The interesting idea in this blog post is the idea of one's culture having an influence on their concept of time. Language has an effect on the way one perceives time and it also involves the culture they are used to. Some visually think of chronological time as moving from left to right, others from right to left, others from west to east, and others up and down. Why is this important to understand? We must realize that there are myriad reasons why we perceive things differently from one another. In this case, the extent to which you perceive time is dependent on your culture.
As another example, in English class, we were discussing the ways to best immerse oneself in a culture in order to fully understand and appreciate it. A general concesus was made that the best way to fully understand a culture is to be a part of it; to go out and experience it hands-on. While I also believe in that this form of immersion is the best, the class also agreed that traveling is not always the cheapest or most realistic option. We discussed one of our readings about how even museums might not be an effective way of understanding a culture because of the subjectiveness of the museum setup, despite the whole purpose of its existence. Who chooses the artifacts, the paintings, writes the signs, and chooses the pictures? And in that sense, museums influence the way that we perceive not only specific cultures, but also our understanding of history.
In another piece which we read, "The Museum Experience", the idea of a schema came up. Not only is our thinking about museums (and as a result culture, historical events, and the perception of time) affected by the people who create museums, but also by our own expectations. Even before we enter a museum we have our own pre-conceived notions based on the experiences we've heard from other visitors, adverstisements on the radio, the concept of the museum and how generally interested we are in the topic (because I think sometimes we choose what we want to understand), and many others.
It seems as if understanding a culture is a difficult phrase to define in itself. So, my question is: how do we know when we have fully "understood" a culture? If there are many factors which contribute to our understanding, when is the tipping point when we can jump up and down and say something like, "I get it! I fully understand how to be American." I mean, I don't think I even fully understand the American culture and I was born here. Since we are subjective in nature, it's interesting to think about the extent to which others have an effect on our own perception of the world.
Thoughts?
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
iChange
Welcome! Read this article: Facebook changes touch privacy nerve - ABC News
iProducts, Facebook, Google, the weather. Everything is changing. "Nothing is permanent except change," said Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher. It always fascinates me how our society and my generation specifically reacts to good and bad "change".
Referring to the above article, take Facebook for example. Ostensibly, there are users who are reasonably upset with the novelty changes because of lack of privatization, one of many ironic implications. The public showing of a user's every move and their lack of control over it, upsets many. On the old Book of Faces, you could easily delete "Chelsea wrote on Sara's wall". What is now permanent however, is: "Chelsea wrote: 'I had a great time at your party last night!' on Sara's wall". You can even see what other people wrote on the walls of groups they are a part of (and you might not even be a member of that same group!) However, just because you deleted something on Facebook, or anything on the Internet for that matter, doesn't mean that the information has simply disappeared out of thin air. Somewhere it still exists, your imprint is still on the world wide web. Once it's posted, it's posted forever. Deleting it simply makes it temporarily hidden. And perhaps, that's all some people want. But, does the enhanced publication really make a difference? To what extent does making something privatized a little less privatized make a difference in the long run to your public profile on a social online network? The day Facebook made it's most recent updates was the day that 1 in 10 of my friends decided to complain about it via status. Statuses like "Facebook sucks!!!", "Wtf facebook??", and "Thank you fb for giving the world ADD", made me realize the irony. Facebook is always changing, people. Don't like it? I have a solution: Get off it. These changes are obviously upsetting many youngsters. That's negative change.
Positive change: the iPhone 5. Many iPhone users thoroughly enjoy their mobile for many different reasons whether it be from a business, social, or academic perspective. Constant updates to the iPhone make life faster, easier, and more fun. No one really seems to mind these changes; many seem to anticipate it and are anxious about it, waiting in line for hours for Apple's doors to open. Why is this kind of change equally responsive but in a more positive light? Change is simple and ever evolving. People like it, people don't. If there's anything to remember folks, it's this: "Change is neither good nor bad. It simply is." (I can't find the speaker for that one.)
