The republic of Latvia is one of three Baltic States. To the north of it lays Estonia and to the south is Lithuania. After centuries of being ruled by other nations the republic of Latvia came to be on November 18, 1918, declaring independence from Russia. Latvian culture is deep and beautiful. Expressed through their people, songs, land, language, and food. I believe that the Latvian culture is beautiful and this is why. Firstly, Latvia lies on the eastern coasts of the Baltic Sea. The capital, Rīga, lies at the mouth of the Daugava River, its lands form an extension of the Great Plains of Russia. Latvia belongs to the Baltic group of languages. Russian has had a strong influence on religious vocabulary, while German has influenced the domestic vocabulary. Latvians are reserved and formal when dealing with outsiders. They are private people …show more content…
It is a day when cities vacate and every civil servant and bank clerk shows their pagan side. It originated as an ancient fertility festival celebrated after sowing the crops and before gathering harvest. Latvians sing, dance, eat and are merry during Jāņi. Women traditionally wear flower wreaths, while men have theirs made of oak leaves or twigs. The celebration used to take place during the longest day and the shortest night of the year, June 21. The Christianization of Latvia moved the date forward to the eve of June 24, the St. John Day. Jānis is the most popular Latvian personal name. Currants are called “jāņogas” (“berries of Jānis”) in Latvian, as they mature around Midsummer. Every five years, for one week. This is the time frame for THE main event in Latvian cultural life - the Nationwide Latvian Song and Dance Festival. It involves hundreds of choirs and folk dance groups, entrancing thousands in the audience. The Festival has earned high honour internationally, being included on the UNESCO Oral History and Non-material Cultural
The United States and Ukraine are very different in culture, probably because of the difference in location. The United States is in North America, which is in the northwestern hemisphere, and Ukraine is in southeastern Europe, which is mainly in the northeastern hemisphere. Both these countries have one particular language, which is mostly spoken throughout the land, but these languages very in both the United States and Ukraine. In Ukraine, the official language of the country is Ukrainian. Most of the people in that country speak Ukrainian, but there are some that speak different languages. One language that is spoken a lot in Ukraine is Russian. The main reason for this is b...
The culture of Louisiana is not one general set of customs and beliefs shared by all those who live in the area. Louisiana is a state in which many different elements are mixed together to create what can be described as Southern Louisianan culture. The two most predominant elements which make up the culture within the southern region of the state are the cultures of the Creoles and the Cajuns, which have many different influences within them. A complex blend of many different elements including religion, language, music, and food, create the unique culture of the Cajuns and the Creoles in the region of Southern Louisiana.
Mississippi is known for a lot of things including their crops, it can also be found as the Home of Confederate and, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians has made many of the states traditions. The people, places and, events tell the story of Mississippi. The Modern History of Mississippi has made it the beautiful and popular state it is today.
Folklores are stories that have been through many time periods. Folklore include Legends, Myths, and Fairy Tales. Legends are traditional tales handed down from earlier times and believed to have a historical basis. Myths are ancient stories dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes. Fairy Tales are fantasy tales with legendary being and creators.
The United States and cultural myths pertaining to this country have been a topic of discussion for many years. Stephanie Coontz’s “The Way We Wish We Were”, David Brooks’ “One Nation Slightly Divisible” and Margaret Atwood’s “A Letter to America” are all essays about different American cultural myths. Each author focuses on a different cultural myth that pertains to the United States. They explain how these myths are thwarting a realistic view of America. As well as changing the perception of the country as a whole. The major cultural myths of America among the texts are about “ideal families”, “ideal lifestyles, and a “ideal country.”
Kirby, David, The Baltic World 1772-1993: Europe's Northern Periphery in an Age of Change (London: Longman, 1995).
Moving to America from Iran has certainly become a huge challenge for me. I have realized that there are some significant differences between these countries. Living in two different countries is an experience that opens people’s mind to a new way of thinking. In my case, I have lived in Iran and in the America, and now I understand better Iran than ever before. Iran and the America have differences in culture, marriage traditions, and economy.
In America, the existence of so many different cultures and religions can inadvertently cause one religion to impose its values upon another religion. In Grace Paley’s “The Loudest Voice”, however, the school system directly imposed Christianity onto Shirley Abramowitz and other non-Christian students in the school. Teachers in the school tried to enforce Christianity onto the non-Christian children whenever and whichever way possible. The major illustration of this attempt of “brainwashing” was the production of a Christmas play performed mostly by Jewish students. This was an obvious attempt by the school to try to force the other students to learn the value and history of the Christian religion.
