Blog Post for 10-26

Write a three hundred word response to the readings discussing how ones position in the world shapes how he or she might feel about identity, society and culture.

One's position in the world affects a lot of things about how one thinks, feels, and reacts. In fact, it's probably an important of what makes us unique.

To generalize a bit though, when it comes to our views about society... someone who is in a well off position probably views their society much more positively than someone in a less than stellar position. This of course makes sense – though shouldn't be taken for granted. Our views on society are only one part of our identity, however. Identity is a very complex topic that is formed by a wide variety of factors (though opinions on society are also shaped by different topics.) Obviously there is an identity related to the geographical location one grew up at. The identity of being a citizen of one's country, a resident of a town or city, and a sense of belonging to a specific area. The culture of one's country also shapes identity, especially cultural norms.

Of course, through the reading, it is clear that our responses to images of crisis are also shaped by our positions in society. A crisis that hits close to home will be felt more than one that seems to be far away, though images can help bridge this gap by bringing the scale of crises straight to us.

Additionally, when we see a crisis in a country with similar technology and culture to ours, such as the Japanese tsunami, it comes as more of a shock to us because we don't typically think of these things happening to more modernized countries. This isn't to belittle or demean the catastrophes that happen to other countries, of course, but at first glimpse they may hit us less due to cultural and societal differences.