are all cultures inherently ultimately self contained and closed and exclusive in their own ways?

Question

or are some cultures more so then others?

Ie. Jewish and Muslim cultures seem to be more so when it comes to marriage. I am both offended and threatened by there "seeming" exclusivity. Is that what white culture does to black culture? Is that the same thing?

Have you ever bumped up against a culture and felt excluded?

Why am I so stupid and limited like that?

Answer 1

Yeah I know what your talking about. You should read up on the Amish...very exclusive...yet they have a system that works really well as far as self suffiency.
The black and white thing is racism because black and white really are not cultures per se but rather races. Often the opposing races dont even make an attempt to understand the other race, much less the different cultures of that race. So again thats racism. And yes many whites do this to blacks and blacks do it to whites.
Have I ever felt excluded...heck yeah. Well excluded yet when I thought about it I didnt want to be included. I am speaking of a time I lived in a small town in North Carolina. I found the culture and unspoken laws odd and I could not conform. Racism was also deep within the culture. Having come from a more western state (NM) I thought that kind of racism didnt even exsist...boy was I wrong. Im white so you would think I would be ok right? No it bugged the hell out of me and I refused to conform to such beliefs. Needless to say I lasted only a year and a half and moved back to NM where things were more normal for me.
While I was there in NC though I learned alot. I learned that culture is formed by experience. Most the people in that small town had never experienced anything outside thier county line. I also learned that even though I hated it there it served a purpose in my understanding of culture in genral.

Answer 2

Some religions have prohibitions against marrying outside the faith - breeding is theoretically an easy way to make new believers.

Cultures try to keep themselves going - being exclusive is one way of defining a culture. If everyone has it, it isn't cultural. Drinking water, for instance, isn't a cultural practice, but it becomes one if you drink it out of a certain kind of cup for reasons other than practicality, or if you aren't allowed to for certain days, etc.

Some cultures are more accepting of people becoming part of them, and some are not. There are different ways in which one can be accepted or not. One story I heard was about someone visiting the Vatican and watching people get rejected from the line to the museums. You can't wear tank-tops or things that show your arms. This is cultural. Even if the woman who was told she couldn't enter was a Catholic, she was less prepared for the culture of the Vatican City than a Muslim woman who was dressed appropriately. This latter woman would blend in in a more appopriate manner at that time. In other instances, religion is more important.

If you want to know more about what defines a culture and what happens when cultures meet, either take an introduction to anthropology course or look up something like 'what is culture' on the web.

Answer 3

Wow.....very thought provoking....I am intrigued by this question, indeed.

I am not of the belief that all cultures are inherently and ultimately self contained. I do believe the ones that you mentioned are to a certain degree...more Orthodox, though. I am also of the firm belief that this is changing.

Between white and black cultures....its a different ball of wax. There is still so much unacknowledged pain behind the way the two groups interact. Humans must know by this time in our existence, that in order to truly and unequivocably be able to affect change, we have to dialogue...we share this earth and there is SO, SO much that we can learn from each others culture.

Skin color is no more significant than the color of our eyes. We have to know that in order to truly gain all that Life has to offer.

You're not stupid or limited. These are all cultural cues that we are given or exposed to. All it takes is one. Ahh...the power of ONE.

Sure, I've bumped up against a culture and felt excluded. But I am one to always examine ME first. I open my mind to the experience and get completely engulfed in culture as I travel alot.

Good one once against LR!

Answer 4

the idea of culture is a limiting factor all together. to have pride in ones culture you must hold it above the rest and since most cultures are based in race it becomes racist. I have nothing against black people but since stereotypically black people listen to hiphop/rap I don't have black friends since i don't like the hip-hop/rap culture, does that make me a racist or a culturist? i think everyone has a bit of culturalist in them. I also thing that the parts of society that will survive are the people who don't exclude other ideas. think of it like evolution, while other cultures hold onto the old ways of living others except change and adaptation.

Answer 5

Catholics and Greeks are also very exclusive. Even in this day and age, even in America, you'll be hard pressed to find catholics married to non- catholics, or Greeks married to non- Greek.
They feel as though, their religions and beliefs are superior to others, much like whites have always felt about blacks........ only they have a whole relion to back it up......... Un fortunately, you can't change people's narrow minded ways.... no matter who or what they are....... P.S. Mormon's are very exclusive as well.

Answer 6

definite. it really is accessible and occurs on a daily basis in all our lives. •instinct •Mediums •Telepathy each and every of the conventional "psychic" belongings you listen and categorize below such. All those are the better know-how' way of featuring itself in the "waking" state. You, as a spirit have 3 degrees of know-how: •know-how (actual body) •Subconsciousness (soul) •Superconsciousness (spirit aspect, we are one with the entire. At this aspect, we are on a wakeful aspect with all there is - the divine). all of them quicker or later in our lives, intervene; lead us in a direction we had NO theory why. Our innovations (actual) had no theory WHY we chosen that. Or why we did not pass to artwork the day there replaced right into a 20 automobile pile up on the freeway. what's particularly eye-catching is déjà vu . the position your "dreaming self" interferes with the "waking self" and the "waking self" realizes it replaced into from the "dreaming" state of know-how. gentle and L?ve!