The Self-Birthing American

In the spirit of the end of this year and reflecting back onto the past, I want to look at the concept of ancestry within our society. Within the study of American culture there is an observation that many of us Americans live through a belief of - giving birth to ourselves. This state of reality that does not have a connection to a long lineage of the people or traditions of the past, could be viewed as lacking roots. I am not going to suggest that we all simply live through the ideologies of the past, but there is real value in knowing where one comes from. There is also great value in thinking of those that will come next. In short, I want to explore the social connections and responsibilities that span space and time.

I recently explored some of my family's history through a genealogy project. The process of this genealogy project was a much richer experience than I could have ever imagined. When I apply the concept of cause and effect to the lineage of my family, certain family characteristics are revealed in a different light. This exploration into my families roots was a part of the Native American Studies program that I am pursuing. Within Native American cultures the concept of being aware of "seven generations" is an important aspect of the cultural perspective that leads to social responsibility. This multi-generation awareness looks both directions in time, back into the past and forward into the future.

Is this cultural tendency of Americans to view themselves as being disconnected from their past, a form of recreation? Or, is this merely a natural consequence of American individualism, which is expressing itself in the form of an identity that is independent of the past?

My exploration with my family's lineage is far from over and I look forward to learning more about where I have come from. I can personally recommend doing some level of genealogy to everyone, for I think that it gives us a deeper understanding of the consequences that our choices have on the future generations. We all know how indebted our society is economically, but what about the deficit in our understanding of where we have come from, and thus, who will come from us. Things that are not well rooted, do not weather the storm well.

Life can be viewed as a circle that natural cycles revolve around. Does American individualism view itself as being separate from this circle of life?

The Commodification of Reality and The Reality of Commodification

In a world that defines a society's level of sophistication and success by its economic capabilities, the term commodification may sound very foreign. With this topic we are heading into a complex set of contemporary human issues, but I would like to focus on the aspects of - needs and rights. There was a time when basic human needs like food and water, were viewed as instrumental components that kept a society stable, and thus, were human rights. I am not so sure this is entirely true anymore. There seems to be a growing acceptance that food and water should be treated as commodities, which takes them out of the realm of rights. Has the concept of accumulating wealth made us so callused that we no longer view basic human needs as a right? Or, is this phenomenon a natural evolution due to the increased concentration of social power that the reality of commodification nurtures?

One does not have to look very far to see how the American reality has been commodified in its totality. Actually, what has not been turned into a commodity? I believe at this point the only aspect of our being human that has not been turned into a means for profit, is the air that we breath. To many of us this seems completely normal and justifiable, but if you go back in history, even in America's short history, there is a story that challenges this reality of commodification. One of the many cultural conflicts between Native Americans and Euro-Americans was the different paradigms with respect to owning land. I find it very interesting to visualize how this ideology of private property has evolved into the concept of owning the earth and its natural process, like the hydrological cycle - water. This product of Nature - water - the most basic element of life here on Earth has become one of the most profitable industries on this planet. I cannot help but think that this belief in owning Nature is somehow connected to a hierarchical chain of being that sees the human species at the top of it all. Does anyone see a potential problem with a reality that has commodified life and all that supports it?

Can we visualize a reality that is not constructed on the requirement that all is a commodity, and if so, what does it look like?

The American Island of Individualism

Individualism is a cornerstone of contemporary American culture. At an early age we are encouraged to be strong independent citizens. By definition American society is an egocentric culture, as compared to Japan's sociocentric culture. Simply stated, the emphasis and attention is put on the individual self. To many, this may be the most taken for granted cultural theme within American society. Looking at this fundamental aspect of our society one has to ask - how is this ideology serving us, both individually and collectively?

Can you see the isolation that is a direct consequence of individualism?

Taken to its extremes, does this egocentric perspective go against the laws of nature that rule a group of social beings?

Is this individualistic phenomenon a form of defiance against the responsibility to the commons?

These are some tough questions, especially to those of us that pride ourselves in being the individual self. However tough they may be, I believe that we as a society must ask these types of questions. One does not need to look any further than capitalism to see why individualism is so fundamental to this society's structure of hierarchy. Speaking critically of capitalism in this manner, in this culture, often gets one labeled as a socialist or even worse, a communist; I am none of these. I do not construct my identity through an economic perspective. I do however believe that as long as individuals need any external social, political, or economical system to tell them how they should treat their fellow humans, we are avoiding the truth and destined to continue to struggle.

Social scientists that study aging and the elderly in different cultures, often come to the same basic conclusion that within egocentric cultures the elderly are seen as liabilities and within sociocentric cultures they are seen as assets. Apply this observation to your own life and experience. How do you see yourself as an aged person? Do you see yourself as an elder, one that has a lot to offer to the younger generations, or do you see yourself as elderly, one who is dependent on others and cannot function as a strong individual?

