7 topics over 7 days : Culture
7 topics over the next 7 days.
I'm sharing my thoughts on 7 topics this week stemming from a conversation with some friends who say I'm too obtuse. So, I'll write a little something of my thoughts on these topics:
Government, Gender, Religion, Race, Marriage, Sex, and Culture
If you want to do the same... Just reply to this status update or share it with your answers and then tag a few people whom you'd want to see it and hopefully share their thoughts
Day 7: Culture
The term Western Culture and the West have always been quite confusing. East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet wrote Rudyard Kipling. The people of Turkey would want to speak to him. When we say “western “, what do we really mean? It can’t be geographical given that Australia is further south and to the east of Africa. Perhaps we mean the embrace of certain virtues and manner of speaking, dressing and eating. In which case, is Russia Western as much as Greece or America? Do we just lump them all together to mean “White” and “Christian”? What about the mixed ethnic heritages that form a lot of those countries? I say all this to raise an inquisitive eye to the thing that we sort of speak of lazily. We all kind of know what we mean, but we also rarely take the time to clarify what we mean.
How do we stand out.
When people speak about embracing western culture, they often mean ‘the bad bits” according to their view. A Christian Ugandan might chide a youth who kisses their girlfriend in public as acting like a mzungu. The bible basher never really does taker in the full irony of this admonition. Yet would we really reduce culture to only those original ideas that emerged from people that looked like us and shared an ethnic grouping? The near infinite regress of the borrowing of ideas has been the norm rather than the exception.
Much like slang develops through the intermingling of youths at school, so too do the cultural norms of any people. The interaction of our forebears with the colonialists, the Arabs, to other Sub Saharan Africans resulted in them changing their ways of life. Sometimes through free choice, sadly many not by intention. The things we call tradition was once an innovation to deal with the times. Many of us, especially of the part of the world that feel the innovations and the shifting mainstream norms are being driven by others, may be tempted to hold tight to our heritage. Refusing to let ourselves become whitewashed; the values of our people lost forever.
This fear has some merit, but I think it’s more a fear of our disinterest and urge to embrace the new that scares us. We’re sort of worried we will turn into everyone else. That the world being more connected will become the same thing. Living life in the same way. So, to be Ugandan, we must hold on to some things just so that people know what is “uniquely us”.
When people speak about embracing western culture, they often mean ‘the bad bits” according to their view. A Christian Ugandan might chide a youth who kisses their girlfriend in public as acting like a mzungu. The bible basher never really does taker in the full irony of this admonition. Yet would we really reduce culture to only those original ideas that emerged from people that looked like us and shared an ethnic grouping? The near infinite regress of the borrowing of ideas has been the norm rather than the exception.
Much like slang develops through the intermingling of youths at school, so too do the cultural norms of any people. The interaction of our forebears with the colonialists, the Arabs, to other Sub Saharan Africans resulted in them changing their ways of life. Sometimes through free choice, sadly many not by intention. The things we call tradition was once an innovation to deal with the times. Many of us, especially of the part of the world that feel the innovations and the shifting mainstream norms are being driven by others, may be tempted to hold tight to our heritage. Refusing to let ourselves become whitewashed; the values of our people lost forever.
This fear has some merit, but I think it’s more a fear of our disinterest and urge to embrace the new that scares us. We’re sort of worried we will turn into everyone else. That the world being more connected will become the same thing. Living life in the same way. So, to be Ugandan, we must hold on to some things just so that people know what is “uniquely us”.
” How do we collectively stand out from the rest of the world?” we think to ourselves. Well our heritage, but that is the past and cannot be held in place. The situations for which we organized life has changed. It’s possible for us to embrace what the world has to offer while still being true to the ideals of our ancestors -the ones we choose to continue with, at least. Culture doesn’t just mean tradition. Not just our mother tongues, but that shared approach to the way we live. Given how varied we are, many subcultures will exist. Cosmopolitans and country people. Artists and corporates. Students and retirees. We are all Uganda but with variations. The world is so individualized that collective identity is getting murkier. I think Ugandan culture is just the shared history we all have, that changes from generation to generation. Meaning when I’m 60, Uganda culture will be something else completely.
Appropriation
A white woman dressed as a native American for Halloween. Beyoncé’ utilizing Indian imagery in her music videos. The mouth being used for more than “just eating” (I really just added this here to make sure y’all don’t doze off). All these could be viewed as instances of cultural appropriation. Benefitting commercially or otherwise by utilizing aspects of someone else’s culture without paying sufficient homage. The question will be, “Who decides that the person has appropriated with respect?”. In the case of Beyoncé’, most of the backlash came from people who are not Indian. Sort of crying more than the bereaved. Also, who would the spokesperson be for an entire culture? If a few people that are prominent say it’s okay, does it then become okay? Should a poll be taken? Whose opinion counts? Can it be appropriation if an African, a descendent of the colonized dons apparel in satire of the children of the colonizer?
How’s the water today?
My father constantly tells me to shave my beard. He’s pleasantly unaware that I look like a big toe when unshaved . He still calls me instead of texting and from time to time, asks me whether people are asking me when I’ll get married. True to “Ugandan culture” he didn’t open up much when we were growing up. He was stern and strong and always teaching lessons. As I became a man though, things changed. He became more vulnerable. It appeared to be an anathema for him to be vulnerable with me. This was normal. My friends said as much of their fathers. But then I noticed that this was a trope shown in different movies and films. It appears this African trait was not African ..It seemed to be a role men seemed to take on. The ideal man was stoic. Was a provider and was always called upon to sacrifice all of him for his family. Some men thrived under this expectation. Others not so much.
