Swastikas have been around for many millennia, but the history of it is diverse. Dating back nearly 11,000 years ago, the symbol has been mainly associated with religion with variations seen in numerous cultures throughout the world. At one point in ancient Asia the swastika was seen as a symbol for infinity, or continuing creation. (Turner) The origins of the symbol though remain unclear, although there is a plethora of theories. One theory is that the it represents the sun and another that says that the four points on the swastika represent earth, wind, fire, and water, or even that the points represent the four seasons. Up until the mid-twentieth century, the symbol was quite common as a sign of good luck or well-being. (Quinn) Inevitably, …show more content…
In the United States, many white supremacist groups have adopted the symbol due to the ideals they share with the Nazi Party such as white power. Media portrays swastikas as evil, an example of this in American broadcasting would be in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy where a patient with a swastika on his stomach had black doctors. The man acted like a typical racist, viewing them as worse doctors just because of their race. (Wilson) Swastikas also are seen as a symbol of fascism to westerners. Multiple countries, mainly in Europe, have banned the symbol from public display due to the stigma it holds. (Day) In the Eastern world swastikas are viewed completely differently. Buddhism is a major religion in Asia and swastikas are seen throughout Buddhist culture. Indians also see the symbol throughout their culture as a symbol of wealth and good fortune. Society influences how people act on a daily basis and where a symbol could cause one reaction by people of one culture, another culture could have a completely different view as is true with the …show more content…
In the United States, many white supremacist groups have adopted the symbol due to the ideals they share with the Nazi Party such as white power. Media portrays swastikas as evil, an example of this in American broadcasting would be in an episode of Grey’s Anatomy where a patient with a swastika on his stomach had black doctors. The man acted like a typical racist, viewing them as worse doctors just because of their race. (Wilson) Swastikas also are seen as a symbol of fascism to westerners. Multiple countries, mainly in Europe, have banned the symbol from public display due to the stigma it holds. (Day) In the Eastern world swastikas are viewed completely differently. Buddhism is a major religion in Asia and swastikas are seen throughout Buddhist culture. Indians also see the symbol throughout their culture as a symbol of wealth and good fortune. Society influences how people act on a daily basis and where a symbol could cause one reaction by people of one culture, another culture could have a completely different view as is true with the
Cultural appropriation, as described in Sabeen Sandhu’s article “Instant Karma: The Commercialization of Asian Indian Culture,” is not new. Rather, it is the latest iteration in a long history of Western imperialism and exploitation of other cultures and societies. Using a primarily a symbolic interactionist lens, in her article Sandhu highlights two fundamental aspects of appropriation that differentiate the phenomenon from appreciation: the focus solely on one facet of a symbol and commercialization.
Another prevalent symbol to me is the idea of sin. In The Ministers Black Veil Hooper just suddenly one day shows up to church wearing a veil. At first the people are sort of angered by it. People soon start to flock to his congregation to view the spectacle, and go so far as to test their '"'courage'"' by seeing who will go and talk to him. I think that the veil could represent sin. In The Ministers Black Veil Hooper was either trying to hide his sin from the people so that they could not judge him, which is god"'"s job, or maybe he was trying to protecting his self from the sins of the people. In the end of The Ministers Black Veil Hooper dies, and sees his congregation all wearing black veils, which would probably hint that maybe it represented the sin in all of us. In The Birthmark Georgiana"'"s birthmark could represent, as some religions believe, the original sin which is bestowed on all by the '"'hand'"' of god. But, unlike Hooper, Georgiana could not help her markings.
The Jewish people that lived in Skokie believed that this planned rally was extremely disrespectful and unlawful. The many Holocaust survivors and Jews that lived in Skokie were offended by anyone that wore a swastika.
Different cultural backgrounds have different taboos. These taboos define what is and is not acceptable for the people within that culture. Such as India where they do not believe in interracial marriages while in Western Europe most
With that being said, all Americans should be allowed to live in a country where they feel safe and free of hatred. If a historical symbol fuels hatred, violence, and fear then the display of such a symbol would only misinterpret the meaning of the land of the free.