If you are neither a Facebook nor iPhone user, I apologize if I made this exclusive or unrelatable. But, I think we all experience change in our daily lives, from trying new foods to heading off to college. It can be absolutely frightening and positively refreshing. However, I think change isn't something to be afraid of. Sometimes we should embrace it. And all the time we should expect it.
iProducts, Facebook, Google, the weather. Everything is changing. "Nothing is permanent except change," said Heraclitus, an ancient Greek philosopher. It always fascinates me how our society and my generation specifically reacts to good and bad "change".
Referring to the above article, take Facebook for example. Ostensibly, there are users who are reasonably upset with the novelty changes because of lack of privatization, one of many ironic implications. The public showing of a user's every move and their lack of control over it, upsets many. On the old Book of Faces, you could easily delete "Chelsea wrote on Sara's wall". What is now permanent however, is: "Chelsea wrote: 'I had a great time at your party last night!' on Sara's wall". You can even see what other people wrote on the walls of groups they are a part of (and you might not even be a member of that same group!) However, just because you deleted something on Facebook, or anything on the Internet for that matter, doesn't mean that the information has simply disappeared out of thin air. Somewhere it still exists, your imprint is still on the world wide web. Once it's posted, it's posted forever. Deleting it simply makes it temporarily hidden. And perhaps, that's all some people want. But, does the enhanced publication really make a difference? To what extent does making something privatized a little less privatized make a difference in the long run to your public profile on a social online network? The day Facebook made it's most recent updates was the day that 1 in 10 of my friends decided to complain about it via status. Statuses like "Facebook sucks!!!", "Wtf facebook??", and "Thank you fb for giving the world ADD", made me realize the irony. Facebook is always changing, people. Don't like it? I have a solution: Get off it. These changes are obviously upsetting many youngsters. That's negative change.
Positive change: the iPhone 5. Many iPhone users thoroughly enjoy their mobile for many different reasons whether it be from a business, social, or academic perspective. Constant updates to the iPhone make life faster, easier, and more fun. No one really seems to mind these changes; many seem to anticipate it and are anxious about it, waiting in line for hours for Apple's doors to open. Why is this kind of change equally responsive but in a more positive light? Change is simple and ever evolving. People like it, people don't. If there's anything to remember folks, it's this: "Change is neither good nor bad. It simply is." (I can't find the speaker for that one.)
If you are neither a Facebook nor iPhone user, I apologize if I made this exclusive or unrelatable. But, I think we all experience change in our daily lives, from trying new foods to heading off to college. It can be absolutely frightening and positively refreshing. However, I think change isn't something to be afraid of. Sometimes we should embrace it. And all the time we should expect it.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
#MyFavoriteSongsEver
#MyFavoriteSongsEver has been trending on Twitter all day long today. For those of you unfamiliar with Twitter, there's this thing called a "tweet" which is the essence of Twitter. Instead of "updating your status" on Facebook, you simply "tweet" on Twitter. You can tweet about really anything, as long as it is under 140 characters. Anyway, using a hashtag (#) is a way that things trend on the network. Example tweet: " #ThatAwkwardMomentWhen you ask someone where they go to school and they answer 'the same one as you...'". You can click on that hashtag and you can see what other tweets have mentioned #ThatAwkwardMomentWhen. So today, a lot of people were tweeting about their favorite songs. I thought that I might as well share some of my favorite songs right here.
Yes, I do have to relate this to psychology so I guess this blog post should be called #MyFavoriteSongsEverWhichRelateToPsych. Enjoy :)
1. Believe - The Bravery
The best part about this song is the chorus: "So give me something to believe, cuz I am living just to breathe. So give me something more. To keep on breathing for. Give me something to believe." I like these lines because I think that we all need something to believe in at some point in our lives. Regardless of anything: race, class, age, or religion, we all experience tough times whether it be a recession, the death of a loved one, or simply getting a big, fat F on a math test. We all need to believe in something: a god, an incentive, a meaning to life. It's what helps us get through every day.
