One of the main cultural values we share is assisting the vulnerable, especially children. Often this value takes precedence over personal safety, particularly when a personal risk has a good chance of succeeding. It has endured because of the social wiring of the human race; to help others survive is to ensure the propagation of the species. Our social ties provide meaning to life, and the circumstances surrounding them, whether good or bad, are maintained by helping others when help is needed.
There are no values or beliefs that I can see in the text that we don't share. The ideas that the article is meant to change, especially judging a person or issue before the facts are known, are actually the ones that we don't share as a culture.
The cultural values that dominate and control the fates of the Sudanese people and the ones that (ordinary) Americans hold are, on the whole, very different. It is what the power base in the Sudan values that we are culturally against. Certainly in the case of political values, it is important to differentiate between the values of the culture and the values of the powers that direct the populace.
The text is written about occurrences that took place in the early 90's, which isn't exactly contemporary, but the moral issues around which this piece was done rarely change, unlike technological texts where obsolescence is a given.
EDIT:
I learned from my two classmates' blogs: The potential for a humanitarian bias is high, which can and does conflict with political bias. A cultural bias must be addressed and dealt with as well; what would have been the repercussions for Kevin Carter if he'd tried to help the child he photographed? The assumption that children's lives are to be protected in society has to be challenged for any analysis of this kind to be possible.
http://selenacarbajal19.blogspot.com/2015/07/analyzing-my-own-assumptions.html?showComment=1438040924170#c7741733232156690817
http://livinginsonder.blogspot.com/2015/07/analyzing-my-own-assumptions.html?showComment=1438042117829#c3585124978647198496
1. I like how you discuss the values and beliefs of most Americans, i.e "assisting the vulnerable, especially children." I also agree that the beliefs/values you discuss are some important values many Americans have.
ReplyDelete2. I would be aware of your potential bias on American's beliefs about helping others when they need it because unfortunately, not everyone shares these beliefs.
I agree with your generalized American beliefs. I would consider looking into subcultures within America though, such as different economic classes, different backgrounds, different ethnicities, etc. to see if these beliefs carry from one to the other. Are there varieties of beliefs on helping others? What do you mean by "ordinary" Americans? Is there really such a thing? I really enjoyed reading this, and am about to go read your article. I am highly interested in this! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI like your description on the values of "assisting the vulnerable". I agree with your statement on how it is a "social wiring" of the human race to help others when needed. I see it as a sense of human instinct. Survival is the numbering human instinct and we go about everyday with it always being their. Even though helping other isn't exactly a human instinct, like you said it is a belief from majority of humans.
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