#mngael post

[mngael]

Finding Your Culture When You Feel Like You Don't Have One.

I've often seen many esp. "white" long-assimilated Americans (likely Canadians as well) feel as if they have no culture. Many of us try to "solve" that problem by taking inspiration from, borrowing or even stealing and exploiting other cultures, whether indigenous, Black/African diasporan, Asian etc. We especially see this in celebration of holidays, clothing, spiritual practices and music or other art forms. There are indeed both ethical and unethical ways to engage in cultural borrowing and blending, and there is always going to be some disagreement about this. The best approach is to always listen to people from that culture and respect their wishes and boundaries.

But that is not what I am focused on today. Since I know genealogy can be difficult and even when it is possible, reconnecting with ethnic roots may feel very awkward and artificial. So instead I will take a different approach. Though I have indeed been working on connection with my own ethnic heritage, I have also found learning about working class/labor history and local history to be very helpful in understanding the ingredients of what my culture is made of, and what it might become and how it can be transformed.

This is getting long for a tumblr post, so I'll leave you with a few questions. Take a notebook, or a blank digital space (whether blog, wordprocessor etc) copy down the questions and answer them as best you can. If you'd like you can share your answers on Tumblr or another online space and reply or link to this post or you can keep them private. Anyone regardless of ethnic/national/religious or other background is welcome to participate, in spite of my description of my original intended audience.

Questions:

Have you ever had to explain or describe what your culture is in a school or work discussion about multiculturalism or intercultural communication?

How did that make you feel?

Have you ever been compared to peers of other backgrounds as being more or less culturally normal or how properly American/Canadian/Australian etc you were or weren't?

Why do you think that was?

Have your parents and other family members discussed or explained ways your family's culture compares to neighbors, classmates, etc?

Where and when have you felt culturally out of place? Not just in other countries, but in different cities, neighborhoods, places of worship etc?

*Edit- added link that I forgot to include of working class/labor history links. Going to make another about folk arts/folklore/folklife.

[mngael]

This happened a while ago at Hamline University in my metro area. This art history professor did nothing wrong, in fact she had a very carefully and well-thought out plan for teaching about this sensitive topic, showing images of paintings of the prophet Mohammed. In the history of Christianity, there have been groups of Christians that strongly opposed any images of God or Jesus (the iconoclasts) what if they had become the dominant faction in Europe? Or if the Ottoman Empire or the Moors had taken over Europe, and Christians were in the minority, & "woke" Muslims were worried about offended Christians by depicting those blasphemous images made by Michelangelo? Or Khalil Hebdo was bombed for making carciatures of Jesus?

[mngael]

Working Class/Labor History

Reading

How Class Cultures Work- how working & middle class subcultures differ, and why, some history as well as implications for the current era.

Activist Class Cultures- effects/role of class cultures in social justice movements

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn- read Zinn's classic online! There is also a young people's version available. Please buy a physical or e-book copy from an independent bookstore if possible!

Listening/Watching

Working Class History Podcast, they also have a book!

The Land That Never Has Been Yet from Scene on Radio- amazing series about the history of American democracy- how democratic are we, and what is democracy's future?

White Trash: the 400 Year History of Class in America- Nancy Isenberg on Youtube (lecture summarizing her book)

Libraries, University Programs, Journals/Conferences

Working Class Studies

Texas Center for Working Class Studies

[mngael]

What's Going on in Unitarian Universalism?

Intro: A few years ago I was a member of a UU church...for various reasons I left it, but am thinking of checking it out again. I heard from some of my UU friends on Facebook that there were some major disagreements going on at a national level at the General Assembly so I looked into it. What I found was a more pronounced version of things that bothered me about my local church & some national UU programs.

UUs have long emphasized social/economic/racial justice as being intertwined with their faith and the seven principles that form UUism's core. This was a major reason I found them attractive. Encouraging civic involvement and activism and taking broad positions as an religious association are all positive ways of expressing these values.

UUism also emphasizes freedom of conscience & belief, reason and democratic representation. The problem is, these two aspects have been coming into conflict as some people have pushed specific political ideologies to the point of dogmatism especially in ministerial education. Ministers and other leaders that openly disagree or criticize these ideologies have been denounced and ostracized or pressured to conform or keep silent. Clearly this is a misuse of "social justice" that serves agendas that betray the foundations of UU traditions and history.

While there is indeed a history of classism, elitism and racism within religious liberal traditions, it is a mistake to cast aside these roots by reducing them to "white supremacy culture". Fortunately there are UUs both ministers and laypeople who are speaking out against these trends. Many people have already left but perhaps folks can either work from the margins from within, or outside of official UU channels. Whether I will be one of them I have yet to decide. But in the meantime, in the next post I will share some links and resources I have come across in a spirit of solidarity.