Rethinking The Titanic: Primary Factors Of Culture
As individuals, we are metaphorically the notorious iceberg that sunk the Titanic. However, we are cultural icebergs comprised of both primary and secondary factors that shape how each one of us goes about our day to day lives. Every iceberg, including our metaphorical cultural iceberg, has a visible component. In this instance, the visible attributes to culture are called primary factors, and they vary drastically. For example, I may observe someone eating a particular type of food and be able to infer some information on their culture. Another primary factor that may be an indication of someone’s culture is the language they actively speak. Engaging in a specific dialect show that it holds value to that person and their culture. Furthermore,
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If everyone made assumptions on each other’s culture based solely on observation, we would be in a world of trouble. We may see that someone enjoys a certain kind of food, but who’s to say that my blonde-haired, blue-eyed, pale-skinned self cannot enjoy Mexican cuisine without someone confirming that I am a Mexican? Focusing exclusively on each other’s primary factors sets us up to fall victim to single stories. Chimamanda Ngozi, a dark-skinned, black haired woman with an accent, has personally been exposed to this unfortunate circumstance. Primary factors may implant certain ideas or expectations about another’s behaviors and interests. To illustrate this, Chimamanda came from Nigeria to attend school in the United States. While attending Chimamanda realized that her roommate had formed a single story about Africans. Her roommate had made the assumption that Chimamanda did not know how to speak English, listened to tribal music, and did not know how to properly use a stove (Ngozi, 2009). Conversely, that national language of Nigeria is English, Chimamanda enjoys music by Mariah Carey, and is confident in operating a stove. In the words of Chimamanda, “The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete; they make one story become the only story”(Ngozi,
If everyone made assumptions on each other’s culture based solely on observation, we would be in a world of trouble. We may see that someone enjoys a certain kind of food, but who’s to say that my blonde-haired, blue-eyed, pale-skinned self cannot enjoy Mexican cuisine without someone confirming that I am a Mexican? Focusing exclusively on each other’s primary factors sets us up to fall victim to single stories. Chimamanda Ngozi, a dark-skinned, black haired woman with an accent, has personally been exposed to this unfortunate circumstance. Primary factors may implant certain ideas or expectations about another’s behaviors and interests. To illustrate this, Chimamanda came from Nigeria to attend school in the United States. While attending Chimamanda realized that her roommate had formed a single story about Africans. Her roommate had made the assumption that Chimamanda did not know how to speak English, listened to tribal music, and did not know how to properly use a stove (Ngozi, 2009). Conversely, that national language of Nigeria is English, Chimamanda enjoys music by Mariah Carey, and is confident in operating a stove. In the words of Chimamanda, “The problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete; they make one story become the only story”(Ngozi,