"Meaning of Culture" & "What's Morally Acceptable"

The Meaning of "Culture"

Joshua Rothman's blog entry discussing the definition of the word "culture" struck me as cynical and critical with hints of optimism. He states that "culture" is more than the "sum of its definitions" but that it has begun to have a negative connotation in our society. Overall, I disagree with Rothman's view that the word "culture" has grown to be "darker, sharper, more skeptical". With the exception of the term "rape culture" (as he discusses in the entry), "culture" as a word has not become a more negative word.

The word choices Rothman made gave "culture" a negative tone and feel. His writing  used words such as "furtive", "shady", and "ridiculous" to describe the use of the word "culture". Using strong negative words influences how the reader understand the entry and persuades them to think the same way as the author. Rothman's understanding of the word "culture" needs to be more fluid and giving. Over time words can change and their meaning evolve to fit situations or a changing society.

What's Morally Acceptable?

The Pew Center Research conducted a survey and asked 40 different countries around the world what is morally unacceptable, morally acceptable, or not a moral issue at all. They asked people about extramarital affairs, gambling, homosexuality, abortion, premarital sex, alcohol use, divorce, and use of contraceptives. As I read over the results I was surprised by how many people said that abortion was not a moral issue. My surprise at this is a result of my beliefs and political stance. Regardless of "right" or "wrong" I feel that this is a moral issue. I then looked at the results for divorce. Ghana and Uganda topped the list with 80% and 76% morally unacceptable (respectively).

Of the top five countries that found divorce morally unacceptable, three are in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. The U.S.'s results were fairly evenly split and Canada showed that 37% of its people felt it was morally acceptable while 47% felt it wasn't a moral issue. The views of the North American countries different vastly from that of the Sub-Saharan Africa regions. The cultures, laws, and religions of the regions possibly play a large role in influencing how the people of those areas feel about the different issues. These results give an insight into the culture of those areas and the people living there.