Questions for second reading - Term Paper Example

QUESTIONS FOR SECOND READING In this essay, Pratt says that people may think of “cultures as discrete, coherently, structured monolingual edifices”. What this text simply means is that there are several different cultures in our current society. These cultures are distinct in their own way and a single language. A good example in America would be the different sets of culture practiced by Latin Americans, Black Americans, and White Americans. These various races practice different types of culture and this is evident in the types of food they eat, in the manner they speak, and their religious beliefs.

Despite the fact that they may be speaking English, these different races may not understand each other due to integration of English with their own culture leading to different forms of slang.It is, however, vital to note that the statement above makes “autoethnographic work appears anomalous and chaotic. Autoethnography simply means that the researcher views society through his own personal experiences. This, therefore, means that since culture is distinct and monolingual people of different races would, therefore, interpret culture differently.

Every culture would, therefore, have their own definition and interpretation of culture. This leads to misunderstanding and miscommunication.On the other hand, Guaman Poma’s text may be considered heterogeneous due to the manner in which people live in current society. Improved transport and technology has narrowed the divide that was there between the different cultures. The development of cities and towns in which different cultures meet has led to the integration of culture. This transculturation does not occur over night and is normally occurs due to the nature of humans to resolve their conflicts over time.

This bringing of societies together is mainly due to the fact that a compromise has been reached between the different cultures. This is mainly due to interracial marriage, ethnic conflict, war, and racism.A perfect example of a group in which the different cultures participate in as a community is school. Education has been a key factor in bridging the divide between the various cultures. This is because schools bring the different types of races in a single setup in which they learn the very same things.

It has led to the development of friendships between the people of different races and this enhances transculturation.Schools can, therefore, be thought of as a contact zone. This is because schools allow for people of different culture to meet in a single setting without discrimination of what your beliefs are. It is also vital to note that in order for transculturation to occur a common language has to exist to ease communication between the different races. Schools, therefore, play a key role since it is not only a contact zone, but also allows the different races to learn a single language.

English is currently the lingua-franca in society since it is widely accepted as the standard international language.Through this text, we may say that Pratt assumes that the dominant point of view now, for her readers is that culture is heterogeneous. This is due to the integration of different cultures from the different races in a community.Work citedGibian, Peter. Mass culture and everyday life. New York: Routledge, 1997. Pg 498-499.