Michael Ruder

Final Wiki Assignment: (500+ words) Using Wise as your source, post about what you have taken away from the readings and discussions in this class. What have learned about yourself or others cultures/co-cultures? What insights, if any, have you experienced? Feel free to discuss several different topics but remember to cite the text (any chapter is fine).

            I have taken away a few key concepts from this class that will stick with me for a while.  I have read and participated in discussions surrounding concepts that deal with culture such as self-identity, globalization, and youth.  I have mainly focused on the youth and found the youth most interesting and important to me.  I think that focusing on the youth is the most important because I consider myself a youth and we are the future of the next generation. 

            On page 12, Wise states a simple sentence that is very broad but wraps up his point very well, “what the space expresses is me”.  Self-identity is something that everyone goes through in his or her life and it usually something that one goes through while in adolescence and young adulthood.  It is here that we shape our territories and lives.  We decide who we want to be and how we want to be perceived by other.  Even though we do not have a direct control on how others will perceive us, we do have an advantage and a certain amount of control on our “destiny” of self-identity.  It is not necessarily ourselves who shape our identity but instead it is the different cultural factors that tie into our lives that have a great influence on our own self-culture. 

            We have come a long way in globalization from a century ago.  “What makes globalization new is a sense of the world as a whole” (Wise, p. 29).  We are all very aware, whether we want to be or not, of the different nationalities, races, and cultures that surround us everyday.  We have the option of accepting these different peoples into our lives or not.  I would say that for the most we do a very good job with this especially at SJSU because of its already diverse student body and San Jose City.  People have connected through globalization and most importantly learned new things not only about other people but also about us.  We as humans can learn amazing and profound things about ourselves through the perception and viewing of other cultures.  We are able to do this when we step back and ask ourselves questions about our direct self, people we associate with, or what we feel is our own personal culture. 

            Youth is different and is perceived different all through out the world.  Some youth has huge responsibility for the future and must work very hard.  On the other hand, there is some youth that does not need to work hard because there future is already there and laid out for the them.  I wish to concentrate on the fabrics of the youth as a culture because I find that aspect most interesting.  Youth, especially teens in America, are often times stereotyped and categorized as being unruly and rebellious.  This happens because of the societal pressure to be successful in everything that the youth does.  Most teens are not worried about being successful at the age of sixteen.  They want to be successful at one point in their lives but do not need/want to concentrate on that part of their lives at that moment.  Instead, youth is more concentrated on forming their self-identity and culture while finding out that they really are.  “The time of youth is a time of identity formation, trying to find out different identities to see who one is or wants to be” (Wise, p. 57).  This is a step that is necessary in the development stage before being successful.  Because of this pressure build-up and society preparing the youth for the moments of their lives that will bound them to be successful, the youth has one reaction that is not the solution but purely an action that is taken subconsciously, and that is to rebel and reject societal norms.  These societal norms are what the previous generation (parents and grandparents) has deemed as appropriate and right. 

Week 13

Option #3: How do you balance being constrained and coerced into specific cultural/co-cultural territories and defining your own cultural/co-cultural territories? What strategies do you employ?

Ever since high school, I have had to been able to balance defining my own cultural territory and feeling as though I am either being constrained or coerced into specific cultural territories.  I have always been inept at realizing times of “pressure”, when people are trying to make you join a certain group or act a certain way to be “cool”.  I could always pick that out and can still do that to this day but I never fell victim to that game too many times.  I think that it has not been that difficult for me to balance out multiple cultures because I have my one regular life and then I have always played on sports teams.  Every season, every month, every day it seems like, I have been playing a sport.  When a season is going well or goes well, it is like those sports are able to “serve as vectors of connection and affiliation between distanced and displaced communities” (Wise, p. 124).  My regular life consists of taking classes, being quiet, keeping to myself, and then hanging out with friends or spending time with the family.  My sports life involves waking up early, being loud and attempting to be dominant in the locker room and on the field, and then yelling and trying to be dominant hanging out with teammates.  As one can see, these are two different lifestyles that I both enjoy and actually do not have a hard time balancing out.  I think that they are so opposite that they do a great job at balancing each other out.  I able to get out all my energy and frustration when playing sports and then I are able to chill and relax when not in the sports frame of mind. 

 Option #1: Select one song or artist/band or genre of music that you would use to exemplify your personal or a co-culture you belong to and the role it plays in signaling who you “are.”