My grandfather, his dad, was a little more compassionate and friendlier. At least that’s how it felt. I don’t remember too much except how he made me feel. He was tough and strong and always dressed nicely. Like he was always on his way to church or high tea. He played guitar and spoke softly. He spoke to me as if I were a grown up and always listened to my stories and took me with him when he went for walks. When I mused on these memories when I was in my 20’s I wondered how such a sweet quiet man had raised such a stern man.
Appropriation
A white woman dressed as a native American for Halloween. Beyoncé’ utilizing Indian imagery in her music videos. The mouth being used for more than “just eating” (I really just added this here to make sure y’all don’t doze off). All these could be viewed as instances of cultural appropriation. Benefitting commercially or otherwise by utilizing aspects of someone else’s culture without paying sufficient homage. The question will be, “Who decides that the person has appropriated with respect?”. In the case of Beyoncé’, most of the backlash came from people who are not Indian. Sort of crying more than the bereaved. Also, who would the spokesperson be for an entire culture? If a few people that are prominent say it’s okay, does it then become okay? Should a poll be taken? Whose opinion counts? Can it be appropriation if an African, a descendent of the colonized dons apparel in satire of the children of the colonizer?
How’s the water today?
My father constantly tells me to shave my beard. He’s pleasantly unaware that I look like a big toe when unshaved . He still calls me instead of texting and from time to time, asks me whether people are asking me when I’ll get married. True to “Ugandan culture” he didn’t open up much when we were growing up. He was stern and strong and always teaching lessons. As I became a man though, things changed. He became more vulnerable. It appeared to be an anathema for him to be vulnerable with me. This was normal. My friends said as much of their fathers. But then I noticed that this was a trope shown in different movies and films. It appears this African trait was not African ..It seemed to be a role men seemed to take on. The ideal man was stoic. Was a provider and was always called upon to sacrifice all of him for his family. Some men thrived under this expectation. Others not so much.
My grandfather, his dad, was a little more compassionate and friendlier. At least that’s how it felt. I don’t remember too much except how he made me feel. He was tough and strong and always dressed nicely. Like he was always on his way to church or high tea. He played guitar and spoke softly. He spoke to me as if I were a grown up and always listened to my stories and took me with him when he went for walks. When I mused on these memories when I was in my 20’s I wondered how such a sweet quiet man had raised such a stern man.
But then on the few occasions all 3 of us were together, I noticed what I hadn’t as a child. My dad reacted to his father as I did my father. And his dad was a little sterner with him than he would be with me. The mini culture in our home was men were meant to be stern and strong to raise strong children. But the grandkids, haaa. They’re not your responsibility. No baggage exists of fights and arguments. Perhaps this is why, more and more, my father speaks of his doctor saying grand kids are good for a man in retirement! My father now speaks to me like my grandfather did to me. Openly. The hardness is falling. He’s changed the culture of the home. It’s a shame though it took decades.
So, my duty is to take the good things I learnt from these men and pass them on to those in my charge. Change happens slowly but it does happen. We’re not automatons sentenced to repeat the lives of our parents and peers. We inherit both good and harmful views. We have the task of being filters that discard the bad and the least helpful for better ways. We get to determine what is normal and what our children will think normal.
So, my duty is to take the good things I learnt from these men and pass them on to those in my charge. Change happens slowly but it does happen. We’re not automatons sentenced to repeat the lives of our parents and peers. We inherit both good and harmful views. We have the task of being filters that discard the bad and the least helpful for better ways. We get to determine what is normal and what our children will think normal.
And perhaps as we examine what we think is normal, we need to realize that this is different for other people. Rather than quickly label someone “uncultured”, taking a moment to examine why they’re doing things the way they are. Assume people are not just lazy or dumb or whatever. Assume they might be smart. Assume they may be dealing with circumstances different from your own which have led to them behaving a certain way. Personally, I’m a stickler for time and try to keep that standard with people in my life. I understand that given the cultural stay over from the days we simply toiled I the garden and thus had no need for watches and concepts like 7.30 pm” when sunset would do means that there’s people for whom this is no priority. This doesn’t mean I won’t request them to keep time, but it will affect my attitude as I do it and in fact how I do it. There’s a duty for us to be kind ye firm with each other. We need to no that there is rarely a commonly agreed upon normal between so many people of so many different backgrounds.
Never let the sentence “But it’s my culture” ever be used as a defense for bad behavior. For inconsideration. You can change the water in which you swim. All the world offers us a buffet of ideas and experiences that we can use to create our culture at home. In our work place. In the places we have a measure of influence. This will be stronger than pop culture if it’s honest and empowering. It’s the kind of backbone that allows someone to do the right thing even though it’s fashionable not to. Like eating pineapple on pizza despite heathens saying it’s wrong!!
Government I Gender I Religion I Race I Marriage I Sex I Culture
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Government I Gender I Religion I Race I Marriage I Sex I Culture
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Thanks so much for reading my 7 topics over these 7 days. I might have misspoken in a few places, but the idea was to just have a stream of consciousness approach to this. Thanks for all those that corrected and challenged and hopefully you’ll understand that through all these, my opinions are not set in stone but rather formed from an approach that tries to consider factualness, fairness and a focus on practical effects over intentions and sentiments. We have similar goals, just different ideas on how to get there. I’m a work in progress…Aren’t we all?
Cheers.
I might do this again…Let me know if there’s anything I should consider touching on.
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