After our in-class introduction and discussion of hegemony, oral tradition and orientialism, I was surprised with how unfamiliar these terms were to me. With the expansion of technology and overall growth in global communications, our generation has increased access to different cultures, languages, arts, food, and so on. However good it is to be exposed to aspects of different cultures, it is difficult to fully understand them because we learn about them from only one point of view. This in turn becomes our view of the culture, which may or may not be correct.
In terms of oral tradition, I admit I am not an active participant - yet. That said, if I do not have a homework assignment written in my planner or the amount I need to pay my doctor for a bill, then neither will happen. We talked about this idea in a Global Marketing class, and the effects it can have on relationships between businesses. To an american businessman, the contact is only valid once it is signed and dated. To someone of a culture with high orality, their word is simply good enough. I marvel at this idea and am envious of those who do not rely so strictly on the written word, as I do. I look forward to developing ways to let the spoken word be sufficient and trust its validity.
As I go forth in this class, I will focus on how I perceive information initially versus how I might after a class discussion with the supplemented information from our Professors. I want to learn about each form of dance, theater, and art without limiting myself to preconceived notions from my own culture. While I know this will be more difficult to question my stance on the performances, it will also be more rewarding and have a higher educational value. Learning how to question my beliefs with confidence and the intention of obtaining a more complete understanding is a skill I certainly hope to gain from this class.
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