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Cultural influences on human behavior
Cultural influences on human behavior
Concept of culture and its impact on human behaviour
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An individual’s unadulterated perception of their nature and identity is highly contingent upon their mannerisms and actions in multifarious environments. “The Power of Context” concept expresses the major influence of contextual forces in the determination of an individual’s behavior in the midst of unfamiliar situations; this concept effectively repudiates the notion that one’s endeavors are reliant upon one’s preceding character features. The comprehensive examination of “the Power of Context” theory, as presented in Malcom Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, can be employed in the justification of the behavior of the characters not only in Gladwell’s study, but also the individuals identified in Susan Faludi’s The Naked Citadel. However, “the …show more content…
Power of Context” notion cannot be applied appropriately to the characters of Leslie Bell’s Hard to Get: Twenty Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom. The sociological mechanism of splitting is profoundly galvanized by contextual forces, compelling an individual to instinctively behave according to one’s contiguous external environment, thereby nullifying their predispositions. “The Power of Context”, the radical idea that in foreign milieus “…our inner states are the result of our outer circumstances…” cannot thoroughly corroborate the actions of the young women interviewed in Bell’s study (Gladwell 157). Bell’s powerful and intimate research of the sex and love lives of young women allowed her to examine the strong ties that exist between a woman’s sexuality and her background. Bell’s candid interviews with “good-girl rebel” Alicia and “bad-girl” Jayanthi reveal the influence of one’s circumstances in the modeling of their sexual identity. Alicia, a product of a working-class Hispanic family, was determined to elude the grim statistic of “ becoming a teen mom or a high school dropout” by following the “good girl strategy”; this strategy incorporated inverse mutiny, in which she succeeded academically and delayed sex “because no form of birth control is 100 percent effective” (Bell 37). Alicia’s strategy allowed her to achieve her goals of receiving a sound education as well as escaping the cycle of poverty established by her family. However, her determination to succeed academically and professionally did not allow her to adequately explore her sexuality; as stated by Bell, “Alicia did not learn about the mechanics of sex from her family, nor did she learn a great deal from her Catholic school” (38). Alicia’s desire to “…get an education, get out of poverty, and separate from her family of origin…” was further accelerated by the sexual abuse she experienced as a child by her father. This event caused her to distance herself from men she deemed unsafe and dangerous, men who “proved themselves undeserving of her trust,” (Bell 39). Jayanthi, a second generation Indian American born into a moderately religious Hindu family, frequently alternated between rebelling through casual “hook-ups” with various men and adhering to her family’s principles of arranged marriages. Her early sexual experiences—she experienced her first kiss and sexual encounter in college at the age of eighteen—paved the way for Jayanthi’s profligate behavior due to her desire to avoid “being either played or too involved” in a relationship (Bell 32). The emphasis on an individual’s immediate situation in “the Power of Context” cannot accurately explain the sexual choices taken by the young women in Bell’s study; the weighing presence and influence of their distinctive backgrounds have inextricably intertwined with their identities and subsequent behaviors. The draconian nature of the elder cadets enrolled in the Citadel towards the “knobs”, as presented in Faludi’s The Naked Citadel, thoroughly substantiates Gladwell’s “Power of Context” theory. A drastic behavioral shift occurred within the cadets upon their entry into the controversial military academy, a transferal that constituted moral insensitivity, despotism, and bestiality. The cadets previously possessed remote misogynistic tendencies prior to their enrollment into the Citadel, but this sexism was further magnified by the established “…male-dominant society…” of the military academy (Faludi 85). The malicious behavior of the upperclassmen towards the “knobs” at the Citadel essentially confirms the Fundamental Attribution Error, in which “…human beings invariably…[overestimate] the importance of fundamental character traits and [underestimate] the importance of the situation and context”; the manner of the elder cadets was incited by their development under the severe and tyrannical rule of their older counterparts as “knobs” (Gladwell 159). The despotic and vindictive atmosphere maintained by the Citadel caused the temperament of the cadets to alter extremely, changing them “…from a levelheaded, optimistic, aggressive [individual] to a fatigued, irrational, confused and bitter one” (Faludi 84).
