Why Do You Think Hamlet Argues That Human Nature Is Not Universal? Why, And Why?
Christie sutanto
LING 425
Exam1
Set 1.
Bohannan in “Shakespeare in the Bush” argues that human nature is not universal and context can be understood differently depending on cultural backgrounds or individual experience. Why did the author initially expect Hamlet to be universal and why did it turn out not to be universal as she thought? How did these different patterns of interethnic communication lead to miscommunication and mistranslation? Which cultural practices in Hamlet were interpreted differently by the Tiv elders and why? As a teacher, what cultural relativism do you see in this article to extend to your own co-constructing contexts and meanings with non-main stream students?
The author first claims that “Hamlet had only one possible interpretation, and that one …show more content…
universally obvious”. She first takes an outside perspective, believing that Hamlet will be understood by Tiv with a little help of explaining certain customs. However, while she engages in the conversation and develops a close relationship with the Tiv, (for example, drinking beer with the Tiv), she founds that culture, customs, religion, and superstition are not universally applicable to form one common human nature.
Although Bohannan and Tiv agree that “people are the same everywhere”, however, differences exist. First, she was having difficulties in explaining European customs, beliefs, and relationships. Power in the Tiv societies is distributed by the chief, in contrast to the kings and queens of Europe. They do not familiar with ghosts, and they only know zombies. In their culture, the Tiv also believe that great chief could have many wives, while western culture believes that we should only have one wife. The relationship between family members was different also. The Tiv praised Claudius marriage to his brother wife because it is not taboo in their society. All of these culture differences affects how Bohannan and Tiv interpret the story of Hamlet, and Bohannan finds that there are no values are truly universal. The way we understand things is different in different cultures. Both interpretations are considered right.
In this article, we had learned that there is no universal definition of “right” and “wrong”. We know right and wrong through socialization. As all culture views are equally valid, we have no right to judge anyone.
Set 2.
How do the Japanese, Chinese, and American preschools differ in the ways in which they socialize children to and through language? How is each culture's language socialization reflected in its schooling practices and curriculum?
Compare to other two countries, Chinese education put more emphasis on academic learning and language development. We can see in the Chinese preschools, children learn how to recite stories, sings, and dance both alone and groups. In developing children’s self-expression skills and initiative, the Story Telling King is introduced. The activity is a perfect example of how Chinese socialize children to and through language. It also reflects a Confucianism value which is straightforward and open constructive criticism. Constructive feedback from peers can be found in this activity when the teacher asks the students whether Ziyu could be named the story king. The students who vote “no” should explain their reason and that is how Ziyu gets criticized.
Language in Japan is divided into formal and informal. During the day, children are allowed to speak freely and loudly to each other. But the use of language changes to be formal and polite while they greet, thanks, bless, and say goodbye to their teacher and classmate. Their education system emphasizes on fostering children’s social and emotional development. An example of this is when the teacher refused to be involved in children’s fight. They want to give the children an opportunity to solve their own problem and to experience social interaction. It is something that they may have never been exposed to, at their home. Americans view language as a way to promote individuality, problem-solving, autonomy and cognitive development in children. US preschools emphasize on choice. They believe that young children have a right to make independent choices. During the observation day at St. Timothy’s and Alhambra, the teacher often asks the students to make their choice. Questions such as “Do you want some suggestion from your friends?” or “Do you know what song you want to choose?” were asked multiple times during the day. Student making choice is valued because it is believed to foster intrinsic motivation and thereby to facilitate learning. Choice also tied up with the notion of democracy. Making independent choices are seen as providing practice in exercising the rights of democratic citizenship.
Set 3
Summarize the ways in which communicative practices and literacy events varied in the communities studied by Heath. Compare and contrast the communicative practices of each community and its implication for the educational performance of the children from each community. Explain how these cultural practices and differences determined children's performance in school.
In Maintown, parents and caregivers talk, read, and questioning their children about the content of the book. They also relate the stories and character in books to real world experiences. As a result, Maintown children are more prepared than other two communities. They learn how to be good students and how to learn from literacy events.
In roadville, parents and caregivers talk and read with the children.
