The
cultural group I decided to look at was the Muslim community. The religion of Islam does more than
just give spiritual guidance but also guidance on how one should live their
life day to day and how one should interact with others. To get a full view I
decided to talk to two different friends who are both Muslim, one of whom was
born into the religion and another who converted later in life.
Application
While there were many concepts that I could have used I
decided to look at the social support systems. What made me interested in this
concept was to see how that sense of community helps guide people. The social
support system is meant to play an "important role in helping the
newcomer reduce stress, clarify uncertainty, and increase a sense of identity
and self-esteem" (Adelman, 1988)
Interviews
I
interviewed both of my friends to see what they had to say about the social
support system. My friend Erdem who was born into a family that was muslim said
that he didn't truly appreciate the role that the
Muslim community played in his life until he moved for work. When he left
home he didn't know anybody in Jacksonville but he quickly established a
network of friends through a local Mosque.
While
Tyler decided to become Muslim he said the social support system made the
tranisiton much easier. While his parents were open to the idea there were
people in the community who were not quite as open. He said that without the
support of the people he met he might have felt pressured into converting back
to Christianity.
I met my fiancé the
summer before going to the University of Nebraska. We hit it off from the
beginning and really enjoyed each others company. While we do have much in
common she lived out in the country while I was from the city and this help
shape some of our experiences. Along with this was the common difference in
many heterosexual couples is that I tended to see things from a
"mans" perspective and she saw it through a "women's"
perspective.
The first dialect I will
be looking at is the differences-similarities. One of the big things that has
helped or relationship is that we help each other relax when one is stressed
and help motivate one another when we need it.
The second dialect is
privileged-disadvantage. My fiancé’s family was better off than mine finically
and therefore she was able to have had more vacations, better house etc. but
this did not have a bug impact on our relationship. While her family may have
been better off due to how the school districts were set up she actually ended
going to a worse school than I. We both had some advantages and disadvantages
in our lives that made us different but yet these differences are part of our
great relationship.
My introduction blog defined which group I wanted to study and why. The
group that I want to study is a non-traditional family. Whether that be a single
mom who raised her children, a family that was raised by their grandparents
or a family raised by same sex marriage. I can't relate to any of these types
of families which is why I want to learn more about them and why they are the
way they are.
APPLICATION BLOG:
In my application blog I talked about which direction I was going to take. I chose to use Intercultural Relationships to focus on when I was learning about non-tradtitional families. In our textbook it says that the key to these intercultural relationships is maintaining a balance between differences and similarities. The first step is to acquire knowledge about the world, the second step is to break stereotypes, and the third step is to acquire new skills.
THEMES:
I interviewed two different people who are actually extremely close to me. I felt like by doing that I would get a much more in depth interview and answers because they trust me. I chose to interview my boyfriend and my roommate. Going in to the interviews I assumed that they would answer close to the same ways and both feel the same ways, but I was completely wrong. There are two very strong themes that I noticed during my interviews.
The first theme I noticed during my boyfriend's interview was hope. Hope is defined as a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.He didn't let the fact that he lived in a non-traditional family hold him back. He states, "I
do not have any worries for my future with my traditional or non-traditional
family. I don’t think that it would have too much effect on my life because I
hold the power and direction of my future."
The few themes I noticed during my roommate's interview was love and insecurity. My roommate has two completely different lives; "My dad was married before he was to my mom.He had two twin boys that are now 33.One has 3 sons and the other lives single in
California; complete opposites.Now my
dad lives alone in his house and has a girlfriend of 5 years.My mom is remarried and they have little boys
ages 7 and 5.My parents, luckily, get
along very well making it easy on my older sister and I.My sister is 21 and is easily my best
friend.Although my family may appear
broken by divorce, my family is very happy and it’s nice that we are all able
to get along." She talks a lot about how she has learned to love her two families because she can let in so much love. She is able to have so much love and support from so many different people. Her insecurities stem from growing up without parents who stayed together. She talks about how her parent's relationship kind of reflects in her own relationships. She states, "I feel like I grew up with so much conflict
between my parents right in front of my face without even realizing it.I feel like I have made conflict in so many
of my relationships so far because I’m not sure how a relationship really works
without that conflict.It’s really got
me thinking lately and trying to figure it out for myself."
COMPETENCE:
Intercultural competence is the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with people of other cultures. I've learned a lot from this project because going in I knew nothing about non-traditional families and the things that they go through. I went in expecting them to have the same sort of feelings and experiences, but I learned that everybody has their own opinions and experiences. It's all about how they choose to handle them. I think that we can be more competent in intercultural communication by first taking the time to fully understand what that means. Then I think we will be able to understand different people and their cultures and not be judgmental towards them.