The “knobs” officially commence this behavioral transformation during their time in the “fourth class system…a nine month regimen of small and large indignities intended to ‘strip’ each young recruit of his original identity…: (Faludi 75). Men are obligated to be independent, confident, and dignified upon their entrance into the Citadel, but through the “fourth-class system” and the sadistic nature of the upperclassmen, the “knobs” themselves acquire a disturbing perception of the world, an environment in which “‘women are objects…[and] things that you can do with whatever you want to’” (Faludi 85). The “knobs” are forced to assume and sustain an overtly masculine identity out of fear of straying from the societal norm and displaying the negatively perceived characteristics of “…effeminacy and homosexuality…” (Faludi 97). The shocking, and often disturbing, recounts of hazing by the cadets reveals the substantial amount of power that these upperclassmen hold over the …show more content…
freshman. “The Power of Context” is heavily intertwined with the process of fragmenting one’s true nature in order to uniquely assimilate to an unfamiliar situation. The process of splitting, as first introduced in Bell’s Hard to Get: Twenty Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom, constitutes “a tendency to think in either/or patterns and to insist that one cannot feel two seemingly contradictory desires at once”; this sociological practice by people proves itself to cause rifts between their temperaments and mannerisms (Bell 28). The strict, conventional notions regarding appropriate methods of addressing sex and relationships in modern society has unconsciously provoked the women of Bell’s study to split their desires according to feminine and masculine qualities. While women are forced to split their seemingly contradictory desires of sexuality and committed relationships, men are compelled to split their nature between stylized masculinity and obscure femininity in order to fulfill the rigid stereotypes sanctioned by society. “The Power of Context” and splitting invariably coincide with each other, as specific natures are exhibited in response to distinctive situations, authenticating Gladwell’s statement that “character is more like a bundle of habits and tendencies…loosely bound together and dependent, at certain times, on circumstance and context…” (Gladwell 160). The emphasis on an individual’s distinct context in the fundamental shaping of human nature validates the process of splitting; the context of the situation drives an individual to polarize their character, selecting appropriate qualities to display to effectively adapt to the “circumstance and context” (Gladwell 160). Although an individual’s past experiences comprise a significant role in the decision-making process, specific situations can notably disrupt their actions. An individual’s past circumstances comprise a minute role in present actions and behaviors, as evident in the violent shooting of the four youths by Bernie Goetz. Gladwell’s “Power of Context” principle explicitly reveals that there exists “…specific situations so powerful that they can overwhelm our inherent predispositions” (Gladwell 158); this is palpably observed in the inhumane behavior of the upperclassmen towards the “knobs” at the Citadel in Faludi’s study as well as the conduct of the “guards” towards the “inmates” participating in Zimbardo’s Stanford University prison experiment. The intense brutalization given to the “knobs” at the Citadel as well as the “prisoners” in Zimbardo’s prison experiment was heavily rooted in the threatening conditions presented to these individuals. When faced with unfamiliar or threatening circumstances, a person’s inner states will become void, as they will react “…based on [their] perception of the world around [them]” (Gladwell 156). The significance of context is habitually underestimated; an individual’s immediate external situation can completely override their predispositions and background.
The various characters presented in the studies of Susan Faludi and Malcolm Gladwell responded incongruently to their natures with reactions unconsciously triggered by their distinct milieu; the individuals followed in Leslie Bell’s report conversely acted analogous to their natural proclivity. The analysis of “the Power of Context”, as defined in Gladwell’s The Tipping Point, can be applied to the behavior of the individuals in Gladwell’s study as well the individuals identified in Susan Faludi’s The Naked Citadel, due to the severe behavioral modification within the characters as they encountered alien environments. However, “the Power of Context” principle does not pertain to the characters of Leslie Bell’s Hard to Get: Twenty Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom, as the choices executed by these young women are increasingly dependent upon the standards to which their identities are bound. The exaggerated emphasis on personality-based explanations to rationalize the actions of individuals effectively depreciates situational explanations for those behaviors. The “Power of Context” theory, although shatters an individual’s evaluation of their nature according to past predilections, reveals the prominence of environmental vindications to interpret the world around
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Among the most prominent are strains of racism/classism, belonging and dislocation, death and meaning and self-identity, and sexual awakening. In a slim 187 pages the author competently weaves social commentary (via the seemingly innocent adolescent perspective) into a moving narrative that only occasionally veers toward the pedantic.
