What is 'American Culture'?

ThatGuy113

ThatGuy113

Well-Known Member
smok3h said:


I fucking love living in America.
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First of all that's Putin. He does not need to go to America to ride sharks, he hunts polar bears in Siberia.

Secondly we do have culture, we are just to cynical and too used to being around it to realize it.Just like how people don't notice they have accents ;). No matter where you go people are fucked up and believe it or not it could be a lot worse.

What are the measurements of culture according to you guys? How many books the average adult reads or how many hours in front of the TV?

A majority of the world has had time to develop themselves and their culture over thousands of years. We have 200+ years (plus the industrial revolution changing the whole dynamics of society) of figuring this out and that's never going to compare to the rest of time everyone else has had to build up long celebrated cultures.

The most respected cultures around the world all had their time being built on Authoritative influence for sometimes the majority of a country's/region's life. So most of the people always had to take part in the cultural guidelines to avoid any friction. Even if were not the Mixing pot we still are a salad bowl and a majority of us are allowed to not be so focused on the one united culture expectation and go and do our own things. The definition of Culture often hinges on the preconceived notions someone has.
 
dank smoker420

dank smoker420

Well-Known Member
Metasynth said:
More about our fast food mentality in general...Instant grattfication, no matter the consequences down the line. Also, our love of successfully marketing knowingly harmful products, just to make a couple people's wallets fatter.
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it is insane how many people eat fast food. i drive by mcdonalds and am amazed everytime that there is that may more people wanting to eat that food. i rarely eat fast food. sometime in and out in dallas and p terrys in austin. i feel they have better patties than any other place.
 
high|hgih

high|hgih

Well-Known Member
^ Right? Well..... Id like to say I dont eat a lot of fast food.. Buuuttttttttttttttttt. Its to got damn goot.

A lot of the time though I just go out to eat, the food is healthier.. And tastes a thousand times better. Worth the money imo. I cant resist though man

heres five theoretical dollars, go buy a god damn baconator.
 
X

xKuroiTaimax

Well-Known Member
I think America is a great melting pot of cultures... Sometimes fused beyond recognition but in other places preserved as distinct. It is a land that focuses on growth, consumerism, aggression, control and materialism, but also innovation, passion and motivation. My cousins from Canada constantly berate the Florida side at family gatherings... It's kind of embarrassing so I try to shut my ears to the negative points they make... Americans have such diverse viwes but I do agree self and/or instant gratification is high on the agenda. But this is talking about culture, not American people, Anerica's institutions are like this and some people follow the mindset but no American person is inherently 'bad' because of how their country is run. America's passions and best products seems to be food and media, particularly movies and music.

I stumbled on this article on WESTERN/white culture/attitudes in general whilst researching for a tattoo design. This woman was arguing her point for receiving ta Moko and alot of Americans Were pretty offended... The focus is on a feeling of 'entitlement' and lack of Western cultural identity or ignorance of their own history and general 'western perception'


I can speak French, learn the poetry, bone up on the history, regardless of how much I might appreciate that culture, eat bagels or french fromage that does not give me a French heritage. To pretend to something I am not, is disrespectful to that people and would make inauthentic/fake - a wannabe. Regardless of how much you bone up on Maori culture that doesn't give you Maori hertiage or any right whatsoever to our culture. If you want markings that represent your heritage - then you need to invesitgate *your* own heritage, chances are if you did you wouldn't hunger after something that is _not_ a part of you. No matter how deeply you may appreciate another culture, it is not part of who you are.
I appreciate for a Pakeha that is hard thing to accept. Particularly since white entitlement mentality is such a large part of Pakeha culture, i.e the expectation that you are entitled to whatever you want from those who are 'other' to you.


