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Intercultural Communications COMM 303
September 15, 2011
Muslims and America [Season 1]
“There’s a difference between condemnation
and apology…” (30 Days Season 1)
I
chose the Religion concept between Islamic and Christianity faith systems under
core assumptions and Religious Similarities with rituals. The anxieties in this episode were very
challenging for both sides especially since in 2011, our country just
celebrated the 10 year anniversary of 9/11 and newly sensitive issues were
still fresh in some of the situational conversations shown.
Although the two religions profess a
supreme deity, they differ in who is worthy of that worship and the coinciding
doctrines [Quar’an vs. The Bible].
As far as fellowship goes, Christianity and Islamic religions follow
popularity respectively. However
in reverse, stringent rituals are paramount in Islamic faith as opposed to
Christianity’s more relaxed interpretation of traditional commitment.
Americans
have sketched a picture of Muslims practicing the Islamic faith where women
wear face coverings (Hijabs), the men carry AK-47’s and those practicing the
belief also are or support terrorism (30 Days Season 1). Participant David Stacy received plenty
of discriminative stares while boarding his flight to Michigan simply by
wearing an Islamic Salwar Kameez and Kufi. As a practicing, Anglo-American Christian, this type of
treatment was totally unknown to him.
The basic articles of faith for Muslims
are defined as worshiping One God, known as Allah, Submission to God, Fatalism
(in God’s will) and Final Judgment by God. Where devout Christian’s may be disillusioned, many
religion’s roots are connected to the concept of worshiping one God. Christian core assumptions are based
upon the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and that Jesus
Christ died on the cross and was the physical son of God.
David’s main frustration was during
prayer time. He felt that by
praying with Muslims, in their language and ritual practices, by the Quar’an
and in their house of worship, that he is professing their faith. His assigned Imam stated as a
suggestion towards his guidance, “You are here to learn, not to believe.” David is also feeling the stress of
having to defend himself trying to learn the true teachings of Islam as not to
conspire to harm Americans or any other culture. To society, he appeared to be taking sides and began feeling
the discrimination displayed by his fellow Americans regarding his acceptance,
of Muslim faith. David began to
realize the confirmation of “Islamaphobia”. Racial-profiling by a culture is a common retaliation tactic
that society can justify to not open up to a set of different beliefs where
David was able to state in conversation about Muslim acceptance, “You’ve got
extremists on both sides.” (30 Days Season 1). It seemed that society wanted profession of “guilt by
association” or a way for Muslims as a culture to claim responsibility of 9/11
before Americans would feel comfortable and change their views about the
faith's disassociation from terrorist to conformist.
Rituals
are a large part of the Islamic faith where one of the main descriptors is the
five daily prayer services, publicly audio broadcasted calls to worship and
Muslims can be universally found to worship turning towards Mecca as they pray.
(Samovar109). More defined in the
film were the more revered term of Jihad as not only a war cry but a term
meaning self-control and surrender.
Having a “good time” to a Muslim meant socializing with the absence of
alcohol and pork, strictly defined gender roles and eating only kosher
foods. In contrast, many Christian
beliefs seem forgiven by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. There also is more reference to the
word of God [Bible] instead of actual displays of the Christian religion
through ritual with the exception of being in the church service itself. Another very important aspect about
this section is that “ritual serves to relieve social tensions and reinforce a
group’s collective bonds.” (Samovar 109)
For the Muslim and the Christian, excessive ritual or lack of may be a
substantial enticement where collectivism [Arab culture] contrasts
individualism [Western Culture].
Immigration [Season 2]
"There
comes a time when you love people for who they are, all politics aside."
(30 Days Season 2)
This
was a very emotional episode as a spectator but an extremely valid viewpoint is
analyzed here, especially since my new home for the past 2 years has been
Southern California. Many of the
topics covered by Frank George aka Francisco Jorge are familiar battles as he
is a professed "Minuteman" and legal Cuban immigrant in opposition to
illegal Mexican immigrants. It is
difficult to watch the disputes of two clashing cultures, fluently speaking
their native Spanish language, where obviously exploitation is evident in
Mexico, but those problems are inherited into America by the entry of thousands
everyday as undocumented illegals (30 Days Episode 3). Here I attempt to contrast Shifting
Populations with immigration and Globalization and Families with migration.
"The
American dream is what this nation is known for..." as stated by young
Armida. This is what thousands of
undocumented families of immigrants are dependent upon like the
"Gonzalez'". This
assertion is stated accurately as, "immigrants are seen as a threat to the
long-established traditional values of the native culture, which in some cases
can become a form of racism." (Samovar 10) Statistics show that the Latino population is the largest
minority with projections that Hispanics will account for 29% of American
society by 2050 (Samovar 10).
