Showing posts with label cultures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cultures. Show all posts

Germany Disappointed With Immigration "Experiment"

If Germany expected immigrants to become German by living there it is no wonder people are disappointed. The best one can hope for is that the children of immigrants born in the new country will be fully integrated. If a model of "multiculturalism" was needed Australia could be the example. In the 50s, 60s and 70s the term "wog" was prevalent. Though Australians should have more correctly called people from the Mediterranean region "waps", these Greek and Italian "new Australians" quickly moved into enclaves of major cities. They not only imported themselves, but corner store businesses sprang up selling goods that no native born Australian would buy. The stores did quite well from the local expatriate clientele.

It was common to hear people on buses and in queues speaking the language of their mother country. Australians were not offended by this because the new people were hard working and they didn't try to change Australian culture per se. Their culture just ran "alongside" the dominant culture. If one was lucky, an invite to a party or a wedding was offered. There was this congruency between the cultures. All enjoyed having a good time where alcohol was consumed. Even Asian societies have blended in well.

Today new arrivals come from the Middle East and Africa and they are predominantly Muslim. It is no wonder a clash of cultures occurs. While Christianity strongly affects Mediterranean societies, freedom of the individual is paramount. Islam expects the individual to live strictly by the laws of this religion. This means no alcohol and "kicking up one's heals" is frowned upon. Fundamentally, the problem is a religious one. If the hope is for the children of Muslims to be socialized into their new country Islam needs to be interpreted in ways that for the most part do not clash with the dominant culture. Children of immigrants who strictly follow the ways of their parents are doomed to a life of not fitting in.  The pressure on them will be just about insurmountable.
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Society by Ty Buchanan
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People Perceive the World Differently

All human beings are the same. This presumption is now challenged by new findings. Some people are good at remembering faces and the names that go with them. Others can recognize only a few. Some very few, indeed, perhaps just one or two friends. This means that we all have a unique perception of life. If remembering others is significant what about other differences in our sensory sensitivities?

The Muller-Lyer illusion is illuminating. In this test the length of two lines is the same. One has lines at the two ends pointing inward. The other has lines pointing out. The percentage of people who perceive the second line to be longer differs from society to society. For example, the Kalahari foragers know that the lines are same length - nearly all of the participants tested. On the other hand, most Senegalese believed the second line to be longer.

The Dictator Game also highlights the difference. In this "test" a player is allowed to share a pot of money with another player to apportion rewards fairly. Westerners gave twice as much as people from Bolivia.

Questions arise. If we are not equal, should the law be applied differently to different people? Furthermore, should those born with "better" attributes be selected out at a young age and be "primed" to take leading positions as adults? We are not all like peas in a pod. Should societies be stratified to reflect the variation?


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