Lesson Ten: Community, Globality, and Everything in Between

            There are some six billion people living on this planet.  These people are scattered across six continents, 195 countries, and thousands—or millions—of cultures.  It is no surprise that, among these cultures, countries, and people, there are distinct differences.  You would not, for example, shoot somebody a thumbs-up in the Middle East, unless you intended to be highly offensive.  You would not find the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert pondering discrete mathematics, much less whether or not Lindsay Lohan stole a necklace.  What is surprising, however, is the number of similarities.  Geographical location seems to take no toll on certain aspects of culture.  Whether you come from the gigantic landmass of Russia or the tiny island of Japan, for instance, you will probably have the same views about self-reservation in public.  The Internet Culture Projects helped to show some of the differences between cultures, as well as highlight some of the differences.

            One similarity I found interesting was between Laos and the Middle East.  In both places, it is considered rude to display the bottoms of one’s feet, the rationale being that the bottom of one’s feet is considered quite filthy, and by allowing them to be exposed—even by crossing one’s legs while seated—you are disrespecting all nearby.  The Middle East attained this custom via Islam; Laos, however, with Muslims representing only .01% of the population, has had practically no exposure to Islam, and has attained this social custom through completely different means.

            Another similarity was between the Philippine and Hispanic cultures.  In the middle of the day, usually around noon, an hour-and-a-half break is scheduled into society.  Children can leave, go home, eat lunch, take a nap, etc.  This commonality, however, is an instance of cultural diffusion.  Due to Spain’s colonization of the islands, the practice was adopted into the culture.

            It was definitely a treat to tour the world, so-to-speak, in class.  We got to see what we can expect from this culture or that culture, and we also gained some insight as to the level to which countries, cultures, and people are the same.  In my future classroom, I will most certainly be referring to the Internet Culture Projects for both quick-reference and detailed research into the cultures of my English Language Learners.