The End?

As we finish up Gebusi, as well as the semester, we are looking at the end. But in culture there seems to be no end. A prime example is the Gebusi themselves, as we read Part I and Part II of the ethnography I concluded that their intimate self-preserving way of culture was ending and Western ideas were taking over, however in Part III, we find that the Gebusi are in fact reverting back to their original culture, ideas, and ways of leaving. I think the Gebusi are a great example of how culture is unpredictable and how it is never the end necessarily. I think the can be sad about the extent of which anthropology and culture play a role in everyday lives. The impact of culture is a never-ending concept on our lives, and the various ways anthropology looks and views culture allows us to realize this. Whether it is religion, social, food, sport, commerce, dress, greetings, or the many other aspects of a lifestyle, they all are connected to culture. Culture is always changing as well which tends to complicate things, but is the change always progressive or different. Like the Gebusi, I would say there is a smaller scale example in American culture that shows that some aspects of culture just never end. In American culture we are always looking for the next best thing, what will work best, who will be best, and what is the most technological advanced...but there is one aspect of American culture that most people are rather fond of, and that is “retro”. Retro fads, that make a comeback in a culture are just as depicting of how even though culture changes the culture of the past doesn’t necessarily end. My “favorite” retro fads that seem to be making a comeback, clothing styles, retro cookware, and rollerblading. Yes all of these things seemed to have gone of style, replaced by things we thought were better, but like the Gebusi maybe we found that American culture without them just wasn’t working. I choose clothing, cookware, and rollerblading in a rather humorous manner, but however they are still great examples. Sometimes though it’s true technological modern things can’t stop the reoccurrence of the good ol’ things. When asked whether I would like to receive an email or a letter, I would say a letter. The feeling of something in a mailbox is one that can’t be replaced by something in an inbox, all though more materialistic this change and advancement is like how the Gebusi culture couldn’t completely change because it didn’t adapt to their needs and wants. It’s important to see that culture is changing all the time, but that doesn’t mean it is always progressing or digressing, it’s just changing. It is a never ending process, and there is a never ending amount of information to receive and learn about other cultures as well as our own. If I learned anything from the Gebusi and retro fads it is that it is never The End.

Changes, O the Changes!

This week we really focused on culture change, and how it effects and is a part of not only single cultures, but also the world system. We started our last ethnography about the Gebusi that also shows how culture change occurs, trough Westernization of the Gebusi clan. Things like clothing, religion, and economic traditions are changed within the Gebusi to a more Western lifestyle. Also as part of a quiz we looked into culture changes taking place around the world currently, I read about plastic surgery in the Middle East and Democracy in Asia, it was interesting to me that a lot of culture change is to something more Western. I know that it makes sense as to why, but the question is it necessary, does it provide positive impact or is it just a step in the wrong direction, it’s tough to know until after changes are already taken place, but through studies such as the Gebusi ethnography and many other articles about culture changes, how it occurs, and its effects. In addition to its effects it is important know how the culture changes occur, through things such a media, advertising, government, colonization, etcetera. It’s a lot of things that play into how culture changes and it is really interesting to think about. As we discussed I was trying to think about culture changes that have been a part of my life and culture and also how I would feel if a totally new culture took over and I lost my current traditions and way of life. To start I would like to focus on culture change in my own life, I really looked at and thought about my life in the country versus my life in the city, and how those two cultures differ. When I was younger I grew up in a farm town, my culture thus included John Deere, pageants, fairs, and dirt roads. We moved a lot progressively moving from small towns to larger ones till we reached the city. In the city my life and thus culture and world around me included sports cars, fashion shows and theatre, shopping malls, and pavement. These two places really provided me with insight into two different cultures, and on a mini scale shows how culture can be adaptive, put a city girl on a farm the crops and animals may die relatively soon, but a farmhand in the city and they will feel overwhelmed. I know these sound like generalizations or stereotypes, but it is so true and I have seen first hand, although I grew up knowing about farm stuff, I have now adapted to a busy,city lifestyle and when I go back to the farm I feel bored because I don’t know what to do down there anymore. My own life reminds me of that children's book town mouse and country mouse, where the mice switch places but can’t survive in each others environments and way of life. For me thinking of city and country in my own life, as well as the story of town mouse and country mouse, I think are very good examples of how culture change can be bad or good, but even little changes are major effects. Its hard to comprehend how if a big culture change came in like the Gebusi handled with Western culture how I would feel about it. I feel like losing traditions would be hard part of change, but at the same time if I felt it was a positive change that would improve my life style then it would be okay maybe. It’s definitely a fine line between positive and negative changes, but either way there are still changes taking place in culture all over the world and it is important to note those changes and learn from and about them. Changes, O the Changes!