Cultural Observation - Case Study Example

Cultural Observation Introduction In anthropology, observing cultures has been the most effective means of understanding, thus interpreting the diversity of various cultures. In cultural observation, repetitive patterns, explanations, beliefs, norms, and multiple other elements are analyzed and from that, the diversity in terms of behavior under similar conditions can be understood. The literature in this study is based on observations conducted in Turkey, in understanding the cultures of Turkish people. The reason why Turkey is preferred is because it has different regions with different conditions and from observing the two, it can be explained how cultures differ. The study includes a live observation on two Turkish regions followed by an explanation as to what the observations hint regarding cultural diversity. Istanbul vs. Prince Island (Burgaz Island) The Prince Islands are located in Marmara Sea in Turkey, and consist of 5 islands varying in size. Most people from Istanbul have two houses; one on the mainland and the other is a summer house although some local people live there all year long. Burgaz Island is one of the five islands that I did my observation at. It is 35 minutes away from Istanbul by boat. Life style in all the islands is very peaceful and calm and disruptive activities are not allowed. For instance, cars are not allowed on all of the islands, and the only way of travel is by foot or on bicycles. People live as one community surrounded by nature. In this essay I tried to observed specific people but in two different places; how they behave and treat others, first in city settings, and second on Island settings. Istanbul Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey with a population of over 15 million people. It is the only city in the world that is located in two continents (Asia and Europe). Istanbul is no exception from the other big cities on the globe in that it is really crowded and noisy with people and traffic rushing past each other. On the other hand, Burgaz Island which is the one I did my observation at is very small when compared to Istanbul. There are around 7,000 - 15,000 people living there with highest number in summer and the lowest in winter when there could be less than 3,000 people. This is why I choose these two settings. In Istanbul, there are class differences between all people and this distinction causes a scenario in which people from the higher class do not listen to people from lower classes. The small people are blamed for the smallest mistakes they make. This is evident from the observation I made at their restaurants; the rich people act as if they are above over people with most of them demanding to be treated as if they are kings or queens. Whatever they want, they want it to happen right away regardless of whether the waiters are busy or not. In short, they treated the waiters as slaves although it did not happen with all people but with the majority. I further observed that while talking to their counterparts of the higher-class, they were friendly and affectionate. This indicated a totally different communication style. There is no respect to workers since they are considered to be in the low income class, reprehending the workers not only with their words but with their voices, tone and mimics. This could also be observed through their body language. Generally, the interactions between people from different classes seems nice from outside but when you listen their conversations, they tell totally different stories. Another observation was that people do not let their small children leave the restaurants or stray away from their families with the fear that they might get kidnapped! In Istanbul restaurants, the people sitting on tables next to each other do not talk converse between them. For example when the restaurant is crowded and the customers need water, they have to wait for waitress and cannot ask for any that is on the others’ tables. Burgaz Island Burgaz Island narrates a different story. As a government rule, there are no motor vehicles and people use phaetons or bicycles for transportation or travel. Generally, there is no discrimination and people do not interfere with others privacy such as knowing their income. On the island, the rich and average people live harmoniously. If anyone tends to underestimate others, the society usually excommunicates them. The settings there are not favorable for new people to migrate there since they appear like prison settings. For instance, there are specific limited times for the boat connecting the island to Istanbul therefore denying one the freedom to move. Some visitors to the Island feel like they are in modern prisons. This is however not true from my perspective because I personally grew up on this island. The dwellers here are friendly and host visitors from anywhere. The children live in a happy, peaceful environment and there is nor rush for anything. If a person makes a mistake, there are no blames. Rather, they try to find solutions for the problem. Additionally, they are patient and do not mind waiting. They do not see any class or religious differences. In short, being human is the only important thing on Burgaz Island. On the Island, the children are free. They can go to their friends’ homes by themselves unlike Istanbul because everyone usually knows each other and if anything happen to their children, they are quick to resolve the issues. People even know who live where. An interesting fact is that if a child lost her way, they can just ask to any staff in the restaurant to ask for help. In my observation, I realized that people trust each other more unlike in Istanbul. In the restaurants, customers communicate to each other because most of them are friends or are their friends’ friends. For example when the restaurant is crowded and the customers need water, they do not need to