In the text, “The American Cultural Configuration” the authors express the desire of anthropologists to study their own culture despite the difficulty that one faces attempting to subjectively analyze their own society. Holmes and Holmes (2002), use the adage “not being able to see the forest through the trees” (p. 5) to refer to how hard it is for someone to study something they have largely taken for granted. The Holmes' article focuses predominately on paradoxes within our own culture, many of which we don't notice. In a paradox, two contradicting statements can appear to be true at the same time. This essay looks at two paradoxes commonly found in everyday life: the individual versus the family and religion.
In this paper, drawing intensively from Clifford’s Traveling Cultures, Linton’s One Hundred Per Cent American, Derek Walcott’s Pantomime, and Miner’s Body Ritual Among the Nacirema, I will argue that, in the technologically advanced twenty-first century, while the international is indeed already on our plate and in our pocket, for it to be in our brains in the real sense – that is, for it to break free from the stranglehold of clichés and fixed ideas – we have to actively engage with it and continually update our understanding of it. We have to understand, like Clifford, that culture is a “work in progress”, which mutates, evolves, grows and recedes as geographical boundaries are blurred, as cultures travel and react with each other and new practices and thoughts emerge. But without a conscious appreciation and acknowledgement of it, we might as well be trapped in our small world-views. So, the ‘One Hundred Per Cent’ American described in such a tongue-in-cheek way by Ralph Linton – who is constantly using products from around the world but is oblivious of the fact – is in no way the better for it because in his mind he is insularly, untouchably, American. Internationalism, is in danger of being reduced to a word that benignly and indistinguishably replicates itself in every large city of the world (same malls, same food-chains; same designer brands). Its sole purpose is to make the unfamiliar, familiar; to classify with easy and a somewhat facile understanding, the motivations and beliefs of all ethnicities and cultures around us. To understand and appreciate multiculturalism we have to alter our way of viewing and generalizing about the world. And to question the very basis on which we weigh and judge alien cultures.
There are many things that shape and change a societies culture. social organization, social classes, Government, religion, language, economic systems, art, literature, customs and trades. The three main things that shape a country would be social classes, Government and religion, during the post-war era. Canadian and American culture was changing. The main things that changed might have been the same, but there was many thing that were different.
For numerous years now, when we think of the typical American family, our thoughts often go to the suburbs. We picture a family with a father, mother and the average 2.5 children. This ideal family most likely has it's roots in the 1950's. After World War II,, there was a significant move from urban and rural areas to the newly formed suburbs. A substantial part of this move can be attributed to the low interest mortgage loans supplied by the GI bill, signed into law in 1944.1 There was also another significant change coming to the American family, the television set. Families would gather in front of this relatively new device as a source not only for news but also for entertainment. Fathers of the 50's, many of whom as children, had grown up through the hard times of the Great Depression. Also, seen the horrors of the second world war were now within the peace and tranquility of their suburban homes with their families. This father served roles as provider, authoritarian, and wise counselor for his wife and children, much like the father, Ward Cleaver, played by Hugh Beaumont, on the 50's television show “Leave It To Beaver”. These roles would change somewhat over the next 60 years or so. Television sitcoms have reflected the changing roles of the American father as the provider, authoritarian, and counselor over the last 60 years.
1) What is political culture? What is the makeup of the political culture in the United States? Give two examples of how the political culture of the United States helps to unite Americans, even in disagreement.
The state of Mississippi is a very beautiful state and has a lot of historic facts behind it. A lot of famous people were born and raised in the heart of Mississippi. The food in Mississippi is some of the best in the south, the people have good hospitality and the weather is beautiful. Mississippi is a wonderful place to visit and even better place to live.
The dimensions of culture came as a result of a research conducted by Greet Hofstede. The study investigated how culture in a workplace can be influenced by values of the people. In his view, culture is defined as the collective programming of the human brain that helps in distinguishing a group from another one. Moreover, the programming of the human mind influences the patterns, values and perspectives that define a certain community or nation. Hofstede developed a model of the national culture that is made of six dimensions. In addition to that, the cultural dimensions demonstrate the personal preferences on affairs that can be easily distinguished from that of individuals from another nation. Using the model, it is easy to identify systematic differences between the selected nations in terms of values (Hofstede). This paper discusses the cultural dimensions to compare the United States of America and China. The dimensions include Power Distance, Masculinity versus Femininity, Uncertainty Avoidance Index, and Individualism versus collectivism, Indulgence versus Restraint and long-term orientation versus short term normative orientation.