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Why do people from different cultures misunderstand each other?

The United States has recently decided to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a decision met with extreme resistance from the Arab world. (NRC) By doing so, the U.S. is condoning the transgression of international law that is Israel’s occupation of East Jerusalem. (NRC) Since they’ve had control of the city, Israel has displaced the Palestinian population by “conducting evictions, home demolitions, residency revocations, and reinforcing a coercive environment,” and this new support by the U.S. could exacerbate these issues. (NRC) The decision to move the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was actually made over 20 years ago. (Liebermann) In 1995, Congress passed legislation that required the U.S. to move its embassy; every president in office since, however, has delayed this move due to reasons of national security. (Liebermann) 

President Trump had promised this move to Jerusalem on the campaign trail because he believed it would strengthen the country’s alliance with Israel, according to CNN; but this issue far surpasses the relationship between the U.S. and Israel alone, and it is obvious that a lack of the ethical imperative has caused international conflict. In their book, Intercultural Communications in Context, Judith N. Martin and Thomas K. Nakayama stress the importance of being a student of culture, listing key components such as developing self-reflexivity, learning about others, and developing a sense of social justice. (36-9) Self-reflexivity is defined as “the process of learning to understand oneself and one’s position in society.” (Martin et. al., 36) The intent was to strengthen its relationship with Israel, but the U.S., a country that has historically strived to set an example for the rest of the world, has angered so many other countries in the Middle East. It would be far from inconceivable to speculate that his lack of understanding about the issue and the United State’s influence on the rest of the world could have led the president to make this controversial decision. Moreover, Martin and Nakayama break down the concept of social justice into thee parts: communication; striving for an outcome that is beneficial to society, as opposed to just the individuals involved; and a respect for and participation by all. (Martin et. al., 39) Not having consulted Israel or Palestine before making this decision shows that there was no communication or a “respect for and participation by all.” (Martin et. al., 39) Furthermore, the outcome was clearly beneficial to very few; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat both praised Trump for his decision, and the president himself is making good on a campaign promise. (Liebermann) The rest of the Arab world, on the other hand, remains infuriated by this move, which will likely stress relations between the them and the U.S. (it should be noted that relations between these groups has already been strained with the enforcement of Trump’s Muslim Ban). With education, understanding, and communication, Israel, Palestine, and the U.S. may have been able to come to a more ethical outcome that would benefit society as a whole.

Works Cited: “US declaration on Jerusalem undermines peace process.” Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). 13 Dec. 2017. Web. 14 Dec. 2017.

https://www.nrc.no/news/2017/december/us-declaration-on-jerusalem-undermines-peace-process/

Lieberann, Oren. “Why declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel is so controversial.” CNN. 7 Dec. 2017. Web. 14 Dec. 2017.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/05/middleeast/trump-jerusalem-explainer-intl/index.html

Martin, Judith N. and Thomas K. Nakayama. Intercultural Communication in Contexts, 6th ed. McGraw Hill. 2013. (36-9)

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What is My Place in the Global Economy?

Over the past two decades, Starbucks has seen tremendous success in China, a newly emerging market for many business. They have brought the culture of coffee-drinking, something of enormous popularity in the U.S., into a region that has predominantly favored tea for centuries. (Sorkin) Starbucks has had to make their fair share of adaptions to achieve this, even changing their logo to better suit the Eastern population. (Martin et. al., 20) The cafe now offers acts as a social hot-spot for Chinese consumer and even offers a brand of coffee grown right in China’s own Yunnan Province. (Sorkin) On the other hand, U.K, the company came under scrutiny for selling the same products so many have come to enjoy. In 2016, the U.K.-based group, Action on Sugar, put Starbucks in the hot seat for including so much sugar in their beverages; one Venti Chai Latte could have as much as 52 grams, or 13 teaspoons, of sugar. (Reid) In response, the coffee-giant pledged to reduce the concentration of sugar in their drinks by 25% by the end of 2020; however, it is my place as a consumer in the global economy to decide whether or not to continue to buy at Starbucks. (Reid) Though the cafe seems to care about the communities in which they set-up shop, the amount of sugar they include in their coffee and tea is alarming. As a consumer, I have the option to boycott Starbucks until immediate action is taken, or to support the company despite this conflict in light of some of the good they have done. Either way, my actions have an effect on the global economy. 