This itself alludes to America’s extreme response to communism during the Cold War era, under the influence of Senator Joe McCarthy. Similar to the paranoia that characterized the McCarthy era, Orwell’s dystopian society was expected to betray their friends, family and co-workers for the benefit of the state and themselves. This is made explicitly evident during Winston’s visit to the cafe, in which the telescreen sang; “Under the spreading chestnut tree/ I sold you and you sold me…”Foreshadowing Winston’s eventual betrayal of Maria in order to save himself, and his conformity to the party. Furthermore, the notion that “nothing was your own except the few cubic centimetres in your skull” becomes ironic as the novel develops in which the criminalisation of unorthodox ideologies leads to the punishment of “thoughtcrime”, and the eventual “vaporisation” of dissidents. This itself alludes to the ‘great purges’ that took place under the terror that characterized Joseph Stalin’s reign. Likewise, the inherent fear of eccentricity amongst the oppressed citizens of “Airstrip one” is highlighted by the nature of “facecrime” in which the presence of an improper expression or any suggestion of abnormality could be punished. Thus, through Orwell 's effective use of allusion and characterisation, contextual audiences are provided with a didactic warning regarding the nature of a totalitarian reign, in which a “hideous ecstasy of fear” influences society’s
Gladwell narrates along biographical sections in the chapter and leads you through the lives of his “successful” subjects. He explains a cause of success and the effect it has on the outliers and their lives. He effectively asks rhetorical questions to spark readers’ interest in a phenomenon and then he explains the phenomenon using r...
Fahrenheit 451 degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature at which paper, more specifically books, burn. As a fireman living in a futuristic city, it is Guy Montag’s job to see that that is exactly what happens. Ray Bradbury predicts in his novel Fahrenheit 451 that the future is without literature -- everything from newspapers to novels to the Bible. Anyone caught with books hidden in their home is forced out of it while the firemen force their way in. Then, the firemen turned the house into an inferno.
Perseverance pushes people towards what they believe in, a person’s perseverance is determined upon their beliefs. A person with strong beliefs will succeed greater to someone who does not. In the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Guy Montag perseveres against society as well as himself in order to demolish censorship. Perseverance embraces values and drives people closer to their goals.
Imagine a society where owning books is illegal, and the penalty for their possession—to watch them combust into ashes. Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, illustrates just such a society. Bradbury wrote his science fiction in 1951 depicting a society of modern age with technology abundant in this day and age—even though such technology was unheard of in his day. Electronics such as headphones, wall-sized television sets, and automatic doors were all a significant part of Bradbury’s description of humanity. Human life styles were also predicted; the book described incredibly fast transportation, people spending countless hours watching television and listening to music, and the minimal interaction people had with one another. Comparing those traits with today’s world, many similarities emerge. Due to handheld devices, communication has transitioned to texting instead of face-to-face conversations. As customary of countless dystopian novels, Fahrenheit 451 conveys numerous correlations between society today and the fictional society within the book.
In Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury uses the life of Guy Montag, a fireman in a near future dystopia, to make an argument against mindless conformity and blissful ignorance. In Bradbury’s world, the firemen that Montag is a part of create fires to burn books instead of putting out fires. By burning books, the firemen eliminate anything that might be controversial and make people think, thus creating a conforming population that never live a full life. Montag is part of this population for nearly 30 years of his life, until he meets a young girl, Clarisse, who makes him think. And the more he thinks, the more he realizes how no one thinks. Upon making this realization, Montag does the opposite of what he is supposed to; he begins to read. The more he reads and the more he thinks, the more he sees how the utopia he thought he lived in, is anything but. Montag then makes an escape from this society that has banished him because he has tried to gain true happiness through knowledge. This is the main point that Bradbury is trying to make through the book; the only solution to conformity and ignorance is knowledge because it provides things that the society can not offer: perspective on life, the difference between good and evil, and how the world works.
Physical, emotional and mental abuse is affected by the entire body. Physical is the outside, mental is the inside, and emotional is even deeper on the inside of the body. The people in this new world deal with this abuse every day. It has become a severe tragedy of what the future might become.
When people act differently does anyone look around at them, or do they just walk on by? Do they imagine dragons in the sky or just see a bunch of white puff balls in the blunt, blue sky? Clarisse McClellan, a 17 year old girl, in Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, sees the world differently as the cruel world continues to turn the evil wheel. No one sees the truth and beauty in the expect Clarisse. In the grim novel Fahrenheit 451,Bradbury uses Clarisse’s observation, imagination ,and diversity to signify how being different in the cruel world can change how people act or see many things.
In the Naked Citadel by Susan Faludi, we are taken into the notorious Citadel were the halls are lined with depictions of stern-faced generals, and where young boys are merely unrecognizable as college students. Where they appear as mere boys dressed in professional cadet attire. Men that have been ruthlessly broken down, and stripped of their egos, by not only their upper class mates, but by faculty. In a relentless manner that was sought by generations of citadel loyalist and alumni in order to shape them into their man hood. However, in the year 1994 not a single female was allowed to attend at least not as a Citadel in uniform. And it would take a strong willed woman to break the long standing traditions and join in an all-male military-type
Malcom Gladwell, is an author of numerous New York Times Best Sellers, who uses several techniques in his writing to clarify and support his argument. Gladwell’s techniques are using stories to appeal to the reader’s emotions. Using scientific facts and research to logically strengthen his argument. Also, writing about controversial issues to establish credibility with the readers. These techniques are found in “Offensive Play”, “Small Change”, and “Harlan, Kentucky”, works by Gladwell.
Gladwell begins his examination of an outlier’s success by clarifying that his purpose of the text is to convince his readers that the successful did not become successful on their own. Intertwined with his purpose,
Kerr, Calum A. “Literary Contexts in Novels: Ray Bradbury’s ‘Fahrenheit 451.’” (2008) Literary Reference Center. Web. 1 March 2011.
In the book Fahrenheit 451 the theme is a society/world that revolves around being basically brain washed or programmed because of the lack of people not thinking for themselves concerning the loss of knowledge, and imagination from books that don't exist to them. In such stories as the Kurt Vonnegut's "You have insulted me letter" also involving censorship to better society from vulgarity and from certain aspects of life that could be seen as disruptive to day to day society which leads to censorship of language and books. Both stories deal with censorship and by that society is destructed in a certain way by the loss of knowledge from books.
What is it about sex that makes everyone so uncomfortable? Upon reading Randa Jarrar’s A Map of Home, one of the major themes that the novel goes in depth about is Nidali’s sexual awakening. Many students would argue that this novel is littered with too much sexual activity, i.e. masturbation. However, A Map of Home is a novel about finding your place in this world; the search for your identity and purpose. Sexual identity plays a significant part of that continuum. You may question, “Well, could you have figure out a way to describe her story without all the sex stuff?” This statement would demolish the novel’s relatable and sheer honest tone, as well as disintegrate the genuineness behind the narrative if Jarrar would omit Nidali’s sexual experiences. The complete fact that young teenagers do think about sex so often makes one grasp the true relatability this novel showcases through the main character’s sexual experiences. In this essay, I plan to explore the importance of sexual awakening, Nidali’s own reasons for experimenting with her sexuality, and what we can ultimately learn from being open with what we want in that context.