Unit 1 Identifying Cultural Values
Overview
Welcome to Unit 1 of Culture & Christianity, LDRS 375. When was the last time you had a free and open discussion with a group of friends about the issues of religion, faith or even Christianity specifically? How long has it been since you tried to apply principles from religion or faith to some of the cultural issues we all encounter in out face-to-face discussions, the news, or on social media? In some cultures, especially in Canada, we tend to avoid religion and hot cultural issues. We’d rather keep the peace in polite company.
You may have noticed that some people are passionate when talking about religion, faith, and certain cultural issues and because of that, others are sometimes reluctant to open up and express their views. It’s even harder to raise questions we may have since, for all we know, they might offend or irritate someone, or lead to conflict.
The word religion is not easy to define and there is no one universally agreed definition. However, it usually refers, at a minimum, to the belief in a supernatural power behind the universe. Christianity represents the belief that this power is a personal and moral God, the Creator of the universe, who revealed himself in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.
The term, culture, comes from the Latin cultura, meaning to cultivate. While there is no single agreed-upon definition of culture either, it normally is used to refer to our overall ways of life, thinking, beliefs, customs, dress, manners, and everything else we have acquired as members of our society. Most of us use this word commonly and have some idea of what it means.
Let’s start with a brief thought experiment. Suppose you had been born and raised in a different culture. What would that have been like? Different surroundings, customs, parents, beliefs, etc., but it’s still you. But here’s the question: would you be the same person you are today? Would you have the same viewpoints, or basic assumptions about life and the world? You’re probably thinking the answer is so obvious it’s hardly worth asking. Of course not. And you’re right. However, notice what this obvious fact means. It tells us that the particular culture in which we were raised has powerfully shaped us, including our views and perspectives on everything, and we all know it once we stop to think about it. To a large degree, we are the people we are thanks to the culture in which we have grown up. We could be very different people if only we had grown up in a different culture, something over which we had no choice. Philosophers sometimes refer to this as accidents of birth. The astonishing and fascinating influence of culture is something we will reflect upon throughout this course.
This course addresses three big questions:
- What is culture?
- What is Christianity?
- How do these two relate to each other?
Everything we do in this course will somehow connect with one or more of these questions. As we move through the units and topics, we encourage you to ask which of these questions is being dealt with in any particular reading, assignment, or discussion. Because culture is dynamic, not static, and also because Christian teaching is always interpreted by us humans, the process of discovering how culture and Christianity relate to each other is an ongoing and dynamic one as well.
Are there ways we can think through and engage these three big questions, and others that flow from them, in a cool and enlightening manner? Are there steps or procedures that can guide us to thoughtful conclusions? In this course we will seek precisely these kinds of procedures. Our goal will be to examine foundational questions in an informed and respectful manner. Since the name of this course is ‘Culture & Christianity’, we will also relate Christian themes to cultural issues. Our consistent goal will be to help each other move forward in our own understanding of some of the most important issues we will ever face as people interacting with others in a culture, and hopefully come to a few new conclusions along the way. As such, this course is highly practical and useful for life.
Perhaps, however, you’re thinking to yourself, can anyone discuss religion and culture without coming into immediate conflict? Isn’t religion the source of divisions and disagreement? Isn’t that why we are told to avoid religion and politics in polite company?
It’s a fair question. We should also keep in mind, however, that when people of different faiths, or even the same one, disagree with each other on some issue (we can all think of a few), sometimes the disagreeing parties may find that after discussing it further they actually agree at a deeper more foundational level. For example, they both may agree there is a God, i.e., theism, but disagree on which version of theism is correct. Or they may disagree on whether such a being as God exists but agree that if one did exist, then supernatural miracles are at least possible. Or, they may disagree on whether a God exists but agree that neither can prove their view with absolute certainty. Finding deeper points of agreement is key to moving forward in any discussion, and recognizing them can allow for a cooler and more productive conversation of sensitive questions. It helps us pinpoint the exact areas of disagreement and may even point the way to a solution of some kind.
In this unit we will turn our attention to a number of prevalent cultural values and will draw special attention to the winds of change underway across many cultures of the world. Our goal will be to understand our changing cultural climate and prepare for the later work of relating Christianity to it.
Topics
This unit is divided into 3 topics:
- Our Changing Cultural Landscape
- New Technologies: New Questions
- Understanding the Cultural Confusion
Learning Outcomes
When you have completed this unit, you should be able to:
- Define key terms, such as culture, religion, Christianity, and objective versus subjective good and evil.
- Describe how and why culture is such a powerful influence in shaping our individual perspectives on the issues and questions we face.
- Explain how new technologies present us with new and often challenging cultural dilemmas.
- Discuss how cultural relativism differs from moral objectivism.
- Take a position on the issue of cultural relativism, however tentatively, and articulate both the strongest arguments for and some key objections to it.
Activity Checklist
Here is a checklist of learning activities you will benefit from in completing this unit. You may find it useful for planning your work.
Learning Activities
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Introduce yourself to your peers.
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Read chapter 2 of your textbook, Talking About Good and Bad
Without Getting Ugly, by Paul Chamberlain and reflect on the
question provided.
