CULTURAL PRESERVATION

Canadians is known has a multicultural country or at least that's how we identify ourselves while Americans say the states is a melting pot. The USA likes to believe they are providing a membership to an inclusive club. The american prestige that has been created is what undermines culture. A lot of minorities loose there culture has time progress including me. we become to intertwined in the western views that we forget the very belief systems and cultural differences that make us genuine. Historically we know a lot of minorities have lost there cultural identity due to being immersed in the western culture. From the Natives Americans to African Americans culture is continued to be undermined and for the most part lost. The highest expression of what it means to be human is culture. which is why my parents placed a big importance on Cultural Preservation they recognized the many strands of what makes culture important: language, dances, songs, arts and craft. i was taught how to speak the language from when i was young but i was moved around a lot and didn't spend a lot of time with my immediate family so i forgot how to speak it fluently but i understand it really well. i never knew how important cultural preservation, even with in my how culture i am defined by how well i know my origin and the characteristics that make up my culture. Many of my family members tell me i need to learn the language so i can pass it down to my children so the language is not lost. But that's kinda hard because i am no longer intertwined in the Nigerian community like i was when i was younger, i became a bit displaced due to school and other external factors. None the less cultural preservation is important in terms of cultural evolution and cultural knowledge.

THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD

 Last week in Paris the sword was temporarily mightier than the pen when militant Islamists attacked the offices of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, and killed twelve people. I can truly never understand what drove these men to kill innocent people. i asked my cousins who were brought up had a Muslim  upbringing on their thoughts. The basically all said the same thing they were always taught that the pen is man's strongest weapon. These extremists must know that they can never silence freedom of speech, for it is a stronger weapon than any they'd dare to carry. True Islam condemns such attacks, more so when they are ignorantly and violently carried out in its name. My cousin’s views on this issue is based on how they were raised and what they learned about their religion. But there is always 2 sides to the story. The militant Islamist have a strict discipline and teachings that have been passed down and instilled in each of their members and members before them and it will; be instilled in members after them. Visual images of the prophet are frowned upon and, in the interpretation of some Muslims, should even be prohibited. This is based on the spiritual belief that visual depictions promote idolatry worship of the image itself. Transmission of culture is evident, development of belief systems and ideology is based on what is transmitted and how. I feel like the western culture fails to realize that, I believe in free speech of course it’s what our country is based on and a fundamental right but isn't public safety a bigger concern. Why portray an image of Muhammad knowing the consequences of those actions. I agree that freedom of speech should never be suppressed and it never will be because the pen is always mightier than the sword.

MY RACE CARD

I like to think Everyone in North america is born with a race card. As we progress and evolve from an infants, into teenagers, and later to adult hood we will continuously be identified based on our race, religious and cultural beliefs. i was born in Nigeria but moved to Canada at a very young age so i hardly remember anything involving my time in Nigeria. my family lived in government housing for majority of my childhood. Race wasn't an issue for me, i lived in a very diverse neighbor, where i had friends from different cultural and racial backgrounds, we didn't look at our selves had different or judged each other based on our appearances or cultural beliefs because all we cared about was having fun. we were unawares of a world that places importance on such things. Don't get me wrong we all identified ourselves based on our race but that was it we were unawares of the capitalistic environment in which were would embark in soon that takes advantage of minorities and delegates social stratification. growing up I didn't have a race card because almost everyone I knew was black or a minority of the same social status. The older i got and the more of the world i got to explore it was quite evident race was an important factor to how i would be persevered. i remember my parents always telling me i had to be smart and careful at all times, they told me i would have to work twice has hard at anything due to 2 factors, one being race and the other economic status. Despite my parents warning I have never seen my color, my hair or my race as a disadvantage because i choose to not see it that way. I am not naive in any sense i recognize social importance placed on race but i refuse to let that define me to an extent. i say to an extent because in someways it has already defined me even if i don't want it to. 

RELIGION CULTURAL IDENTITY

IS RELIGION AN IMPORTANT PART OF CULTURAL IDENTITY?

Cultural Identity is an individuals background  and also how that individual identifies him or herself in a global cultural context. A person's culture is usually defined by where they are from, what language they speak, and their religion. Usually you eat food according to your culture, and your traditions are according to your religion. For example, I am a christian so therefore I celebrate Easter, and Christmas. while another individual who is Muslim would celebrate Eid or Ramadan. These cultural distinction is what creates an individuals or a groups identity. Take the Muslim states as an example. Their daily lives are circumscribed by religious doctrine; their schooling, their clothing, even what they eat and how they play are strongly influenced by the constraints their religion places on their lives. For most westerners, this kind of control and way of life is foreign, but for them it is so entrenched that it is seldom questioned. For many westerners, me included, religious identity is a strong part of cultural and family identity, though that might not be immediately evident when you look at me. I follow a set of rules regarding health and behavior that is outlined by my christian religion, this factor  impacts the way i act towards others. Why? Because growing up my parents where highly infringed in there religious beliefs and these beliefs were transmitted to me. The concept of Transient social transfer is very evident, the way i act and the things i do are more or less due to the transfer of religious/cultural knowledge.