Anderson 1 Jaron Anderson Film and Culture/Thursdays August 3, 2013 Question # 1 (Final)
Anderson 2 For this question I am going to discuss five important aspects of culture that caught my attention during class. The subjects I will write about include; race, government, religion, military, and cinema. 1. Race: Race has had a huge part in shaping American society, even long before the conception of our nation. We have come a long way in regards to slowly and hopefully unifying as people rather than segregating as a multitude of races. Getting rid of those prejudice boundaries that clearly has had an impact on our society has made some good progression. From the abolishment of slavery in 1865 to the civil rights movement of the 1960s, we have slowly transgressed to become a better society and a more accepting one as well. We have a black president, for the first time in history, whom has not only made history as the first black president, but one to have won a second term as president. Rewind 60 years ago and nobody in their right mind would have thought that was possible. Not for one second. Although we still have a lot of work to do as far as eliminating racial prejudice goes, I believe we are on the right path to do so. It (racial prejudice) still exists and has somewhat of a strong presence in certain parts of our country. I believe a lot of it has to do with how some families are raising their children. Some scientists and psychologists agree with this as well as disagree. Some see it as monkey see, monkey do type scenarios, meaning that if a child sees a parent, sibling, or group of friends doing something in particular, that they will ultimately follow in their footsteps. Others say that our racism is more of a natural occurrence and that we shouldn t be ashamed of it because it s natural defense mechanism that is preprogrammed in the human mind.
Anderson 3 I disagree with this and believe it is important to treat everybody the same, no matter the skin color. The less segregation we have the better our society, and ultimately the world, would be. We ve come a long way and I don t think it s fair to those who have put in all the work before us to be stepped on and their work be swept under the carpet so to speak. I believe we should step up and take initiative to better our society, the nation, and the world. We all have to share this world, so we may as well get along with each other in the process. 2. Government: So many different pros and cons come from our government. They help regulate our laws, taxes, etc., and keep our nation running like a well-oiled machine (at least we like to hope they do). Government is the most powerful influence on our culture today because government spends about $2.5 trillion a year, and every dollar carries the power to affect our culture and behavior through laws, regulations, grants, entitlements, and tax credits (P. Schlafly). The government controls one of the biggest contributor s of our society and our culture, public schools. It s at these public school where the children, the future of this nation, are shaped into the people they will become in their later years. Teaching them morals, knowledge, language, laws, and our customs. Some believe they may be censoring some of the foundations that help shape these children. In class we talked about how conspiracy theories from both the civilian and government sides affect our culture. It s interesting to look at how this impacts our culture. There are a lot of Americans who don t trust the American government because they feel they played a part in some of these conspiracies. Many of these conspiracies are still brought up today, still questioning whether or not the government should be trusted. It s instances like these that help define how our society and culture react to these allegations towards our government.
Anderson 4 I believe our government plays a huge role in forever shaping our society and culture. Some for good and some that could be for bad. In the end I believe we need a government to place laws and acts into place to protect the citizens. Though some don t agree with how the government spends our money, I still believe it is important for a higher power to help us. 3. Religion: Religion is such a controversy that it is a hard one to approach. It will always be an aspect that defines our culture and society. In regards to developed countries, America in one of the most religious. Religion can be compared to culture itself; it has patterns of belief, values, and behavior, all of which people acquire as a member of society. There are a few different types of people to discuss when talking about religion; those who believe in creationism, those who are agnostic, and those who are atheist. Those who believe in creationism believe that earth and life itself are the creation of a higher or supernatural being. These categories of people fall into almost every different type of religion. Agnostics seem to be the people on the side-of-the-fence. They believe the truths of certain claims but still remain skeptical and just aren t sure what to believe but still have some hope/faith. Atheists do not believe in the existence of a higher or supernatural being. Religion shapes American culture in cities and states across the nation. I think it brings together many aspects of cultural as a whole; food, language, clothes, race, and etc. I believe it helps with bringing everyone together, no matter the color of the skin. There are many positive that come with religion, but there are also many negatives that come with religion as well. People will always stick up for their own personal beliefs, no matter what. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but when those people start targeting other religions as false, then that s where the problems start. Some wars and revolutions start over religion, which is where I think this
Anderson 5 envelope gets pushed a little too far. I fully support people having their own beliefs, they have the right to do so, but when human lives are taken and war is waged, then that is when we need to step back and take a look at what some organized religion impacts. I also believe that religion plays a big part when it comes to government. As much as we like to think there is separation of church and state, I highly doubt that is the case. 4. Military: When most Americans think of our military it hits a soft spot in our hearts. If there is one thing that brings most Americans together, no matter the occasion, I think of the men and women of our nations military. Since the beginning of its time the American military has played a very decisive role in the history of the United States. It creates a sense of national unity and identity. The United States military is one of the largest in the world in regards to actual members. It draws the bulk of its manpower through paid volunteers. There is and always has been a strong military culture among those on active duty, those that are not on active duty, and of course our beloved veterans. Our military has always had a strong bond with the American citizens. I believe the main reasoning behind this is that a lot of these men and women are family oriented people with the same desires and goals as any normal American. You can see the love that the American culture has developed for its military. All you have to do is take a drive around your city and I can almost guarantee you will see a car with a sticker in the window or on the bumper that is supporting our troops. Or, you could get on the Internet and find a multitude of websites, blogs, forums, media, and social network sites that are in some way supporting the American military. YouTube has become the mecca for showcasing the loving nature we have for the military men and women. Displaying videos of soldiers returning home and even surprising their loved ones.
Anderson 6 Theirs no doubt in my mind that our nations military has truly helped shape the American culture as it is today. The military means a lot to me. I have had and currently have family in the military. They risked/risk their lives to protect us, whether the situation is the right thing to do or the wrong thing to do, whether we support the goal of the mission or not, they still risk everything for us. And for that they will always have my utmost respect and love. 5. Cinema: Film and culture seemingly go hand in hand. Since cinemas debut it has effectively captured the current aspects of the given culture. It has helped shaped American culture, past, present, and future. Cinema, in a sense, has been somewhat of a hall pass to effectively communicate and display all the rights and wrongs with culture and society. It has no boundaries and can freely express topics that may otherwise be untouchable or highly debatable. It seems like all the things that are considered bad or inappropriate are disregarded when put on film. Allowing cinematography to push the envelope and stretch the thoughts and feeling of its viewers. Cinema can bring people together, help them relate with one another on levels that may not otherwise be possible. However, there are exceptions. Some of the films nowadays are a little overboard and clearly are just looking for a dollar value. The scary, gory thrillers are definitely not what I am referring to when I say that cinema is a cultural tool. I love cinema, and I really like the movies that can grab you and make you feel like you are part of them, or that can relate to your situations. Those are the types of movies that are the glue to shaping cinema with American culture.