Cultural Control

Troy Hottle, Steven Milcinovic, Seth Ostheimer, and Steven Shaak


    Is culture a choice?  Culture is forced upon people for better or for worse.  It may not be obvious that culture is a controlling force that shapes how individuals act and live; it is.  From the moment we are born there is an “invisible hand,” a conscience that guides our actions. 
    As we traveled throughout the world we were immersed in many, varied cultures.  Most of which had strong ties to religion.  Whether it was Buddhism, Hinduism, or Islam, we witnessed the influence these religious teachings had on their followers.  Many of the moral convictions of these religions were positive from our perspective like non-violence, cleanliness, and a hospitable nature, but to what extent are the teachings internalized.  We witnessed large numbers of impoverished people throughout our trip.  The capacity for the poor to offer food and shelter or to stay clean and make time to pray is limited, but they may go to the extent of their means to provide for others with less.
    There were less familiar aspects of culture controlling people’s lives that we witnessed.  In India they adopted a strict vegetarian diet and arranged marriages.  The marriages many times involve a man and a woman who have never met and will have to spend the rest of their lives together.  It seems bizarre to us to force people to do these things but the cultural influence is such that these practices are not questioned.  The modern history of Germany is an extreme example of the cultural coalescence around misguided nationalistic beliefs.
    The nationalistic tendencies of an already stressed Germany gave rise to the Nazi party.  Anti-Semitic sentiments reached a climax as the Jewish community was used as a scapegoat for the post World War I economic collapse of Germany.  The Nazi party was able to unite the country under promises of a better future while simultaneously developing a culture of hatred.  Germany became more militaristic and the government fascist; individuals became self-censoring for fear of persecution.  The culture of fear became dominant in the actions of individuals and discouraged any dissent.  Those who did make a stand against the party were quickly processed along with the rest of the innocents.  It is this culture of fear which remains a threat today.
Memorial to victims of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp of WWII. Photo: Steven Milcinovic.

    Culture develops within individuals as they are socialized from an early age and sticks with them until they die.  Cultural development can be a positive force creating a caring, compassionate society or, inversely, a culture of hate and violence.  The controlling influence of culture upon our lives cannot be denied but in the presence of injustice we must not be afraid to stand for what we know is right.  This is an aspect of our culture and is easy to say but it could be undermined if we give in to fear and look to the state for answers.
Troy Hottle, Steve Milcinovic, Seth Ostheimer and Steve Shaak
ostheimerse at hiram.edu
last updated 26 March 2008