upset as you were about this photo? Some can say it is not the same thing, but it is. Bush is white, he is catholic, and he is techniqually a redneck, and as we have previously learned that’s all part of someone culture, therefore the bad things said about him were not considered racist, just considered jokes.
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While I’ve always been interested by sociology and the science of studying human behavior, one of the things I find particularly interesting is the idea of culture and subculture or counter-culture. When Sam first started discussing this idea in class, before he could even ask I was already thinking of the various subcultures I belonged to- how can I separate different aspects of myself into groups- and what traits from which group do I embody to make me who I am?
Well first off, I’m a male. That fact alone separates me from about half of the SOC 119 class. As much as I or anyone else hates to admit it, there are certain perks in life that go along with being a male (besides being able to be standing up, that is).
I am also white. I am of Swedish and German ancestry, but I was born and raised right here in good old State College, Pennsylvania, United States of America. The fact that I’m white- while not a subculture, does certainly also separate me from other people. Being a young white male is about as mainstream as you can get, I realize, so what about some of the other things that might separate me from the crowd?
I’m also a homosexual- so that narrows it down to about 1/10th of the population (yikes!), a pot-smoking hippie (double yikes!) and a Democrat. These last three and all of the others are various parts of myself that I was able to identify with right off the top of my head- and I’m sure if I really sat down and thought long and hard about it, I could find tons more.
But how much do each of those things make up who I am? As much as I try to find ways that make me an individual, I also realize that so much of me is part of that “school of fish” that Sam talked about in class and on his video post. I still attend a major University, I jump through just as many hoops as everyone else (I’m making this blog post right now aren’t I?)
I, like everyone else I’m sure, would love to be famous and successful someday and hearing what Sam said about being on the outskirts of a culture to do so made me think about the choices I make in my own life. Next time I want to wear a corset to school, or break into song and dance in public- I’ll make sure to do so, because sure as hell everyone else doesn’t do that. What is scary to me is that I actually have desires to do that…so maybe that’s what will make me famous someday after all.
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It is quite true that the majority of people in our society act as the fish living their entire life in the comfort of their own water. I would say that over ninety five percent of the population of the world lives by this. I’m sure that most people would like to feel that they are a part of the five percent of people living on the fringes of cultures and innovating society for all of us. When reflecting on this issue, I looked throughout my life to see if I was on the edge of any of the sub cultures that I am associated with. When I looked into this a little deeper, I came up with some interesting thoughts. When people are on the border, there are usually some other people there with them. So instead of being on the border, it is more like they are in a sub culture of a sub culture. Looking at it this way, the percentage of people on the fringes keeps going up and up and up. Albert Einstein was a great example of someone who was definitely on the fringe. He was so far out on the fringe that even today, people still haven’t figured out whether the majority of his theories are correct or just crazy. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it takes a “crazy” person to be out on the fringes. When I say “crazy,” keep in mind that I mean crazy in terms of what our society deems as crazy. There’s a good chance that these so called “crazy” people aren’t crazy at all and are just the visionaries of our society. I’d say that there is also a great chance that these people are simply “crazy.” But it is this craziness that allows them to stand out when the majority of our society is in the same sub cultures. When I look at my life I realize that I’m kind of on the fringe of the whole “big college” sub culture. The majority of kids in this sub culture are obsessed with drinking and hooking up with someone different every weekend. Me on the other hand, I enjoy my beer but I also try and stay away from being drunk 3 nights a week. To be honest, I lived that way the majority of freshman year and I simply grew tired of it. Also, I am one of the few people who are in a completely committed relationship. Sure people have boyfriends and girlfriends but most of them will be cheating on their significant other after a beer or two. This is not like me at all. I realize that these are two lame examples. This only makes me want to live my life out on the fringe even more.
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From day to day, I feel like the society is exposed to so many cultures and subcultures that it is extremely hard to keep track of. It is at the point that you may be exposed to a different culture and may not know it because they tend to follow similar traditions. Although there are numerous different cultures throughout the world, many people tend to stay within their own. They do not give their selves the chance to experience what different cultures are like due to multiple motives
In my opinion, I think people tend to be judgmental and need to be exposed to how others live their lives. I do not think it is right how everyone lives up to their own cultural standards and they believe that they are superior and ‘cool’ because they feel like they are better than everyone else in the world. That also leads to another belief of mine that people act and behave based off of others who surround them. The only reason why people act the way the do is because they feed off of others. In another words, it is like ‘Monkey See Monkey Do.’ If someone begins to watch and talk about some type of Television show, that will make others want to watch it as well and have some type of input on it. It is not guaranteed they will like the show; however, they made the initiative to watch the show due to other people who were watching and talking about it. This ‘Monkey See Monkey Do’ philosophy works effectively especially among teenagers. When it comes to style, particularly with teenage girls, they tend to follow the ‘newest style’ For example, everyone used to wear Sketcher’s Shoes, but now the newest shoe style are ‘Uggz’. Slowly but surely, many teenagers started to wear Ugg Boots and then the Moccasins were another hit. The company even made shoes for males and now they wear Ugg Moccasins. What I am trying to say is that once someone establishes a new trend, many people tend to follow it just because they are under the impression that they have to and if they do not they will feel awkward and not ‘apart’ of their culture. They are following cultural trends so they fit in and are not ridiculed upon. In a way I feel like everyone is a follower. There are people who utilize the new trend, but put their own twist in it. I think that everyone should look into and not judge other cultures by their covers. Just because they do something different, it should not stop you from appreciating what they do. If anything it should make you more interested in their culture and want to learn more about it.
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I will never forget my sixth grade teacher, Mr. Pecic, telling us on the first day of class to always “think outside the box”. Being an awkward twelve-year-old preteen girl, thinking or acting outside the box was completely out of the question. I wanted to look like the popular girls, clothing myself in only Limited Too sparkly attire on a daily basis. I remember thinking he was insane, and anyone that actually followed his advice would be an immediate outcast in the eyes of Jamison Elementary. However, as the year progressed, his words of wisdom eventually found a way to stick to me and seep through my thoughts. Soon enough, I was the outcast of our class! I found myself writing 400-word papers when our assignment only had to be 75. I refused to settle for anything less than 100% even on the most meaningless quizzes. I had transformed into this unknown being that I never knew was deep inside of me, and of course I got made fun of for studying or going way above and beyond, but it made me smile instead of making my heart race. I was proud of whom I had become at such a young age, and the “cool” kids had much fewer A’s on their report cards.
I have always been on my own path when it comes to schoolwork. I make extensive colorful study guides and stress over every little assignment. However, when walking by me on the street, I look like an identical twin of every other brown-haired Abercrombie-wearing college sophomore. I don’t really wear anything unique, and when I do I feel self-conscious. Why is that we can be so confident in some areas and feel like a fish out of water in others? I feel like I am completely engulfed by the people I surround myself by. We all dress alike, have similar hairstyles, and have the same sayings that would sound ridiculous in a different group. I’m sad to admit, but sometimes I even judge my friends who are unique, and have the courage to wear something outrageous just to make a statement. I should idolize my friend, Amber, a fashion design student, who could care less about what others think of her. If she’s happy, that’s all that matters, as long as nobody gets hurt along the way. Maybe I should start to learn from her, but would that be conforming?
Thinking back, I realize that I have changed and almost conformed to the ways of my roommate, and I see her doing the same thing with me. She listens to 311 and Incubus, and now so do I. I am obsessed with Grey’s Anatomy, and she recently bought every season. We even are both Supply Chain majors and Spanish and International Business minors. This is sounding absurd.
This blog really made me analyze the different relationships I have and the subcultures that I am a part of. The largest ones greatly consume my life, including my friends, family, classes, and the Smeal atmosphere. My greatest dream is to be a successful businesswoman walking down Fifth Avenue with my Coach briefcase and Starbucks in hand. Maybe if I take a step back and analyze why I am apart of certain cultures, my dream could drastically change.
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Cultural Transformation and Our Personal Lives
The reason that I choose this particle post to comment on was because I felt it was something I could relate to. The idea that the main stream, or popular culture almost “controls” the lives we live has always been a concept that has intrigued me. The idea that the general public can be swayed to like or dislike a certain genre of music or clothing style seems almost ridiculous. But if take a step back and look from the outside you can see that this is true in most cultures, especially in the United States. If you were to travel across the country you would find a wide range of ideas of what is popular and what is not. But with all of the differences in opinions one thing is the same, people enjoy and connect with what is around them. If a person grows up in the south it is safe to assume that that person will grow into the customs that are traditional to the South as apposed to customs of the Northeast or West Coast. Now that is a pretty obvious conclusion but what interests me and what was brought up in the post is why that is? Why do we all just conform to the environment around us and like what our peers, or friends like? With all the talk of freedoms and individuality in today’s society it seems like there are less and less things we can really control.
Our environment raises us all and the things that we grow up with and grow comfortable with are things that shape us into who we are, whether we choose to be influence by them or not. Our environment teaches us what is cool, and what is hip. It helps us to define what direction in life we should be going. Today people are told to go to school work hard and get a job because that’s what the main stream wants us all to do. And most of us do that question that. We all believe that is the best thing for us to do, and it very well may be. But as we all just go along with this “main stream” plan we are just avoiding the pleasure of risking something to achieve something great. We are all afraid to fail whether we will admit it or not.
One reason for this is because people have always been and will always be hesitant to leave their comfort zones no matter what were talking about. When it comes to things such as styles or music or even viewpoints it is no different. People are afraid to try new things and even more so people are afraid to embrace new things. The idea of change has scared people for a long time and will continue to do so. Until people are willing to break free of what they “believe” is right or “hip” we will never reach our potential. We only limit ourselves, we confine our experience to things we know and think are safe. The idea that some of the greatest discovers and ideas have been made by people that are wiling to go explore or test new waters shows that people just need to embrace the world around them and begin to explore who they really can become.
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This blog was really different, it made me really stop and think and evaluate my whole life. From day one we were taught to be different, but be like everyone else, there is no way you can be different, yet be the same as everyone else. Be creative, think out side the box are all phrases that have been drilled into us since we were born. I know I never step out of the box very far at all; I have really adapted to the ‘norm,’ I like my homeostasis. I really admire those who do venture out of the box far enough, because those are the individuals who the people inside the box look down on, and chastise because they are too different, but yet they are brilliant and are living the dream. Humans do not like change, and stepping outside the box can be a very daunting task for a lot of individuals. I know it is for me. I’m afraid of what people think of me; yes I am very insecure. I am not saying that I don’t step outside the box from time to time, because I certainly do, just not very far at all. So as I started to think about what I was going to say, I was caught by surprise of how much I depend on my box, and that had me thinking. Am I happy? Am I okay with following all these fish down stream? At the end of the day when I hit the end of the road am I going to say that I am satisfied? I looked around my bedroom and saw the plain walls and all the objects that I have in here because this is what I'm supposed to have in here. So am I happy with that? No, I'm not happy, matter of fact I'm pretty damn miserable. Why? Because I'm afraid of letting my true self show to my peers. I know everyone has his or her quarks, and I definitely do; I'm a very odd duck. But shouldn’t I at least be happy? If you think about it, all boxes that are created by a brave soul are just transformed into another giant box for everyone else to swoop us as the norm. So after being brave and stepping out, creating a giant step of independence, you go right back to being the norm with everyone else. This is how culture is made though; one tiny box grows to become one giant box. Its really cool how it all shapes the world and fits together, but it really makes you think about everything you stand for, or better yet you think you stand for. We all stand up and say yes I march to my own beat of the drum, but do we really? In some cases yes, but in a lot of cases no, we just try to change it up a little to make it appear different, but in actuality it really isn’t that different at all. I liked this blog. It makes me more aware that I need to live the dream and venture out of the norm, to start living my life and to really be me.
