What is Culture Part 3

Another researcher, who is not in Paddy Ladd's book, who I found in my own research, named Aronson, also talks about culture as a power relationship. He says that ethnic groups are really "political action groups" whose purpose is to pursue power. All groups want power -- to control their destinies, of course. He talks about ethnicity -- the idea of race and ethnicity -- that ethnicity is really a form of ideology (belief system). His main point is that there are two kinds of ideologies: "class" ideology and "ethnic" ideology. "Class ideology" means the in-group (the group that has power) believes they are better to run things Class ideology says "we establish what the values are, and what values we want to keep, and what values values we want to share with you, and which values that should be taken or withheld from you." In comparison, Ethnic ideology holds that "we, (the out-group) we do not agree with those declared values, and and goals of the system, and we want to be left alone, maybe with some resources provided to us, such as money or land or political access, so that we can pursue OUR own goals. These two belief systems really contrast, and they do come into conflict. I've told you of some basic theories regarding culture. Does what I've told you mean that culture is "static" (unchanging)? It's not. Cultures CAN change. Cultures can and do look for an equilibrium. But every now and then you do see periods where there are disruptions in cultures. Bohannon, in 1995, wrote cultures can have periods of cultural "turbulence". Those patterns tend to appear during times of change Especially evolutionary periods. where you see roles changing. Bohannon says you start to see these periods of change during times he calls "cultural cusps", where you see two events converging, And at the same time, new cultural beliefs and conceptions are appearing paradigms are developing, The convergence of these different cultural beliefs cause this disruption. And the culture needs to find its equilibrium. Cultures CAN change. Bohannon warns about the idea of "cultural lock-in", and "cultural traps". He says: What he's saying is that if people follow ideas to specific ways, that those ideas and beliefs about their culture can become a "trap". They become locked into that thinking and can't let go of it. But when things and situations change, all those religious or political beliefs will control how one thinks about things, and preclude questioning of those ideas. So those things become "deadly" in that people can't think in new ways and they die out as a result. So when that happens, the culture as it was used to help people to survive, solve problems, and adapt to their environment, now become a trap preventing preventing alternate perceptions and thinking. I know what some of you may be thinking. You're probably thinking "See! That proves Deaf culture needs to change and accept it!" However, this point does not apply to minority cultures alone; it can apply to the majority culture's values as well. We can see the majority culture being locked into their way of thinking that their way is the only way and the right way, but it can cause disruption to their culture as well. Many minority cultures do try to visualize "what if" -- "what if we could have what we want, what kind of world would we want to live in?" Many do visualize and aspire to these goals. Black people have aspired to a world where Whites and Blacks are equal, there is no oppression of Blacks, no bias, they can marry and have equal access. The American Indians have had their aspirations, and other groups as well. All minority cultures have those aspirations. And many minority cultures do work towards trying to achieve those dreams. It must be understood that when a minority culture tries to achieve The majority culture does not want to see this happen and controls the minority culture to prevent that threat or challenge to their status and way of life. Also, many minority cultures tend to have those dreams, but not everybody dreams in the same way. Sometimes people live and bear with the oppression so they think they must accept the majority culture's way of thinking. So they can't think about what other possible ways of living there might be. It is important for minority groups to internally promote and present alternative ways of life and living so as to help to help other people understand that there are other possibilities, and not just one way of living. That can help to increase the group's existential.... wholeness and equilibrium.