World Orientation

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 599.

Cultural patterns also tell people how to locate themselves in relation to the spiritual world, nature, and other living things.

A world orientation provides answers to questions such as the following:

· Are human beings intrinsically good or evil?

· Are humans different from other animals and plants?

· Are people in control of, subjugated by (в зависимости от), or living in harmony with the forces of nature?

· Do spirits of the dead inhabit and affect the human world?

In the African and African American worldview, human beings live in an interactive state with the natural and spiritual world. Daniel and Smitherman describe a fundamental tenet of the traditional African worldview as that of "a dynamic, hierarchical unity between God, man, and nature, with God serving as the head of the hierarchy” [15]. In this view of the relationship between the spiritual and material world, humans are an integral part of nature. Thus, in the African and African American worldview, «One becomes a 'living witness' when he aligns himself with the forces of nature and instead of being a proselytized ['prɔs(ə)lɪtaɪz] (обращать в свою веру) 'true believer' strives to live in harmony with the universe." [16].

Native American groups, as well, clearly have a view of humans as living in harmony with nature. [17] Latino culture places a great value on spirituality but views humans as being subjugated to nature, with little power to control circumstances that influence their lives. [I8] Asian Indians also have a worldview that humans are subjugated to nature. [19] Most European Americans view humans as separate and distinct from nature and other forms of life. Because of the supremacy of the individual and the presumed uniqueness of each person, most European Americans regard nature as something to be manipulated and controlled in order to make human life better.

Excellent examples of this cultural belief can be found in news reports whenever a natural disaster occurs in the United States. For instance, when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast in August 2005 and nearly two thousand individuals died in the subsequent flooding, people were outraged (быть возмущенным) that the flood protection and levee systems (система сдерживания, дамбы) could be so unsafe. The assumption in these pronouncements was that the consequences of natural forces such as hurricanes could have been prevented simply by using better technology and by reinforcing the levees and other structures to withstand the forces of nature. Similarly, in August 2007, within a day of the collapse of a bridge that spanned the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, syndicated television news stations were broadcasting a headline that asked, " Deadly Bridge Collapse: Who's to Blame?"

The position that humans are separate and distinct from nature is also associated with a belief that disease, poverty, and adversity (бедствия, невзгоды) can be overcome (могут быть преодолены) to achieve health and wealth. In this cultural framework, the "natural" part of the human experience - illness, loss, even death - can be overcome, or at least postponed (откладывать; отсрочивать), by selecting the right courses of action and having the right kinds of attitudes.

The spiritual and physical worlds can be viewed as distinct or as one. Among European Americans there is generally a dear understanding that the physical world, of which humans are a part, is separate from the spiritual world. If people believe in a spiritual world, it exists apart from the everyday places where people live, work, and play. Individuals who say they are psychic or who are mind readers are viewed with suspicion and curiosity. Those who have seen ghosts are questioned in an effort to find a more "logical and "rational" explanation. In other cultural frameworks, however, it is "logical" and "rational" for spirits to live in both animate and inanimate objects [20].