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This post was an eye opener for myself. It gave me another way to look at the way I am living my life. I never have considered myself fully mainstream but by the way Sam Richards described it in his post made me think, “How mainstream am I?” I would like to think mostly everyone would like to consider themselves unique in their own way but when I really look at it, it feels as though everyone is following someone or a trend. And when I think of it that way I feel sad because I say I am my own individual but I cannot considered myself an individual away from mainstream trends. So then I really began to look at how I am unique and I came to the conclusion that I am mainstream in normal ways but unique subtle ways. For example, I am artistic but I am not a typical artist. What I mean by that is I do not just paint or draw or take photographs. I use all types of art I combine them all in an original way. When I am creating something it is when I am at most peace and I can look at the world in a different way, in a simplistic and clear view. My art may not fit in the traditional and mainstream standards but it makes me unique in my own way. Creating art in my unique style is one aspect of myself and my life that sets me slightly apart from everyone else. The more I think about this topic of mainstream the more I question how can you separate yourself? Can you just come to the idea that you want to be completely unique and “think outside the box”? Or does it have to come naturally? Are you born like that or can you can you force yourself to be innovative and unique? For myself, I feel like you born that person who is completely and utterly his or her own person and who will never default to the mainstream. I do believe that each person does have ability to be unique in subtle ways; it’s just a matter of tapping into those areas. As I think about those individuals who are truly unique I realize it takes a tremendously strong person to go against the grain, to do or be something people do not always understand or accept, and to be different from society’s norms. I can say I am truly envious of those people not only because of their innovativeness but also because of their character and determination that pushes them to be completely open to all things different and new. I envy them because it is not an easy task and they are the people who will make the largest impact on our world.
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As I look around when I am walking to class or around downtown state college, I feel like my life isn’t unique, I feel I am in this subculture where everyone is like me, the proud Penn State undergraduate. We students are living in a little Penn State world where we all can come together and have something in common. But everyone has his or her own unique path of life and I feel this more when I am home and around my family. Everyone in my family, being parents, brothers, sisters, cousins and aunts are all business majors. They all work for companies and sit at a cubicle all day watching stocks and reading articles. I for one could never see my self in this type of business situation. When I came to Penn State I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study or what major I wanted to get into. I took so many different courses to try and find what would interest me. I took microeconomics having the thought that I would really enjoy it and get into business like the rest of my family. I don’t think I ever hated a class so much in my life. Now, being in my junior year, I am an elementary education major. I knew I always loved and enjoyed being around children and having the opportunity to educate them makes it even better. I feel like when my family is talking about work and about their day, I have nothing to contribute because I don’t understand the business lingo. Not only do I want to become a teacher, I want to travel around and teach children who need better education. I feel this makes me so different compared to a lot of the students that are in my major. We all take these classes, student teach, graduate and then are off to find an elementary school that will hire us. I don’t want to be stuck in a 2nd grade classroom for 30 years, at least not start out there. I feel I am going against the mainstream and not following the way these other education majors are heading. Your attitude on life will always make you different then everybody else. No other person can have the same thought on life like your own. Last year I thought I was like every girl in all my education classes. We take the courses; have the same job interest and all share the joy of being around children. However, reading this article made me really think that I am creating my own path of life and not going with the norm. My parents find it so interesting how different I am then the rest of my siblings. They think its great that I am pursuing what I love to do and not just going with the business culture my family entails. I would love to learn more about the financial business but its like my mind shuts off once anyone begins to talk about the topic. What I am saying is that we all have this plan of how we want to live our lives. I might feel like I am in this little subculture at Penn State and love embracing the feeling of belonging; but once I am back at home I immediately become the black sheep of the family and it doesn’t bother me one bit.
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This blog was really different, it made me really stop and think and evaluate my whole life. From day one we were taught to be different, but be like everyone else, there is no way you can be different, yet be the same as everyone else. Be creative, think out side the box are all phrases that have been drilled into us since we were born. I know I never step out of the box very far at all; I have really adapted to the ‘norm,’ I like my homeostasis. I really admire those who do venture out of the box far enough, because those are the individuals who the people inside the box look down on, and chastise because they are too different, but yet they are brilliant and are living the dream. Humans do not like change, and stepping outside the box can be a very daunting task for a lot of individuals. I know it is for me. I’m afraid of what people think of me; yes I am very insecure. I am not saying that I don’t step outside the box from time to time, because I certainly do, just not very far at all. So as I started to think about what I was going to say, I was caught by surprise of how much I depend on my box, and that had me thinking. Am I happy? Am I okay with following all these fish down stream? At the end of the day when I hit the end of the road am I going to say that I am satisfied? I looked around my bedroom and saw the plain walls and all the objects that I have in here because this is what I'm supposed to have in here. So am I happy with that? No, I'm not happy, matter of fact I'm pretty damn miserable. Why? Because I'm afraid of letting my true self show to my peers. I know everyone has his or her quarks, and I definitely do; I'm a very odd duck. But shouldn’t I at least be happy? If you think about it, all boxes that are created by a brave soul are just transformed into another giant box for everyone else to swoop us as the norm. So after being brave and stepping out, creating a giant step of independence, you go right back to being the norm with everyone else. This is how culture is made though; one tiny box grows to become one giant box. Its really cool how it all shapes the world and fits together, but it really makes you think about everything you stand for, or better yet you think you stand for. We all stand up and say yes I march to my own beat of the drum, but do we really? In some cases yes, but in a lot of cases no, we just try to change it up a little to make it appear different, but in actuality it really isn’t that different at all. I liked this blog. It makes me more aware that I need to live the dream and venture out of the norm, to start living my life and to really be me.
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I think that many successful people in this world are those “change makers” that stray from the rest of the crowd. If people were always to follow the crowd then the world would be a very boring place. How many people do we know that don’t follow the crowd? I know Lilly said that she knows a lot of creative people in her classes that don’t exactly dress like everyone else but I don’t know anyone like that. Is it a bad thing that I don’t know anyone like that? Doesn’t that mean I basically do follow the crowd and don’t really like to try other clothing styles or different genres of music?
My whole life people have always said that I should go to college, get good grades, and get a good paying job so I can support my family. Creativity was never really stressed upon me during my childhood or up until now actually. Now, that I am older I am not sure if following the crowd is the right thing for me. What if I don’t want the nine to five job where everyone in my neighborhood drives the same car or goes to the same coffee shop in the morning – much like the opening credits for the show Weeds. Now is the time for me to run away from the crowd that could actually better me.
Many people have strayed from the crowd and their actions have changed this world in many awesome ways. Some people see those who dress differently or don’t listen to the same music as everyone else and make fun of them. The truth is that is will be those people who most likely will change the something about this world that will make it better. Like Sam said that Albert Einstein did not “follow the leader” and helped the world greatly. The worst part is that during Einstein’s time his colleagues were making fun of him and were throwing obstacles in his way every chance they could. The same thing happens today. Many people today do the same thing but they don’t know that the person they are mocking will do great things one day.
Creativity is very important and it can help our culture and our world one day. Many singers went far from the crowd and did a lot of good. Recently, Lil’ Wayne started to sing his raps and it was very successful and that lead to other singers change their style as well. We should live in a world where creativity is impressed upon us while we are children so it can continue on into our adulthood. Basically, in today’s world creativity is not given importance, and that needs to change.
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The word mainstream really annoys me, maybe because it is something I usually try to avoid. I can’t remember the last time I listened to the radio and enjoyed it, probably because the last time I did I was forever turned-off by the amount of catchy, pointless, and meaningless garbage that is considered “mainstream” music. To be honest, I kind of lose respect for people that only listen to radio music, and only download the top 10 Billboard songs instead of digging deeper into subculture and try to discover a new type of sound. There are so, so many talented artists and amazing songs out there that may never get on the radio and may never reach certain people’s ears that would enjoy them because the majority of this country has a boring taste in music and enjoys listening to what everyone else does. I admit that I follow some trends, but with music I consider myself part of a small community or subculture that I feel very comfortable with. I also consider myself to have many friends, but the fact that I can only talk to three of my friends about the type of music we listen to really shows that subculture.
I feel as if every week there is some kind of new trend appearing out of nowhere that for some reason consumes every conformist out there. Whether it is a new hit song, a new obnoxious saying, or a new fashion statement I feel like many people do not think for themselves, but rather follow a certain culture. There are so many different cultures that people follow like racial, ethnic, age, and even hobbies. These people might follow trends for the fear of being seen as different and uncool. As for thinking outside of the box, it seems like a lot of people are very narrow-minded. Sam, in one of his lectures talked about how as a kid he always thought outside of the box. It took me until college to really do this. For example, deep conversations about life is something that a lot of people would not be interested in discussing besides sports or what Paris Hilton is up to these days. It amazes me that some people have never thought about the universe, where we came from, how our bodies are constructed so perfectly, why people are different colors, and etc. Things like college, discussing these existential problems, and several books/movies have turned me agnostic! I was raised Roman Catholic, but found my self too intelligent, not to be pretentious or call people of faith stupid, to follow these fairytales that have so many plot holes and big unexplainable questions. Like Sam had discussed, there are so many religions to chose from so hopefully the one you chose is the right one.
