4 Cultural Realities
Think:
• Does what is real remain that way independent of cultural beliefs?
• Are many cultural beliefs better understood as moral beliefs?
• Can one culture ever fully understand the reality of another?
READ:
The culture in which we are born and raised plays a significant role in what we accept as reality and how we perceive the world. Our cultural reality is made up of things such as how we dress, what we eat, the types of relationships we form and the level of education we receive. Plurality of races and religions in a society ideally allows for a plurality of opinions and perspectives to flourish. This is not always the case. What the citizens of one culture accept as natural and right might be viewed as wicked and wrong by citizens of another culture. Cultural realities compete for validity, creating a situation in which one cultural reality is viewed as more important than others. We can learn many things about ourselves from other people’s cultures and vice versa. Often, however, different cultures struggle to coexist, finding their versions of reality in direct conflict with one another.
WRITING TASK:
• You are a cultural ambassador from another planet who has been sent to Earth to explain to people on Earth how people behave on your planet. Write an interview, assuming the roles of interviewer and interviewee.
HOW TO DO IT:
Imagine three to five questions people on Earth might ask you and then respond to them in writing. Questions might cover such topics as diet, dress, festivals, beliefs, relationships or sports. Your responses should help the reader gain an insight into the particular cultural reality of your planet.
HINT:
Consider the ways in which people born in countries other than Australia might not experience the same reality as those born here.
WAYS TO INTEGRATE THE TEXT UNDER STUDY:
Perhaps, while on earth you met characters from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
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