The Assigment of Final examination/ME and Culture/Irmayanti/031104134/VII E

Irmayanti

031104134 / VII E

Cross Culture Uderstanding

Me and Culture

A culture is a way of life of a group of people--the behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and that are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next my original culture is sundanese, there are several thing that we can learn from my culture.

.The Sundanese is the second-largest ethnic group in Indonesia. By the late-1950s, "Sunda-land" had been fully integrated into Indonesia. Called West Java, it is one of the nation's richest provinces.Like other Indonesians, most Sundanese are bilingual. They speak both their native tongue, Sundanese, and the Indonesian national language. Generally, Sundanese is the language of choice among family members and friends, while in the public sphere, Indonesian is used. Both languages are part of the Austronesian language family.Sundanese is extremely diverse, with various regional dialects. However, all are divided into different levels of formality depending on the social status of the person being addressed. Thus, the words one uses when talking to one's father differ from those used when talking to a friend or to one's younger sister. Most people use only two levels, or sometimes three. However, some older people make use of four.Sundanese naming practices are extremely varied. Some people have only a single name, while others have a first name and a last name. Women do not legally change their names after marriage but are frequently called "Mrs. [name of husband].

. Marriage is the most elaborate Sundanese rite of passage. Formally, it involves nine stages, from the initial visit between both sets of parents to the sharing of food and gifts on the day of the wedding. The groom's family brings gifts and money to the family of the bride. A few days before the wedding, the groom is "given" to the bride, along with clothing, jewelry, and money. On the day of the wedding, the groom is picked up at his home and taken to the bride's house, where he presents her with an agreed-upon amount of gold. The parents of the couple ceremonially feed them the last bites they will receive from their parents' hands. One week after the wedding, a gathering is held at the groom's house for his family and friends to meet the bride.

Traditional Sundanese clothing for women consists of a kebaya and a sarung (a skirt-like garment). The kebaya is a long-sleeved, fitted lace blouse that is worn over another layer of clothing. The sarung is a length of cloth that is wrapped around the waist and hangs down to the ankles. Men also wear a sarung, but instead of a kebaya, they wear a long-sleeved batik shirt or a fitted, embroidered jacket.Increasingly, such traditional clothing is worn only on formal occasions such as weddings. Everyday dress follows either Western or Islamic styles.

The Sundanese like to say, "If you have not eaten rice, then you have not eaten." Rice is prepared in hundreds of different ways. However, it is simple boiled rice that serves as the centerpiece of all meals. Side dishes of vegetables, fish, or meat are added to provide variety. These side dishes are spiced with any combination of garlic, galingale (a plant of the ginger family), turmeric, coriander, ginger, and lemon grass. Usually the food itself is not too spicy, but it is served with a very hot sauce made by grinding chili peppers and garlic together.. Preferred fowl include chickens, ducks, geese, and pigeons. A well-known Sundanese dish is lalapan, which consists only of raw vegetables, such as papaya leaves, cucumber, eggplant, and bitter melon. It is said to be the only Indonesian dish that features raw vegetables. Thus it often gives rise to jokes comparing Sundanese people to goats.

The Sundanese have an extremely rich cultural heritage. Many of Indonesia's most famous pop stars are Sundanese. Local music is sometimes set to the beat of "house music." One of the more traditional varieties is called degung. It is performed by a simplified gamelan orchestra blending soft-sounding percussion instruments with the melancholy sounds of a flute. Another type of orchestra is made up of an instrument called angklung (consisting of suspended bamboo tubes in different lengths that make a musical sound when shaken).One of the oldest forms of Sundanese literature still in existence is the pantun cerita. It is a kind of traditional poetry, in which each verse consists of two couplets. It tells of Sundanese heroes from ancient times. More modern forms of literature, such as the novel, have also emerged among the Sundanese. Sundanese novels are strictly popular, rather than "high brow."

The conclusion that culture can e defined as a symbolic communication. Some of its symbols include a group's skills, knowledge, attitudes, values, and motives. The meanings of the symbols are learned and deliberately perpetuated in a society through its institution, acculturation: all the knowledge and values shared by a society.Every country has different culture and they have characteristic that interesting to be explore for knowledge. And they have different way to conserve their culture in order that not contaminated by culture from another country. Culture have important role on politic and economy, I’m very proud being Indonesian, because it rich with the cultural heritage. As a sundanese I fell the culture in my neighborhood still kept, for example I still use sundanese language for daily conversation to older people I have to more polite when I speak with them.