But, they emphasize on words and letters, and they are not encouraged to relate the content of reading to the real world experiences. They sometimes interpret the story book and telling the story in a simplified way. Unlike Maintown who ask a question beyond the content of the book, Roadville adults ask a question about specific elements in the book. Because they are being exposed to the words and letters, they do well on a first three years of elementary school. However, in later grades, when they have to work independently or expands the knowledge beyond the textbook, they begin to fall behind. Trackton children, unlike Roadville and Maintown, do not have reading materials- no bedtime stories. Parents and caregivers do not interact with the children (they have never asked questions about book’s content). The stories are sometimes told by their older siblings. The older sibling read to the younger and sometimes “play school” with them. Since the stories told are mostly about their own lives, Trackton children are a master in describing events. But they are bad at identifying specific elements in books and answering
questions.
Set 4
Levnison and Holland speak of a shift from "meritocracy theories" to "reproduction theories" grounded in Marxist structuralist analysis. What was Bourdieu's contribution to reproduction theory? Specifically, how does the notion of "symbolic capital" explain how cultural practices such as those that exist in schools "reproduce" both social inequalities and the validity of the cultural practices themselves?
There are three key terms to understand Bourdieu’s contribution to the theory of cultural reproduction. They are capital, habitus, and fields. Capital refers to various resources that one can access. It includes cultural capital (knowledge, skills, educational credential), symbolic capital (honor), and social capital (confidence). He argues that capital determines one’s social status. By sharing the same capital, they create a sense of group’s identity. Each capital has its own value and they are not equal. One capital is valued more than the other. As a result of this distinction, one’s social mobility can be hindered and inequality is created. Next is habitus. Habitus is a “sense” or “feel” for cultural capital that the individual possesses through their own life experiences. It is a tool to successfully navigate the social environments. One example is if you grew up in a nice neighborhood and surrounded by educated people, you will have the type of smart needed to successfully survive in that particular social setting. Lastly, fields. Bourdieu realizes that the social world is divided into “fields”. The field consists of its own distinct rules and forms of capital. Examples of fields are religion, education, and art. Each of these fields struggle for position as the individual moving their capital to claim their social status.
Schools are a model of capitalistic system in which the one with more capital is advantaged in gaining educational credentials. Students are sorted according to their skills, knowledges and attitudes to meet the requirements of that school. Students that possess higher capital from their parents are performing better than them with low capital. These students are able to continue on track, while the other cannot. In this regards, we see school as a method of sorting individual rather than equally educating. People with capital disadvantages could never be successful in educational fields. Thus social inequalities are the foundation of this selection.
Set 5
Discuss the variable role of different languages in the Amish society. What are the roles and why does each language have a different role? How do these roles relate to some of the core values of the Amish society and their perspective on education?
Amish community speaks three languages: High German, English, and Pennsylvania Dutch. Each language has its own purposes. English is used by the Amish to communicate with the outsider and do business. English is commonly used for writing letters, published papers and intercommunity contact. Amish adults are mostly working outside home. Thus, English is very important to communicate with others non-Amish. English as education’s language has being part of Amish community.
For their daily conversation (among Amish), they are using Pennsylvania Dutch. This dialect is important in a symbolic sense. This is the first language that Amish children will learn at their home. For Amish, family is the most important social unit. They use Pennsylvania Dutch to bind them together and limit the interaction with non-Amish.
Bible is considered as a sacred text in Amish community. They interpret what is written in the bible literally and directly. Their bible is written in high German. The proficiency in German among Amish is varied. Thus, the content of the bible is often translated/ interpreted by the priest. Set 6
Why is it important to observe classroom settings with an ethnographic eye? What does such a method require in terms of methodology? Using examples from the studies we have read, explore the educational benefits of ethnography.
Observing classroom setting with an ethnography eyes is important because it allows us to see the meaning in the routine, normal everyday activities of the participants of the site. It reveals the meaning found in the everyday interactions that make up this social world.
The method varies from making video diaries, observation, photographs, interviews and taking notes. There are two approaches that need to be considered in conducting above methods: etic and emic perspective. Etic involves analysis of cultural phenomena by considering external or outsider view’s. Emic, on the other hand, is taking the internal or insider views of cultural phenomena. When carrying the ethnographic experiments, we have to put aside our presumptions and assumptions about group of people and be as objective as possible. We should not involve personal feelings and judge. We have to build a rapport with a community to get the insights of their lives and customs that they would not be able to tell.
