Introduction Naming of newborns is an issue that is rooted under cultural and geographical backgrounds, with different places having a strong history concerning it and a unique process of doing it. Although the naming process has changed in one way or another among different communities, there are some trends that still remain, which are important in an attempt to try to understand the naming process among various ethnic groups. In this research, I will focus on the different naming behaviours among the Asians and the westerners and establish whether there are similarities or differences between these two processes. I will also compare the naming of Asian children against those from western countries. Within this research, I will ensure that there is an analysis of the different aspects that are applied in the naming process in these different cultures. Background of the Research Many studies have been conducted in a bid to understand the cultural and geographical differences that influence the naming process among different communities (Alia 2008, p. 6). Within each of the studies, there has been considerable address of the issues that were in the past of great importance among different communities and the way the names have been changing with time, based on various the present-day trends (Norman 2003, p. 529). One of the significant findings in the studies conducted is based on the fact that many of the names that are given to newborns possess unique meanings and the different communities have made it part of a cultural practice to maintain this trend (Darlington 2011, p. 1). It has also been found out that some correlation exists between certain names and nature’s influences like time of the day when a child is born, pl... ... middle of paper ... ...es and cultures, viewed 5 November 2011, http://www.rogerdarlington.me.uk/useofnames.html Eickelman, DF 2002, The Middle East and Central Asia: An anthropological approach, Prentice Hall, Hoboken, NJ. Erfdeel, OS 2000, The low countries: Arts and society in Flanders and the Netherlands, a yearbook, Flemish-Netherlands Foundation "Stichting Ons Erfdeel, Amsterdam. Lee, JHX & Nadeau, KM 2011, Encyclopedia of Asian American folklore and folk life, ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, CA. Lorenz, B 1998, Baby names of the Pacific and Asia, viewed 5 November 2011, http://www.heptune.com/ocnames.html Norman, T 2003, A world of baby names, Penguin, New York, NY. Pina-Cabral, J 2002, Between China and Europe: Person, culture, and emotion In Macao, Berg, New York, NY. Truman, J & Bradley, W 2005, Hello, my name is--: A guide to naming your baby, Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA.
Shoemaker, Nancy. “ Native-American Women in History.” OAH Magazine of History , Vol. 9, No. 4, Native Americans (Summer, 1995), pp. 10-14. 17 Nov. 2013
What is even more intriguing is that, in the Dagara culture, when a baby is born he or she is not considered a new being, as it is believed in Western culture and religion. He or she is considered a being from the other world who has entered this world, as a human, in order to carry out a mission. The name has taken on a great spiritual significance in Dagara culture.
There are many reasons why people may feel self-conscious; in which, others may or may not, be able to relate to. “My Name’’ is the fourth chapter in The House on Mango Street and in this chapter, Esperanza and I share some similarities. Being named after a relative, born in the Chinese year of the horse, and a dislike in our own name are similarities we share in this chapter. [Esperanza] “In English my name means hope. In Spanish it means to many letters’’(10). Esperanza expresses a dislike in her name due to the length stating, that her name it is too long. When I was younger, I felt the same as my parents placed upon me three middle names at birth. I to felt my name was too long. I would feel embarrassed when my family would address me by my full name although, they would only do so if I was
In Chinese culture, names are not merely "labels" to distinguish one from the other nor are they used as "mediums" that "reflect" one's identity and individuality; names represent all the long-term greetings and expectations from parents to children. A name is the essence of a person, and it is a gift (the first gift) from parents to be carried for the rest of one's life.* A person's name is like a title of a book or poem: we use a title to identify the nature of the book and its "essence", while we use a name to identify a person and his/her individuality. Chinese name is distinctive in a sense that each name has a story behind it, e.g. June's mother named her twin daughters in China "Chwun Yu" and "Chwun Hwa" since they were born in spring ("Chwun"), "Yu" (rain) was given to the first born and "Hwa" (flower) to the second which indicate their sequence of birth ("rain comes before flower": par. 88); furthermore, rain and flower are nature's elements that exist for one and the other, indicating these twin daughters would stay inseparable.
