Comparison Question

At the end of class today, it was remarked that, in Australia, the Aborigines were brought into "white man's" culture, while in Things Fall Apart, the "white man" brought his culture to the tribesmen.  In what ways do you think the experience of having culture brought to you versus having you brought to culture is different? I am particularly struck by the following line from Achebe's book: "They were talking excitedly among themselves because the white man had said he was going to live among them. They had not thought about that." (TFA 145)

What's in an Apology?

In 2008, Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister of Australia, apologized to the native Aborigines for the laws and policies that "inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss"  upon them.

Please read the following article:


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7241965.stm


What is your reaction to the prime minister's apology?  Is it valid? Did it go far enough?  What should nations do to make up for past mistakes?

I welcome your comments and responses.  Please respond to each other with thoughtfulness and care.

Ten "different" Foods

Consider eating this:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ants/bugs-flash.

http://www.toptenz.net/top-ten-grossest-foods.php
html

The Culture of Ancient Egypt

A. Everything starts with the pharaoh in a two-class society (the pharaoh and everybody else). Egypt first displayed an abstract sense of rule, the separation of ruler and office and the complete removal of the ruler from the ordinary realm of humans.

B. Religion grew more complicated over time.
1. The peace and prosperity of the Old Kingdom led to a happy, optimistic outlook.
2. The concept of the afterlife was a continuation of this life, not something better! It was reserved mainly to the pharaoh, his family, and perhaps a few key advisers, until the end of the Old Kingdom.
3. The Middle Kingdom saw a profusion of temples and new cults. Herodotus called the Egyptian the “most religious of all people.” This might have been a reemergence of predynastic religion or a response to unsettled conditions. At this time, the afterlife seems to have been considered available to all.
4. The concept of Ma’at became crucial, that is, the idea of truth, justice, balance, and order.
5. The New Kingdom saw the remarkable religious experiment of Akhenaton. He abandoned traditional worship to promote the cult of Aton (henotheism or monolatry), but this died with him.

C. Scientific and artisanal advances were striking.
1. The use of papyrus (from which we derive our word "paper") facilitated writing and record-keeping.
2. Hieroglyphic (= pictographic) writing gave way gradually to demotic, which was more efficient than cuneiform.
3. The desire to preserve bodies intact (mummification) for the afterlife led to advances in medical science, including surgery and knowledge of anatomy.

Globalization and Culture

We all share the basic human needs of food, shelter, companionship among other things. What is fascinating to me is how obviously true it is the the foundations of civilization begin with the quest to secure these basic needs. Once met, however, the rules and resources of each civilization begin to diverge. Civilizations do not all share the amount of resources they have, or the environment they live in. Thus, each civilization must begin to develop its own independent life, develop its own unique culture. Each unique culture carries with it its own conception of what is good and what is valuable; and no two cultures are the same.

Globalization, the unique event that began around 500 years ago, is now the most pressing question for World Historians, politicians and political philosophers. Globalization has thrown every culture into the same world and it now demands that every question about power, authority, law, etc., etc., be looked at with everybody in mind. Yet we do not all agree.

Today's class highlighted the growth of civilization and our common human needs. It explored how civilizations grow differently and build unique cultures. Finally, it examined the real world issues that are the consequence of globalization, such as the threat of world war, extreme poverty, and our participation in making the world a worse or better place.