Works Cited:

Sorkin, Andrew Ross. “ While Other U.S. Companies Flee China, Starbucks Doubles Down.” New York Times. 31 Jul. 2017. Web. 6 Dec. 2017

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/business/dealbook/sorkin-china-starbucks.html

Martin, Judith N. and Thomas K. Nakayama. Intercultural Communications in Contexts. 6th ed. McGraw Hill, 2013.

Reid, David. “Starbucks responds to ‘scandalous’ sugar accusation.” CNBC. 17 Feb. 2016. Web. 6 Dec. 2017

https://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/17/starbucks-responds-to-shocking-sugar-accusation.html

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Refugees Trapped on Greek Islands

Do all individuals and cultural groups share a fundamental humanistic belief in the sanctity of the human spirit and the goodness of peace, and that people should respect the well-being of others?

Professor Phil Tomkins defines social justice as the “process of communicating, inspiring, advocating, organizing, and working with others of similar and diverse organizational affiliations to help all people gain respect and participate fully in society in a way that benefits the community as well as the individual.” (Martin et. al., 39) This definition has three major components: communication, a benefit to the community as a whole (as opposed to just the individual), and a participation by all. (Martin et. al., 39) In Greece, a lack of communication and participation by the parties involved has led to the detriment of the refugees trapped on the islands off of the country’s mainland. 

The Greek government is not only prohibiting these individuals from entrance onto the mainland, but are processing them under an admissibility procedure to determine whether or not they can send these refugees back to Turkey, which holds 2.9 million refugees, more than any other country in the world. (Leghtas) Syrian emigrants, as well as those of other nationalities, are detained in over-populated camps and are forced to sleep in small tents in scorching heat, often among rats. (Leghtas) In addition, despite what European leaders say, they have all the means to handle this situation much better than they have so far. The EU is the richest economic bloc in the world, and has given Greece appropriate funds to care for their incoming refugees; however, the country shy's away from the issue. (Leghtas) Other countries, such as Turkey and Pakistan, are not as financially privileged yet have taken in millions. As a matter of fact, Lebanon has now taken in one million refugees, which represents one quarter of the country’s population. (Leghtas)

Because Greece is refusing to care for these refugees, let alone admit them into the mainland, they fail to show any signs of social justice. They have closed their doors to those in need, which blatantly disrespects “the well-being of others” and ceases to show a “fundamental humanistic belief in the sanctity of the human spirit.” This can only be attributed to a feeling of economic greed, prejudice, and/or discrimination (specifically nationalism) on the behalf of Greece, the latter two of which directly inhibit social justice.  (Martin et. al., 38-9)

Work Cited:

Martin, Judith N., and Thomas K. Nakayama. Intercultural Communications in Contexts. 6th ed. McGraw Hill, 2013. (38-39)

Leghtas, Izza. “Unnecessary Suffering for Asylum-Seekers on the Greek Islands.” Refugees International. 13 Jul. 2017. Web. 26 Oct. 2017.

https://www.refugeesinternational.org/blog/2017/greekislands

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The Demographic Imperative: Blood Quantum

By Shane Kellum

What are the different ways that identity plays a role in how people behave, are treated, organize, or are discriminated against?

Christina Berry’s article, “Blood Quantum - Why It Matters, and Why It Shouldn’t,” touches on how blood quantum is used to determine one’s eligibility for citizenship in a recognized Indian tribe. Quantum, however, was never an issue before the U.S. government involved itself in Indian Affairs. As Berry states in her article, “many American Indian tribes practiced adoption, a process whereby non-tribal member would be adopted into the tribe and over time become fully functioning members of the group.” In other words, a member of a foreign Indian tribe could become an equal in the eyes of the indigenous tribe. If this is the case, should it not be left to the tribes, themselves, to decide who qualifies as a tribal member?

Intercultural Communications Contexts, by Judith N. Martin and Thomas K. Nakayama uses the terms heterogeneous and homogeneous to describe the differences and similarities in a group, culture, or population, respectively (8). The book states that, “instead of thinking of cultures as either heterogeneous or homogeneous, it is ore useful to think about cultures as more or less heterogeneous (or more or less homogeneous)” (8). The authors mean to say that it is important to not only see what sets a person’s culture apart from our own; we must also take into account the similarities that that individual’s culture shares with ours. As this relates to blood quantum, what percentage American Indian (i.e. the difference) should not qualify them to being a tribe member, but rather their cultural connection (i.e. the similarity) to that tribe.

http://www.allthingscherokee.com/blood-quantum/

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Humor: I’ve always relied on my humor to facilitate social interaction; I’ve learned that the occasional wise-crack can really make someone more relaxed and affable.