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It’s tough to be that fish, that pure unique individual, searching for food outside the safety of the pack. As students we are all stuck in that pack, that “school of fish” going through the hoops. That necessary and minimum required level of conformity is what it takes to be successful in our society. We all applied to colleges, study for exams, take out loans or rely on parents for financial support, drink on weekends, hang around with friends, breathe, eat, sleep, dream. In a way it’s not because we are lacking the creative juices or posses some flaw in dynamic thinking. I believe that there exists some sort of responsibility of conforming to society in order to achieve that independence and security. We need to pass certain obstacles in our way before we may be enabled to explore such realms of defiance and uniqueness. I think often about what separates me from the rest of the millions of people charting the same path. Who’s going to win? What inabilities do I posses and need to overcome in order to out charge, out gain, and win against the masses. What will it take to be that unique person remembered in time? That is the end goal right? Once you die it’s about being remembered, to live as a legacy to the lives you’ve touched. I think about the sheer number of people that is in this race and how impossible of a separation that is. There are two choices. Confine yourself to the safety of a culture; find happiness in the deep roots you lay, or cut that all away and seek out to be so unique, to have a go at dieing a legacy. It’s a risky way to live. Who wants to die as a failure and an outcast. This is the main reason why culture exists and that sort of conformity prevails amongst a population. We all need a sense a belonging, acceptance and security in death. Right now I am a twenty year old white college student with a group of friends, a major, and a family back home. My goals range from getting good grades to getting in good shape. I am average height, average witted, and averagely involved. It’s a good question, to what degree are we on the sub culture? With all of that layed out am I destined a life of choice one above? Is it all about finding happiness in the submission within a culture? The more I think about the more I dwell on the billions of people in this world. It is impossible for everyone to be saved from the ideal “uniqueness” the goals expressed in the video. Maybe this is the next new development and innovation of our time, if someone develops a system/program/device that aids everyone in becoming unique. That would be quite a world to live in. Meanwhile, I’ll keep conforming and jumping through hoops to land job and have a family. That’d be the responsible thing to do right?
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After reading the blog I began to think about the life of some of the most successful and innovative people in the history. As illustrated in the example, Albert Einstein, arguably the greatest scientist in our world, did not follow the traditional ways of thinking. Instead, he developed his own theories and designed unique experiments to back up his thoughts. During the World War II, while certain nations relied on weapons and men power to fight, many scientists including Einstein realized that the fact that chain reactions of atom can cause devastating explosions can be utilized in modern warfare. As a result, the great but horrific invention of atomic bomb came to this world.
While it may be true that the most innovative thinking come from people who do not follow mainstream values and ideas of their culture, however it cannot be achieved by completely diverging from their culture. Take the hippies for example, (I hope I don’t offend anyone here) they were a group of people who disregarded social norms and created a completely different culture from rest of the people. While their ideas may be innovative, they were characterized as lazy and drug addicts. While lacking some of the most important traditional values such as hard working, the hippie culture did not have many outstanding achievements. While many may argue that they opened the door to many other subculture groups and civil rights ideas, the hippies’ legacy was tarnished by their counter cultural ways of life.
Prior to the 1960s, the idea that black people and white people should be treated equally was ridiculous to majority of the white society. In order to challenge some of the unjust regulations imposed by people in power, mass majority of the people (mostly white) needed to get away from their traditional views of African American society and believe that all men are created equal. The most innovative people went out of their way to create a change in society. However, their ways of thinking were not completely away from mainstream cultural values. The civil rights movement was based on the constitution that all men were created equal. It succeeded in achieving its goal because a combination of new ideas and old values were mixed together, unlike the hippie movement where almost their entire culture was against the mainstream culture at the time.
The most dynamic people are often the ones who invent new ideas. However, being too dynamic can cause more harm than good. The hippies developed completely new style of life that was against the mainstream values. To this day, they are still considered undesirable and derogatory. The civil rights activists relied on traditional values and innovative thinking to create equality in United States. They were successful because they led people to see new things while still maintaining some of their traditional belief. In my opinion, a person who completely goes against his or her cultural will most likely be rejected from societies, while someone who combines new and old ideas will have a much more successful life.
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I unfortunately, like almost every other honest person, confess to fishhood. I really wouldn't consider myself as mainstream, but I wouldn't know what else to call it if I wasn't. I've always been told by people I meet "you're not like anybody else I know." I'm pretty sure that this isn't commenting on my sublime Independence, but rather some quirky personal traits that I exhibit. And I really think most people, beyond the conformist middle school years, would strive for a little piece of uniqueness. Although I think some succeed, I don't stand out, and I can't think of any inspiring thoughts I had that changed either my life or someone else's – which just makes me feel crummy.
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It may be considered difficult for some to not follow the mainstream, but for others it’s easy. The problem comes in when your religion, culture does not allow you to be different- in my culture specifically. We have this belief that if you do not swim with all the fish in the same direction, you are different specie all together. I never really understood what it meant to be different, or better yet, to be the same. What makes you innovative? What makes you think outside the box? What makes you more intellectually aware? Because I still do not really know. I will never forget my first experience in Penn State. I was in the Hub, waiting in line to get to ID. I suddenly got a lump in my throat. I did not what to feel as my turn was getting closer, because the more I looked around, the more I saw redundancy. All these people talked the same way, acted the same, and the worst part was, they though the same way. I thought to myself, where can you be free? Where are you allowed to exist, to live, and to be? I remember asking myself : Am I not in the United States of America, the place that prides itself with freedom? As the semester went on, I realized that it does not matter where you are, fish swimming together happens everywhere. I have talked to many people about the typical Penn State life, and how sometimes a “tradition” is fun, but other times it is flat boring. They agreed with me, and some even answered “But I can not do anything else, I am from nowhere interesting like you are, nothing international, I have not seen different culture or even pushed myself to be different. I am from here, which is boring”. The problem is that you CAN be different, just because you share one thing in common with a majority – being from the same place, does not necessarily mean you have to follow EVERYTHING else they do. Neither do I. I mean of course I felt different when I came to the states, because my beliefs, traditions, culture, and religion completely clashed. But when I went back home, I had to be the same. So basically, I was a hypocrite. I came back home over the summer, and supposedly “changed”. Some say to the better, some to the worse. I could not care less anymore. I began to appreciate the experiences I had my first two semesters in Penn State, the people I talked to, but what I really appreciated was that some people can have an effect on another without them EVER knowing. That is beautiful. To me, the best thing I have ever done to be “out of the mainstream” was to get myself out of my own by traveling, meeting new people, and striking up controversial conversations. When you expose yourself to places and people that you are not accustomed to, you really learn more about yourself. Because the test is, can you get along with difference? Can you see the beauty in difference? Or better yet, can you see you accept your own flaws and change?
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I never really considered myself to be part of the mainstream culture. I always had a very diverse group of friends throughout my high school. I guess you could say that I was a part of all the different cliques. However, coming to Penn State has challenged this belief that I hold about myself. The town that I live in consists of 4000 people who are all relatively the same. The majority are white Christians who have lived in the same place for their entire lives. What I’m trying to get at is, before I came to Penn State I thought that people everywhere were like the people from my hometown. Just that statement makes me feel extremely naïve and ignorant. Clearly this is a very wrong assumption that I have held for most of my life.
Within the last year, a lot of my beliefs about people have been challenged and even changed. I feel like my mind constantly has thoughts coming into it allowing it to expand. I have been noticing that most of who I am is what my other friends or family members are. It makes me wonder how anyone can ever be completely their own person. Am I interesting at all? Or am I just like all the other people that I know? Another question that I have is; is anyone unique?
I always considered myself to be terrible at anything pertaining to art. This belief has limited me because with it comes the belief that I am not a creative person. When Sam said in class that if we want to be innovative we should hang on the fringes of the mainstream my two beliefs contradicted one another. Now I’m beginning to think that I may actually be one of those people who follows along with the mainstream.
I am completely cultured. I eat the same foods as my friends. I watch the same movies as them. I take the same classes as them. I go to the same parties as them. Even when I branch out and try to do different things it all kind of feels the same. Is it ever possible to break free of the cultures and environments we live in to become less apart of mainstream culture? Even when we adapt new things from other cultures we are not being innovative we are still following. Just following different people or things.
I’m really excited about thinking this way though. The fact that I am questioning my beliefs makes me feel like my mind is beginning to expand. I’m giving myself room to grow (and maybe become less mainstream)by questioning my long held beliefs. This is a challenge I am willing to take.
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I unfortunately, like almost every other honest person, confess to fishhood. I wouldn't consider myself as mainstream, but I wouldn't know what else to call it if I wasn't. I've always been told by people I meet, "you're not like anybody else I know." I'm pretty sure that this isn't commenting on my sublime Independence, but rather some quirky personal traits that I exhibit. I really think most people strive for this sliver of uniqueness, but nothing to the extent which results in cultural change. People like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Albert Einstein create cultural change. And I like to think that there are people out there like them, looking for an opportunity to change the way we perceive something or someone entirely. But I also think the twenty-first century makes this a little more difficult. I think change is something so reoccurring these days that it’s hard to place any sort of heroism. I got in a discussion the other day about the phenomenon that is “wireless”; the idea that I am able to access information or another person within seconds. The more I thought about it, I couldn’t understand how any human being, even 30 years ago, could have imagined such a thing. I don’t know who is responsible for the wireless craze, but I would believe this person to be on the fringe of cultural/technological change. What I find more interesting is that I don’t know this individuals name. Does that mean that we just accept changes such as wireless as a part of our advanced progression? As if we take it for granted? Maybe I just am nieve for being so unaware, but I think this is telling about the way we may perceive change within the United States.
Another thought I had was in reference to the monkey clip show in class the other week. Explaining how we are all just monkeys seeking acceptance from one another. Fitting in and going with the norm of things is really the best way to gain acceptance. Maybe not everyone thinks they need the social acceptance of others, but I would argue that whether you think you do or not, you most likely do. That’s again why I’m not sure if the kind of cultural change I am thinking of is all that viable, because people act only when supported. It’s the basic fundamentals of the government under which we live, where we think we’re capable of creating substantial change, but the red-tape is everywhere to prevent us. To generate a sustainable, revelatory idea, one must have money, be supported by others with money, and have friends (or even friends of friends) in high places. To relive a kind of M.L.K. movement, there would have to be a lot wrong with the way people perceive their daily lives. Cultural change can be found most likely in developing countries and other areas of tyranny, but not the United States.
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As a child many of us grow up admiring someone regardless if it our parents, older siblings, other family members, or even someone famous. Therefore at a very young age we start the trend of trying to follow the footsteps of another person. It is not that we are afraid to try out new things but more or less we are learning how other people go about doing things. This is apart of the process of figuring out the differences between right or wrong. For example, just because you see your older sibling stealing and you think that everything he or she does is cool, it does not make it okay for you to do the same. Lets say that you decide to do the same but instead of you being as successful as your sibling was, you end up getting caught. Now you have to deal with the consequences of your actions and you realize that you should not always want to be like someone else.Situations like that are what cause us to venture out to be different and also allow us to make our own decisions despite the consequences that we may face.
The idea of stepping outside of the box simply comes from us tired of being like everyone else and trying to live up to everyone else's expections of us. My whole family are business majors but I decided to major in Telecommunications. Although my family may disagree with my decision to become a Telecommunications major; I am content with the fact that I chose to be different. That is how many new genres start. Sometimes people decide that they want to be different from everyone else so they begin to do their own thing, I call that evolution. With people who begin new genres and trends they feel as if being like everyone else isn't enough and no longer satisfying. They then look for the next thing that will fulfill them. With that comes followers, those who end up feeling the same way and see something new, not realizing they are meerly picking up the same following habit, just in a different form.