Seriously, from where I stand the one of the greatest lacks coming from the Pakeha/white/western communities in the world - is those who don't know who they are. And that only comes from a real connection to your personal family lineage, histories and connections (regardless from where your peoples are scattered). People don't become conscious of how real and how deep those connections are until they look towards their own blood lines. Until you understand your heritage you never get our culture.[FONT=verdana, arial, sans-serif]
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I was watching the commentary by Joss Whedon the director and author. The story he said was about 'communication' about making the point that when you stop speaking that's when the main communicating starts happening. And he made some comments about the English language which reflects some of my frustration with it; in that it's so limiting - it cuts things into 'it is this' and 'not that'. It's disconnected, it's not an integrated whole, it's not concept based it's 'thing' based. For me, it's an alien language and it has a appropriated design suited for a 'thing based' or closed-system, hiearchiarly dualistic based society that Western culture predominantly is. Anyhoo, I appreciated the chap saying that. And it reinforces a comment made by Indigneous around the world - if you want to get what Westerners mean, Never listen to the words they speak read their body/voice tone instead.)

....Is another example of pakeha mono-one-culturalism; the need to take diversity and 'standardize' it to one way which they put a
label as "THIS is the REAL way of doing it -what it's about - what it IS". "The one TRUE way". ( A way of thinking that is jest gonna make for trouble - because there is never ONE true way, and the world is a fluid open changing system).
It's as if there's a compulsion to reduce things to "definition" that has "this" + "this" + "this" to it's make up. (To set it apart from that which doesn't - it's like they have the whole world organised around boxes with labels on it). And if things don't conform to that definition everyone is getting it wrong.

HI, I'm another Fiona who was browsing on the Internet for Kirituhi, and found this intriguing chat. ckarena, I have some questions for you. (BTW, I am a white woman living in America with Canadian and Australian Citizenship, with Celtic and Eastern European ancestry.)I like what your comments are. They are extremely articulate and close to your heart. That attracts me. I like when ideas are given a forum to be shuffled around and challenged.
I am personally very interested in multiculturalism and diversity. Is it possible to bridge the gaps of communication between groups of people where there has been so many hurts in the past? Or, for that matter, where there has been little or no common ground? I am not just talking about Paheka and Maori, I am talking about Pakistani and Indian, or Chinese and Japanese. Maybe that question is too broad. I am first of all interested in my part-- how I can bridge the gaps between myself and other cultures, but I am also interested in if there is a process that everyone who coexists alongside people who are different, can enter into, to abide together harmoniously.
When you speak from the strength of your family, your heritage, your cultural rights, it is beautiful, inspiring, and easy to agree with. But when you start talking about "Paheka culture" as one huge entity and make generalizations based on what you've experienced in your own life, I'm just kind of baffled. Not that I don't have criticism for myself or my ancestors, or the country I live in. I do have a lot of criticism. But it is not healthy to be 100% self-critical. It leaves me with nothing to grasp on to for footing. And, like you, I want to be grounded, healthy, and whole. So, if you'll allow me to take a paragraph from what you wrote and mull over it:
"When I look at how at how Pakeha run their relationships and families, for example, 'mono-eyeism' is expressed in the belief that there is some single best way, some ideal marriage, some perfect partner, some perfect way to look or act
to get there, and the goal is to get as close to that ideal as possible. Therefore all possibilities are ranked on a hiearchy - good, better, best --and that only the best one counts. There is a constant comparison of lives; people, things and themselves to a single ideal, and points are taken off for any way in which a person differs from that ideal. Open up your newspaper, magazines turn on your radio or telly and it's everywhere the 'one way of being' your supposed to aspire or look to. eg if you're female 'be skinny, smooth skin, model figure etc etc'"
What exactly is the translation of the word "Paheka"? Does it boil down to the colour of one's skin? If this is Paheka culture then I want no part of it. If this is Paheka culture, then I'd rather live as an individual with no roots. I'd rather that's how people who meet me would see me, anyway, and that's how I try to treat everyone I meet-- as an individual first, rather than as a part of a group. I think if I treated people as one part of a group, (when I am not within that group), rather than as an individual, I am in danger of being pre-judice in my attitude and thoughts. I don't want to pre-judge the individual based on what I know about the group. I don't want others to treat me this way either.
Some small part of me wonders if you are really saying what you think in these emails or if there is more. Perhaps what you are thinking does not translate well. At least, to me reading it, it sounds like you are more interested in seeing yourself as part of a strong cultural group, and others in the same way (Paheka as a part of a strong cultural group that you don't like). You mentioned the good versus evil way that Paheka sees the world-- but it sounds like this is the way you see Paheka-- as the embodiment of evil, that you don't want a part of. I'm trying to understand.
I am just an outsider who is not even from New Zealand so maybe what I am writing is not relevant at all. And my reasons for writing are not because I want something from the Maori culture, but because I enjoy other cultures. I live in a very culturally diverse society where unfortunately there is still oppression and injustice ingrained in every system. I long for the day when there is more justice and I know that those who have been oppressed must arise in their own power and fight it. I cannot speak as an indiginous person, but I can say that I do want empowerment for the oppressed all over the world even if it takes away my comfort and my privelage. But I hope that in the process of fighting for some power back, that you and others would resist the urge to be cruel in your deeds, words, or perceptions. My question for you is, what do you want ultimately? Is it possible for us all to strive towards peace and harmony with each other? That is what I am interested in. How can we dialogue together in a way that doesn't harm our future dialogues, but promotes peace.
That's all for now. I REALLY hope you and others respond. It is out of uncertainty and questioning that I write. I know that the less I try to answer my own questions and the more I'm open to answers outside of myself, the more likely I am to learn something new, and to grow in wisdom.
Peace,
Fiona
Posted by: Fiona at March 14, 2004 09:01 AM
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dank smoker420

