Cultural Bias & My Apparent Lack Of Geographical Knowledge

Geography Test Results: 82.5%

To be entirely honest, I am happy with this for now. Considering my embarassing lack of geographical knowledge, I feel as if I did as well as I could. Sri Lanka was the kicker. I sware I clicked on it in error trying to find another country, and when it came up as a question later, I was clueless. I knew it was an island, but then I realized I'd already used every possible island (or so I thought.) I would like to see my score improve to 100% asap. I think this is completely reasonable, considering this area is my topic of study for the next year. I also hope that as I learn more about different places, I can associate customs and religions with the picture on the map, instead of just names. That's enough of a rant on this for tonight, and now I'll move on to... CULTURAL BIAS & THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING HISTORY! Woohoo!

Why is it important (or not important) to study Asian history or any history for that matter?

First of all, I'd like to hear the argument for why it is not important. I mean seriously, history is unmeasurably valuable to us in so many ways. In fact, I can think of few things more important. We no longer live in a world where messages are sent by ship and everyone hunts for their own food. We are interdepenent, and inextricably tied to each other. It is crucial that we pay attention to history, because history often repeats itself, and we can learn so much from the past. We can learn from the mistakes made by people who existed hundreds of years ago, and learn why things are the way they are today. Even though it happened long ago, that does not mean it is not still affecting us today. Another reason it is important to study history is for the sake of appreciation. How can we appreciate the many cultures, religions, and marvelous places our world has to offer if we know nothing about how they were created? It is important to know why wars were started, and how they were resolved. Or when a country became sovereign, and what they had to do to receive that recognition. For the two reasons outlines above, I believe it is very important to be educated on the history of our world, and the same thing applies to Asia in particular. America's relationship with various Asian countries can only be determined by looking at the past. Why did Japan attack Pearl Harbor? How did China come to be the one to hold our debt? Crack open a history book and you might find your answer.

What must be considered when studying different countries or cultures?

I think the most important thing to consider is that all countries and cultures are different. What we find strange, disgusting, or politically incorrect in other cultures may be a valued part of the daily routine. It is always important to learn to respect and accept idealogies and practices that differ from your own. There may be a more logical explanation behind the things that people in other cultures do than I think, and I must have an open mind. Another thing to be considered is that while these people and cultures may seem very foreign and strange to us, they are probably more like us than we think. For example, we may speak different languages, but everyone shares the experience of music. Art has no language, no ideal living conditions. It is simply one more thing that connects us to the outside world, one more thing we share. So respect other cultures and their practices, because it is simply the right thing to do.

Those are my thoughts on the questions we were assigned, and I believe I did what was asked of me for the assignment. I'm still getting used to the Upper School way of life, so bear with me. :)

Live Bravely,
Sam