Post 1 Where's the History?

“People live culturally rather than they live in cultures.”  I really like this statement that Ingold (1994) was referenced in the article.  Just because the majority of a culture may do certain things that people of the same culture does, does not mean that they are motivated or constricted by that culture.  In order for a person to live comfortably they do the things that please them.  I use the example of the popular spread Nutella. European countries, to my knowledge, have a low importation of my favorite American peanut butter and a much more popular topping called Nutella.  During college I was exposed to Nutella and found that so many college students love and even prefer this to my favorite Skippy peanut butter.  It is curious how the global economy influences what we consume and what becomes apart of our culture.

Culture should not generalize and constrict people to stereotypes.  However, it is a comfort to know that how you live your life is similar to others experiences.  Especially in TESOL, it is important for students to relate and feel a part of a larger group of people, but it is also important for students to stand out and be an individual.  I think that individuals sometimes adapt themselves to fit into a certain cultural group, which is not always a good thing. 

One thing that I did not see in the article that we read is the importance of history in culture.  I believe that this is one huge difference about schools around the world.  Even though we receive education in global history, schools often concentrate on the history of their own country.  Should not this be a big influence of our teaching history?  When we are forced to teach what our country requires, we should be able to build on and relate to our classrooms previous knowledge.