When this question was first posed, I thought that I would have a difficult time answering it because I don’t really feel like there is a specific song, artist, song, or genre that my co-culture specifically belongs to or belongs to me.  I listen to and am a fan of many different types or music.  Wise points out “music is one important way that people territorialize-they shape the space they’re in with rhythms, sounds, meanings” (Wise, 2008, p. 78).  With this being said, I decided to see what the “Top 25 Most Played” songs were on my iPod.  I noticed that they all had a very distinct pattern of similarity.  They were all hip-hop songs that were laid-back with slow relaxed beats.  The lyrics promoted positive vibes and the artists gave a confident swagger in each song.  This style of music represents my co-culture.  It represents my non-chalant carefree attitude.  I don’t let things get to me and I stay positive while still being realistic.  The lyrics in the song don’t necessarily have anything to do with my life or represent me but the beats and rhythms shape how I feel my life is and how I would like my life to be.  I live my life in a cool way that definitely has a hip-hop influence.  I am also able to take the lyrics and message that the song or words in the song portray and somehow tie them in with my culture/life.  What I mean by this is that I able to make the lyrics fit into my life and sorts have subconsciously change the meaning of the song to fit my lifestyle.  My imagination and creative-mind actually has a simple time doing this and allows me to feel a connection to the song.  Furthermore, the music can relieve me after a long where I feel like I got away from my normal self and need to draw myself back in and just relax.  On the flip side, I am able to reinforce my cultural self and feel the music when I listen to it my car after having a great day or just feeling good in general.  

Wiki8:  Wise and Kjeldgaard (pp. 71-72) discuss the idea of the “consumptionscape” – how we construct our culture through the act of consuming local, regional, national, or global goods. Within the context of this chapter - describe your own consumptionscape and how it impacts your cultural self.

I live and have lived in a place where comsumptionscape is at a very high level.  In my immediate surroundings, there are places to eat, live, rent, and purchase just about anything one can imagine.  If the product that I am looking for is not within a few miles, there is a great chance that I could hop on the freeway and be to the location where that product is sold in a short trip.  Thirdly, in our world today, if my desire is not within those two realms that I have already discussed, then I know that it is definitely purchasable via the Internet.  On page 71 of the text, Dannie Kjeldgaard states, “urban youth focused on style and identity.”  I would have to agree with this statement being true in the United States as well.  The most popular shoes for men in San Jose are Nikes or Vans.  I see this all over the campus.  It is amazing to pay attention to what shoes people are wearing and how often they will be Nikes or Vans.  With that said (I shake my head now), but I have bought two pairs of Vans and one pair of Nike shoes since I have recently enrolled at SJSU.  Young adults who live in rural communities are less of “victims” in being consumers like the urban youth, but with the Internet shopping increase and popularity, they too are participating and paying attention to what is and is not in style.  I think that I am more influenced in style and forming my cultural self/identity than say a “rural” person because I am constantly around a large and diverse amount of people.  My brain is subconsciously taking in everything and thus is more aware of these facts. 

Wiki Q7: Often the media we consume reflects our culture(s). Select a television program or movie that embodies or bridges your culture(s) or co-culture(s). Describe that particular cultural aspect(s), explain why you think that TV program or movie is a good representation of your co/culture, and how this links into the text.

The television show, “Malcolm in the Middle” is very similar to my life.  Interestingly enough, it is also one of my favorite shows and this is probably so because I am able to identify with it.  This show deals with the main character, Malcolm; going through day-to-day life with a family that is male dominated and testosterone-filled.  The mother is more of a discipliner and dictator than a mother who cares and loves for her children.  It may sound harsh but it makes sense due to the hectic lives and chaos that the four male children create.  Wise writes, “identity is part of one’s own self-formation, but also the consequence of what groups and other impose on one” (13).  This statement perfectly depicts the way that my self-identity has been created.  I am uniquely myself in my own way but there is no way that I would be who I am today without my brothers unknowingly help create my self-image. 

I live in a family with three other siblings beside myself that are all males.  I have two younger brothers that happen to be twins and an older brother.  Growing up was a lot of fun because we were all best friends and shared the same interests.  It was rare for us to be bored or feel that we were lacking friendship or a brother for that matter.  Our mother was always worried about what we were doing or suspected that we were up to no good and thus gave us many rules and regulations that we were “supposed” to abide by.  Our father, just like in the show, sort of egged us on and said things like, “Come on, they’re just kids.  Boys will be boys,” to our mother.   