Please remember that my intentions here are to get us all asking very tough questions. Questions that threaten what we call reality.

It has been said that it is the quality of questions that one is willing to ask that defines one's life. It has also been said that a society should be valued by how it values its weakest members. How would you summarize the collective value of this social experiment, known as the American cultural phenomenon?

Us and Them

During the holidays, I think of the divisive concept of - us and them. Separatist thinking is very prevalent in our society and the world of today. It is hard to say if this belief in the other, is actually growing stronger or just becoming more salient due to the speed of high-tech communication. Whatever the case may be, separatist thinking in the atomic age is a real threat to us all.

This ideology of loyalty to subgroups within humanity can be seen in various forms: nationalism, regional citizenship (e.g., Oregonian), township, religious affiliation, etc... The identification with these groups and the social identity that is created by this categorization has its function in social structure, but it also has its consequences of social tension and conflict. Some would say - this is just human nature - but I do not see human nature as a static state of being. We exist in a constant state of flux, within our physical, mental, and cultural states of being.

Can we see these social identities for what they are, or do we get so caught up in the identification with these groups that we forget we are all a part of the human group? This may be one of the most important questions that humanity as a whole and we as individuals are facing, in our day-to-day lives. When we link this topic to the earlier discussed concept of separate realities, these social groups can be viewed with a little more objectivity.

I do not think that humanity will ever evolve into one homogeneous culture or society, and I certainly hope that it does not! Cultural diversity is what makes the human species such an amazing phenomenon. It is this diversity, which makes human beliefs and behavior an ocean of case studies for anthropologists and psychologists to spend lifetimes studying.

So, does it come down to tolerance and respect, which will allow us humans to find balance and harmony between our perceived differences? Is tolerance and respect enough, or does there need to be more awareness with respect to the nature of reality and the existence of separate realities?

Generosity, Reciprocity, and Transparency

Before I delve into today's topic, I would like to briefly touch on the related subtopic of transparency. I am relatively new to this medium of blogging, but I must say that one of the potential problems that I have noticed is the lack of transparency. I am referring to the lack of accountability that happens when we post comments under a pseudonym. The problem that I have observed with this wall of anonymity, is that people can say just about anything and not have to deal with the consequences of these words. Words are powerful and we all should be willing to say them through our real name. There is a good reason that newspapers require the name and address of any person that is going to have their opinion published - social accountability. So, please use your real name when commenting on this blog, I thank you.

In the spirit of the giving season I would like to look at a pair of important topics within the field of anthropology, which are generosity and reciprocity. The act of giving to another, can build strong social bonds that contributes to a healthy and vibrant community. I hope that we all have experienced the power of giving someone a gift that brought us more joy and fulfillment than any gift that we have ever received. I believe that the power of giving is not appreciated to its true potential within this materialistic culture of accumulation. My personal belief on this characteristic of our society is that the ideology of the accumulation of wealth has lead us astray. A gift can symbolize many different things, but the intention of the giver is what I want to focus on here. When we give a gift to someone does it have strings of conditions attached to it? If so, I would say that it is not a gift but actually a mechanism of manipulation. Are we giving away gifts and thus building stronger social bonds with those in our lives, or are we giving away means that allow us to get what we really want in return?

I think we can apply these questions to our personal lives or the greater societal context, and find interesting potential answers. Why are we giving what we are giving, and are we truly giving it away?

This topic deserves much more time than I have at the moment, but this will hopefully get us started.

May we all have a healthy and joyful season of giving, and may we all think about the tacit aspects of our society that we are creating through the giving that we do. This blog is about sharing with each other to create the world that we want to experience, and I thank you for your words and the gifts that they are. Words are powerful...

The Role of Separate Realities

What is reality? Does a single reality really exist? These questions get to the heart of many fields of study, and have been asked by some of the greatest minds of all time. Considering the importance of the concept of reality to the societal experience that this blog is dedicated to, this concept needs some exploring.

Within the field of psychology, the term - schema - is used to refer to one's perspective on life, or one's world view. If we think of this schema as a lens with filters on it, much like a camera, we can appreciate its significance to the formation of separate realities. It could be said that the world is neutral and only through our interpretations do we experience what we see as good and bad. Let us not get caught up on the values of good and bad at this point in time, this will be a topic for another day. What I am getting at here is the process of individual interpretation of what we call life. Our schemas, or perspectives, are formed and change throughout the course of our lives. We all have experienced the world in different times and places; the context of our experience has given us a unique point of view. Can you "see" your schema? That is, can you observe how you are creating the experience of life through the lens and filters that we all wear?