Stepping out of the box, walking to a beat of your own drum is a personal decision. You have to be ready for the stares, the occasional snickering, the questions and the fact that the people closest to you may not understand it and do not have to. Being an individual is just that, an individual decison that only effects the olne person that has decided to change. That has decided that looking, talking, listening and acting like everyone else just isn't cutting it anymore. That is time for their ideas to shine through and show the world exactly who they are and what they solely stand for.
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The question is, what motivates one to step outside the box in order to set a new trend/lifestyle. It is almost impossible to answer that. People have been around for so many years, what would be considered “different.” Walking on my way to class, I pay attention to what most girls/guys around me are wearing. All in all, most people dress exactly the same. Girls straighten their hair, wear eyeliner, leggings, oversized t-shirts, skinny jeans, sunglasses, etc. Guys wear hats, basketball shorts, simple t-shirts, and sneakers. Every once in a while, it’s easy to spot that one girl or guy who dresses completely different and we wonder to ourselves “wow, what were they thinking.” Are those the people to set new styles and traditions? Not exactly, because most of the time they just dress like that to stand out or because they don’t care and will do whatever they want. Just because someone is going outside of the norm and doing something new, doesn’t mean that they are being different. There are a handful of people who dress differently, but when you look at them, those different people have similar styles. Therefore, you can’t consider them being different since at one point in their lives, they saw this style and decided to dress that way. Who even sets trends and fashions? Everything is set and modeled off of pop culture and its advertisements. Most of the time what we wear is because of what we see on television. Either way, the products we buy are those sold in stores. We aren’t setting our own fashion it’s someone making it for us.
Outside of America, why is it that almost every area of the world dresses differently. Why do Amish people dress like pilgrims/ African Americans dress baggy/ and all the other stereotypical looks of Asians and even Americans. They aren’t trying to set trends and who set their trends. I don’t want to be stereotypical but it’s interesting to think about if these different cultures “switched fashions.” Would people view them differently? Looking at simply the appearance people around the world strive for: almost all Americans want to be tan, while Asians, Indians and other people of color prefer to be white. Why do Americans view that tanner is a more beautiful look, while Asians/Indians see being tan as an unfortunate thing. My Indian friend gets scolded by her mother when she gets a tan. Their mentality or traditions are that being darker in color, makes others think that you are not as wealthy as the whiter people. Being whiter means that you are more successful and do not work outside, making it easier for you to find a husband/wife. Darker people are viewed upon as ones who will not find a good spouse. The thought makes sense, but why then do Americans not feel the same way?
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I loved the train of thought that this topic sent my mind through when I first heard it in class. “In the overlapping of cultures, stay on the fringes. The closer you are to the center of your subculture, or mainstream, the least likely you are to change.” Well with 6.7 billion people in the world, how am I supposed to be me, and me alone? I think that our personality is made up of not only genes, but also our environment, the things around us that make us tick: the people, the sounds, the culture, the oppression, the freedom. There are so many variables in our environment that affect who we are, and the role we play in society. So if I’m sharing my environment with over 6 billion other people, there doesn’t seem to be much room for individuality. Even if I bring it down to a smaller scale, like the 300 million in the United States, or 40,000 students at Penn State, I still have a hard time finding things or ideas to call my own. What about something more manageable like our Soc 119 class? Surely I should be able to set myself apart from the other 600 students in some way. Yet sitting in class, as a middle-upper class white female, I find myself wishing I was more cultured, more diverse, more interesting. Even reading through some of the other blog entries was frustrating because they seemed all too similar to what I was thinking.
I am totally an advocate for change, at least I’d like to think that I am. And I don’t want to be the fish that doesn’t even know I’m swimming in water. So at the very least, this has all got me thinking of how I can stay on the fringes of my subcultures. But how can I be on the outskirts without being too much a “part”? How can I function as an active member, and yet dance to the beat of my own drum? It seems like such a paradox. I mean the definition of society is merely that of an organization, or group of people, connected or associated by culture and its many facets. There wouldn’t even be “fringes” if it weren’t for the majority of people that are connected as a whole. This makes me think of one of the first slides Sam Richards showed us. It was a picture of zebras with a caption reading something like “When given the freedom to choose for ourselves, we tend to imitate the people around us.” I am prepared to do some serious observing. It’d be interesting to discover why we have these tendencies to follow the crowd, especially when nearly every person in response to this entry mentioned of how they wish they were culturally transformative, innovative, fringe-hangers.
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This blog represents an idea that I have questioned for a long time in my life, maybe from the beginning of Elementary school, or even earlier. I have always accepted everyone into my life regardless of racial background or religious beliefs. I am a white male, which many people may look at in a strange way because I am not surrounded by people of my race or beliefs, nor would I say I act like a normal Caucasian male does. I accept people of all racial background and belief to associate with me, even if they’re not willing to accept me. Some of my friends have told me personally that if it weren’t for the way that I act, talk, or conduct myself, simply the fact of me being white, would be reason enough for them to never want to have anything to do with me. They’ve told me that I may be the only white person that they ever accept as a friend. I don’t say this with any intent or belief that I am better than anyone else but maybe I am more fortunate than anyone else because I have not let myself be held back socially by any racial barrier.
I know the way I am is because of where I grew up, what I was subjected to, and how I choose not to exclude anyone from my life because how they acted or looked. I have lived in Essex, Maryland all of my life, just outside of Baltimore City. My parents worked in the city so that’s where I went to daycare every day of my life from about the age of 3 until about 7 when I started Elementary School back in Essex. My best friend in daycare was a little black boy by the name of Tyron. He and I were together every day; we played, ate, and even took naptime near each other. Most of the people I met in the beginning of my life, my fellow classmates and teachers, were all of a different racial background than me. This was how I grew up and lived every day, I could almost say I was subjected to a different world that most people of my complexion, or any other complexion for that matter, have ever experienced. The first girl I ever had feelings for was a black girl in the daycare with me by the name of Carmen who I also spent a lot of time around and associating with. I have never seen a reason why a person of any other ethnicity and myself couldn’t be friends. Not only have I always accepted other people not the same as me, but also I have always felt accepted by other people so I have no problem or uncomfortable feeling with being around different people.
I accept all cultures into my life. I wear want I want, I act however I want, and I say whatever I want; I might consider myself a free spirit unaffected by any prejudice what so ever. I have a very diverse connection of friends that varies in all cultures, races, ethnicities. etc. none of which I have a problem with or look down on. I feel as though people who grow up or are never subjected to the different lives of other races, are at a disadvantage because with barriers you can never actually be able accept all the knowledge and power that there is in the world.
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All the people around the world have a spark that identifies and criticizes each one of us as different persons. It derives from different perspectives; each one of us comes from different parts of the world. We speak different languages; we have different cultures, and very different perspectives of how life is. All of us have grown up in a different aspect. Our parents have thought us what their parents influenced them. As little kids we only listened to what our parents believed. Their beliefs were the only thing we knew, no other person came and talked to us about god, or what was wrong and right. For us anything our parents or many other people believed was always correct. As I was growing up, and learning more things in school I saw how my parent’s ideas and those from the other people were very different. My parents had different ideas; they have always encouraged us by giving us what their parents showed them, principles. I was born in a rural town, and lived there for almost 12 years. People there have been always catholic and close minded. Their beliefs are the most important thing to them. They prefer to buy flowers and fireworks for a saint, then to give their kids a good meal. I remember when I was in Mexico, when my grandmother used to tell us many different stories about saints that she believed in. all my family is catholic, maybe that’s why I’m also catholic. I’ve always asked myself if some people that are catholic, truly know what it means to be. I truly respect every religion. But I don’t like when other people, try to make fun of Catholicism. I just think it’s rude; everyone is free to believe in anything they want to. If a person sees a saint painted in a tree, that’s him; he wants to believe that, and nobody is going to change he’s way of thinking. I love to think outside the box, is one of the things that make me creative, I’m not good in art but I think I have many qualities that make me special around everyone in this world. I respect people that think, dress, and act different. I’m not a racist person, that doesn’t go with the way I think about people. Diversity is one of the things that I enjoy the most. I love meeting new people, and also like to learn about different cultures. The spark that I think makes me different, and creative is the way my parents educated me, and also how I like to treat other people.
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I’m always interested in music and genres and why people listen to certain things, and since much of your post seemed to use music as a jumping point and as an example, I think I’ll just start by addressing that and see where it goes. The first thing that comes to mind is how these new genres and new “styles” of music are formed. You mentioned that it often comes from someone who, while “all the other fish are swimming down stream, and they’re going to swim up stream.” I think you’ve got to define “up stream” at that point. Which way is up? “Up” and “down” should be complete and utter opposites. Up and down. Left and right. Black and white. Cold and hot. All complete and utter opposites. But I feel that new music that comes out that people start to listen to until something new comes around is not typically a complete opposite of the mainstream or accepted music. Most types and genres of music today are simply tangents of another kind of music. Rap/hip hop music sprung up from talking blues, jazz, funk and many other genres of music. It didn’t just “become” one day because someone decided they wanted to do something completely different. Rap/hip hop, rather than being the “black” to another genre’s “white” or “cold” to another genre’s “hot” is more like “gray” to another genre’s “black” or “luke warm” to another genre’s “hot.” So, my question is this: is the fish that comes up with this new music really swimming up stream while all his fishy friends swim down stream? Is he really a complete opposite? Or is he maybe looking at the path of the other gilled things and taking a bit of a tangent? Maybe he sees the down stream path, but he decides to swim at a 45-degree angle. And suddenly, all the fish are swimming at a 45-degree angle with him because it’s different everyone else is doing it. Suddenly, everyone is swimming at this 45-degree angle (and somehow not hitting the edge of the stream, but that’s beyond the point), then another fish says something like “yeah, this 45-degree angle is good and all, but what about the OTHER 45-degree angle?” And the entire process is started over again, but not in a completely opposite form. Instead, the new fish borrowed from the previous trendsetting water dweller that did something similar.
The idea of mainstream and completely different subcultures, however, leads me to another thought: When does the different and the extreme and the innovative become the norm? I can’t help but think back to high school and how awful those four years are for some. And typically, those people who have trouble in those grades try to be something different. They try to be the 45-degree fish and do something different. And, at least in my high school, a lot of times that meant inheriting a “goth” style and dressing in black and wearing chains and styling your hair in spikes or a Mohawk or something else. Every time I laid eyes on these kids, my reaction was typically “meh, I’ve seen it before, dude… you’re not doing anything special.” However, someone, at some point, was special when they did it. Someone actually was the 45-degree fish. Someone did it first. Then some other fish swam along the same path. Frankly, at times, I felt there were so many fish swimming along that path in my high schools days that I—the standard, everyday, slightly preppy, normal dude in my high school, at least according to the “Goths”—was actually the 45-degree fish. So many people had become the “goth,” that the “Goths,” in mindset and not dress, were the kids wearing polos and cargo shorts and playing sports and wearing simple haircuts. Were they really so unique, those “Goths?” Not really. They were all following each other. It still makes me laugh a little to this day.