Writer: I am an aspiring journalist, and my writing skills are very important. I always strive to be more eloquent and to use proper grammar.

Student: I am at a point in my life where I have not gathered enough skill to be able to apply it in a professional setting; therefore, I am using my time as a student to garner as much knowledge experience as I can get.

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Can you assess the importance of John Walson’s advent of cable television?

In 1948, the FCC put a “freeze” on the licencing of television stations. (HIlmes, 178) This prohibited new stations from forming, so people were to rely on already established ones transmitting from cities such as New York and Philadelphia. (Hilmes, 179) The problem arose, however, that out-of-the-way locations, miles from these cities and often with mountains or other geographical deterrents in between that interfered with television signals, were not able to receive these transmissions; or, at least, they were not able to receive them well. (Hilmes, 179) This would ultimately lead to the advent of cable.

Cable sprang up in three states, Arkansas, Oregon, and Pennsylvania, at approximately the same time. (California Cable and Telecommunications Association (CCTA)) While some people credit Ed Parsons of Astoria, Oregon for being the father of cable television (Genzlinger), John Walson Sr. had made cable possible for the residents of Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania one year prior to Parsons in 1948. (Broadband Cable Association of Pennsylvania (BCAP)) Walson sold television sets and, because of the poor reception the Appalachian Mountains caused, his business was being affected. (BCAP) As a solution, Walson put an antenna on top of a nearby mountain (similar to what is depicted in the photograph above) and, using twin-lead antenna wires, fed the signal through to the television sets in his store. (BCAP) Needless to say, television sales boomed after consumers saw how clear Walson’s cable system allowed the picture to be. (BCAP) Walson was then able to use coaxial cables and “self-manufactured “boosters” (amplifiers)” to provide an even better picture to the homes of people all over Mahanoy City. (BCAP)

John Walson’s idea for cable television would be copied by others in the Pennsylvania area (Genzlinger) and would be re-conceived in other parts of the country. (CCTA) Cable would become so popular that by the 1960′s, the FCC would issue another freeze, this time on the growth of cable, due to it out-competing local programmers. (CCTA) As remarkable of an idea as cable television turned out to be, it was only a matter of time before it was made possible. As I’ve stated, the concept came about in three different states, all roughly at the same time, so the credit can’t go to Walson or Parsons as much as it could go to the FCC for starting its freeze on television licencing that allowed this phenomenon to occur in the first place.

Sources:

“History of Cable Television,” Broadband Cable Association of Pennsylvania, 2016, Web (Accessed 11 Oct. 2016) http://www.pcta.com/about/history.php

“History of Cable,” California Cable and Telecommunications Association, 2016, Web (Accessed 11 October 2016) https://www.calcable.org/learn/history-of-cable/

Gezlinger, Neil. “My Father, the Cable Pioneer,” The New York Times, 24 Aug. 2012, Web (Accessed 11 Oct 2016) http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/arts/television/my-father-the-pioneering-cable-guy.html?_r=0

Hilmes, Michele. Only Connect: a History of Broadcasting in the United States, 4th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2014. Print.

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Can you assess the value or importance of Frieda Hennock’s actions to create public television?

Frieda Barkin Hennock was born in Kovel, Russia (an area that is now in Ukraine) in 1904 and immigrated to the United States at the age of six. (Morgenthau)  Living in New York City, she grew up in the Bronx and, after high school, would work at several law firms during the day to pay for her classes at the Brooklyn Law School at night. (Morgenthau)  She graduated at age nineteen and was admitted to the New York bar at twenty-one, becoming the youngest practicing female lawyer in the city at that time. (Morgenthau)

Hennock continued to practice law well into the 1940′s, while, at the same time, advocating and raising funds for women’s rights and Democratic political candidates, such as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. (Morgenthau)  In 1948, with little experience in broadcasting besides campaigning over the radio for the aforementioned politicians, President Harry S. Truman appointed her as the first female commissioner of the FCC. (Liggett) That same year, the FCC was facing difficulties with interfering airwaves from new television stations. (Hilmes, 178)  In consequence, a freeze was put on the distribution of television licenses. (Hilmes, 178)  This provided Hennock with the oppurtunity to advocate for educational television, which was non-existent up until this time. She campaigned around the country, using t9elevision, radio, and print publication to communicate her cause. (Liggett)