2. Different - Acceptance
This song is all about setting yourself apart from others. What makes you special? Sometimes, we don't even understand who we are or what we stand for. In times like those, we need to remember what we believe in (see previous song) and that we are each uniquely our own.
3. Free - Jes Hudak
This song was on the reality show Platinum Hit (http://www.bravotv.com/platinum-hit/season-1/about). The challenge was to create a song while on a road trip. My favorite line is, "Sometimes you've gotta leave everything you know just pick up and go. There's so much out there to see. How will you know who you can be? The hardest thing I've ever done is try to find where I belong." There's so much in the world to explore and sometimes we just need to get up and see everything. I think that sometimes we don't realize our full potential academically, socially, and culturally, because we're afraid to stretch our limits and be uncomfortable with the challenging of our own thoughts. One of the hardest things for a teenager, or a senior in high school in particular, is coming to the realization that college is right around the corner. This means a lot of responsibility and a whole lot of decision making. A lot of 17 and 18 year olds haven't a clue what their place in the world is just yet. But this song reminds me to keep an open mind and that the next few years will be difficult but it can be a very fun, eye-opening experience.
4. Good Life - OneRepublic
This song enforces the complex idea of what they call "positive psychology" (sarcasm). People who keep a positive outlook on life typically live healthier and are happier. Uh, duh. "Good Life" is a simple reminder to remember all the positive little things that make the day go well and that it's perfectly acceptable to belt out, "THIS HAS GOTTA BE THE GOOD LIFE!" Once you sing it, you'll remember really what makes this life so worth living.
Yes, I do have to relate this to psychology so I guess this blog post should be called #MyFavoriteSongsEverWhichRelateToPsych. Enjoy :)
1. Believe - The Bravery
The best part about this song is the chorus: "So give me something to believe, cuz I am living just to breathe. So give me something more. To keep on breathing for. Give me something to believe." I like these lines because I think that we all need something to believe in at some point in our lives. Regardless of anything: race, class, age, or religion, we all experience tough times whether it be a recession, the death of a loved one, or simply getting a big, fat F on a math test. We all need to believe in something: a god, an incentive, a meaning to life. It's what helps us get through every day.
2. Different - Acceptance
This song is all about setting yourself apart from others. What makes you special? Sometimes, we don't even understand who we are or what we stand for. In times like those, we need to remember what we believe in (see previous song) and that we are each uniquely our own.
3. Free - Jes Hudak
This song was on the reality show Platinum Hit (http://www.bravotv.com/platinum-hit/season-1/about). The challenge was to create a song while on a road trip. My favorite line is, "Sometimes you've gotta leave everything you know just pick up and go. There's so much out there to see. How will you know who you can be? The hardest thing I've ever done is try to find where I belong." There's so much in the world to explore and sometimes we just need to get up and see everything. I think that sometimes we don't realize our full potential academically, socially, and culturally, because we're afraid to stretch our limits and be uncomfortable with the challenging of our own thoughts. One of the hardest things for a teenager, or a senior in high school in particular, is coming to the realization that college is right around the corner. This means a lot of responsibility and a whole lot of decision making. A lot of 17 and 18 year olds haven't a clue what their place in the world is just yet. But this song reminds me to keep an open mind and that the next few years will be difficult but it can be a very fun, eye-opening experience.
4. Good Life - OneRepublic
This song enforces the complex idea of what they call "positive psychology" (sarcasm). People who keep a positive outlook on life typically live healthier and are happier. Uh, duh. "Good Life" is a simple reminder to remember all the positive little things that make the day go well and that it's perfectly acceptable to belt out, "THIS HAS GOTTA BE THE GOOD LIFE!" Once you sing it, you'll remember really what makes this life so worth living.
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