As I started the program, I had the opportunity to pick the gender of my child and provide a name. My child’s name was Ezra (Manis, 2008) and he was a boy. I selected his name because it is one of the names that I plan to name one
First, each nationality determines the name of their child in a different way. This first passage shows opens up light on this topic. It states, “The sign of respect in America and Europe, this symbol of heritage and lineage, would be ridiculed in India. Within Bengali Families, individual names are sacred, inviolable. They are not meant to be inherited or shared” (Lahiri, 28). The cultural conflict in this passage is due to the name’s significance. The American culture does not use names so often as a way to standout and be its own. You see names, which Americans possess that are the same. James, John, and Robert are all commonly used American names. You do not see the name Gogol used too often. This quote shows how Gogol’s name is meant to standout and be different. Its it not supposed to be common or sound nice like American names, but standout and be sacred to the person and their family. It is not supposed to be looked at like anyone else’s name. The name is of greater meanin...
Well my Messas name was Nole William, and we were named for him. But when we was freed, we were told to take freed names.
Richardson, Ronald. Birth Order and You. Fleming H. Revell Co. New York, New York. 1998
One’s power and position in a society can give them the “right” or ability to name or un-name a person. Someone can gain this right by his or her status socially, financially, and even racially. If it’s their own child, of course, they have every right in the world to name him or her. But in some cultures, as is evident in “No Name Woman”, they have the right to take away someone’s name if they have disgraced their family and/or community. A name is very significant because it gives a person a sense of who they are, an identity. In “No Name Woman”, Kingston’s aunt had no identity except for the story her mother told her and in “Mary” Marguerite’s new boss, Mrs. Cullinan changed her name to Mary which then, in a way, removed Marguerite’s original identity and gave her a new one, one she didn’t want.
When people are born they don't usually get to choose their names, as for Equality
Although not sharing a last name can’t really hurt anybody, it is important for a child’s identity. Traditional people understand that children always have the same surname as their fathers. Therefore, people may not realize the relationship between them if they don’t have the same surname. Besides, connections between mothers and children are strong, but fathers also play a very important role in families, as Breslin herself points out. The blood of the child is the combination of the blood of his/ her parents. I can’t give my children my wife’s last name just because she was pregnancy. It doesn’t make sense to me. Furthermore, there are many ways to show the love of the father for his family so they don’t need to be concerned about sharing their name with their children. In fact, I agree with Breslin’s views because I think that people should follow the tradition, reinforce family togetherness, and adhere to history. Many women and children find that having the same last name as their husband helps them feel more like a family, and a new name is an important symbol of a family united. It is not only the tradition in America but also a tradition all over the world. For example, my country, Viet Nam, people passes on the husband’s surname to their children. It historically states a long time ago and becomes a tradition. If anybody tries to do the opposite, they will be called ill
However, Xxxxxx is my preferred name and the name that relates to my culture and the land where I grew up. It is “my piko name connecting to my aina”. It also connects me to my ancestors and enables me to feel their presences. Even though I highly prefer this name, I cannot use this name openly as I want to which is a big burden for me. Nevertheless, the significance it carries and the culture that prevents me to disclose this name are very important to me. The significance of my home lanf and my cuture is what makes this name very special. Therefore I feel comfortable sacrificing my preference over my culture and belief.
in the name is pronounced ?Satay-wan? since the Th. is not pronounced in the Japanese
In every country of the world, different cultures are seen. Each culture has a different way of raising children and that is seen in the film Babies. Kids are raised differently depending on the resources available and the economic situation of the country and that is clearly seen in this film. The methods of childrearing are completely different in each of the countries covered in the film, but that is because in each country the kids are being raised for different types of futures. Babies are raised differently depending on the culture and location, however, the one thing that does not change throughout the film is that the mothers care extensively for their babies.
Babies is a documentary that centers around four diverse infants throughout their first year on Earth. These four babies are born in four different areas of the world. The film demonstrates how people from different parts of the world can grow up completely different than other parts, while still sharing many similarities. Ponijao is an African baby who is born in Opuwo, Namibia. Mari is a young Japanese girl who was born in Tokyo, Japan. Bayar is a baby who was born in Bayanchandmani, Mongolia. The fourth baby’s name is Hattie, born in San Francisco, California. While viewing the documentary, many theories and concepts in psychology are portrayed.