1 .Why might culture be a negative idea or concept? -differences -discrimination -stereo types -solipsism -lots of international diversity

-comparative -silences differences -reinforces stereotypes -reinforces hierarchy -excuse for violence -pressures conformity -study of culture is about ranking

2. Describe the differences between scientific, metaphysical, and religious worldviews. Provide examples.

Scientific worldview bases on real facts and scientific experience. It means that everything that happened we could explain by science.

Metaphysical worldview unites and find compromise between rational and empiric worldviews. It means that it is a cocktail of abstract thought and experience.

Religious worldview defined by religion. For instance, the main principles of lifestyle and behavior people take from Bible, the Koran and others Holy Scriptures.

3.Explain 2 of the 5 different paradigms of ethnic relations in the us. Provide examples for both.

There are five different paradigms on the basis of which Americans in general define ethnic relations. The 1st paradigm is Traditional Eurocentric Racism. In this vision, America is defined as predominantly northern and western European in its culture and institutions, with a dominant Anglo-Saxon and Protestant foundation. This paradigm deals with a question of belonging: have a say in who belongs and who is outsiders. Paradigm II is a Melting Pot Assimilations. In the melting pot vision, various cultural groups in their constant interaction begin at some point to join together to create one large heterogeneous mixture - American nation. Paradigm II suggests, in a visionary sense, the melting away of all original ethnic cultures and traditions. The best part of each theoretically becomes part of what makes America a unique and great interethnic experiment. In fact, however, instead of melting equitably into the American soup, immigrants had to accepted American cultural principles to give up most ethnic traditions or to melt into an essentially northern and western European cultural pot. This paradigm deals with a question of who is supposed to be assimilated to, to what norm. Both Paradigms I and II promote philosophies which are essentially assimilationist in nature. Each of them assumes a common set of cultural standards which new immigrants must accept either voluntarily or by compulsion. Paradigm III, Ethnic Nationalism, suggests that each ethnic group, regardless of origin, should preserve its unique character, customs and languages without being assimilated. Paradigm IV, Globalism, suggests creating and following global cultural norms and principles. But this is unrealistic because we can’t come with universe values appreciated by everyone. Paradigm V is called Centered Pluralism. It suggests that with the cultural ethnic identity there is an underlying commitment to the kind of general principles enunciated in the United States Constitution and American democracy. An underlying assumption of centered pluralism, for example, is that America needs to continue to hold itself together as a vital national system, and that this will not happen, politically or socially, unless certain established traditions (like American constitutional democracy) are adhered to by most citizens. Generally speaking, Paradigms III, IV, and V are used to define the multicultural way of thinking and they are rather unrealistic in its nature.

написала чуть-чуть про каждую парадигму и раскрыла 2 и 5....не знаю,может 1,3,4 можно просто перечислит

4. How might nunch’i operate to reinforce social hierarchy? How does nunch’i function as a social equalizer? 1) Hierarchical social relations are manifestations of the yin-yang concept and of the five Confucian relationships. Yin and yang have hierarchical characteristics: yang means the "creative, forwarding-pushing, dominating and manifest, systemic force," and yin the "receptive, recessive, dominated, hidden, informed and background force." The yin-yang dyad in social relations is also expressed through the responsibilities of each participant in the five Confucian relationships: "king-justice, subject-loyalty," "father-love, son-filiality," "husband-initiative, wife-obedience," "elder brother-brotherly love, younger brother-reverence," and "friends-mutual faith". In Confucian societies, these relationships are dominated by the hierarchical father-son dyad, but in Western cultures, the egalitarian husband-wife dyad is the more dominant model. 2) In this hierarchical system, nunch'i can function as a social equalizer. Without it, juniors would be absolutely helpless. With it, juniors have a chance to achieve their individual needs from a disadvantaged position. Nunch'i "is an inevitable by-product of a rigidly stratified class society where force rather than reason, class status rather than individual ability, political power rather than hard work, have been used as methods of accumulating wealth by the social elite." In this class society, juniors must use their "quick sense" of nunch'i in their interactions with seniors to gain their individual needs. Argumentation, logic, and objectivity would only elicit disdain by seniors and society. Juniors use nunch'i to offset the authoritarian pressures of seniors within this hierarchical social system. The juniors or equals have to use nunch'i to read the mind of the senior or the equal, to manipulate the situation, and to escape any negative repercussions.