Frank's opposition is anxiously identical to many Americans that Mexican
illegal immigration is a growing problem as a sign of revolution, overcrowding
and takeover of a nation whose government isn't doing what it's supposed to (30
Days Season 2). But for many
illegal immigrants, amnesty and opportunity far outweigh the risks of hiding,
calamity and scrutiny of irreconcilable differences when America may offer
their only chance for freedom; and that's worth everything.
Migration
is usually not a distinction as the social status of illegal immigration;
however the rationale is through a culture that wants more opportunity, refuge
and vocation. The impoverished and
desecrated conditions in Mexico allow illegal immigrants "...to seek jobs
or higher wages." (Samovar 58)
Migration also provides "...one way ...to try to escape
poverty." (Samovar 58) What
probably makes migrants from Mexico more advantageous than from detached
countries is being able to come to cross into America as collective of a unit
as possible. The extended family
is very important to the Hispanic culture as is portrayed in the Immigration
episode. The "Gonzalez"
family live in a one room apartment in East L.A. with less than 600 sq. ft. of
living space. But compared to the
brick room left in Mexico, one could understand "the lure of jobs north of
the ...U.S.-Mexican border..." and the divisions made when traditional
families leave for a better life.
Seeing Patty and Rigoberto's extended family left in Mexico was a
heartbreaking reality that "happens to the core family values as people
leave their traditional families in search of employment" (Samovar 58). Migration in the name of illegal
immigration gives a false definition that border crossers are taking jobs away
from Americans. Consequently,
America is a land of opportunity and if cheap labor can be hidden through
deflection, migrant workers will find their chances for reuniting core family
units will be a challenge.
Working in a Coal Mine [Season 3]
“All
you need to be a coal miner is a weak mind and a strong back.” (30 Days Season
3).
I
chose this episode to examine the concept of Person/Nature Orientation under
The Kluckhohns and Strodtbeck’s Value Orientations and Regional Identity. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
coal mining is listed as one of the five most dangerous occupations performed
in America (Bateman 371 ). What I
found baffling about the life of the coal miner is the appearance of cultures
desiring this specific orientation with a false sense of prosperity where the
mining industry is the foundation for 50% of our energy source. However, there is an invisible control
existing in the battle of refining resources in a community that could survive
by no other means outside of poverty or meager incomes in comparison to the
miner’s salary.
When
man tries to control nature, there is always an issue of safety for the people
influencing the manipulation of nature and the environmental hazards that
affect those same people. Where
mining has become safer since the 2006 International Coal Group (ICG)
criticized explosion in Sago, WV (Bateman 371), it is inevitable the apparent
dangers associated with mankind when resources are ravaged from the Earth’s
surface for the convenience of fuel and electricity. Lobbyists claiming there is no alternative for subjecting
miners to the dangerous conditions of exposure to coal dust and methane
discreetly disguises a cover-up in its most smoldered form. Regardless, what humanizes the
relationship between the person/nature orientation is an almost coercion or
“rites of passage” to be able to support the family culture while comprehending
clearly the dangers of not wearing respirators, rats in the mines and needing
to pursue other resources for energy that are destroying the beautiful
mountainous regions of West Virginia.
As a region, surface mining is demolishing
the Appalachian mountain’s ecological system and environmentalists, some who
are ex-miners, are in a struggle because there is a definite trade off between nature,
health and safety risks alongside the economics. In Southern West Virginia, miners risk their lives to
excavate coal with salary ceilings from $65,000 for workers up to $100,000 for
managers, double any other industry in the state (30 Days Season 3). These high salaries literally keep the
society captive in order to produce a resource that would be unavailable if
generations of West Virginians didn’t remain coal miners. Another regional characteristic is the
probability of black lung disease which is common in the community, as well as
the occasional mining accident that brings these societies together to morn
victimized, brave workers and family men.
Other aspects that link the identity of this culture are dialect,
historical heritage, family structure, the abandonment of alternative
opportunity in the name of coal mining and desperate attempts for current
miners to work hard enough so that male offspring don’t become coal miners as
well. According to loved ones that
have lost a miner within the region, the utility industry might sarcastically
add culturally expendable and lacking in education to the list of
attributes.
Works Cited:
Samovar,
L.A., Porter, Richard E., McDaniel, Edwin R., Communication Between
Cultures., 7th ed.,
Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning 2010
“30
Days The Complete Series”., Muslims
and America, (Season 1). Dir. Morgan Spurlock. FX Networks, 2009. DVD.
Virgil Films, 2010
“30
Days The Complete Series”., Immigration,
(Season 2). Dir. Morgan Spurlock. FX Networks, 2009. DVD. Virgil Films, 2010
(pg 371)
“30
Days The Complete Series”., Working
In A Coal Mine, (Season 3). Dir. Morgan Spurlock, FX Networks, 2009. DVD.
Virgil Films, 2010
Bateman,
T.S., Snell, Scott A., Management: Leading & Collaborating in a
Competitive World. 9th
ed., New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin 2011
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