wait for waiters but can go and get it by themselves or even ask neighbors for it. What I saw from my observation is that when there is less stress, the people are happier and aware of what is going on around them. They do not use their Smartphones as much as the people do in Istanbul or listen to music as they walk on the streets because they do not want to miss anything and also enjoy communicating with others. On the island, when people make a reservation for dinner for say four people then after a while the number gets to eight, the restaurant owners try to satisfy all the customers. For example in restaurants, they keep an extra table next to reserved ones for the unexpected guests. Evaluation The most evident derivation from the analyses is that peoples’ lives will differ mostly depending on the environment that they exist in (Nanda & Warms, 2008). In short, the cultural norms and guidelines are constructed depending on elements such as what one needs to achieve, what tactics are required in order to survive, or how the other people behave. This can be seen in the case of Istanbul where the people are ever busy, rushing all over town, having not time for others, and not trusting each other much. This is so because they are focused on personal survival, and city lives are like that everywhere. The people on the island however care more about humanity and put others first. Interactions in both settings also hint something; that in one context, sociability is dependent on one’s economic power while in the other it is not. In Istanbul, the rich look down upon the less class. On the Island, sociability is indiscriminate. This brings the idea of symbols which act as unifying factors for people who are different “Symbols tie together people who otherwise might not be part of a unified group” (Ferraro & Andreatta, 2011). In the two settings, Istanbul rich people are united by money while on the Island, anyone is treated equally as long as they are humans. This highlights the importance of symbols in explaining a culture. The other element of culture evident is that depending on the setting, the people of a certain culture (group) can determine what is acceptable and what is prohibited within their boundaries (Bourgois, 2003). This means that for instance in Istanbul, the tough living conditions force them to turn to crime such as kidnapping children to earn a living. This has in turn made the dwellers there to be extra mindful of their children and do not let them wander away. It is therefore a “common” occurrence there. On the contrary, the dwellers on the island seem to be satisfied with lied and therefore do not have any cases such as kidnapping of children. Instead, they mind each other and children live freely in their culture. Another evident instance of cultural creations is seen in that the people on the island do not seem to be engrossed into technology such as cars and Smartphones. The people in Istanbul however emphasize too much on such, as they are seen using Smartphones and listening to music even on the streets. This adheres to Ferraro (2012) that culture is composed of three main components; material objects, idea, values, attitudes, and behavior patterns. This is what has made the governing authority on Burgaz Island to restrict any presence of motor vehicles on the Island, seemingly guided by values such as they would cause noise. This in turn has made the Island people to get accustomed to calm as the others find the island being “prison-like”. On a general note, it is sufficient to state that culture plays a great role in determining the conduct of a group. This includes highlighting of particular elements as being important than others. In Istanbul, the people are “selfish” and respect wealth more than humanity. On Burgaz Island, it is humanity that comes first but not wealth. It may not be the fault of Istanbul dwellers to appear negative but this may be caused by life’s demands. It is therefore true to state that depending on the setting, the people may be negatively or positively affected. This is so because the people on the Island are happier with life, and portray more humanity. Conclusion In conclusion, it is true that people behave differently depending on the environment they exist in. If it is a big city such as Istanbul the noise and heavy traffic has made them more impatient. Struggling to survive has turned some into kidnappers and so they do not trust each other. Instead, they live in their own small words that they have built. They also underestimate people who are not from their societal class and usually miss things happening around them because technology distracts them. On the other hand, people who live in the island in Istanbul they are more peaceful and even if there are class differences, the people do not care about it. They mostly focus on being friends and live happily together. They share everything with others. It is not strange to talk with someone who is not actually their friend. What I examined was same people but in a different place and this made a huge difference with their attitude and behavior. In a nutshell, people can exist in the same place or may be from similar origins but due to external (surrounding) factors, they tend to vary from each other and constitute their own cultures which are very diverse in nature when compared. References Bourgois, P. I. (2003). In search of respect: Selling crack in El Barrio. Cambridge [u.a.: Cambridge University Press. Ferraro, G., & Andreatta, S. (2011). Cultural Anthropology: An Applied Perspective. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning/Wadsworth. Ferraro, G. (2012). Classic Readings in Cultural Anthropology (3rd Edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Nanda, S., & Warms, R. L. (2008). Culture counts: A concise introduction to cultural anthropology. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning/Wadsworth. Read More