Lost boys of Sudan

Imagine coming to a country and trying to fit in. Many people expect our 'norms' to be known. Going on vacation to other countries, you learn the way things are done, are very different. As I was watching the movie the lost boys of Sudan, I learned all about how are country is viewed. The boys said something that stuck in my mind, "In America time is money." I think that statement is very true. Many people find that when they come to America, they see people who are consumed by money. I believe that is very true, not everyone, but most. I see people who are completly commited to their jobs and not their family. For example, in many cultures the mothers stay home to take care of their children. In America, it is common to see the mothers working full time while their children are in daycare.

A funny story from my expierences with people from other countries living in America is about my friend arthur. Arthur is from France and came to America to go to Camp Edwards in Wisconsin. After camp he stayed at our house for three weeks and now comes back to visit every so often. While he was here he went boating with my grandfather. While boating he said he had to use the restroom.. while there was no restroom. So my grandpa simply said 'pee of the boat'. Next thing they know Arthur is in the water of the river and peeing...Any other person in America would have known he meant stand on the boat and pee off into the water, Not to actually get into the water and pee. This shows how communication is very different in other countries.

Another cultural difference, is the greetings. In America it is common for a hug and to say hey how are you. In many other countries, you are welcomed by a kiss on both cheeks and a loud voice. Over Christmas Break, My family had their Russian friends over and when they walk in the door they greet you with a huge hug and kiss you on both cheeks. This is another example of something that I wouldn't consider normal everday thing in America.

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           In class, we talked about symbolic interaction. Symbolic interaction is the interaction among people based on mutually understood symbols. These mutually understood symbols, could be stereotypes. For example, In Freeks and Geeks, a portion of the class began to chuckle as the camera glanced under the bleachers. Why? This is because it was portraying a stereotype of 'stoners'. Stereotypes surround our world today. As you walk through the hallway, you make judgements without even knowing it.
                Many people from other cultures have different stereotypes. I had a friend from France stay at my house over Thanksgiving break. He had no idea what Thanksgiving was. He had heard about it, but he didn't know all the 'hoopla' that surrounded it. Arthur was amazed by the amount of time spent on cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Also, Black Friday, was a new thing. He thought the idea of staying up till four a.m. to go shopping, was absurd.
Conflict perspective is social living is a contest of who attains the most power. There is power struggles seen throughout our society everyday. Political candidates have conflicts every day that they're trying to overcome. Children have conflicts with their teachers and parents. The deans also have power over the children. In Freeks and Geeks, Lindsey has a conflict with the Counselor, whom has more power.

Lastly, Functionalism, is the emphasize on different contributions of all parts of a society. For example, in Freeks and Geeks it was the school. The schools manifest function was to educate. It's latent function, was learning to socialize such as the dance. Another example would be my job. It's manifest function is to earn money. It's latent function is to give me experience with children, as I work at the YMCA.