Intercultural relationships are
relationships that are formed between individuals from different cultures. They
can consist of people of different ages, race, genders, class or religion.
These relationships must work to keep a balance between differences and
similarities. There can be benefits of being in an intercultural relationship
such as learning new things about the world, breaking stereotypes and learning
new skills as well.
I attended Marian an all girl’s
catholic high school. This was a much different experience from a lot of
people. When I came to college tons of people would always ask questions and
wanted to know about my experience. It was definitely much different from most
of my friends. My guy friends always ask tons of questions about the different
traditions and way of life at an all girl’s school. I have just as many
questions for them as they have for me too. I am always interested in hearing
about their experiences and what I may have missed out on or liked better about
being in an all girl’s school.
Coming to college definitely
creates a number of different intercultural relationships. I have met and
created relationships with people of different races, genders, from different
regions of the country and different religious backgrounds.
All of the new people I have met in
college have taught me about their backgrounds and ways of life. I have learned
how to relate to people who grew up differently then me or have a different culture.
It has caused me to want to travel the world and keep learning more about new
cultures and people around the world.
Culture is
defined as "the beliefs, customs, arts, etc. of a particular society or
group" (Merriam-Webster). It is also defined as "the arts and other
manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively"
(Merriam-Webster); which highlights the concept that culture is so fine-tuned
to and so expressive of a particular group, that it itself is almost an art.
And this is definitely reflected in the Czech-American culture by their way of
life, customs, traditions, musical influences, festivities, and much more. I
chose to study the Czech culture because despite the depletion of many cultural
and ancestral traditions, the Czechs in Nebraska have continued a strong legacy
with many active members of the younger generations. I wanted to discover what
kept them so active and committed to their Czech culture even as they adapt to
‘American’ and westernized cultures and ideals. This group compliments my
personal identity because I am German, and we have many similar traditions/customs.
However, these cultural practices have been quickly lost or depleted and now my
family does not partake in German traditions. In this way, it contrasts my
personal identity. I do not hold ‘German’ to be a strong part of my identity,
but the Czech’s that I interviewed felt strongly connected to their heritage
and nationality.
I have selected the concept of integration to
apply to the Czech population here in Nebraska. This concept, though simple, is
very profound when it comes to this culture. Integration is defined as "a
type of cultural adaptation in which individuals maintain both their original
culture and their daily interactions with other groups" (Martin, J. N.,
& Nakayama, T. K., 2010). Integration can be found not only in the early
history of Czech-American culture, but also now in the later generations of
Czech descent. Integration is vital when it comes to Czech identity in the
modern world. The Czech traditions and cultural pride have found ways to
survive, while its members have also integrated into the modern American ways
of life. Czech culture especially has found a way to thrive and even attract
non-Czech people in their traditions. I argue that Nebraska Czech's have been
able to balance their integration by forming a strong cultural identity in
their children, enacting frequently Czech traditions and customs, and also by
publicizing their events and gatherings for people of all descent. In this way,
they are allowing integration of non-Czech people, so they can more fully understand
their heritage and cultural practices.
The
first big-picture theme that I noticed was the use of very specific an intentional cultural practices. I would define this as
the placing of meaning into very specific cultural actions and traditions. For
example, the Czech people do not eat a standard Christmas Eve meal, they eat
the “white meal” that signified the coming together of the rich and the poor.
The meal consists of oyster
soup, white fish, salad, mashed potatoes, creamed peas, and bakery (kolaches).
Within the oyster soup, there are mushrooms and grain, which signify that both
the rich (who had grain access) and the poor (mushrooms access) were necessary
to make a complete soup/meal. Additionally, they celebrate the Feast of St.
Mikulas (meek-u-lash), which is on December 6. As Darryn Werner, a 25 year old
Czech descendent states: “The tradition is that on the eve of St. Mikulas
(Saint Nicholas), children will put out a pair of shoes (usually Sunday dress
shoes) and place a note for St. Mikulas in their shoes. The next morning, if
the child has been good, they would receive fruit, nuts, and candy. If the
child hasn’t been good, they would receive coal. This tradition is done to
remind the children that Christmas is right around the corner and to keep
trying to be good little children. My family has celebrated this ever since I
can remember. It’s fun and magical” (Interview 1, April 2014). Additionally, I
attended a Czech and Catholic funeral just outside of Prague, Nebraska, in
which I found several evident traditions including Czech farewell hymns sung
during the mass (sung in the Czech language). Many people were from the
surrounding area and were able to sing along with the choir. Even Ian (Interviewee
2, 2014) said he knew the traditional Czech songs, despite not being fluent in
the language. After the funeral, several Czech women brought baked goods
(kolaches and strudel) and a very large reception was held, with traditional
Czech music (accordian and organ) playing gently in the background. This detail
to tradition in this funeral was quite evident and exemplifies the Czech love
of customs and rituals (Field Notes, 2014).
