Learning Journal I (Culture and U.S Involvement in Syria)
It would be much easier to understand each other’s cultures if everyone had a culturally relative view but unfortunately most of us look upon it ethnocentrically. We judge peoples cultures based on many things; their values, beliefs, wealth, government, etc… All these things can be difficult to understand from looking at stories and pictures over the internet, or in books, magazines and newspapers. I feel it is beneficial to visit and experience as many new cultures as possible. Although this is enlightening there are things to take into consideration before visiting a new country. Gestures, for example, a handshake or a bow in one culture may be considered rude and offensive in another. It’s all about how another culture view us, or how we view them. Ethnocentrism makes us believe things people do in other cultures are wrong because we think the way we do things in our culture is correct. Kayan women stretch their necks with rings because having and elongated neck is considered elegant and attractive in their culture where it may be considered unnecessary and odd. I do believe viewing the world in an ethnocentric way is wrong and everyone should be viewed as equals but I know I’m guilty of it, especially with first impressions when meeting new people.
We can always hope that one day there will be world peace but for now that’s not the case. As you may recently have seen on the news, the tension between the U.S. and Syria has been growing greatly in the past few weeks. Bashar-al-Assad, the dictator of Syria has gassed over 100,000 people, many of them children. The United States is trying to decide whether we should step in to help Syria. Obviously it would benefit their people but this may very well result in a war. The U.S. just ended a war in the east and the question is, do we really want to start another one? President Obama is trying to convince Congress and the United Nations that we should launch a missile strike on Syria. My question is, why is the United States always expected to be the first to act, why not another country? Although the United States has advanced