-
Read chapter 3 of your textbook, Talking About Good and Bad
Without Getting Ugly. Take notes on key terms and concepts.
-
Watch and reflect on the scenarios activity about ethical
dilemmas.
-
Read chapter 4 of your textbook, Talking About Good and Bad
Without Getting Ugly.
- Define the three terms in the chart and identify examples from the texts, from social media, traditional media, or conversations with others.
1.1 Our Changing Moral Landscape
Activity: Introductions
Before you delve into the course material, take some time to introduce yourself to your peers, your facilitator, and your instructor. Share a bit about yourself, such as where you live, what you are studying, the kind of things that interest you, and perhaps some questions you have about this course. Feel free to share a picture of something that means something to you (e.g. pet, family, favourite book, etc.). Note that in this course, you will write reflective journals and participate in other group assignments. This is a good opportunity to get to know each other and build your community of learners.
Go to the Course Cafe section and click on Student Introductions. Add your introduction to the forum.
Perhaps you’ve heard it said, the only thing that remains the same is that nothing remains the same. Maybe that is an overstatement, but it makes a point we all recognize, namely, that the times are changing and, in some ways, it’s a brave new world out there.
We still talk about good and evil, but questions are commonly raised about who gets to decide lofty questions like what is good and should be commended, and what is evil and ought to be condemned. And what will be their standard of measurement? Is it simply a matter of the ones in power making such judgments? If so, then might has become right, and those in power are not simply political authorities but moral police as well. Is that the case? Are we satisfied with that state of affairs? If we answer no to that, then we are saying morality is not simply a matter of the ones in power making their own judgments. So, what is it? While these questions are not new, they are being raised today with renewed passion.
But the questions run deeper than these. Can we be sure that good and evil exist in the first place in any real or objective sense? Could it be that such concepts are simply defined by one’s culture and consequently change from one society to another? If so, then what business do we have critiquing the practices of any culture including those who practice ethnic cleansing, apartheid, female genital mutilation, burning women at their dead husbands’ funerals, or executing young women because they have been raped? Many of us would want to condemn actions like these but in the absence of a universal standard of good and evil, it seems difficult to say what is wrong with them other than that we simply don’t like or prefer them. These are just a few of the questions circling around us in our world today and they present serious challenges for anyone wanting to think and live in an informed and productive way.
The process of understanding our culture begins by recognizing and understanding changes like these. As we do, we will become better readers of our culture and, thus, be in a position to contribute to conversations taking place around us on issues which many find perplexing, even troublesome.
As you work through the reading for this topic ask yourself the following questions:
- What are a few of the cultural values you see in your culture? Can you name them?
- How, exactly, do you see them demonstrated?
Activity: Read and Reflect
In the first activity, you are asked to read chapter 2 of your textbook, Talking About Good and Bad Without Getting Ugly, by Paul Chamberlain. As you read, be sure to take notes in your Learning Journal, defining key terms and explaining key concepts. This will help you as you complete the assessments in this course.
Questions to Consider
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Are there any standards of good and evil which people can agree on
regardless of religious background?
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When people differ on moral matters, how can we as a culture decide?
Who gets to decide?
- Are good and evil culturally dependent and culturally relative, are there some transcendent overarching moral principles which apply to all cultures?
1.2 New Technologies: New Questions
Our world is facing a dilemma. Technologically we are achieving new heights at breath-taking speed. Everywhere we look, we see and use advancing technologies. They are in our cars, our bicycles, homes, cell phones, computers, and in the ways we communicate with others. But should we use every new technological advancement? If so, how and when? These questions represent the ethical and cultural dimension involved in new technologies.
One way to think of this dimension is to ask whether the fact that we can do something automatically means we should do it? The shortened version is this: does can imply ought? At a basic level, we all know the answer to this question is a resounding no. We can all do many things that we ought not to do. We can rob banks, drive our cars recklessly, steal from our employers, and abuse children. The fact that we can do these things does not mean we should.
While new technologies have often made life easier and better, they have not always done so, and some, in fact, have made life more perilous. Consider the development of biological or nuclear weapons of mass destruction. Most of us would prefer a world in which such weapons did not exist and, now that they do, we hope the people who control them never decide to use them.
As you move through this topic, we encourage you to consider this primary question concerning technology: If the fact that we can do something does not mean we should automatically give ourselves permission to do it, then when should we feel free to do the things we can? And on what basis do we make such decisions?
Activity: Read and Reflect
Read chapter 3 of your textbook, Talking About Good and Bad Without Getting Ugly, by Paul Chamberlain. Take notes on key terms and concepts.
Next, watch the TED Talk, “Ethics in the age of technology”, to get a better understanding of key terms for this topic.
Question to Consider
- Do new capabilities resulting from technological advances really create new ethical dilemmas or are they the same old questions in different form?
Activity: Case Study “Personal Drones”
Watch the following two scenarios that present ethical dilemmas. As you watch them, answer to the questions, take notes on what is happening in the scenarios and any factors that might be relevant to the ethical dilemmas.