In 1950, hearings were held for a television allocation plan. (Liggett)  With television ownership rapidly rising in the US (Hilmes, 178), commercial broadcasters were desperate for station ownership and knew that educational programming would limit their chances of gaining an available station. (Liggett) These broadcasters testified that their programming was educationally sufficient (Liggett), but with the help of lobbying groups like the Ford Foundation (Hilmes, 179), she was able to guarantee educational programming.  In 1952, the FCC issued the “Sixth Report and Order,” ending the freeze and allocating 242 channels for non-commercial stations, which she encouraged communities and universities to apply for (Liggett).

As seen in the photograph above, in 1953, Hennock innaugurated the first educational station, KUHT, in Houston. (Morgenthau)  Hennock’s actions during her career as FCC commissioner have anchored in a place for public programming in American television. Thanks to her, channels like PBS and C-SPAN have been able to keep citizens informed and provide educationally substantial programming for children.

Sources:

Liggett, Lucy A. “HENNOCK, FRIEDA BARKIN”. Museum of Broadcast Communications. (Accessed 27 Sep. 2016) http://www.museum.tv/eotv/hennockfrie.htm

Morgenthau, Henry. "Frieda Barkin Hennock." Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. 1 March 2009. Jewish Women's Archive. (Accessed 27 Sep. 2016) http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/hennock-frieda

Hilmes, Michele. Only Connect: a History of Broadcasting in the United States,      4th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2014. Print.

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Would it be better if Winslow refused to let White DJ’s read his scripts?

Vernon Winslow was an art professor at Dillard University. (Welch) In the late 1940′s, he began sending scripts to the New Orleans radio station, WJMR. (Welch) The station’s White owners could not ignore the quality of these scripts, especially during a time when Black DJ’s and Rock n’ Roll were becoming evermore popular, but refused to concede and let Winslow on the air. (Hilmes, 175) The station decided to employ Winslow for the use of his scripts as well as to train White DJ’s how to “fake an African-American accent and dialect on air.” (Welch) The character these “racial ventriloquists” depicted was named “Poppa Stoppa” and was portrayed by a myriad of DJ’s (Hilmes, 175), such as Clarence Harmon (Barlow, 166) and Duke Thiele. (Welch)

Poppa Stoppa’s show, Jam, Jive, and Gumbo, first aired in 1947 and became a huge hit in the area. (Barlow, 166) Winslow would continue to write for the show until he was fired one night for taking the mic when one of his White apprentices had not shown up. (Barlow, 166) Though that may seem unfortunate, this turn of events would actually benefit Winslow’s career as a rival station, WWEZ, would pick him up in 1950, and under his new pseudonym, “Dr. Daddy-O,” Winslow began his own show with his own scripts and his own voice. (Welch)

“Despite how distasteful this all may sound, Winslow seemed to realize the end game would make it worth it: more Blackness on the air, one way or another.” (Welch) By paying his dues and letting White men voice his words, Winslow was eventually able to break a racial boundary by becoming the first Black DJ on the air in New Orleans (Welch) (notably, other Black DJ’s, such as Jack L. Cooper and Nat D. Williams, had made it on the air in areas like Chicago and Memphis, respectively). (Hilmes, 174) Therefore, by letting White DJ’s use his scripts, Winslow was able to integrate New Orleans radio and will be remembered as a progressive figure for civil rights.

Sources:

Hilmes, Michele. Only Connect: a History of Broadcasting in the United States,      3rd ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2014. Print.

Barlow, William. Voice Over: The Making of Black Radio. 1999. Google Books.        Web. 12 Sep. 2016.

https://books.google.com/books?id=gJuIHrKBONMC&pg=PA166&lpg=PA166&dq=voice+over+the+making+of+black+radio+vernon+winslow&source=bl&ots=3U_kAECF8c&sig=Wg_k35gvUrF8MlZrqjuRrYUS3fI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiQyve7t4rPAhWE_R4KHSuFAa4Q6AEIKDAA#v=onepage&q=voice%20over%20the%20making%20of%20black%20radio%20vernon%20winslow&f=false

Welch, Michael P. “Making the music spin in New Orleans.” Louisiana Weekly.         9 May 2016. Louisianaweekly.com. Web. 12 Sep. 2016.

http://www.louisianaweekly.com/making-the-music-spin-in-New-Orleans/