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I couldn’t agree more with your article on cultural transformation. I’ve noticed how narrow-minded I am with my cultural ideas and how stuck I am on “my own thing.” The worst part is, when I take a look around, I don’t see others exploring culture either. I see white people walking with other whites. I see preps walking with other preps while the Goths are walking behind listening to their iPods. I see Americans eating hamburgers and French fries while Indians represent their culture by eating at the closest Indian restaurant. I think we, as humans, oversee that there is this divide and we don’t care enough to explore. Although, why not? Culture is such a fascinating idea; every culture is different in one way or another. So what allows us to form this bubble around us and what we are used to? What keeps us from exploring different ideas and lifestyles?
It could be because we grow up a certain way, with a certain childhood and with different childhood experiences and familiarities. Or it could be because we have a specific taste in different things, ultimately sculpting our personality. It’s our personality, interests and beliefs that categorize us into a culture. I think everyone is quick to get caught up in their own culture and their own routine ways that they forget that other people around them live differently. A lot of people go through a routine of familiarity that they are comfortable with. Change can be intimidating and is often avoided by most people. This may easily create a barrier shielding us from new ways and new ideas.
Really though, we should be taking new ideas and embracing them as something fun and different to try. For example, look at Penn State University. Penn State is the home of many college aged students, usually ranging from 18-25. Each student has a different history and different childhood experiences. There are numerous ethnic backgrounds and all sorts of different cultures that we can observe on campus daily. In some ways we are similar; we are all brought to this town to live together and to gain a higher education. It seems to work. Different cultures seem to get along great at PSU. However, did you ever think that it’s because we avoid different cultures that vary from ours? Wouldn’t it make sense to take the time and observe the variety of cultures while they surround us?
What we need to break this barrier is more “change makers.” Innovative beings have a powerful effect over people who are willing to listen. A leader or a “change maker” is challenged to make a difference and gain followers by spreading a new idea. I believe that with more people willing to break this cultural barrier, we could find new ways of seeing the world.
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I agree with Sam when he talks about being on the fringes of society and being open to things that may be considered outside the box. In order to be unique and not conform to most of society, you have to march to your own beat, do what you want, do what makes you happy. It was interesting to me that when Sam said he listened to the Chinese music he could not get himself interested… Is that because we are so used to our own musical styles and rhythms or because Sam, as an individual, Chinese or not, did not enjoy it. Maybe he did not like it because he’s used to the social norms and he doesn’t appreciate the sounds. Is that because he lives inside the box and remains in his culture? I don’t think so. People base their likes and dislikes around what they are used to and what is socially accepted by most people. Like the blog said, this is inevitable. Following the norm and the popular culture is the way that most people go on with life. However, there wouldn’t be new ways of being or thinking if it weren’t for people who live on the fringes. I also realized that you can think you’re unique and doing your own thing, but when you really think about it and look around at the people you surround yourself with, many of them have the same thoughts, religion, styles, likes, dislikes, etc. Like it was displayed in class, it’s hard to be close friends with someone who has nothing in common with you and is used to a completely different way of life. I think that the media and advertisements start children thinking that they need to conform and not think outside the box from a very young age. If they don’t get the McDonald’s happy meal they feel left out. I don’t think it’s just America that’s like this though, I’m sure other countries are having the same problems. I think that creative sparks come from boredom. If people have been doing the same routine over and over they will eventually want to break out and live on the fringes and explore new ways of life. However, I also think that sometimes people who think outside the box and are very unique individuals do it for different reasons; perhaps they want attention, they’re unhappy with their lives, or like I said earlier they’re just straight up bored. My thought is that you just have to be true to yourself, as cheesy as it sounds. If that means being completely comfortable within the culture, then go ahead.. you just might not learn as much as other people or be as satisfied with life as the trailblazers who live on the fringes and love gaining insight and knowledge.
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I come from a small town where the population of people is predominately white. Though most of the people I grew up around were white, I have been encountered with people of other races. I’m not racist, it doesn’t matter what your background is, what matters is the person you are. I think a lot of the people who are racist probably still relate it back to ancient history as their reasoning. I'd say I am a cultural person, and I have pride in where my roots came from. I am always up for new things, whether it's trying new foods, meeting new people of other cultures or going to new places. I realize that not everyone was brought up the same way and has their own beliefs and values. Everyone has different ways of living, and for some, those ways change, such as switching religions. I do not always follow the crowd. For instance, when new fashion trends come out, I don't wear them because they're in, rather I wear them because it's my style and I feel comfortable wearing it. I am my own person with a mind of my own, yet I don’t feel like I’m an outcast. I belong to several different sub-cultures, where we have a lot in common, such as eating similar kinds of food, having similar hobbies, being brought up in the same area and so on. I have never been out of the country yet, and the farthest I've been out of state was California. I thought the west coast living was awesome yet different from east coast living, which is what I'm used to. I listen to all types of music, although I would have to say country is my least favorite. Some of the songs have decent lyrics, I just don't like the way they're sung. The closer we are to the center of culture, the less innovated we are, as we learned on Tuesday, is really true. I mean, when I think of people who have moved down from the mainstream, those people are inventors, people who have invented new things from technological devices to ways of living, people whose names will always be remembered for any changes they have made to the world. There are a lot of new technological advancements but the way people live as far as traditions go has been passed on from many generations ago. I’m not saying that you have to be famous to think outside of the box. There are people in our own towns and communities who have contributed a lot with their time and knowledge. Most of us do seem to live close to the mainstream. Lots of people do think inside of the box.
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My journal may not exactly answer your question but I believe every great idea is sparked by either another great idea or another thought. Seeing something triggers a thought in to your mind, as well as hearing something. Your ideas are original they just derived from a different thought. Applying this to sociology and mainstream scenes, cultures are created the same way. And within these cultures people create sub cultures that are all considered the same but they are totally different. And within these sub cultures people are creating new ideas that will separate them even further from their culture and, or making them so different they can claim themselves original.
For instance Einstein was a scientist. He was inspired by other mathematicians and scientists to explore their world. And their thoughts or theories sparked all these genius ideas within him to explore and study even further and more in depth than former scientists and mathematicians. I am a part of the Hip-Hop culture (among many others), as an example; Hip-Hop is a subdivision of the dance world. But within Hip-Hop alone I can name at least 7 different forms of Hip-Hop that have their own culture: house, break dance, liquid, popping, locking, tutting, krumping, and so on. These are all different forms of Hip-Hop that are very original. I’m a part of Raw Aesthetic Movements (a.k.a. RAM Squad) the Hip-Hop/break dance team that’s purpose is to educate others in Hip-Hop culture. We do all styles of Hip-Hop and try to get every member to know the basics of all the different forms. We hold both choreography days and freestyle days at our team, and we use freestyle days to explore ourselves. People try to create new moves, freezes, learn different styles, and incorporate them into choreographies. And by doing this they’re entering into different territory, territory new to them, or maybe even new to everyone else, and maybe creating a totally different style. People will ask them what they’re doing because they like it (of course not everyone will like it), but someone will take interest in this new form of dance. By doing this they are recruiting people into their style and soon it may become big enough to become another independent culture within the sub culture of Hip-Hop, in the Dance world.
This is just one example of how a culture can become divided or influence people to create a total different culture. Such as the Hispanic culture is divided to so many other sub cultures by region or language, maybe even skin color. Even though we are all of one culture we’re unique.
We create different cultures that may become mainstream or that mainstream may copy. And people always think to themselves, who created this new idea, this new style. I believe it’s people like us who broke off to create something different, not trying to be different, just growing off an idea we’ve already thought of or created.
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My journal may not exactly answer your question but I believe every great idea is sparked by either another great idea or another thought. Seeing something triggers a thought in to your mind, as well as hearing something. Your ideas are original they just derived from a different thought. Applying this to sociology and mainstream scenes, cultures are created the same way. And within these cultures people create sub cultures that are all considered the same but they are totally different. And within these sub cultures people are creating new ideas that will separate them even further from their culture and, or making them so different they can claim themselves original.
For instance Einstein was a scientist. He was inspired by other mathematicians and scientists to explore their world. And their thoughts or theories sparked all these genius ideas within him to explore and study even further and more in depth than former scientists and mathematicians. I am a part of the Hip-Hop culture (among many others), as an example; Hip-Hop is a subdivision of the dance world. But within Hip-Hop alone I can name at least 7 different forms of Hip-Hop that have their own culture: house, break dance, liquid, popping, locking, tutting, krumping, and so on. These are all different forms of Hip-Hop that are very original. I’m a part of Raw Aesthetic Movements (a.k.a. RAM Squad) the Hip-Hop/break dance team that’s purpose is to educate others in Hip-Hop culture. We do all styles of Hip-Hop and try to get every member to know the basics of all the different forms. We hold both choreography days and freestyle days at our team, and we use freestyle days to explore ourselves. People try to create new moves, freezes, learn different styles, and incorporate them into choreographies. And by doing this they’re entering into different territory, territory new to them, or maybe even new to everyone else, and maybe creating a totally different style. People will ask them what they’re doing because they like it (of course not everyone will like it), but someone will take interest in this new form of dance. By doing this they are recruiting people into their style and soon it may become big enough to become another independent culture within the sub culture of Hip-Hop, in the Dance world.
This is just one example of how a culture can become divided or influence people to create a total different culture. Such as the Hispanic culture is divided to so many other sub cultures by region or language, maybe even skin color. Even though we are all of one culture we’re unique.
We create different cultures that may become mainstream or that mainstream may copy. And people always think to themselves, who created this new idea, this new style. I believe it’s people like us who broke off to create something different, not trying to be different, just growing off an idea we’ve already thought of or created.
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I feel like if you think too much about not being mainstream you become mainstream in your own way anyway. Like, for example, you want to go against the grain and end up joining a counterculture or subculture, but then you just end up conforming to them anyway, so you're not really different. I have done this and going to Penn State has allowed me to get away from that a bit. Now I have friends in different subcultures (the hipsters, punks, theatre, etc.). I think that I am the most creative when I am secluded by myself. I try not to censor or alter my actions when I'm with others, but I know I'm guilty of letting it happen. What allows me to travel across groups, are the parties I usually go to. I go with some core friends, but I always try to meet new people and learn what makes them tick. I'm a journalist and curiosity is what drives me and it is through this that I try to stray from the mainstream. I enjoy staying on the periphery because if I get too close, I won't be able to accurately reflect what I have learned in stories that I'm writing. I've learned the most when I've gone outside my comfort zone. Everyone always has that discomfort when they go by new people, but I've come to enjoy that awkwardness. You will learn so much more by embracing it. This also helps to foster my creativity. Now, that is not to say I always go out of my preferred comfort zone, but what I do (and will hopefully do in the future) forces me to do that, which makes me grateful. My outlet for creativity out of the mainstream is writing. If I go a day without doing it, I feel very weird. I find I work best when I don't have people checking out my work before it's finished. I can take critiques, but I've learned that these critiques are often just personal preference and taste, so while I listen and occasionally give in, I fight for things when I find it necessary. I think I've kept that so far removed from people because it's almost like the one thing I have that nobody else can mar or alter, because it comes from me. Writing comes from the mind, it comes from nothing, it comes from experiences, and everyone has different perspectives on the world, at least I hope so. This semester I had fallen into conformity a bit again, but then I met some people who had still not given that individuality up, and they have inspired me to keep going on my own. Staying outside of things can be the most lonely thing in the world, and as people, we are social creatures that thrive on relationships, however the best art, I feel, has come from the dispossessed, strays and outcasts of society. Janis Joplin was constantly made fun of before her soulful voice came to the stage. A lot of artists die young because they are outcasts, and don't feel like they fit in anywhere and turn to drugs and alcohol. I think there is something to be said for not becoming to isolate, but not becoming a drone. It's just difficult to find that balance.
