Emily Dwyer

English

Cooper, 3

5/22/17

How Does Understanding the Beliefs of Different Cultures

Contribute to a Stronger Society?

This year I have learned so much about many different types of cultures. Not only have I

extensively studied many different Native American Tribes, but I have also studied Latin

American cultures in Spanish and Arabs in Arabic. Learning about different cultures is absolutely

essential for anyone wishing to understand the world. It is far too easy to become caught up in

the hustle and bustle of daily life, and forget that we are one culture in thousands, and that we

are no better, stronger, smarter, or more advanced than anyone else. The world is an enormous

place, and many people go their whole lives without interacting with other cultures or trying to

understand them at all. However, a person and a society is only strong when they can connect

with, respect, and learn from other cultures. Understanding the fundamental beliefs and values

of different cultures allows us to apply those values to our own lives and broaden our minds,

opening up to the world in incredible ways. A strong society is one that is built upon many

different culture and civilizations because different aspects of these cultures combine to create a

diverse and accepting society. AGS is allowing us to start this process early by using the four

pillars to become global citizens.

Curiosity and a desire to investigate the world is essential in order to have a strong

society and understand different cultures. AGS has fostered in me the desire to become a global

citizen and understand the way different groups of people live. People who lack this curiosity

often spend their whole lives in one place, and that is not for me. In AGS I have already learned

how to investigate the world from an objective perspective through reading and discussing

diverse cultures. One of the ways Ive learned how strong societies form through understanding
different cultures is from learning about the early settlers and civilizations in North America. The

European settlers thought that they were superior to the Native tribes that already occupied the

lands, and did not attempt to fathom the complex systems that they had created. Thus, there

were many disputes that erupted and led to wars and violence that could have been avoided.

The Aztecs and Incas in South America are excellent examples of this. They lived in powerful

communities with complex systems of government. They had written and spoken languages and

images, irrigation systems, math and astronomy systems, and incredible technology. The

spanish settlers, however, did not recognize this and attempted to take advantage of them and

exploit them, resulting in violent conflicts and the widespread destruction of culture. The Iroquois

constitution we read in English is also an example of this. The Iroquois Confederacy was a very

strong union of many different Native tribes, with a constitution similar to that of the United

States of America. However, the British made the same mistakes as the Spanish and attempted

to cheat and exploit the Iroquois, and the fighting resulted in the same repercussions and

destruction. These examples demonstrate that only through acceptance and understanding of

cultures can peace and prosperity for both evolve.

Being able to recognize perspectives and see from other points of view is also

necessary to creating a strong and unified culture. If two cultures are to coexist, they must be

able to compromise and learn from each other. Once people can see from other points of view,

and think before taking action, a society can become strong and united. I learned how to

recognize perspectives this year through learning about Native American representation in the

media and by watching the movie Smoke Signals. We are all guilty of not thinking about how

our actions affect other people sometimes. And this became very evident to me through viewing

some of my favorite childhood movies, Peter Pan and Pocahontas, from the eyes of Native

Americans. It was only through thinking explicitly about how a Native child would feel watching

these movies that I recognized the racism and inappropriate images they use to represent them.

Words such as savages and heathens and devils to describe Native Americans are heard
prominently in Pocahontas, and the Indians shown in Peter Pan are shown as ignorant,

violent, and savage. The use of the Indian in the media has sparked a large amount of public

dissent in recent years, and this could have been avoided if the creators of these movies had

attempted to view it from the eyes of a Native American child first.

Communicating Ideas is another way that different societies can come to understand

each other and become strong and united. It is essential for people from different cultures to be

able to communicate effectively and diplomatically. Being able to communicate between

cultures fosters understanding, and understanding leads to acceptance and a mutual respect. I

was able to communicate my ideas this year in many ways. Learning how to effectively write

and talk about issues that I feel passionate about has given me confidence in my ability to

express myself, and has allowed me to see how if people would listen to each other, and learn

from each other, and collaborate on ideas, different cultures could come to perceive each other

in different ways. One example of this is through the IBL project. My group researched different

Native American creation stories, and how three different tribes viewed the natural

phenomenons of the world. We then shared this with a class of fifth graders. They came out of

our presentation having learned more than I was expecting, and they were able to express to us

things they never knew about Native American tribes, and could now appreciate. We had to

alter the information in order to make it understandable to the fifth graders, but we were still able

to get the point across fairly easily. This made me think about how amazing it would be if

different governments and cultures could simply teach other governments about their ways of

life and values, without expecting anything from it. They would have to alter their teachings a bit

depending on their group in order to communicate effectively, but they could still get their points

across. These governments would then come away with a new respect and empathy, and they

would better be able to listen to and support each other.

Lastly, and my personal favorite, is taking action. In order to understand a culture, you

must be willing to insert yourself into a culture and get your hands dirty. Hypothetical situations
and classroom environments can only take you so far, and it is only through completely

immersing into a new culture that you can even begin to understand it. In AGS this year, we

went to New Mexico and got to experience the Pueblo culture, if only a little bit. We say where

they lived and worked, and met people who explained their values and traditional lifestyles. We

learned about their love of the earth, their agriculture, and got to taste their food. We learned

about their love of art and got to make and buy some. I came out of New Mexico with a special

new appreciation for Native American people, who are still shunted aside and forgotten in the

mainstream American news. These people are strong and resilient, and keep their languages

and traditions alive despite overwhelming odds. If everyone could immerse themselves in

another culture, and really try to understand it, the world would be a much different place.

People could grow together, and respect each other, and not feel the need to slight or cheat

each other.

The largest reasons for dissent and conflict and violence and racism between people

from different cultures are fear and ignorance. The world will always be divided as long as

people are threatened by each other, and risk losing individual culture to each other. Fear is the

greatest divisor, closely followed by ignorance. People do not know about other cultures, and

they do not wish too. They remain caught up in their own lifestyles, and ignorance fosters fear.

That is why a strong society is one in which different cultures embrace each other and

understand each other. A strong society is united, yet diverse. It is made of many different

cultures who have mutual respect for each other, and can recognize each other's perspectives.

It is only through this understanding that people can grow together. Thanks to AGS, I am able to

see this, and I have the strong desire to learn from as many cultures as I possibly can.