Making a cross sign behind the ear specifically for children using soot, making the eye image on their respective houses at the top part of their doors, are among the practices by these community of Americans during the three-decade period in regards to evil protection. Misfortunes and predictions for success stand out in most of the cultural beliefs and traditions, for instance, the Greek Americans have a belief that when an individual reads a specific pattern of the coffee dregs popularity follows the
A symbol is a mark, sign, or word that indicates, signifies, or is understood as representing an idea, object, or relationship. Symbols allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by creating linkages between otherwise very different concepts and experiences. All communication is achieved through the use of symbols. Symbols take the form of words, sounds, gestures, ideas or visual images and are used to convey other ideas and beliefs. A symbol is an energy evoking, and directing, agent. Symbolism that is something that stands for another, it can be place, object, or a person. Human cultures use symbols to express specific ideologies and social structures and to represent
As we said earlier, the sign is composed of two parts, the signifier and the signified which can be replaced by connotation and denotation. When we take the example of the one dollar note, the meaning of this piece of paper and what it convey is only understandable by what it represent. The signs are here to support representation. It is only when you put the signs together, and thanks to a semantic analysis, you manage to access to a meaning. The meaning or the ideology of that an image evokes is only reachable thanks to our knowledge of the different signs we put together. In my opinion, the one dollar note represent a good illustration of this comprehension because, when we look at all the sign separately we can then understand what this picture means. By gathering all the important figures of the United States, a strong patriotic feeling comes
When you think of a salute, you think of the American salute, which symbolizes respect. There is one salute that everyone knows and hates and it is called the “Nazi Salute”.. This certain salute has haunted both Germany and the World since 1933. Have you ever heard of the Nazi Party? Adolf Hitler was the leader of that group. The salute can be performed at any time and by anyone. If Hitler was present, the salute was given with “Heil Hitler”. It was also given by postmen, department store clerks and was taught to children as they entered into kindergarten. . Today, a Nazi Salute is one of the most horrible gestures a human can ever do.
We live in a society that consists of a number of different cultures, values, views and beliefs. Everyone is entitled to have their own and it is important to respect that and not make others feel that theirs are any less important than your own.
Immediately you realize the flag represents a group called the Ku Klux Klan, and based on your knowledge “the KKK is a secret organization of White Protestant Americans, mainly in the South, who use violence against Black people, Jewish people, and other minority
Religious symbols are aspects of all different religions that strengthen faith, promote certain beliefs, and represent the fundamentals of that specific religion. According to Furst’s article on the use of physical religious symbols, “As beings that are both body and spirit, humans use symbols in order to perceive and to grasp realities that are not empirical. As social beings, humans use symbols to communicate with others,” (p 2). But, there are many issues that arise when these symbols are involved and existing in the media, the state, our government, and the public. Mainly this is because symbols are truly powerful and represent controversies that come along with different religions. Furst also states that, “symbols play a powerful role in the transmission of the culture of human society,” (p 2). If religious symbols transmit culture into society, then people in our society are going to pay very close attention to what symbols are present...
...f gay pride since gay men were forced to wear it in the Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust. Furthermore, the Double Women’s Symbol is used to represent women loving women and the Double Man’s Symbol is to represent men loving men.
The first and most highly regarded brand of Hinduism is the symbol of Brahman, Aum or Om. The Aum is made of three Sanskrit letters A, U, and M. All the major Hindu matrams begin with the chanting of “Aum”, which they believe was the only sound heard when the universe was brought into motion. Hindus often wear this symbol on their clothing and jewelry, put it on their cars and plaster it onto temple walls. They believe that it will protect them from evil and bring them good luck. Another common symbol of Hinduism is the Swastika. Although this sign is generally associated with Nazi Germany, it originally was derived from the Hindu religion where it represents peace and prosperity. “Swastika” literally translates to “everything is good”. The symbol used by the Germans was a slightly tilted inversion of this Hindu symbol. A third symbol which is often linked to Hinduism is the lotus. Many gods and goddesses are depicted holding or sitting on a lotus. However, it is specifically a representation of the goddess “Shri” or “Lakshmi” who is “associated in every possible way with the lotus” (Zimmer, p. 91). The flower also represents politeness and culture and is used in certain rituals. These symbols among many others, are extremely important in performing rituals and carrying on