I am sure that we all can reflect back onto some point in our lives when we were caught up in some type of argument, probably with someone close to us, and then there was a realization that we were not seeing the issue as the other person. This realization that we all are creating and thus experiencing separate realities, is critical for truly understanding social change. Whether we are talking about micro level changes within a small social group or macro level changes within the larger society, the reality of separate realities is a fundamental structural component of these groups.

If we look at the concept of ethnocentrism, which is believing one's beliefs are superior to another's, the concept of separate realities becomes very important. We are entering onto a slippery slope here, because the opposite of ethnocentrism is the equally destructive perspective of relativism. I say equally destructive because the relativist perspective at its extreme, states that - one cannot judge another from one's own point of view. We do not need to look any further than Nazi Germany to see why we need a balance between ethnocentrism and relativism to create a society that is built on justice.

Please be aware that my intentions here are to bring up questions within you, as much as I am trying to put ideas forward for you. I believe that we all have access to the solutions that our society and our world so desperately needs, and that these solutions reside within the connection between the heart and the head. It could be said that it is the questions that we are willing to ask that will lead to the solutions which we need. It takes great courage to ask the questions that challenge our version of reality.

So, is there a single reality? Who's reality are we agreeing on?

A bit of caution here is needed if you have not thought much about this concept of relative reality. Life can get very fuzzy when the veil of reality is lifted, so be careful. I often use the analogy of getting lost in the woods here - getting lost is a state of mind and has very little to do with where you are at. There is more adventure in not knowing...

When we have the courage to acknowledge that we are seeing the world as we think it is and not as it is, we have the opportunity to reappraise our entire life's experience. I also believe that through this process of acknowledging separate realities, we create compassion for one another. Living life with a compassionate perspective could be the most powerful mechanism of social change that we all can do right now.

The Co-Creation of Thought and Form

In this extremely fast paced society that is becoming more and more dependent on technological advances, it is hard to know what came first - the fast pace or the technologies. This argument over the - chicken or the egg theory - is very prevalent within contemporary anthropology and psychology. The materialists see humans as slaves to the objects that they create, in other words, form creates thought. On the other side of the theoretical coin, the ideologists see the objects that humans create as symbols of thought, in other words, thought creates form. One does not have to look very far from one's own life to see manifestations of both of these theories.

So what is the mechanism behind this societal phenomenon? Why does it have to be either materialistic perspective or idealistic perspective, can it not be both?

I no longer view any aspect of society as being a result of single causation. Human behavior is extremely complex and cannot be reduced to a single theory of explanation. There is a process of co-creation that is behind the world that we all experience. We are products of our environment and our environment is a product of us. Maybe one reason that debates like materialistic versus idealistic rage on within our society is that the "Western" mind does not sit well with paradoxes. Or maybe our competitive nature has gotten the best of us. Are we more concerned about being right than being truthful? Are we pursuing the truth or do we obtain the truth?

The Amish are known for their conservative views and simplistic ways of life. I will cautiously put forth a generalization about the Amish for an example of the influence of technology on society. Some of the Amish farming communities choose not to use rubber tires on their farming equipment. One of the implicit reasons for this societal decision is to not let their way of life get moving too fast. Literally, rubber tires allow for a much faster paced life, both on and off the farm. I am fascinated with such rich symbolism within such a mundane piece of our lives. What novel object in your life is co-creating the pace and quality of your life?

I hope some of the questions that I am raising here help provoke new thoughts and deeper questions within all of us. May we all become more aware of the continuous loop of cause and effect that our choices within life, create.

What are We Willing to Give Up?

This blog is dedicated to becoming aware of the mechanisms that are driving our world. These mechanisms are both physical and ideological in their structure. It is one thing to want change or even be aware that we need change, but it is an entirely different thing to know what the real changes need to be. What are you willing to give up for the world that you want to see? Your car? Your nice house? Your cell phone? Your fancy pants? What then? What do we really need? At some level, we all need to wake up to the fact that we are chasing our tail, thinking that it is what we need and not accepting that it is what we want.

What are we willing to give up?

This blog is obviously going to challenge some widely accepted social norms; this can be uncomfortable for some, and extremely threatening to others! The intentions of this blog are to do no harm while attempting to incite a much needed civil dialogue. To accomplish the goal of this forum we must respect the unique perspective of others. Finding a balance between ethnocentrism and relativism is the only way to have respectful arguments that can lead to the positive changes that our world so desperately needs. Thus, let us all follow these simple guidelines: be truthful in your words, be respectful in your words, and treat others with your words as you would have them treat you. One last thing - if you cannot speak through your "real name" please do not bother participating with this blog, there will be no anonymous bloggers allowed at this site!

Thank you for taking the time to listen to others and to share your thoughts. Meaningful social dialogues are one of the fundamental mechanisms of change.