Another
big-picture theme that struck me was the cultural pride in the younger
generation. I would define this as the feelings of loyalty and satisfaction in
ones culture, as aided by the traditions, customs, and similar pride found in
one’s parents. Both of my interviewees displayed similar responses when asked
if they ever experienced a time where they questioned having “Czech” as part of
their identity. They never did. Both expressed feelings of pride, connectedness,
and active enjoyment in their Czech heritage. I have noticed, after research,
that there are several Czech customs that surround the youth and aim to involve
them. When girls reach womanhood they make a Kroj (pronounced Kroy) which is an
embroidered and decorated type of apron. Additionally, they have the 100 year
tradition of selecting a Czech queen in Nebraska. You have to be at least 25%
Czech and between the ages of 16-25. Darryn, a former Czech queen described to
me the process, selection, and duty of the young women who run for queen:
“Every year, the chapters select a queen to represent their chapter and compete
in a pageant for the Nebraska title. After the queen is selected, she is
crowned and then the work begins… Outside of the pageant, the queen attends
Czech festivals to celebrate the heritage. The pageant has been taking place
for 100+ years” (Interview 1, 2014).
It
is in the younger generation where I mainly saw aspects of integration. Ian, a
22 year old half Czech and also my second interviewee describes a few of the
challenges of integration: “(There are) some stereotypes that go along with a
small Czech town: drunks, too many inside jokes, homely women….but I am not
ashamed” (Interview 2, 2014). He went on to say that he is able to integrate
well because of this being raised in both the Czech and American ways of life.
For example, he grew up in Lincoln and so was exposed to the modern and American
way of life, but he would make frequent trips with his family to Prague, NE
where is grandparents way of life seemed much more Czech. It was there they
cooked special meals, made krojs, spoke in Czech, and partook in other customs
and traditions. In this way, the two worlds were kept fairly separate. Although
he states he was never ashamed if one spilled into the other.
One
thing is for sure, the Czech promote the spread of their culture- even to
non-Czechs. This brings me to my third big-picture concept that is the
transmission of culture. I would define transmission of culture as the want to
share and pass on your traditions and customs to the future generations. Most
Nebraskans, whether Czech or not have heard of the Czech Festival, held in
Wilber, NE every year. It is a 53 year old tradition that is hosted over a span
of a few days and includes parades, traditional food, craft making, and of
course music (Czech Festival, n.d.). This event not only passes on Czech
culture to Czech decedents, but also to people of all nationalities. This
ideology is what sets the Czech culture in Nebraska apart from many others.
They actively try to transmit their way of life to all who are interested. This
is when the Czech pageant royalty are chosen and the Queen is given the task of
spreading her heritage. Darryn (a former queen) says “The point of the Czech
queen is for the young ladies that have competed to go out into society as
"Future Ambassadors" to perpetuate the heritage culture and
traditions of Czechs, Moravians, Selisians and Slovaks in America and
worldwide. The Czech chapters look for a young lady who is proud of her
heritage and who wants to share her traditions and keep the traditions alive
for future generations” (Interview 1, 2014). So it is
evident that the young generations are not only being taught their culture, but
empowered by the task to share it with the world.
I have really learned a lot through the investigation of this specific cultural group. Mainly, I have learned that intercultural communication requires sensitivity and astute observation to be better understood. I think I became a better listener, observer, and note taker through this process. Also, because my event was a funeral, I learned how to be delicate in my question asking and know what is or isn't appropriate in a given situation. For example, some of my questions were asked after the funeral at the reception to maintain social appropriateness during the sacred Mass. This is a culture that is really just in Lincoln's backyard, and I learned how diversity is not only found oversees.
Bibliography:
Czech
Festival . (n.d.). Nebraska Czechs of
Wilber. Retrieved
from http://nebraskaczechsofwilber.com
Culture. 2011. In Merriam-Webster.com.
Retrieved April 12, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culture
Martin, J.N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2013). Intercultural
communication in contexts (6th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
Interview 1, Darryn, April 2014.
Interview 2, Ian, April 2014.
Field Notes, Mr. Werner’s Funeral, Prague, NE, March
2014.