LING 425
Exam1
Set 1.
Bohannan in “Shakespeare in the Bush” argues that human nature is not universal and context can be understood differently depending on cultural backgrounds or individual experience. Why did the author initially expect Hamlet to be universal and why did it turn out not to be universal as she thought? How did these different patterns of interethnic communication lead to miscommunication and mistranslation? Which cultural practices in Hamlet were interpreted differently by the Tiv elders and why? As a teacher, what cultural relativism do you see in this article to extend to your own co-constructing contexts and meanings with non-main stream students?
The author first claims that “Hamlet had only one possible interpretation, and that one …show more content…
universally obvious”. She first takes an outside perspective, believing that Hamlet will be understood by Tiv with a little help of explaining certain customs. However, while she engages in the conversation and develops a close relationship with the Tiv, (for example, drinking beer with the Tiv), she founds that culture, customs, religion, and superstition are not universally applicable to form one common human nature.
Although Bohannan and Tiv agree that “people are the same everywhere”, however, differences exist. First, she was having difficulties in explaining European customs, beliefs, and relationships. Power in the Tiv societies is distributed by the chief, in contrast to the kings and queens of Europe. They do not familiar with ghosts, and they only know zombies. In their culture, the Tiv also believe that great chief could have many wives, while western culture believes that we should only have one wife. The relationship between family members was different also. The Tiv praised Claudius marriage to his brother wife because it is not taboo in their society. All of these culture differences affects how Bohannan and Tiv interpret the story of Hamlet, and Bohannan finds that there are no values are truly universal. The way we understand things is different in different cultures. Both interpretations are considered right.
In this article, we had learned that there is no universal definition of “right” and “wrong”. We know right and wrong through socialization. As all culture views are equally valid, we have no right to judge anyone.
Set 2.
How do the Japanese, Chinese, and American preschools differ in the ways in which they socialize children to and through language? How is each culture's language socialization reflected in its schooling practices and curriculum?
Compare to other two countries, Chinese education put more emphasis on academic learning and language development. We can see in the Chinese preschools, children learn how to recite stories, sings, and dance both alone and groups. In developing children’s self-expression skills and initiative, the Story Telling King is introduced. The activity is a perfect example of how Chinese socialize children to and through language. It also reflects a Confucianism value which is straightforward and open constructive criticism. Constructive feedback from peers can be found in this activity when the teacher asks the students whether Ziyu could be named the story king. The students who vote “no” should explain their reason and that is how Ziyu gets criticized.
Language in Japan is divided into formal and informal. During the day, children are allowed to speak freely and loudly to each other. But the use of language changes to be formal and polite while they greet, thanks, bless, and say goodbye to their teacher and classmate. Their education system emphasizes on fostering children’s social and emotional development. An example of this is when the teacher refused to be involved in children’s fight. They want to give the children an opportunity to solve their own problem and to experience social interaction. It is something that they may have never been exposed to, at their home. Americans view language as a way to promote individuality, problem-solving, autonomy and cognitive development in children. US preschools emphasize on choice. They believe that young children have a right to make independent choices. During the observation day at St. Timothy’s and Alhambra, the teacher often asks the students to make their choice. Questions such as “Do you want some suggestion from your friends?” or “Do you know what song you want to choose?” were asked multiple times during the day. Student making choice is valued because it is believed to foster intrinsic motivation and thereby to facilitate learning. Choice also tied up with the notion of democracy. Making independent choices are seen as providing practice in exercising the rights of democratic citizenship.
Set 3
Summarize the ways in which communicative practices and literacy events varied in the communities studied by Heath. Compare and contrast the communicative practices of each community and its implication for the educational performance of the children from each community. Explain how these cultural practices and differences determined children's performance in school.
In Maintown, parents and caregivers talk, read, and questioning their children about the content of the book. They also relate the stories and character in books to real world experiences. As a result, Maintown children are more prepared than other two communities. They learn how to be good students and how to learn from literacy events.
In roadville, parents and caregivers talk and read with the children.