Wiki Q6: Strategic essentialism is a way to express an “essential identity” (which in practicality do not exist) but it is important to express that identity (gender, race, ethnicity, etc) at a particular time and place (p. 14). Recall a time and place where you either practiced strategic essentialism or witnessed it practiced by a friend, relative, or co-worker (not in the media or via hearsay). Be specific. How did it make you feel? Was it effective? See text for examples.

The one time that really stands out in my mind is when I applied for a serving job at a restaurant in Menlo Park. I had a good friend that worked there as a server and she told me that her boss only hired kids who were from the area, which just so happened to be the richer parts of the bay. When I went in to fill out the application there was no section that asked where I grew up and although I was currently living in an apartment in San Jose, I told the employer that I still lived in Atherton. My friend had told me that he had asked her about my application. She grew up with me in Atherton so she told him more about our family’s relationships and how we were brought up rather then real facts about my personality. I was eventually hired and started to train the next week but it was an experience that stood out in my mind because I had realized that some employers are very specific in what they look for. I had been told what the employer was looking for therefore I made sure he knew that I fit the bill.

Week 8 Wiki Q5: The telegraph changed reality by, for the first time, separating transportation from communication. This had many impacts ranging from the development of monopoly capitalism to the idea of the multilevel transformative nature of technology. Ideology of the Internet - how has it changed reality (culture/communication) in general and for you specifically?

The Internet has been so catastrophic that it can said that the Internet started its own mini-revolution.  So many things have resulted from the Internet.  Blogging, live news feeds, downloading, streamed videos, movies, TV, viruses, stalking, school work, classes, books, shopping, and much more things have resulted from the Internet.  There is basically an unlimited amount of things that can be done from the Internet and the number is still growing!  To not be a participant of using this common invention is to be out of loop or completely non-conforming to societal norms.

On page 89 of the text, McLuhan is quoted as saying, “the computer…promises by technology a Pentecostal condition of universal understanding and unity.”  The combination of the computer and Internet has changed the lives of anyone who possesses it, as well as those who unfortunately do not have access.  People are able to have jobs at home or complete school at home because of the Internet.  This cuts out the need of taking time to transport yourself to different locations.  Shopping can be done with the click of a button.  Not to mention, the computer and Internet are fantastic for multi-tasking.  One can do homework, while shopping, e-mailing his or her mother, and talking to his friends and girlfriend.  It’s a beautiful thing. 

I am still young enough to feel as though I have grown up with the Internet and definitely take the Internet for granted even though I have witnessed major inventions and transformations.  The social networking that goes on the Internet has grown so much.  I can pretty much do all my communicating with anyone I want because of the Internet and the vast majority of the population participating with computers and Internet.  I am able to allow myself more time-management.  I can take an online class, research, read books, shop, write, watch TV and movies all with one device. 

Week 6 Wiki: Carey (p. 152) states that “we are awash now in nostalgia for the future.” It what ways does your “nostalgia for the future” impact your present? That is, unlike nature, we construct our worlds teleologically (designed or directed toward a final result). How are your actions now designed to create your specific future? Please avoid generalities dealing with education to get a better or good job, make you smarter, etc.

Carey (p.152) also states “the identical conclusion can be reached about the future for it plays the same role among modern intellectuals that the past played among traditional ones.”  I think about the future all the time and consider myself to be a goal oriented person who is working towards a final destination.  What that final destination is, I am not quite sure of but know that if I take care of my business to the best of my abilities, then the future will always remain bright.  I believe in karma and am constantly aware of it.  For example, I never lash out at people or demean anyone because I do not want this to happen to me.  It also goes hand in hand with the golden rule that we all know so well but sometimes forget.   Working hard is near and dear to me as well because hard work always pays off.  It may not have immediate benefits but I know that I will be rewarded one day.  It could be in a year or in twenty years, I do not know when but I do know that the big reward will happen when I probably least expect it.  Helping others and listening to others is a big deal to me.  While doing simple things like these, I am able to learn more about the surrounding world as well as myself.  One of the smartest but simplest things I ever heard was “You have two ears, two eyes, and one mouth.  So, pay attention, listen, and be quiet.”  I will never forget that and will remember that listening and watching will never hurt me but opening my mouth can have negative results.   

