Individual Autonomy In the article “Individual Autonomy and Social Structure,” by Dorothy Lee, a comparative method is used to understand various cultures in order to resolve conflicts that we experience in our Western society. The key social problem Lee is addressing in this article is the conflict between personal autonomy and cultural framework. She believes that Western culture lacks integrity and human dignity and this can be amended by looking at practices in the Wintu Indians’ culture. This essay will show how social structure and personal autonomy can coexist by examining the Wintu Indians’ language structure. It is difficult to adhere to the American tenets of human dignity in our modern heterogeneous society. Western society has become so engrossed in the concept of personal freedom that we …show more content…
Where we would say, “The chief ruled the people,” they instead would say, “the chief stood with the people.” (Lee, 8). This manner or speaking gives more of a social edge where it conveys the chief is not a dictator but is instead a party of society in which he gives guidance and seeks what is in the best interest of the community. Also, phrases such as, “I went with the baby,” instead of “I took the baby,” (Lee, 8) conveys human dignity and shows that the tribe does not think of babies as objects, but instead as human beings. Additionally, the Wintu Indians have a profound sense of respect which they show in their language. Instead of saying they own something, they will say they live with it. This shows a loose sense of possession and a strong sense of respect. Even when talking about human beings, they will say, “I live with my sister.” rather than, “I have a sister.” (Lee, 8). A loose sense of possession increases personal autonomy. Everyone in the community is their own person and no one has any rights over anyone. By living like this, everyone is shown respect and
Historically, the United States has prided itself as the most egalitarian and autonomous nation in the world. Political figures and institutions have attempted to uphold the theoretical ideals of the nation, while in practice often fail to fulfill their promises to the people. This gap between our fundamental values as delineated in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and our discriminatory practices such as slavery and gender discrimination can be found in competing political ideologies which purposefully exclude marginalized peoples. The framers built the United States for the white man; every other person’s rights came, and continue to come afterwards. Once one people’s freedom is postponed, the same oppressive strategies
Independence and selfishness are not standards in such communities or tribes, and consequently security results from selfless loyalty towards others in the tribe. This kind of attitude towards others that demonstrates allegiance to one's people is prominent among people such as the Indians in the west.
For this study, researcher classified the cultural identity of the participants as traditional, assimilated, bicultural, or marginalized by how they identified with highly with Indian values, highly with white values, ewally with both, or with none.
More so, this type o view allows Americans to be perceived as being “above the law”, which has caused resentment on the issue of cultural superiority in a socio-economic perspective: “The United States rejects global human rights norms because they embody a different conception of rights—one skewed toward “positive” socioeconomic rights” (Ignatieff, 2005, p.162). This form of American Exceptionalism defines the materialistic view of Americans as neglecting human rights and fair trading policies in corporate dealings around the world. More so, the global business community is forming regional and national alliances to oppose this form of cultural superiority being projected by the
his own life how he wishes, even if it will damage health or lead to
Through these two comparison of texts, this shows the cultural differences between two different groups of people. Because of their different cultural groups, getting along became difficult for the two groups. The two texts shows how the settlers treat Indigenous poorly and without regard of respect towards them. Even today much of the settlers living here still regard Indigenous poorly. The history between the two groups still bring tension to each
very American citizen has the same basic rights called civil liberties that is protected under law. Despite this, over the years, America has had many civil liberty issues in which they are denied to some citizens. Susan B. Anthony’s Grave photo, Beyond Vietnam, and Ain’t I a women?, uses persuading pathos, steadfast ethos, and undeniable logic to delinate that while some civil liberty issues in America have been resolved, many have not, making America both a success and failure in terms of improving upon these issues.
Since the beginning of American history, citizens who resided the country lacked the basic civil rights and liberties that humans deserved. Different races and ethnicities were treated unfairly. Voting rights were denied to anyone who was not a rich, white male. Women were harassed by their bosses and expected to take care of everything household related. Life was not all that pretty throughout America’s past, but thankfully overtime American citizens’ civil liberties and rights expanded – granting Americans true freedom.
Indigenous Critical Concepts and ‘The Hollow Men.’” Language In India Apr. 2012: 473+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 21 Jan. 2014.
• AW’s work is deeply rooted in oral tradition; in the passing on of stories from generation to generation in the language of the people. To AW the language had a great importance. She uses the “Slave language”, which by others is seen as “not correct language”, but this is because of the effect she wants the reader to understand.
In John Barker’s Ancestral Lines, the author analyzes the Maisin people and their culture centered around customs passed from previous generations, as well as global issues that impact their way of living. As a result of Barker’s research, readers are able to understand how third world people can exist in an rapid increasing integrated system of globalization and relate it not only to their own society, but others like the Maisin; how a small group of indigenous people, who are accustomed to a modest regimen of labor, social exceptions, and traditions, can stand up to a hegemonic power and the changes that the world brings. During his time with these people the author was able to document many culture practices, while utilizing a variety of
Humans have established their own rights in society for many, many years now. However, because some humans differ from the norms that are built in society, they are shunned and denied their rights until they conform to society’s norms. There have been numerous groups of people who have been denied their rights in America. African Americans, immigrants, Native Americans, and gays have been isolated simply because that is the way they were born into this world and others do not find them “normal”. There is another group that has also been mistreated though: people who identify themselves as transgender.
Ruth Benedict’s anthropological book, Patterns of Culture explores the dualism of culture and personality. Benedict studies different cultures such as the Zuni tribe and the Dobu Indians. Each culture she finds is so different and distinctive in relation to the norm of our society. Each difference is what makes it unique. Benedict compares the likenesses of culture and individuality, “A culture, like an individual, is a more or less consistent pattern of thought or action” (46), but note, they are not the same by use of the word, “like.” Benedict is saying that figuratively, cultures are like personalities. Culture and individuality are intertwined and dependent upon each other for survival.
American political culture emphasizes the values of liberty, equality, and democracy. Most of America’s debating is not over whether these issues are important, but how to best go about achieving these ideas. American’s define liberty as freedom, but America believes that liberty should be contained on some levels so they can create a stable society. The definition of freedom is that we can do whatever we want, as long as we do not affect another person’s freedom. American’s want to be able to do what they want, while not affecting someone else. So some rules are set to protect people and create a stable society.
Since the dawn of the ages, cultural norms have always been present and have rarely been broken. Culture is what the community as a whole abides by and operates within. However Individual autonomy (or otherwise referred to, as ones independence or freedom) is unequivocally subjected to judgment and social condemnation. Tensions are high solely because an autonomous individual who shows disregard for culture are deemed disrespectful by the community who in turn pass judgment. Predominately, East Asian cultures are the most culturally conformed when in contrast to their counterparts. The country of Japan is a perfect example to analyse – Japanese culture is one of conformity and a heavy emphasis is based on the community’s expectations – such as honour (Benedict, 1946, p162). Japanese communities are based on a socioeconomic hierarchy where employment affects friendship groups and status. A culture such as the United States of America’s is exceptionally opposite to Japan’s, due to, America’s greater number of immigrants. America has the concept of being ‘the land of the free’ (MacLeish, 1977, p93) that emphasises the trait of individual autonomy which migrants found to be a little more difficult than the preconceived notion. All cultures have one trait in common – conformity, the notion of culture is for individuals to think the same and become a group with similar beliefs thus defeating individual autonomy. Though culture is different across all nations, culture indirectly eliminates individual autonomy within the community due to its conformist nature.