Question to Consider
- If the fact that we can do something does not mean we should automatically give ourselves permission to do it, then when should we feel free to do the things we can? And on what basis do we make such
1.3 Understanding the Cultural Confusion
Have you ever had one of your conversations go off track for reasons you couldn’t understand? You walked away bewildered, shaking your head, and wondering what went wrong. Nothing you said seemed to fit where the conversation was going, and the responses of others appeared to come out of left field. Welcome to the reality of cultural confusion.
Cultural confusion is one of the most perplexing and, for some people, troublesome dimensions of the study of culture and it will be the focus of this topic. Where does such confusion come from and why does it exist?
To understand it, we need to think back to something we said earlier, namely that culture is dynamic, not static, which means it never stops changing. Think for a moment of how profound this obvious fact is. Most of us can readily see that our own cultures are not the same as they were ten, twenty, or especially thirty years ago. New technologies and knowledge combined with changing perspectives, lifestyles, social customs, and values, have effectively produced new cultures, sometimes at dizzying speed. But these new cultures, too, are undergoing change and in ten or twenty years they will not look the same as they do now either.
As culture changes, however, not everyone changes with it at the same speed. Some have bought into new and different values or perspectives while others have not. Still others are somewhere in between. They have embraced some new perspectives but are still somewhat rooted in former values and ways of thinking. To add to the complexity, sometimes the new does not mesh well with the old even though both are functioning in the same person. This means engaging others in a changing culture can be an unpredictable and disorienting business. You never know which values, perspectives, or levels of knowledge you might encounter.
Our goal in this course is to grow in our ability to engage others well on cultural issues. To do that, we must recognize cultural confusion when we see it and develop skills for sorting through it. In this topic, you will be encouraged to figure out what cultural confusion looks like and to spot the various ways it shows up. As we will see, it comes in several shapes and sizes. In this topic, we will highlight three forms of confusion.
The first is what we might call Personal Dissonance Confusion and it occurs when conflicting viewpoints are held in the mind of one and the same person. We alluded to this above. To grasp this kind of confusion, think about how disagreement normally works. When people disagree with others about various issues such as animal rights, environmental care, vaccine mandates, the right to protest, abortion, euthanasia, and others, it is because they have different viewpoints which conflict with each other. This kind of disagreement is normal and does not, in itself, indicate cultural confusion. But what if the conflicting viewpoints, rather than being held by two different people, are both held by the same person? This kind of cognitive dissonance reflects confusion and we encourage you to watch for examples of it in the course readings and also in your own day-to-day interactions with others. We should start, however, by watching for it in our own minds. If we find it there, at least we can do something about it.
Sometimes, however, cultural confusion exists at a deeper level than simply individuals holding conflicting views. Occasionally, we see society at large holding, and seemingly promoting, irreconcilable views and even attempting to act upon them. This is the second level of cultural confusion and we’ll refer to it as Cultural Dissonance Confusion.
The third and deepest level, which we’ll call Cultural Method Confusion occurs when the very approach or method our culture uses for working through its issues is confused and contradictory. This is the confusion at the most profound level, and we encourage you to watch for it as you read through the course texts. Then see if you can spot it in social media, traditional media, or conversations with others.
Our goal in this topic will be to track with the confusion at these three levels and, as we do, develop the cognitive skills for understanding where the confusion lies. Once we understand and track it, we will be in a position to bring clear and helpful thinking to the conversations we are a part of.
As you work through the reading for this topic, ask yourself the following questions:
- When or where have I experienced cultural confusion in my own interactions with others?
- Which form was it: personal dissonance, cultural dissonance, or cultural method?
In chapter 4 of the Chamberlain text, Talking About Good and Bad Without Getting Ugly, we will come across these three forms of cultural confusion and will have the opportunity to begin to develop the skills of detecting and sorting through them.
Activity: Read, View and Reflect
Read chapter 4 of your textbook, Talking About Good and Bad Without Getting Ugly, by Paul Chamberlain. Take notes on key terms and concepts.
Questions to Consider
-
When or where have I experienced cultural confusion in my own
interactions with others?
- Which form was it: personal dissonance, cultural dissonance, or cultural method?
Activity: Define and Identify
Define the three terms in the chart below and identify examples from the texts, from social media, traditional media, or conversations with others.
| Personal Dissonance Confusion | Cultural Dissonance Confusion | Cultural Method Confusion | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definitions | |||
| Examples from the texts | |||
| Examples from social media, traditional media, or conversations with others |
Assessment
Unit 1 Student Presentations & Forum Interaction
See the Assessment section for instructions on the discussion forum for this unit.
Checking your Learning
Before you move on to the next unit, you may want to check to make sure that you are able to:
-
Define key terms, such as culture, religion, Christianity, and
objective versus subjective good and evil.
-
Describe how and why culture is such a powerful influence in shaping
our individual perspectives on the issues and questions we face.
-
Explain how new technologies present us with new and often
challenging cultural dilemmas.
-
Discuss how cultural relativism differs from moral
objectivism.
- Take a position on the issue of cultural relativism, however tentatively, and articulate both the strongest arguments for and some key objections to it.