Ciara Farrell: Blog post #1
Ciara Farrell
Blog Post 1
In class we discussed soft power and the influence it can have over others with subtlety. The concept of soft power in the United States is prevalent when we try to intrude in other countries and culturally influence them to be more similar to us. This false sense of power is causing the US to think other countries want or even require their help to be more progressive. Thinking the US is better than other countries simply because it is “westernized” and “developed” in our perspective, it does not make it any better universally. Pushing the culture of the US onto others does not necessarily make those countries better off as a whole. US culture is not better than any other simply because the country generally refuses to understand culture in other places and how it is completely different.
When I heard this information I connected it to what I have been learning about in my Cultural Anthropology class. We discussed the idea of ethnocentrism, which is trying to see someone elses culture according to the standards of the culture they are familiar with. With the use of the media to promote soft power over other countries and trying to change them to be more like the US, they display an ethnocentric quality the US possesses. Although ethnocentrism exists everywhere, it is heavily found in the US as part of our culture is to believe we are superior. One example we specifically discussed was the idea that Muslim woman are unhappy and need help. People in the US might pity Muslim woman for “having” to wear a veil, and be under the rule of the Taliban, but many of these people have not even taken the time to consider that wearing the veil is in fact a choice of culture. When Muslim woman are surrrounded by the culture of wearing the veil and that is something they feel comfortable in, then who are we to judge or even question them wearing it. It also works both ways, likewise, if someone were to put an advertisement of an American woman wearing a bathing suit, which covers very little, a Muslim woman may pity them for feeling as if they have to wear that to fit the standards in the US and expose their bodies. The influence of soft power may be seemingly persuasive, but in a lot of cases it also receives judgement, specifically in the media. I think that exposure to more cultures and not pushing an agenda would be a better way for the US to use soft power or impose it over others.
Soft power is relative and does not actually work as it may be deemed to. In relation to ethnocentrism, Tickner writes that all actions are moral based on the idea that we set our own moral standards to align with our interests. Going back to the example with Muslim woman, one may argue that it is immoral for woman under the Taliban to be dismissed and isolated, but if one asked a member of the Taliban they would say that is where woman fit into society and that is in fact not immoral. I believe that the idea stating, morals are universal, is not fitting because people complete actions that satisfy their moral standings and no one else's. Personal opinions created by culture are what drive people’s moral decisions thus they are inclined to think their idea or right and wrong is correct. This shifts and changes based on who you ask, and how their upbringing has influenced qualities they believe to be moral. The shifting viewpoints of morals are similar to the subtle inputs of soft power the US uses to exploit other cultures and entertain the superiority complex the US has. World politics are driven by “the West” which is why we are led to believe that the US as well as other western countries are inflicting cultural standards for other countries to live up to.
Ciara, I enjoyed your and learned a lot about ethnocentrism and the role it plays in International Relations. I agree with you in the fact that most American's do not use ethnocentric thinking. Most people do not recognize why other cultures have traditions, and do not respect them. This thinking was similar to my post. I mentioned for racism to decrease we must take pride in our difference and respect the differences between cultures.
ReplyDeleteCiara, I really enjoyed the connection you made between our American culture and eurocentrism as a better way to use soft power and influence other countries. Your example of the US possibly pitying Muslim women for "having" to wear a veil captures the concept of eurocentrism and American exceptionalism. We clearly have a moral superiority problem thinking that no other country stands a chance and that we do not have to try to learn/embrace new cultures. This relates to the spike in migrants coming to the U.S/Mexico border illegally (especially under the Trump administration). Undocumented citizens, commonly referred to as illegal aliens (just because they are different from us and not born here?), are not exactly welcomed with open arms. The United States in general are opposed to immigration; we can look at one of the reasons being that we think we are already better than other nations and do not need to worry about being more worldly/culturally aware. Another example is an American who thinks that they do not need to try to learn even a little bit of that country's language because they already know English (the most spoken language in the world). I know that some of my friends who dream of travelling to Europe someday refuse to fully immerse themselves in the culture/learn the language and accept the different lifestyle. It is deeply ingrained in our society to only focus on our own people/what is happening within our borders that we tend to come off as being clueless in discussions of world events and other countries. I think this is why Americans in general can be perceived as ignorant of other cultures.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point about people making an effort to understand other cultures. I have heard so many horror stories of people not being able to recognize or understand other cultures, causing them to seem very ignorant. This is why a lot of other countries have such a strong opinion on Americans and that they lack understanding. I remember I was watching a TV show and immediately when people found out that a woman worked in a country but made no effort to learn their language, they were appalled. It seems like such a simple thing to at least make an effort on and so many people let ignorance cloud their judgement. A little bit of research can go a long way when traveling and making the effort to fit into other cultures is very important.
DeleteCiara, I like your comment about how the U.S. loves putting cultures, policies, or even management over other countries. That is really a key point on the definition and usage of soft power for common people. I think lots of people, especially the people from "big" country, would like to "introduce"(I don't want to use some mean words here so just let "introduce" instead.") their own recognition to others. It is beneficial, if they stop at where they should. Nevertheless, the reality is that those arrogant guys usually criticize on others when other people have different ideas. I think it is always important and respectful to be modest and friendly, but not simply put limited knowledge on others with a haughty attitude. This is not only for common people, but also for countries and states. Because in the end, the relationship between two areas will greatly impact the relationship of the people from two places. Thank you for the statements in the first paragraph, which made me resonate a lot.
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