MarkBenoza

WaysofKnowing

1/31/15

Midterm

MidtermExam

Q1.)
Itisimportanttorealizethatwhenoneisstudyingsocialsciencesthatnotoneculture,
orprocessisbetter,worse,orpreferablethananother.Thereasonbeingforthisisbecause
eachculturehasdifferentbackgroundsforperformingtheirindividualtask,andthatthose
tasksarespecifictotheirownenvironments.Diversityisneededthroughoutculturesbecause
itallowsustoadapttothecertainconditionsthateachhumanfaces.Inthereading
Orienting
ConceptsandWaysofUnderstandingtheCulturalNatureofHumanDevelopment
by
BarbaraRogoff,weexplorehowtoexamineotherculturesandunderstandwhycultures
separateordifferentfromonesown,havetheirspecificelements.Rogoffmentionsthat
Ratherthansimplydeterminingthatsomeothergroupofpeopledonotdowhatwedo,or
donotdoitaswellorinthewaythatwedoit,orjumpingtoconclusionsthattheirpractices
arebarbaric
(Rogoff,17).
BythismeaningRogoffissimplyexplainingthatwhenoneisobservingotherculturesthat
theirshouldnotbeamindsetofbiasedtowardsonesownculture.Itisimportantthatinstead
ofobserving

what
aspecificcultureisdoing,weshouldbeexamining
why

acertaincultureis
doingwhattheydo,andthatonesownpreferablemethodisnotanybetterorworse.Letus
takeintotheexampleofsoy.SoyisanessentialpieceofatypicalAsiandiet,itprovides
certainnutrientsthatanindividualinthatculturemayneed.InWesterncultures,wereceive
manyofthesamenutrientsfromdairy.Thereasonbeingthattheirisalackofdairyinthediet

inAsianculturesisduetoenvironment.Thereismoreofauseinsoybeansinceitisknownto
becommontothat
area.Bothculturesreceivetheirnutrients,andnotonemethodisbetterorworsethanthe
other.Italldependsonwhatisneededfortheirspecificenvironments.Thisdiversityiskeyto
oursurvivalashumansandaddressingourneeds.AsRogoffputsit
Weareunableto
foreseetheissuesthathumanitymustfaceinthefuture,sowecannotbecertainthatanyone
wayofapproachinghumanissueswillcontinuetobeeffective.Auniformhumanculture
wouldlimitthepossibilitiesforeffectivelyaddressingfutureneeds
(Rogoff,18).

Q2.)
InRobertLevinesarticle

Parentalgoals:acrossculturalviewweexamineLevines
analysisofallparent'sconcludingambitionsfortheirchildren.Levinedefinesthesegoalsas
theabilityto
minimizeeconomicrisk,anticipatescarcityanduncertainty,andprotectagainst
disaster(Levine,238)
.Insimplerterms,whatparentswantfortheirchildrenistheabilityto
physicallysurvive,theabilitytodevelopintoamatureselfmaintenancebeing,andtodevelop
wellculturalvalues(morals,intelligence,personalsatisfaction).Fromherewebranchoutinto
Levinesexplanationof
Obedience
.Asstated,
Obedienceinoneformoranotheristhe
parentalconceptthatrepresentsthemostwidespreadformulatoachievethat
goal
(Levine,238).WhatLevineissayingisthatObedienceisatheoryorformulathatparents
developthroughoutgenerationsinordertoachievethesecertaingoals.
Letuslookintoanexampleofobediencefromthereading.LevinebringsuptheAfrican
people,especiallytheHausa,andtheirpracticeofcarryingchildrenontheirback.Hebegan
noticingacommonpatternwithinthecultureofchildrenburningtheirhandsovercooking
fires.Thiswasduetothechildscuriosityfortheirsurroundingsandenvironments.Aresultof
thiswastheculturaladaptationofcarryingthechildonthemothersbackforaprolonged
periodoftime.Thiswouldthenrestrictthechildfromanymovementandwouldlowerthe
curiositywithinthechild.Asaresult,manychildrendonotexperiencehandburnsasmuchas
theyshould.Thiscustomunconsciouslywaspasseddown,unknowingtocurrentparentsas
towhytheyevendoitinthefirstplace.Thisallgoesbacktotheparentalgoalofphysicalwell
being.Parentswillpassdownthesecustomsduetothefactthattheywork,andwill
eventuallyhavenoknownknowledgeoforiginasitispasseddown.Thisisaformof
obedienceisLevineseyes.Thecarryingonthebackisapracticecreatedbytheparentsin
ordertoultimatelyachieveaparentalgoal,inthiscasephysicalwellbeing.

