Exploring Identity, Culture, and Global Citizenship Insights
School
Santa Monica College**We aren't endorsed by this school
Course
GLOBAL 2504
Subject
Anthropology
Date
Dec 10, 2024
Pages
2
Uploaded by CorporalArt15761
3.8 RA4-- Chapter 3: Identity & Culture (McCormick) 1.What are the most critical factors in determining your identity? There are many critical factors in determining our identities all of which shape our worldviews. We often associate the term ‘identity’ with the specific ways we think or act, the qualities we possess, or the geographic location we live in. However, our identity can be broken down into much more specific parts and critical factors. To elaborate, it is stated that our identity includes our “age, gender, sexual orientation, social class, ethnicity, citizenship, place of birth, language, religion, the kind of job we do, and so on” (McCormick 106).All these specificities differentiate us from each other and make us unique, allowing us to determine our identity. This uniqueness fosters a diversity of identities that help shape the world. 2.Can patriotism and global identity coexist? In my opinion, patriotism and global identity cannot coexist. As defined in McCormick, patriotism is the “love of a country, identification with a country, or devotion to a country, as reflected in a pride in the history, symbols, and myths of that country” (McCormick 108). Levels of patriotism differ by countries but extreme levels foster racism and hatred towards any other country besides their own. French philosopher, Voltaire, argued that “‘to be a good patriot one must become the enemy of the rest of mankind’” (McCormick 109). He persists that if you are loyal and devoted to your country, you cannot also be loyal and devoted to any other country. This further propels the argument that patriotism and global identity cannot coexist because a good patriot to their country would not show that same patriotism on a global scale as well. 3.What would it take to be a citizen of the world? Being a citizen of the world requires a few key aspects. According to McCormick, “aglobal citizen has a broad worldview, takes an interest in global matters, sees the world in global terms, and feels more of a sense of identity with the human race than with a particular state” (McCormick 110). To explain, being a global citizen is being more connected with the whole world rather than just your own country. It means prioritizing the needs of the world and not a particular country and finding a sense of belonging and identity in the world. Additionally, a citizen of the world focuses on global issues and terms rather than singular state issues. 4.Is there a global culture, and -- if so -- what are its features?
Global culture is closely related to the concept of culture and is very much existent and relevant today. In terms of its features, global culture suggests that “wherever we go in the world, we can expect to have many of the same experiences, to hear many of the same ideas, to eat similar kinds of food, and to see many of the same brands, products, and services for sale” (McCormick 113). This suggests that even though some cultures are specific to their certain country, we can still find similarities and connections between our cultures that intertwine. These can be through our foods, clothes, songs, dances, languages, etc. 5.Is race still a useful analytical tool? Defined in the McCormick textbook, race is the “grouping or classification of humans based on their heritable physical differences, such as skin color and facial features” (McCormick 116). To elaborate, race is determined based off physical features and similarities and differences rather than social or cultural qualities. Because of this, I think that race is not really a useful analytical tool to utilize anymore. As stated by the United Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, “there were so many misconceptions about its [race] meaning that ‘it would be better when speaking of human races to drop the term “race” altogether and speak of ethnic groups’” (McCormick 116). Since race can be interpreted as subjective and is determined by physical features, it should not be considered a useful analytical tool. 6.What distinguishes religion from culture? Within the McCormick textbook, religion and culture are distinguished by the state of a country's economy or by their wealth on a global scale. To explain, “the Pew survey finds that religion tends to be more important in poorer countries than in richer ones, and that those with weaker religious affiliations tend to have higher incomes and more education, and to be ideologically more liberal” (McCormick 122).This is seen specifically in Africa, with religion growing rapidly because of its poor and impoverished state. On the contrary, more developed and economically thriving nations tend to not rely on religion as much. Thus, the state of a country's economy distinguishes religion from culture.