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People are constantly influenced by everything around them starting at birth. We get fed these mainstream ideas that affect how we think, our interests, and our behavior. These constant influences from school, family, friends, media, and different environments have made us adapted to certain aspects that relate to mainstream features. This corruption makes people develop this box that is referred to as a safe zone or comfort place. Many people are unwilling to step outside of this box and explore new things and prefer just staying along with the mainstream. The creativity spark comes from those that feel uncomfortable with the trendy ways and want to get out of it. This does not mean that they have to be a complete psychopath or freak to society but just someone possessing a thought that makes them feel the need to explore it more. They attempt to try new things and step beyond their comfort zone in hopes to find something better. Making that step outside reduces the amount of support and population that follows that stream but it is also what makes every individual unique in a way. This is where diversity and self interest comes from in an individual. They branch out from the mainstream to those that interest them more. Although their overall characteristics are still trendy and mainstream.
The majority is adapted to the mainstream; they feel as though what they do or follow is considered normal. Who are they to assume that what they do are the standards or benchmark for comparing it to everything else? The majority has always created the overview or image that represented everyone else and they do not deny it because they want their way of life to look the best in the eyes of other people. This is where stereotypes and assumptions arise. In rare occasions exists special individuals that believe in stepping even further out of what the majority considers normal. These are the people that are most commonly viewed by the majority as abnormal but are also the ones that have a grasp on things beyond what the majority has even tried. These kinds of people are responsible for creating new ideas and styles that others would have never imagined. To be going against all logic and almost everyone to pursue what they believe to be correct is a very harsh challenge.
Curiosity exists in everyone and the reason why so many people explore and learn what their interest and likes are but there are few that can actually take their curiosity and life to a completely new subculture with no guarantee that it will work out. But these are also people that went against all odds and became who they are today because of it. People such as Galileo were considered insane because of his theory that the world revolves around the sun but it was his curiosity that led him to that discovery. Even when no one else agreed with him, he stayed strong to his observations and logic and eventually became known for his work.
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This is certainly an interesting and thought provoking topic. I agree wholeheartedly with the notion that individuals are a product of their respective environment. Essentially, the culture you grow up in is going to be woven seamlessly into your thoughts and actions. I, myself, am a reflection of my family. For better or worse, the socialization of people is inevitable. Those daring enough to question boldly, however, have the opportunity to free themselves of the societal restraints of their time and engage in deeper thoughts and actions.
Certain individuals are comfortable with their lives and go through their routines everyday. Who am I to tell they are living a shallow meaningless life? They may very well enjoy their culture and have no desire to change. I do, however, think it’s important for people to step back from their culture in order to truly assess the quality of their lives. This is not an easy step to take by any means. Everyday we get our various subcultures shoved down our throats. I’m sure it was difficult for the leaders of the enlightenment in Christian Europe to step back and assess that logic was a better decision-making tool compared to blind faith.
So how can this creative spark materialize? In my opinion, there are two options for an individual looking to better understand the society he or she lives in. The first option is to completely remove yourself from your culture and completely relocate to another. Essentially, I’m suggesting you get your Siddhartha Gautama on and go out on an adventure. You may not find the middle way but your guaranteed to gain valuable insights about yourself and the place you call home. Going out and living in another part of the world, without modern technology, would be a pretty good start to your adventure.
The first option may not be practical for the majority of individuals because of the variety of constraints society has placed on us (school, money, family, etc). If that’s the case, become a voracious reader. I discovered a long time ago the importance of reading. Reading stretches my mind and in all honesty makes me a smarter individual. I make it a point, of course, to read literature that presents opposing viewpoints. The clashes in ideas force me to think about the subject. Reading literature from a variety of social classes and culture allows you to step outside the box. Recently I read a book about a Chinese family living in China at the beginning of the 20th century. Up until that point I knew nothing about Chinese culture or ideas. The novel offered incredible insight into the age old Chinese culture. After reading that book, I’m better equipped to make thoughtful and informed observations on current issues and news stories concerning China.
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Ninety nine percent of all the citizens in the world are a direct product of their environment. Many of these loyal denizens blindly refuse to challenge their intellect or push their imaginations because it is change. Change is an interesting concept. If history has taught us one thing, then it is that we, as people and as a species, fear change. This paves the way for leaders either motivated by manipulation like Hitler, or leaders who speak just to speak like many of our politicians today to misrepresent the masses. However, all leaders, in some form or another, adorn their followers subconscious with comfort and understanding. This combination of human connection and comfort may very well be the most potent form of pleasure.
According to the psychologist Abraham Maslow's classic hierarchy of needs we currently crave connection. The past few thousand years have focused almost entirely upon providing sufficient food, water, shelter, and safety for ourselves. We have now mastered the art of obtaining these bare necessities, and now, we push into new limits of reaching emotional complacency. According to Maslow's hierarchy food and safety take up the bottom to portion of the pyramid. After this, we reach social belonging, self-esteem, and self actualization. All of these ideas revolve around a hybrid necessity that has just appeared in the past few hundred years, human connection. People these days end up slaves to their emotions. Who knows how long it will take to reach an adequate state of human connection. Unfortunately, we all see things in such a social-sided point of view that we are afraid to challenge any notion of a popular belief.
Very few revolutionaries have graced the world, but I can assure you they certainly looked into themselves before looking to society for answers to their questions. We constantly accept stereotypes of an athletic black man or a ditsy blonde bimbo. Why? Fear. Fear of not being accepted. Fear is perhaps the most powerful emotion of motivation in existence. People don't want to be the outcast or recluse because it's scary. It's unknown; nobody knows what is on the other side. Many people fear death for the same reason. Thing about tapping into the mindset of a Da Vinci, Einstein, or any other revolutionary. Instead we remain in the stagnant mindset of the same filth that has been surrounding us our entire life. Thoreau said, “Imitation is suicide.” People need to realize that forfeiting their voice not only kills themselves, but also their unique perspective, just like every person's voice in the world, can break the indolent social standards set before us today and challenge future generations to push cultural mentality to the limit, and perhaps that one day, we may have an end to hate crimes, terrorism, and racism; to reach the new horizon of adamant understanding. Rather than being a product of your environment, make your environment a product of you. The purpose of life is to live so why meander haphazardly when the grass may just be greener on the other side.
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First of all, I want to say that taking this class has already led me to think in such an abstract way. I’ve always felt a certain way about norms of society, but never really voiced my opinion. I never talked to people who felt the same way about it, about how we are supposed to conform to belong. It’s sad for me to say this, but, conformity to society has been one of the most frustrating parts of my life. I hate that it has to be this way, but then again, I conform. I hate hypocrites, but then again, I am one. There’s only so much you can do to be outside of the box. Society ultimately gets the best of you. I wish it could be different. I want to do things that don’t conform to society. But then again, would that be conforming as well? When I think about things that I do to conform, I think of the way I wear my hair, the type of slang I use, the people I hang out with, most of the music I listen to, the types of clothes I wear, and even the way that I sometimes think. A lot of life is spent stressing over materialistic things. What is the point of all this stress? Money isn’t even real. But most of our lives are spent worrying about how much money we will make and how it will make us look in the eyes of society. I want to be able to live my life without all of this stress. But it is very difficult. In order for me to do the things that I want to do I need to make a certain amount of money. I don’t necessarily want to look a certain way to people in society but I do want to be able to live comfortably. But as far as stepping outside of the box, I can’t say that I have done this very much. The only thing that I can think of as stepping out of the box in my life is when I visited Spain. The culture there was very much different from ours obviously. They napped during the work day; they ate dinner around midnight, and were just generally laid back about everything. It was very different from what we see here in the U.S., especially in the big cities. Although I only experienced this type of culture for about a week, I would consider it stepping outside of the norm or “box”. To my surprise, it was a very refreshing and an eye opening experience. It made me realize just how much we rush as Americans and how much we take for granted. In Spain, I found people to be very warm, accepting, and loving to say the least. I was in a small town on the southern coast of Spain called Peniscola. I know, the name is funny. I was so immersed in the Spanish culture that I kind of didn’t want to leave. Of course I wanted to get home to what was comfortable to me, such as my friends and pets, but I could definitely see myself living there. But other than that, I haven’t stepped much out of my box of normality. I strive to “find myself” more by doing so, and I try and look for different ways of doing things every day. The best I can do is what I want to do, and if I know that I want to be different from what society tells me to be, I think that I will be.
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It is a very good point that some of the biggest changes in society come from the minority groups. People don’t always have the opportunity to innovate and change when they are comfortable and don’t need to change to survive. However, people are products of their environment. Sometimes you have to look at the person stuck in the comfortable situation and take pity on them.
Let’s look at it this way. You can’t escape destiny. Before you were born, a certain amount of x chromosomes and y chromosomes matched up to determine your traits. They determined everything about you: your looks, your emotional tendencies, and your ability react to different situations. Then your first exposure to the world was most likely your family. Your religion, language, food preferences, and behaviors were all deeply rooted in you by this first exposure to the world. Every action and reaction you have in life is a combination of what you are and every experience that ever happened to you. With a certain given action you will react the same way every time. Your infinite traits and experiences can make this hard to understand and make it seem like you are actually making “choices”. “Choice” is not the exact word, but it is the term that we use, and it is the best word in the English language to describe the present. However, the word “choice” actually implies that you have some sort of say in what you do. Therefore, a different word would be more appropriate, but we don’t have one so we will use the word “choice” to describe your present actions and reactions to everyday situations.
The best way to describe this thought process is to paint real life situations. When you look at these situations don’t factor in the limitless number of factors that could influence the choice. Only consider the given factors. Trying to calculate everything will be confusing when describing this philosophy.
Imagine that you are a five year old child, and like most children, you have a strong liking for chocolate. Everything else aside, you are hungry and your mother comes to you and gives you a chocolate bar. What happens? You eat it! You never had a choice in the matter. You were naturally inclined to like chocolate and so therefore when a chocolate bar was presented in front of you, you “chose” to eat it.
Now suppose you are that same child and that you really don’t like asparagus. Your mother comes to you and gives you a plate of asparagus and says, “Eat it if you want to.” What happens now? The choice was made before you were even born. Asparagus tastes bad and you don’t want to eat it, so you don’t.