Week 4 Wiki:  How will new technology affect the development of your future “cultural-self?” Using technological developments of past “communication revolutions,” project into the future. Think about how culture in the past might have been influenced by the technology of the time and how new technologies (say in 15 years – 2024) might impact our personal cultural selves. Try to use specific, rather than general, historical references or concepts from the text.

Older “technology” involved newspaper, printing press, Bible, books, and even word of mouth.  Word of mouth is a good example because it is difficult to trust.  It is comparable to a fisherman coming back from the lake and talking about how the fish got away but it was THIS BIG.  How can word of mouth been so trusted when stories are easy to embellish?  New technology will affect the development of my “cultural-self” in many ways and has already been seen in recent incidents that were broadcasted nationally.  Recent developments of the video and camera phone have made our lives less private.  At the click of a button, we can be a homemade video on the Internet or photograph when we had no idea that a photographer was present.  My future profession will either land in law enforcement or a professional athlete.  Recently, we saw the “Bart Shooting” incident displayed nationally when a police officer in Oakland accidentally shot an already handcuffed male who was face down at the Bart Station.  This video was captured on a cell phone and was immediately released to the Internet as well as the press and news.  Now, instead of witnesses or hearsay, the courts have some actual footage of what went down that night.  Another incident would be the Rodney King beating that was captured by a dashboard video camera in a patrol car.  Furthermore, we have seen collegiate and professional athletes time and time again being photographed or video taped doing things that “embarrass” themselves and or their teammates.  Michael Phelps was photographed smoking marijuana out of a bong while in college. 

It is almost scary to think what the case will be in 15-20 years.  The technology will able to capture video that may be so accurate and frequent that it may make it somewhat easy to make something look like it happened when what actually happened was innocent.  Obviously, video, text, and script will be able to travel faster in the future than it is now. 

On page 89, Carey explains that the electronic revolution displays a faith that electricity will create social disorder and environmental disruption while simultaneously eliminating political conflict and personal alienation.  His projection into the future sees a life that basically flip-flops from the past.  Political conflict will be settled and people will not feel alone anymore.  On the other hand, there will social and environmental disorder.  This is something that we can already see occurring before our eyes and apparent in the previous arguments. 

Week 3 Wiki: What is the “value” of a college degree? Why did you choose to attend college and what are your expectations (specific or general) for earning a degree?

     The value of a degree is of more importance now more than ever.  With the current economy, finding a job is hard.  One's chances of finding a job can be greatly increased if one has a degree.  The college degree may be the difference between being economically viable or not.  Opportunity is the main value.  This leads to not only being able to support yourself but also being a able to support a loved one as well as your family.  Furthermore, education is important to my family and myself.  If I were not to receive a college degree, I would be considered a failure.  A degree allows you to specialize in a specific area.  You are specialized in an area and have more "qualifications" and "expertise" in that category or job.  You are trained to handle situations and have further knowledge than people who did not earn a degree in your field.  

     I chose to attend college because my parents both attended and graduated college.  My two older brothers attend college.  Obviously, a college education is a high priority in my family and is also important to me because I can see the values of it.  I want to be involved in law enforcement but do not want to limit myself to being just a "street" or "patrol" cop.  I want to have options in the law enforcement field.  A college degree in Justice Studies will greatly increase my chances of moving up in the field.  In addition, earning a degree in a specific major can be impressive when meeting people and developing relationships in life and business.  It can be great for networking and helping people.  

Week 2 Wiki: What communication rituals do you practice? Interrogate a media based communication ritual - trace its origins - where did it come from? How did you create/adopt this ritual?

I have always been one who prefers and appreciates face to face communication over text messaging, e-mailing, facebooking, myspacing, twittering, and other various means of communication that does not involve audible communication.  I have close friends that live out of the state and even one who lives in another country.  Instead of talking on the phone with my friends, I am able to speak with them face to face.  The newer Mac computers have a free downloadable version of a web cam, called Skype.  It became downloadable in July of 2006.  

I really enjoy using Skype because I feel like I am actually hanging out with friends of family.  Instead of talking on the phone and having short or long conversations, you can literally log on and open up a chat and watch TV or eat a meal with someone while seeing their face.  This allows you to see facial expressions of gestures that are valuable in telling a story or explaining yourself.  It is difficult to explain but talking to someone on Skype produces a completely different type of interaction.  It is also a great work environment because you can do homework or work related tasks while using a hands free application.  You can also collaborate with co-workers and, or speak with more than one person.  Again, Skype is excellent because it still allows you a face to face conversation that holds strong presence.