The Role That the Other Plays in Thinking About the Humanities from Cross-Cultural Perspectives - Book Report/Review Example

1 2. 3. 4. The Role of the ‘Other’ from a Cross-cultural Perspective Introduction ‘Humanities’ is one that is so important in order to deeply understand the nature of human beings and the cultural backdrop they come from. However, it is imperative for an individual to understand one’s own cultural background and tradition before trying to explore the cultural traditions of others. The subject of Humanities is a very ancient educational discipline that seemed to have stemmed from the West because in those days the educational curriculum was predominantly dominated by religion or theology during the Middle Ages. However, it was the renaissance that ushered in a new perspective of thinking and therefore scientists, artists and great thinkers moved away from the traditional domination of theology and brought in a more human- centered approach to learning and called the subject ‘Humanities’. In studying this subject, people gained a better understanding of other humans and this helped them to express themselves in a more humanistic, creative and realistic manner. Humanities does not limit 2 itself to just one subject but spreads across many subjects like History, Literature, Language, Philosophy, archeology, religion, ethics and social science. The 21st century, with all its advancement in Science and Technology, still provides an enviable place for the study of humanities, because the subject of humanities is as relevant today as it was in ancient times. It helps students nurture an open mind and makes them more sensitive to the feelings and emotions of others because it is not something that is abstract but on the other hand more human- centered. It develops one’s life and brings about a change by making them better human beings. From a multicultural perspective, we do understand that when we come into contact with other people from other cultures, we not only gain knowledge about their cultural traditions but we also imbibe a little of it into our own lives and culture. Today, in this modern age, the traditional way of thinking and behavior is being replaced with a more open minded way of thinking due to multiculturalism and interpersonal relationships. One of the major reasons for such an outlook in life is that the world has shrunk considerably due to the advancement of Science and technology that has brought people much closer together than in ancient times. In those days, culture and tradition was something that was just handed down from generation to generation and no one questioned its authenticity nor the essence of truth that it held. People blindly believed in what was told to them and never had the 3 courage to question it. A good example of such false belief can be found in the story by Ursula Le Guin titled “The Ones Who Walk Away”. The story revolved around the ‘Festival of Summer’ that was celebrated in the city Omelas. The air was filled with joyous music and people were singing and dancing as they prepared to see elaborately decorated horses run a race on an equally decorated race- course. In contrast to this joyous atmosphere, was a child who was locked in a dark cellar in the basement of a building, naked, covered in sores and with hardly any food to eat, nor was it allowed to go out and play in the sunshine like the others. According to tradition, the people of Omelas believed that their happiness, good health, their prosperity, wisdom, skill and even their harvest depended on the wretched misery of this child. Even those who understood the child’s misery did not dare to go against it, and those who could not bear to see such a sight, walked away from Omelas, never to return again. Renaissance has served to remove such primitive thinking and has ushered in an era of open mindedness and creativity filled with more humanistic thoughts, ideas and behavior while doing away with blind faith and barbaric attitudes. People have moved more closer towards nature and give prime priority to human emotions, feelings, attitudes and values. Being more humanistic helps us think and behave as humans should. By interacting with others we learn, understand and feel how it is to walk in their shoes. Cross- culturalism has paved the way for a more humanistic attitude because as we move and share space with others we become more aware of our behavior and 4 attitudes towards them. The concepts of cross- culturalism and multi- culturalism has served to kindle our awareness, our thinking, our attitude and our behavior when we keep in close contact with people from different cultures. Other people influence our way of thinking and change our perspective of people and things around us. Author of “Where the Buffalo Go”, Derrick Jensen (2000) in an interview with Vine Deloria, has this to say about Science stating that it ignores the living world. Deloria, who is a well known Native American writer, also vouches the same when he makes a contrast between two opposite cultures. When asked about the primary difference between Indigenous and Western culture, he says that Indians relate better to a living universe, but most Westerners reduce things to mere objects. Deloria argues that “(2000) “If you see the world around you as a collection of objects for you to manipulate and exploit, you will inevitably destroy the world while attempting to control it.” He strongly feels that if we perceive the world as a lifeless object, then we seize to be a part of its beauty and richness. On the other hand, if we keep close to nature, participate in events with other human beings without alienating or isolating ourselves, we not only come to understand others well and cultivate a more humanistic attitude, but try to adopt the good they offer from their culture. Other things besides people influence our thinking, attitude and perception and a good example of this is films and television and even books. Sherman Alexie (1998) in his article titled “I Hated Tonto (Still Do)” explains how the characters in a film or book influence us. He gives us an example of himself because he was so smitten by things that 5 were Indian, like its music and romance and always imagined himself to be the blue – eyed warrior that he saw in the films even though the characters who played the ‘Indian role’ were English people. The ‘other’ influences in our lives are very evident and manifest themselves in the way we behave and interact with others in a cross cultural set up. However, the fact remains, that we are what we are by the other influences that impact our lives. Multiculturalism has paved the way for doing away with traditional thoughts, ideas and behavior that has been handed down to us for generations and has served to widen our outlook and dealings with others from a different cultural background. Humanistic thinking and attitudes has helped to keep us much closer to nature and make better adjustments in our society. References Derrick Jensen . “Where the Buffalo Go”: How Science Ignores the Living World: An Interview with Vine Deloria., (2000) Published in “The Sun”. Marg Witt et al., “The Humanities”. Introduction: Defining the Humanities and Cultural Roots for the Twenty – First Century. (2001) Sherman Alexie. “ I Hated Tonto (Still Do)” Article, (1998) Los Angeles Times. Read More