Now in a third situation, you are that same child, but now you are 12 years old, and you have dreams of being a professional athlete. You parents eat asparagus, and they are both healthy people. You have been seeing ads on TV where professional athletes are running around, throwing balls, jumping high, and eating asparagus. Then a black screen comes up with white lettering that says “Just eat it.” Now what happens when asparagus is offered at the table? It is now a balance between your inclination to disliking asparagus and the influence that the world has had on you about the benefits of asparagus. If there are no substitutes around, and your desire to be an athlete outweighs the bad flavor in your mouth, you will eat the asparagus.
Going back to the topic, you can see that people are products of what they are and their environment. Whoever you are: look at the events that shaped you into what you are. Look at the traits your parents have that have rubbed off on you. From here you can see what group you ended up in and why. From there you can see what opportunities you have to invent and create, saying your willing to leave your comfort zone and take a chance.
[Reply]
I love this blog. I love this blog because I ask questions of that sort to myself everyday: How can I put a twist on [this] to make it innovative? Where did my creativity go? Am I being a follower or a leader? This constant evaluation is what makes me who I am today. Since I can remember, I have always been known for "making things my own". Those that truly know me, know that, I'm always seeking a way to do or think about [it] differently. This pertains to just about anything in my life. There are a couple reasons why I feel it is important for me (or anyone else for that rather) to obtain and keep this idea of personal uniqueness. For one, the many forms of expression intrigue me (fashion, poetry, prose, decoration, art, photography, etc) and I long to express myself in those forms as well. Two, when you take time out of your busy hustle and bustle of a day and take in everything and look at everyone around you, you start to notice the beauty in life and that there is so much inspiration surrounding you… why not utilize it? Thirdly, putting all the yogic philosophies aside, I just have this inner need to rebel. I don't do well with rules, most rules are meant to be broken and I feel this way because, when told what to do, I usually get this urge to do the total opposite. Sometimes I wonder what I would be capable of doing if I didn't use this much self-control and gave in to my rebellious demeanor. Lastly, all in all, life is so much more interesting when your creative tool is put to work.
However, I am half and half on the issue/question/concern of creativity being broken down and/or dead in mainstream society. There are some who live day by day with a set plan and they have no room for creativity, there are some people that may have a little too much creativity for their own good, then there are some who influence society with their innovations… this balance, to me, is good. Creativity and being a part of so many subcultures is a very important aspect in my life, but this may not be the case for another person. Though I feel that everyone in the world could benefit from being cultured and imaginative, we can't have too much of one thing in this world or else it'll be an explosion. Instead, we are more productive with a fusion of different ideas, lifestyles, conformities, nonconformity, etc. What I say is, if you have a creative bone in your body, USE IT! I feel everyone can be creative in their own way no matter how they think or what they do but, ultimately, people should do what comes natural to them.
Self-reflection, personally, is necessary in life regardless. Living this life, going through changes, meeting new people, going through the ups and downs, creating your path, and losing your path can change you along the way without even realizing. But there's one thing to always remember, and I take this from yoga… your inner self will never fail you. It is never too late to reflect and revert back to "the real you" whether that be the creative you or not-so-much. Okay, now I'm sounding like Dr. Phil.
[Reply]
It is a very good point that some of the biggest changes in society come from the minority groups. People don’t always have the opportunity to innovate and change when they are comfortable and don’t need to change to survive. However, people are products of their environment. Sometimes you have to look at the person stuck in the comfortable situation and take pity on them.
Let’s look at it this way. You can’t escape destiny. Before you were born, a certain amount of x chromosomes and y chromosomes matched up to determine your traits. They determined everything about you: your looks, your emotional tendencies, and your ability react to different situations. Then your first exposure to the world was most likely your family. Your religion, language, food preferences, and behaviors were all deeply rooted in you by this first exposure to the world. Every action and reaction you have in life is a combination of what you are and every experience that ever happened to you. With a certain given action you will react the same way every time. Your infinite traits and experiences can make this hard to understand and make it seem like you are actually making “choices”. “Choice” is not the exact word, but it is the term that we use, and it is the best word in the English language to describe the present. However, the word “choice” actually implies that you have some sort of say in what you do. Therefore, a different word would be more appropriate, but we don’t have one so we will use the word “choice” to describe your present actions and reactions to everyday situations.
The best way to describe this thought process is to paint real life situations. When you look at these situations don’t factor in the limitless number of factors that could influence the choice. Only consider the given factors. Trying to calculate everything will be confusing when describing this philosophy.
Imagine that you are a five year old child, and like most children, you have a strong liking for chocolate. Everything else aside, you are hungry and your mother comes to you and gives you a chocolate bar. What happens? You eat it! You never had a choice in the matter. You were naturally inclined to like chocolate and so therefore when a chocolate bar was presented in front of you, you “chose” to eat it.
Now suppose you are that same child and that you really don’t like asparagus. Your mother comes to you and gives you a plate of asparagus and says, “Eat it if you want to.” What happens now? The choice was made before you were even born. Asparagus tastes bad and you don’t want to eat it, so you don’t.
Now in a third situation, you are that same child, but now you are 12 years old, and you have dreams of being a professional athlete. You parents eat asparagus, and they are both healthy people. You have been seeing ads on TV where professional athletes are running around, throwing balls, jumping high, and eating asparagus. Then a black screen comes up with white lettering that says “Just eat it.” Now what happens when asparagus is offered at the table? It is now a balance between your inclination to disliking asparagus and the influence that the world has had on you about the benefits of asparagus. If there are no substitutes around, and your desire to be an athlete outweighs the bad flavor in your mouth, you will eat the asparagus.
Going back to the topic, you can see that people are products of what they are and their environment. Whoever you are: look at the events that shaped you into what you are. Look at the traits your parents have that have rubbed off on you. From here you can see what group you ended up in and why. From there you can see what opportunities you have to invent and create, saying your willing to leave your comfort zone and take a chance.
[Reply]
Journal 2
Cultural transformation
Everybody grows up in a specific culture, with specific behavioral rules and ideas of what having a good life is. I believe that all people are unique. In the world not two persons are alike. The environment and the surroundings also influence how people look and behave. In fact even if one person was cloned, the clone of that person would never be totally identical to the real one, since other factors such as the surroundings and type of life would never be the same. But, even though everybody in this world is unique, not everybody cares or can make a difference in the life of other people. In the blog was given the example of Albert Einstein. He obviously made a huge difference in many people’s lives and created the foundation of many of the things we know today.
Not everybody has the same talents and for this reason different people can do different things. To be considered not only unique, but also a so called in the blog, “change maker” is necessary apply whatever makes us special and use it to make a change in our world. A change maker influences other people’s lives in some way. I agree that in most cases change makers don’t follow other people’s ideas, they follow their own ideas and don’t care much about how they are view by society. But for most people is hard to don’t care about society.
In the blog is mentioned that, “the fish is the only specie to really come to know water”. I believe this statement means that people are inside of their own world and that is hard to see more than what is usual and common to them, because they are so raped in what they already know. There is also mention that change makers are like fishes going up stream. But to go against the flow makes everything more complicated. The values and culture in which one grows stays with us always in some way. One person can change though out his life time, but always stays with what he has grown up with. Things such as music, ways of dress and hair styles had became part of what we are. People tend to form their personality based on their culture. Sam mentions on the block that he has recently started listen Chinese music, but that he has found that he only likes music that he had heard before.
I believe that culture, customs and traditions are something that most people feel proud about. Cultural transformation occurs as a result of a change of live, but it takes several generations in order to completely be modified. Personally I love my culture, I don’t feel special in any way, I am like most people my age and I think kind of similar to other people, for this reason I admire people that dare to be different in a positive way.
[Reply]
I think this topic is very interesting. I am who I am because of what’s around me: family, friends, religion, and the environment in which I live. Since I was brought up in a very cultured, urban area I am very similar to many people in my community. I am a typical white female teenager brought up on Long Island. I have three malls within twenty minutes of my house. I have two Dunkin Donuts, two Burger Kings, a McDonalds, and two shopping centers all on the main road in which my street is off. The idea of stepping out of the box is very hard for someone like me to do. I was brought up to always be polite, even you disagree with someone keep quiet. My family has always tried to persuade me to keep things that I do not agree with more silent than anything, never disturb the peace. However, I am a very strong-headed person; when someone says something I don’t like I cannot just roll it off my shoulder. I have to say something. Stepping out of the box is a very hard thing to do though especially in a jappy town like Plainview, but I have always tried to be true to myself and not just go along with the crowd. In 8th grade, I just changed schools and met all these new people. The group of girls I hung out with were fun and “cool”. However, during gym class one day I saw this girl playing jacks by herself. I went over and started playing the game with her. After gym, my “friends” came up to me and told me that the girl was weird and I should not associate with her. This was my first real moment to becoming an adult in real life. My “friends” did not like the girl; I had to make a decision to either follow the crowd or be true to myself and hang out with the girl anyway. I am not saying by any means that I don’t follow the crowd, however in this case I didn’t and continued to befriend that girl. It is very easy to follow all the fish on the mainstream, it is certainly tough to be the fish who swims by themselves. I think in day and age, being unique is important. For example, unlike most people I do not eat many “normal” foods. For example, I do not eat hamburgers, eggs, sushi, or soup. I stick to the same foods and repeat many of the same meals during the week. I am different than most in that area and I am okay with that. I think it is extremely important to be okay with who you are and allow your self to be unique. There are so many people in the world and it would be a shame for everyone to try and be the same person. I think that is one of the best things about America; there are so many different types of people with different religions, backgrounds, cultures, personalities, and hobbies.
[Reply]
In the stereotypical high school, going against the mold is like committing social suicide. However, my high school is unique in that it had a million different subcultures present so that following the stereotypical molds would be breaking the mold. In a small international school in Japan, each student has a completely different history than everyone else. For instance, one of my friends had lived in 7 different countries by the time she was 18, and had absorbed cultural aspects from each ones. She called her parents Haha and Chichi like Japanese children, used to say thank you in Korean and listened to Malay music. But in addition to all of that, she was born in Europe and her parents were American and Nigerian. To say that she could belong to any specific culture is like saying that apples are the only type of food. Opposed to a stereotypical American teenager that many subcultures is an anomaly beyond belief. Even I, who has only lived in 3 countries, try to belong to as many subcultures as possible.
That being said, my High School created its own subculture. I don’t know whether that’s unique to my international school, or every international school, but everyone was different and the same. For instance, we all listened to the same type of comedy and music. (Country never entered the halls for fear of being shunned beyond belief.) Ironically, those surrounded by examples of every race are the most racist of any people that I’ve ever met. The Indian kids knew that they were prim and the biggest cheats in the world. The white people knew that they actively didn’t try to absorb different cultures. They fought for their right to solely eat at McDonalds and Subway. Granted, kids of similar cultural backgrounds would generally hang out with each other, but due to the size of the school (graduating class of 50 or so), cliques were simply impractical. Although to Japanese kids would primarily hang out with Japanese kids, which was basically because they preferred to speak Japanese than English.
