Cultural Coherence and Diversity

Instructions

Chapter 11: East Asia, Chapter 12: South Asia

Culture is a learned and shared behavior by a group of people that gives them a distinct “way of life.” Culture is made up of both material (technology, tools, artifacts, musical instruments, etc.) and abstract (speech, religion, values, musical styles, etc.) components. In this discussion you will address one of the key features of culture as it relates to these two regions.

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Task: Your task in this discussion is to address one of the following culture issues in much greater depth. You may choose only one of these issues to discuss, but understand that not all of these topics are covered in these chapters. Research is key.

• Religion forms the cornerstone of many global communities. Part of the great diversity of humankind is the many different religions and belief systems that have developed — Animism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Taoism, and many more — have deep roots in these two regions.
• Symbols occur in different forms: verbal or nonverbal, written or unwritten. They can be anything that conveys a meaning, such as words on the page, drawings, pictures, and gestures. Clothing, homes, cars, and other consumer items are symbols that imply a certain level of social status.
• Language conveys the beliefs and values of a culture. Language is an expression of who we are as individuals, communities, nations. Language is the repository of a group’s history and evolution of cultural norms.
• Values are ideas that are translated into societal norms which tell how one should behave in society. Values are related to the norms of a culture, but they are more general and abstract than norms. Norms are rules for behavior in specific situations, while values identify what should be judged as good or bad. Respect, cooperation, reward, knowledge, and responsibility are part of any culture’s value system.
• Music is an expression of culture. Music is, and always will be, part of the fabric of everyday life. Musical instruments (like the harmonium in India or the erhu in China), singing styles (think Psy’s Korean Gangnam Style, called Hallyu), or the lilting voices of Bhutanese folk songs.
• Food culture refers to the practices, attitudes, and beliefs as well as the networks and institutions surrounding the production, distribution, and consumption of food. From lowly grains like rice and kaoliang (sorghum) to the cuisine of Indian chicken tikka masala and Sichuan beef.

Your in-depth coverage will include:

1. at least three paragraphs of eight to ten sentences,
2. at least one map or graph (attached or embedded within the text), and
3. at least two sources.

Your sources can come from the Internet, but web sites like Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica are not to be used your sources. Online articles from National Geographic, Time, and other popular magazines are fair game, just as journal articles are allowable. Web sites specific to these topics are certainly appropriate, but avoid blogs or other opinionated sources.

After posting, make sure you satisfy the other two parts of this discussion:

1. read all other posts, and
2. reply to at least two other students’ posts.