Reference:

1. http://www.everyculture.com/wc/Germany-to-Jamaica/Sundanese.html
2. http://www.roshan-institute.org/templates/System/details.asp?id=39783&PID=474552
3. http://www.google.co.id/search?hl=id&defl=en&q=define:culture&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title

minority

Why "Model Minority" doesn't fit

Diane– Yen Mei Wong, Asian- American who was reevaluated her own
ethnic community. She really like multiracial and multiethnic of
people who allied and respect each other. But in fact only a few
people in several place that did it. She argued that diverse
Asian-American can't be stereotyped. She also said that why
stereotyped is so dangerous because it negates existence of the
important and the large segment of our communities who live property
and lucky ness. Some of expert said that the immigrants and refugees
may commit crimes because they didn't know what about American way of
life. Cultural unfamiliarity can caused crimes, but there are a few
people live in similar circumstance don't do crimes like extort,
kidnap and murder increasingly will cross ethnic lines. Ethnicity no
longer can protect us. Model minority maybe the rising crime is rate
that finally proves.

stereotypes

I have an experience about stereotype. When i was child I had a friend
who could not follow math. She felt low confident for it. She always
get bad score in math time after time,she used to practiced mat so
when she was in senior high school she could enter the acceleration
class. Now she works in the bank. People thought she would stay the
same with her weakness in exact matter but everybody change include her.

archilles

This story tells that the writer felt sorry of his wrong assumption
about his friend Hector. Hector was the writer's friend, when they are
still child. They destiny has brought them to a different side. The
writer get a good education by entering a school for gifted child but
hector was not. The writer thought that his destiny was better than
from Hector, but he was wrong. Until their grow up in the different
neighborhood. All this time he was wrong, Hector become a successful
person.

underclass

As we know so many people in our country,almost 2 millions of people
live in Indonesia but not all people get a luckiness.the number op
people always raising year by year and it cause problems like
criminal, discrimination, social stratification etc. About 50% peoples
of Indonesia as unemployment.They considered as scam of society and
they are one of the "underclass" especially for unemployment doesn't
have skill.Their existent considered damage and hamper of developing
country because they couldn't give income for the country on the
contrary they make into the poor country and bad in international
forum. Actually the government had been limited the number of child in
a family by program family planning but part of people still contrast
and believe to old proverb "children will bring a wealthy".
Speaking about "underclass" I have a friend. Yoyo he is a singer
street she came from simple family.He was graduated from senior high
school.Yoyo feel sad because nobody noticed him even his family never
care about him.He looked for some money for eat and to buy anything
that he need,his family feel shy with this situation and people didn't
respect someone who unemployment. Finally Yoyo depression because he
perceive didn't get a good place in her neighborhood and he couldn't
make his parents proud of him.
so, how the important job in our country because it as an identity and
it sign a successfully people in the world. I think if our country has
prepare a work places for unemployment our country will be grown and
has the same level with other country in Europe and America.

irmayanti/christmas day

Irmayanti
E/VII 031104136
Cross Culture Understanding

Christmas
Christmas can defined as An annual church festival (December 25) and
in some States a legal holiday , in memory of the birth of Christ,
often celebrated by a particular church service, and also by special
gifts, greetings, and hospitality. Christmas celebrations often
combine the marking of Jesus' birth with various other traditions and
customs.
According to my friend experience Agnez Kristiani who celebrates
Christmas, one day before Christmas she and her family usually went to
the church. Then they decorate their house with Christmas tree. After
that she and her whole family praying together at home then have a
dinner. Next in the morning they go to the church again, after that
she and her family go to their colleagues to celebrating a Christmas
day. Sometimes she got "Angpaw" from her parents. She never forgets to
serve chocolates, candies and cakes in her house. The important thing
they greet and asking for apologies each other. Usually, I appreciate
the Christmas with visit them at the day or just sending a card or
short message service. It could be the same when I celebrate the other
holy day our religion they come to our house greeting us and giving
some present.
Many people believe in Father Christmas, or Santa Claus. Father
Christmas is associated with St. Nicholas, the patron saint of
children. The current Father Christmas figure, silver-bearded and clad
in red and white, was introduced around the mid-eighteenth century.
One very popular tradition that is still common place is to hang
stockings out on Christmas Eve. The feast of St. Nicholas, 6 December,
is often forgotten, perhaps because it is as Santa Claus or Father
Christmas that we know St. Nicholas. In Britain and America St.
Nicholas day has merged with Christmas Day and so presents are given
on this day. It is fact that Santa Clause never exits in the real life
it is just the way for make the children happy with some present.
Christmas has no deferent with other religion holy day in Indonesia.
On this day all the family gathered, having fun, pray, new clothes and
giving the gift, but Christmas identical with Santa Claus and
Christmas tree

Irmayanti/031104134 "New Years"

New year is an event that happens when a culture a celebrates the end
of one year and the beginning of the next year cultures that measure
yearly calendar all have new year celebrations.
According to my experience when I celebrated new year eve with my
friends in Carita beach. It was at 2005, the way I celebrated new year
at that time are singing songs, talking, laughing and barbecue we were
waiting the midnight and when the time coming we are very happy we hug
each other and said "Happy new year" then to sign that new year is
coming I set fire to ignite sparkler and play trumpet.
All over the world, people welcome the new year for it is one of the
oldest of all holidays. Most New Year celebrations focus on family
and friends. It is a time to reflect on the past and envision a
future, perhaps, in a world where people live together in harmony.
Ways of celebrating differ as well, according to custom in the world.

References :

My experience
http ://www.wikipedia.org