But even with the semi present-language barrier, people would still know words in different languages. I mean, apart from the basic hello, goodbye, people would know slang words in Japanese or Hindi, simply because they would hear it constantly. Students who came from the US for a year swiftly acclimated to the International school culture. From bringing pb and j sandwiches into school to eating donburi like the rest of us. We would still have things like Halo nights, but on other weekends we’d go to Karaoke like good Japanese kids. The cultures became intertwined, which, in itself was a subculture of its own. We judged and chastised the students who refused to mesh, those who didn’t know that Beijing was in China, those who didn’t eat Onigiri, and also those who didn’t know who Akon and Eminem are. If you didn’t know something about someone else’s culture it was more of a social suicide than being different.
[Reply]
I think this topic is very interesting. I am who I am because of what’s around me: family, friends, religion, and the environment in which I live. Since I was brought up in a very cultured, urban area I am very similar to many people in my community. I am a typical white female teenager brought up on Long Island. I have three malls within twenty minutes of my house. I have two Dunkin Donuts, two Burger Kings, a McDonalds, and two shopping centers all on the main road in which my street is off. The idea of stepping out of the box is very hard for someone like me to do. I was brought up to always be polite, even you disagree with someone keep quiet. My family has always tried to persuade me to keep things that I do not agree with more silent than anything, never disturb the peace. However, I am a very strong-headed person; when someone says something I don’t like I cannot just roll it off my shoulder. I have to say something. Stepping out of the box is a very hard thing to do though especially in a jappy town like Plainview, but I have always tried to be true to myself and not just go along with the crowd. In 8th grade, I just changed schools and met all these new people. The group of girls I hung out with were fun and “cool”. However, during gym class one day I saw this girl playing jacks by herself. I went over and started playing the game with her. After gym, my “friends” came up to me and told me that the girl was weird and I should not associate with her. This was my first real moment to becoming an adult in real life. My “friends” did not like the girl; I had to make a decision to either follow the crowd or be true to myself and hang out with the girl anyway. I am not saying by any means that I don’t follow the crowd, however in this case I didn’t and continued to befriend that girl. It is very easy to follow all the fish on the mainstream, it is certainly tough to be the fish who swims by themselves. I think in day and age, being unique is important. For example, unlike most people I do not eat many “normal” foods. For example, I do not eat hamburgers, eggs, sushi, or soup. I stick to the same foods and repeat many of the same meals during the week. I am different than most in that area and I am okay with that. I think it is extremely important to be okay with who you are and allow your self to be unique. There are so many people in the world and it would be a shame for everyone to try and be the same person. I think that is one of the best things about America; there are so many different types of people with different religions, backgrounds, cultures, personalities, and hobbies.
[Reply]
Am I on the fringe of society? Wow what a question to ask. How does one begin to respond. I do agree with the statement that most people follow the norm. It wouldn’t be mainstream if most people didn’t prescribe to its ideas. But the question still remains unanswered, am I part of the mainstream? Yes.
I think as an individual and I live as an individual but i most certainly am affected by the norms of my society. This is actually kind of eye opening and also rather depressing to reflect upon. I as well as most people would like to think that I am my own person devoid of influence from others, and to an extent every person is. There is no normal, but a varying degree of distance from popular cultural ideas. I am a product of the ideas which I am surrounded by. Lets start simple, my favorite food is pizza. I grew up on long Island home of the delicious pizza, with pizza in every shopping center. Who doesn’t enjoy a slice of pizza? I wear clothes from the stores in my mall and other chain stores like Walmart. I smoke, drink, and play all of the games which those around me play. Competition is naturally fun, but I like frisbee or football because my friends and I have played it all of my life. All that I do many people do. I have not changed society one bit in my 20 years of existence and realizing that fact is hard to overcome.
So how can I? What can I possibly do to be original? In order to change society do I first have to reject it and have it reject me in return? I am part of a fraternity, a school, a country, a family, a race, a demographic, and a species. As part or these major groups I adhere to certain “norms”. How do I break free from these norms, do I even want to? I enjoy and get happiness out of pizza or a new set of clothes or getting tickets to the sold out concert that everyone I know has been dying to see.
So there is the dilemma. By getting to the fringe of society one must first reject the norms of society. It only takes one person to begin to change a culture. But, if I like my current culture why should I stand up to change it. I can’t remember the last radical idea which I had. So now what? Do I try desperately to think of something wanna change about society? Do I start walking backwards to class to see if I like it better? I guess thats up to me and the opportunities I encounter and the ideas my head comes up with. I’m content with being the norm I guess. But hey Ill keep my eyes open to ideas that I like, even if they are not the social norm.
[Reply]
As a college student interested in sociology and how the society’s keeping its conservative perspective as well as its dynamic changes when people face some innovative idea, Sam’s lecture on Tuesday was extremely interesting to me. Especially, the fish and the water analogy was really brilliant! I thought about myself and reflected that analogy on my life. I used to be a fish swimming in the very center of the mainstream. I always follow the norms and expectations that the society and people around me have set up. It was so natural for me to do anything other people expected me to do. Now I know this is very funny, but I used to have a really serious creed when I was in third grade in elementary school. The motto for my life was “Be an exemplary student” and I truly got an award for exemplary students. Looking back at that time, I actually agonized to think about something sounds really great to me and to other people, and that was the final result of my long, long anguish. I believed I was at the center of all the norms and I would be the role model of how other kids should behave and follow after. Yes, that was me and my very conservative parents were so proud of me being like that. I had never been outside of the society’s expectation and always the one who led the main stream. However, as I grew up, I somehow felt there was something wrong with me, but that was something that I could never find. I felt like I always did the right thing and that should be that was what I must be. I was losing myself in the wave of the norms. I was especially the one who was right in the middle of all those social norms. I ate what other people ate, I dressed what others think proper, I spoke what others expected me to talk about, I did what other people expected me to do, and so on. I thought everything was perfectly going around me because everything happened just as what I expected. One day, however, I had to move to Jordan because my father had to supervise the construction going on there. Even though I attended American international school there, most students were from Jordan and finally I was out of the society’s norm. I ate different food from what other people ate, I dressed really different from what others wore, I thought differently from most of people there. That was totally weird for me to suddenly become an outsider from the main flow of the society. People thought I wore such an interesting clothes even thought that was the most common clothes that people in Korea wore. That experience gave me a lot of introspection. The norms can change as an individual moves from place to place and being in the middle of the main stream cannot attract or intrigue other people. I never tried to be innovative, but that just happened so naturally. I’m still the one who wishes to live the ordinary life rather than an ingenious life. When I think about the time when I lived in Jordan.. oh, I don’t think that was me at all.
[Reply]
I was playing basketball with my friends two weeks ago and one of my friends popped me a question:
“Hey Will! Why do you wear your pants so high?”
I was caught speechless for a moment. Then I gave a rather boring answer: “I just like it this way.”
What could I say? These are one of the many moments where I am just unanswerable to people’s interrogation. These moments are often depressing. They make me feel pathetic – for the questioners.
Why can’t I just be different?
I lived in Singapore for 6 years. Singapore is a country so small and dogmatic (kind of) that most people talk and behave the same way. They don’t really have a choice because every single day, they wake up to the same concrete buildings in the same city and the same crowds who talk exactly like they do.
My friends in Singapore couldn’t tolerate my differences enough: “Why do you do this? Why do you wear that?”
I could not stand their questions either. It was a great country – but I left.
I have lived in three different countries in the past 20 years and came to the United States last year. It was great to realize that America (the country America not including Argentina and Brazil) is a brilliant place with sufficient tolerance for differences. It is one of those countries where freedom can actually be at a reachable distance.
This topic is extremely interesting to me because for many years, I have felt that I do not belong to any specific group but always reside somewhere on the edges of different cultures. I felt strongly about Mr. Richards’s comment in class: people on the edges tend to be more creative.
I was not born innovative by nature but my different experiences did make me appear unique/different. No matter I am – China, Singapore or the US, I seem to do things a little differently from the people around and I enjoy being different – although traditional Chinese parents like mine only want me to be like everyone else. I dress differently, talk differently. I enjoy different hobbies and I like girls who are different from other girls. These differences sometimes make me feel like I am all alone somewhere because I do not fit in with a single crowd, but hopefully it helps me look at things from other angles and serve me well in the future.
However, am I really thinking outside the box? I have lived in three countries – but only three countries – three out of 180 in the entire world. I am just like most other Asian people who do not understand what is going on daily in Africa. It doesn’t really matter if you travel to Kenya or Egypt to see the pyramids. Living there and experiencing the local life every day is totally different. If I don’t do that, I will never be able to look at the world from their perspectives. There are 47 countries on the African continent and they are all distinct from each other. Besides that, how would I ever know what it is like to live in Siberia, Albania or the Kingdom of Tonga? I am just thinking…
[Reply]
As a college student interested in sociology and how the society’s keeping its conservative perspective as well as its dynamic changes when people face some innovative idea, Sam’s lecture on Tuesday was extremely interesting to me. Especially, the fish and the water analogy was really brilliant! I thought about myself and reflected that analogy on my life. I used to be a fish swimming in the very center of the mainstream. I always follow the norms and expectations that the society and people around me have set up. It was so natural for me to do anything other people expected me to do. Now I know this is very funny, but I used to have a really serious creed when I was in third grade in elementary school. The motto for my life was “Be an exemplary student” and I truly got an award for exemplary students. Looking back at that time, I actually agonized to think about something sounds really great to me and to other people, and that was the final result of my long, long anguish. I believed I was at the center of all the norms and I would be the role model of how other kids should behave and follow after. Yes, that was me and my very conservative parents were so proud of me being like that. I had never been outside of the society’s expectation and always the one who led the main stream. However, as I grew up, I somehow felt there was something wrong with me, but that was something that I could never find. I felt like I always did the right thing and that should be that was what I must be. I was losing myself in the wave of the norms. I was especially the one who was right in the middle of all those social norms. I ate what other people ate, I dressed what others think proper, I spoke what others expected me to talk about, I did what other people expected me to do, and so on. I thought everything was perfectly going around me because everything happened just as what I expected. One day, however, I had to move to Jordan because my father had to supervise the construction going on there. Even though I attended American international school there, most students were from Jordan and finally I was out of the society’s norm. I ate different food from what other people ate, I dressed really different from what others wore, I thought differently from most of people there. That was totally weird for me to suddenly become an outsider from the main flow of the society. People thought I wore such an interesting clothes even thought that was the most common clothes that people in Korea wore. That experience gave me a lot of introspection. The norms can change as an individual moves from place to place and being in the middle of the main stream cannot attract or intrigue other people. I never tried to be innovative, but that just happened so naturally. I’m still the one who wishes to live the ordinary life rather than an ingenious life. When I think about the time when I lived in Jordan.. oh, I don’t think that was me at all.
[Reply]