But, they emphasize on words and letters, and they are not encouraged to relate the content of reading to the real world experiences. They sometimes interpret the story book and telling the story in a simplified way. Unlike Maintown who ask a question beyond the content of the book, Roadville adults ask a question about specific elements in the book. Because they are being exposed to the words and letters, they do well on a first three years of elementary school. However, in later grades, when they have to work independently or expands the knowledge beyond the textbook, they begin to fall behind. Trackton children, unlike Roadville and Maintown, do not have reading materials- no bedtime stories. Parents and caregivers do not interact with the children (they have never asked questions about book’s content). The stories are sometimes told by their older siblings. The older sibling read to the younger and sometimes “play school” with them. Since the stories told are mostly about their own lives, Trackton children are a master in describing events. But they are bad at identifying specific elements in books and answering
questions.
Set 4
Levnison and Holland speak of a shift from "meritocracy theories" to "reproduction theories" grounded in Marxist structuralist analysis. What was Bourdieu's contribution to reproduction theory? Specifically, how does the notion of "symbolic capital" explain how cultural practices such as those that exist in schools "reproduce" both social inequalities and the validity of the cultural practices themselves?
There are three key terms to understand Bourdieu’s contribution to the theory of cultural reproduction. They are capital, habitus, and fields. Capital refers to various resources that one can access. It includes cultural capital (knowledge, skills, educational credential), symbolic capital (honor), and social capital (confidence). He argues that capital determines one’s social status. By sharing the same capital, they create a sense of group’s identity. Each capital has its own value and they are not equal. One capital is valued more than the other. As a result of this distinction, one’s social mobility can be hindered and inequality is created. Next is habitus. Habitus is a “sense” or “feel” for cultural capital that the individual possesses through their own life experiences. It is a tool to successfully navigate the social environments. One example is if you grew up in a nice neighborhood and surrounded by educated people, you will have the type of smart needed to successfully survive in that particular social setting. Lastly, fields. Bourdieu realizes that the social world is divided into “fields”. The field consists of its own distinct rules and forms of capital. Examples of fields are religion, education, and art. Each of these fields struggle for position as the individual moving their capital to claim their social status.
Schools are a model of capitalistic system in which the one with more capital is advantaged in gaining educational credentials. Students are sorted according to their skills, knowledges and attitudes to meet the requirements of that school. Students that possess higher capital from their parents are performing better than them with low capital. These students are able to continue on track, while the other cannot. In this regards, we see school as a method of sorting individual rather than equally educating. People with capital disadvantages could never be successful in educational fields. Thus social inequalities are the foundation of this selection.
Set 5
Discuss the variable role of different languages in the Amish society. What are the roles and why does each language have a different role? How do these roles relate to some of the core values of the Amish society and their perspective on education?
Amish community speaks three languages: High German, English, and Pennsylvania Dutch. Each language has its own purposes. English is used by the Amish to communicate with the outsider and do business. English is commonly used for writing letters, published papers and intercommunity contact. Amish adults are mostly working outside home. Thus, English is very important to communicate with others non-Amish. English as education’s language has being part of Amish community.
For their daily conversation (among Amish), they are using Pennsylvania Dutch. This dialect is important in a symbolic sense. This is the first language that Amish children will learn at their home. For Amish, family is the most important social unit. They use Pennsylvania Dutch to bind them together and limit the interaction with non-Amish.
Bible is considered as a sacred text in Amish community. They interpret what is written in the bible literally and directly. Their bible is written in high German. The proficiency in German among Amish is varied. Thus, the content of the bible is often translated/ interpreted by the priest. Set 6
Why is it important to observe classroom settings with an ethnographic eye? What does such a method require in terms of methodology? Using examples from the studies we have read, explore the educational benefits of ethnography.
Observing classroom setting with an ethnography eyes is important because it allows us to see the meaning in the routine, normal everyday activities of the participants of the site. It reveals the meaning found in the everyday interactions that make up this social world.
The method varies from making video diaries, observation, photographs, interviews and taking notes. There are two approaches that need to be considered in conducting above methods: etic and emic perspective. Etic involves analysis of cultural phenomena by considering external or outsider view’s. Emic, on the other hand, is taking the internal or insider views of cultural phenomena. When carrying the ethnographic experiments, we have to put aside our presumptions and assumptions about group of people and be as objective as possible. We should not involve personal feelings and judge. We have to build a rapport with a community to get the insights of their lives and customs that they would not be able to tell.