The Way of the "South"?

The assignment for this week's blog requires me to identify myself with a group that is small and homogenous enough to be fully described in a reasonably-sized post ('reasonable' meaning a size that people would still take interest in reading). I do not believe that it is possible for me, and probably many others, to do such. Should I classify myself as simply American? Southern? Middle class? Female? "Southern" would make the most sense for this assignment, being that I could talk about manners and hospitality as a part of our day to day culture. However, with the extent of globalization, I do not feel comfortable defining myself in terms that restrict me to the stereotypical "south." Having parents born in Michigan, that have lived in all corners of the country, and also exposed me to travel in many regions of the world, I feel that my background and "culture" is not so easily definable.

Having realized that there are many layers to one's culture, the broadest sense is my national culture: American. For an outsider to understand American culture, they must know the most general facts. For one, we are an industrialist society and consequently live in a individualist, nuclear family lifestyle. This affects relations with extended family, putting more of an emphasis on growing up and moving out, rather than staying in the household to take care of the younger or older generations. If I consider anyone "my people," it would be the American population, for it is a melting pot, so endearingly coined. There is a plethora of diverse subcultures and origins that make up

America.

For an outsider, (i.e. foreign exchange student) basic nationalistic culture can still be interepreted through ethnos, nomos, mythos, archon, and techne...

Ethnos, being identity, is readily established through pride in government and the ability to vote. Power of the individual is accentuated, which closely ties in with our individualism. We take pride in our rights, such as freedom of speech, and we like to capitalize on them.

Nomos, naming, varies from region to region. For governmental establishments, names either refer back to important people or places in history--often the Founding Fathers. George Washington, being the first American president, is one of the most important figures that represents that values of our country. The country capital is referred to as "Washington D.C." If a person claims, as one of our lecture videos pointed out, "Washington has issued a statement," the population understands that he or she is referring to the government as a collective whole, or perhaps the White House, meaning the President. In regions with strong Native American History, naming of places will most likely have ties back to prevalent tribes or people of the history of that region.

Mythos, story-telling, is found mainly in digital media in current times. Stories are told through graphics, advertising, movies, blogs, etc. Many cultural values are projected onto the movie screen, whether is it subconscious or purposeful, and can tell a lot about the values of American culture. A recent movie, Money Never Sleeps (2010), gives a blatant critique of American corporatism and how it starts to devalue the humanity of people.

Archon, display of culture, is something easily recognizable for American culture. First and most important may be the American Flag. Any combination of red, white, and blue rings true in the American heart. The colors may be worn in tacky fashion on Independence Day, or seen flying outside schools, homes, and cars. The flag was a common sight in the months after 9/11, representing our union as a whole country. The event was tragic, but it was an inspirational sight to see everyone come together.

Lastly, techne concerns itself with how things are made. Simple: mass production and outsourcing. Anything hand-made in America is "overpriced," but may be considered high quality. Women's fashion boutique stores are a great example of this, based off of personal experience... American society focuses more on production of services, rather than goods.

Again, "my people" is not something I feel comfortable defining, because I consider myself a part of many different cultures and places. My own heritage and experiences are a melting pot which, perhaps, is the factor that makes me truly American.

**NOTE: All photos that are relevant to this post are on a computer in the United States. I am in Spain. I will attempt to have my mother send me photos. I apologize for this lengthy post with no pretty photos to look at.