Sometimes Americans are considered ignorant and cocky because we don't understand other cultures. However, these cultures find our rituals and customs just as strange as we find theirs. Normally when we think of culture we think of foods, clothing and greetings as the cornerstones. Yet recent studies have shown that even the way we think is involved in the culture we grew up in. I find it fascinating that Westerners tend to think more logically then Easterners; who tend to allow contradiction more often. Perhaps this has something to do with the sterotype that Asians are good at math and science; maybe they really do excel at these things because of their culture. I find it perfectly plausable that different races and cultures may have different brain wirings. We have different skin tones, hair, faces and food choices; how much of a stretch is it to say that our brains are a little different as well?
Don't spend too much time asking if there are physiological differences between 'races'. We will spend quite a bit of time later in the semester answering that question. (By the way, the answer will be that there are none)
ReplyDeleteNow, as far as WIRING--That's a good question. What do you mean by that? In psych you should have learned that different experiences make different neurological connections and these are the basis of thought. The whole point of the article is to say that, yes, different cultural teachings cause people to look at the world in fundamentally different ways. (Different 'wiring')