Q3.)
InChrisHolmsreadingandanalysisoftheNavajocultureweseeabitofaspiritual
relationwhenitcomestoidentitydevelopment.Oneofthemaingoalsandachievementsof
developmentfortheNavajoisbecoming
moreliketheDiyinDinee,orHolyPeople,whotake
careoftheNavajoPeople
(Holms,171).Thistranslateasapersonwhobecomesaleader,
whichisconsideredthehighestgoalandformofdevelopmentintheculture.Aleaderis
definedassomeonewhotakescareofthemselves,thenanimals,thenfamily,andeventually
theearthitself.TheNavajostatesthatthisisachievedbytheabilitytomakethedecisionson
whatisrightinlife.Holmsmentionssaying
maturityisreckonedintermsofhowmuch
responsibilityanindividualtakes,forhimorherselfandforothers
(Holms,171).Itisalsosaid
thattheindividualmustnotonlyacquireknowledgeforonespersonalgain,butforthesakeof
onespeopleaswell.Thiswillthenleadtowhatisknownas
goodthought
,aprocessin
whichahumancancloselyresemble
holypeople
,thusbeingaleader.
Eriksonsreadingandreasoningforhumandevelopmentrevolvesaroundtheconceptof
personalidentity
.Eriksonstatesthat
theindividualasseshisstrengthsandweaknesses
anddetermineshowhewantstodealwiththem
(Erikson,6).Thismeaningawelldeveloped
personisabletoselfanalyzetheirindividualweaknessesandstrengths,andmakesthe
decisiononhowtheywanttoapproachthosestrengthsandweaknesses.Thisprocessgoes
throughmanystagesthroughoutthelifespan.Theybeginattheadolescencestagewhenthe
individualnolongerseestheirparentorguardianasan
adequaterolemodel
,duetothe
rapidchangesanddifferencesbetweenolderandyoungergenerations.Fromherethe
individuallookstowardsapeergroupasinfluences,duetosimilarityandrelations.AsErikson
states
Thepeergroup,thecliqueandthegang,eventhelover,aidtheindividualinthe
searchforpersonidentity,sincetheyprovidebotharolemodelandspecificsocialfeedback
(Erikson,7).Laterontheadolescentwill

detachthemselvesfromthedependenceofthesepeersinordertobecomeadevelopself.
Thisgivestheindividual
asenseofknowingwhereoneisgoing,andaninnerassuredness
ofanticipatedrecognitionfromthosewhocount
(Erikson,7).Bythismeaningtheindividual
willseparatethemselvesfromtheirpeers(similartotheseparationoftheparents)inorderto
createselfconfidence,andtoonlyreceivefeedbackfromthosewhoreallymatter.
Thesetwodevelopmenttheoriesdohavetheircontrasts.InthecaseoftheNavajo,awell
developedpersonrevolvesaroundtheconceptofresponsibility,andnotonlythehelpingof
oneself,butofothersaswell.WereasinEriksonscase,developmentrevolvesaround
dependencyandselfrealization.Bothgothroughstages,buttheNavajohavemoreof
definedstages,leadingtoanultimategoalof
GoodThought
.Eriksonsstagesaremoreofa
grayarea,andarenotasdefinedsincedifferentindividualsmaygothroughthesestagesat
differenttimes.Althoughtherearedifferences,boththeoriesalsosharesomesimilarities.
Individualityisthekeysimilaritywhenitcomestothesetheoriesofdevelopment.Inboth
casestheindividualhastogothroughmanyofthestageswithselfrealizationand
responsibility.Theresultofawelldevelopedpersonalsoreliesonthedecisionsandchoices
ofthatindividualaswell.Whatthissuggestsabouthumandevelopmentisthatitpurelyrelies
onthepersonthemselves.Therearemanyinfluencesintheworld,community,parents,
peers,religionetc.,butitallreliesonhowtheindividualrespondstothem.Inbothcasesif
theirisalackofgoodresponsetheremaybearesultofunderdevelopment.Theremaybe
manytheoriesonwhatmakesawelldevelopedbeing,butonethingforsureisthatself
dependencyandawarenessplayahugepartonthisconcept.