dank smoker420

Well-Known Member
The Growery said:
gluttony, hypocrisy and military industrial complex... oh yeah and the land of the fee!
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the military industrial complex is our biggest problem. all they want is war war and more war. theres people in the government willing to fabricate reason for going to war. the wars are to control the middle east.
 
cannabineer

cannabineer

Ursus marijanus
I am selecting one part of Kuroi's post for emphasis, because it captures an attitude I hold. Societies are groups of individuals but poor composites. I for one hate being judged by supposed group affiliation, being "you peopled". While ALL generalizations are bad, being "you peopled" is as sure a recipe for failure of empathy I've seen. cn

What exactly is the translation of the word "Paheka"? Does it boil down to the colour of one's skin? If this is Paheka culture then I want no part of it. If this is Paheka culture, then I'd rather live as an individual with no roots. I'd rather that's how people who meet me would see me, anyway, and that's how I try to treat everyone I meet-- as an individual first, rather than as a part of a group. I think if I treated people as one part of a group, (when I am not within that group), rather than as an individual, I am in danger of being pre-judice in my attitude and thoughts. I don't want to pre-judge the individual based on what I know about the group. I don't want others to treat me this way either.
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Total Head

Total Head

Well-Known Member
it depends a lot on the area. being in massachusetts and being in texas is like being in two different countries. a lot of the local laws shape the local cultures. in texas everyone can get a gun. in massachusetts everyone gets denied a gun (at the mercy of local police chiefs), so a pile of guns with an american flag on it doesn't represent massachusetts too well.

you could take any stereotype of american culture and i could find you millions of people who live somewhere where it just doesn't apply. we are not a single culture, we are "united states".

big cars can be found absolutely everywhere, though. if there's a durango to your left and an escalade to your right, you just might be in america.
 
Dislexicmidget2021

Dislexicmidget2021

Well-Known Member
Padawanbater2 said:
Is there nothing that defines the nation as a whole, though?

What do we have that no other nation has? What should we be proud of, collectively?

Freedom, imo. Like no other nation. That's something.
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Well, we have liberty ,we should be proud when we are helpful decent individuals not causing grief/dismay upon others unjustly.
 
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