Since
posting the photos, my view has not significantly changed. My views, although
vague, are, for the most part, the same. I feel the only view that has truly
changed is my view on my culture.
For most,
the idea of consuming this drink, by choice, is not a pleasant one; but for
those who consume it, those who understand the rituals behind it, the drink is
a secret-handshake of sorts. The bottle of Fernet represents the bartending
culture. Fleming (2003) discussed that a bartender is an actor, in an
environment where attitude is everything. Taking this in to account, my photo
represented the façade that a bartender must uphold, and the culture of it.
After sharing this photo, and looking back at it, the drink means something
more to me, it is a part of my identity, and my culture.
Ryan
(2010) explains that culture has many meanings, it can be seen in every facet
of day to day live, from food, to fashion, to language, to thought. Our personal
culture is shaped by who we are, it is our identity (Ferrante, 2000). Looking
at the photo of Mokai, I feel that my culture and identity have been shaped by
this place. It made me learn a lot about myself, about where I come from, and
about where I am going. The nature of this image can be directly contrasted
with the bright lights of Auckland, a city that has shaped my identity, as well
as my views on social issues like homelessness.
The photo
of the Auckland skyline is a smokescreen, it hides the many social issues that
are present, particularly homelessness. A social issue is an issue that has an
effect on a number of individuals within a society, most often being the result
of factors beyond the individual’s immediate environment and control (Wright
Mills, 1959). Looking at homelessness, it is an issue that is being ignored Every
person has the right to an adequate standard of living (Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, 1948), but the homeless
are being ignored (Collins, 2015). The view of Auckland lets me know that even
though everything looks fine from the outside, the truth is very different.
The
Rosetta stone, to me, is a metaphor. It shows the power of the Classical Era.
Without this stone, we would have been unable to learn the history of Ancient
Egypt, and in turn, the history of man. To me, the stone represents connection.
It shows that there are similarities across all cultures (Wright Mills, 1959),
and that we have connections to one another (Ferrante, 2000). I feel it is
important in understanding who we are.
By
reading through the works of my classmates, I became aware of other points of
view. I learnt that I am not alone on my view of identity, and that many people
struggle to identify who they are. There are many points of views in relation
to culture and the influence of history, and that we all understand the basics
of what human rights.
References
Collins,
S. (2015). Auckland homelessness: Rough sleepers tally doubles. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved from
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
Ferrante,
J. (2015). Sociology: A Global Perspective
(9th ed.). Belmont,
CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Mills, C. W. (1959). The sociological imagination. New
York: Oxford University Press.
Ryan,
M., Ingram, B., & Musiol, H. (2010). Cultural studies: A practical
introduction. Chichester, West Sussex, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
(1948). Retrieved 01 April 2016, from http://www.un.org/en/universal-declaration-human-rights/.