Q4.)
Intheseries7upweseemanykeyelementsastothedevelopmentofthesechildren.
ForNeilandSuzytheparentsplayedahugeinitialroleintheirdevelopment,especially
startingattheadolescent'sage.Theywereverystructured,andlivedveryprivileged
lifestyles.IncontrasttoPaulssituation,hedidnotgrowuphavingparents.NeilandSuzy
alsohavingprivilegedlifestylesinvolvedthembeingsurroundedbyamoreupperclass
environment.Thisespeciallyisseenintheirschools,andwhatinformationistaughttothem.
BothNeilandSuzyhadbetterknowledgecomparedtoPaulsinceheonlywenttoaboarding
school.Pauldidnothaveanypriorknowledgeastowhatauniversitywas,ascomparedto
SuzyandNeilforecastingtheirfutureuniversitiesandcareers.
LaterintoadulthoodweseethattheroleofspousesmakeapositiveimpactonPauland
Suzyintheirdevelopment.Theinvolvementofasignificantotherallowedthetwoindividuals
tohaveadriveandcreatedmoreselfconfidencewithin.ThisisincontrasttoNeilashelater
onexperiencedmentalissues.Asaresultofthis,Neilwouldisolatehimselfnotonlyfromhis
family,butfromsocietyasawhole.Itwouldonlybeuntillateroninlifewerehewouldsoon
becomeapartofcongress,andsurroundhimselfbyfriendsandacommunity.Thiscreated
thesameconfidencewithinNeilthatPaulandSuzyexperienced,butonlyatalatertime.
IbelieveforthesecasesthereshowssupportforthedevelopmenttheoriesoftheNavajo,
andErikson.WithErikson,wearegiventhetheoryofan
identitycrisis
.ThisisasErikson
statestheresultofan
adolescentwhofailsinthesearchforanidentity
(Erikson,9).Akey
exampleshownfromthethreeisofNeil.Duetoisolation,Neileventuallylackedinteraction
betweensignificantothers.Theshelteredexperiencehelivedthroughaswellmayhavemade
therealworldevenharderforNeiltoexperience.Thiscreatedalackofdrive,andsearchfor
personalidentitywithinNeil,creatinganindividualwith
personalityconfusion
.

WecanapplythetheoriesoftheNavajotowardsPaul.Sincehedidnothaveanyparents
growingup,alotofthetimesPaulhadtoexperiencelifeasanindividual.Alllifeexperiences
andlessonhewentthrough,hetookandappliedthattohimself.IntheNavajosterms,this
wouldbeshownasawelldevelopedperson,andleader.ReasoningbeingisthatPaulwas
abletotakeininformationthroughoutlife,andlaterdecidedforhimselfwhathewantedtodo
withit.AlthoughPaulwasmiddleclass,hewasabletofindstabilityinworkduetotheskills
helearnedthroughouthislifetime.Thismeaningthatwhathetookinlifehelaterturnedinto
somethingpositivewhichwouldinvoke
goodthought
intheNavajoseyes.

ReferenceList
1.) Rogoff,B.(1).OrientingConceptsandWaysofUnderstandingtheCulturalNatureof
HumanDevelopment.In
TheCulturalNatureofHumanDevelopment
(p.448).Oxford
UniversityPres.
2.) Levine,R.(2014).Parentalgoals,acrossculturalview.
TeachersCollegeRecord,

76
,
226239.
3.) Holm,C.(2014).Learning"respectforeverything":Navajoimagesofdevelopment.
4.) Muuss,R.(n.d.).Erikson'sTheoryofIdentityDevelopment.In
Theoriesof
Adolescence
.McGrawHillHumanities/SocialSciences/Languages.
5.) 7UP.28UP
[MotionpictureonDVD].(1981).Granada.