In L&C III we talked about October 12th and the way the meaning of this date has changed over the last years. We also talked about Halloween and the way it is being celebrated in our schools. These topics arouse some questions:
Is culture something that we all share or there are as many cultures as people? Are empanadas, mate and Tango part of our culture or they are just symbols that represent our country?
Do join the debate!
18 comments:
Empanadas, mate, tango,and asado...locro and red wine, pizza and beer, the national anthem, the light blue and white flag, Martín Fierro, Gauchos, Sarmiento, Rosas, Mapuches, Coyas, Guaraníes, territory and slang, jargon, "lunfardo", the vocative "Che"...Evita, Gardel, Maradona, Charly García,"National" Rock, Cumbia
"Villera"...Virgen of Luján, San Cayetano, Gauchito Gil...Discépolo, Piazzola, bandoneón..."colectivo"(bus) ..Mothers of Plaza de Mayo...Family...Plaza Francia, Marta Minujín, Quinquela Martín, La Boca, Puerto Madero...shanty houses called "Villa Miseria"...Tinelli...Borges, Sábato...technology, economy, institutions, politics, moral values, universal beliefs...they are just symbols that represent our country...but, what do they symbolize?...Argentina is a pluricultural country where culture and counterculture live together as a marriage raising a dynamic creature who is built, modified, shattered and rebuilt to be invented and acknowledged as National Identity...our identity?
Susana Guaglianone
I think that empanadas, mate and tango are traditions of our country. These traditions belong to our culture.And, of course, something that we share is culture. But Halloween is celebrated in some parts of our country because it is an American tradition and it was introduced in our country for foreing people.Thus, I think that this celebration doesn't belong to our culture.
Halloween! How unrealistic it seems to be in our universe! I´d would like to add something else...How deeply happy we may feel when we dance Reguetón or Salsa with our children, parents, nieces, grandchildren, friends in a birthday´s party, after having eaten an Argentine cake with dulce de leche filling! If you don´t think that we have a common culture, let´s share some Gieco´s stanzas in our language...
"La cultura es la sonrisa que brilla en todos lados,en un libro,en un niño,en un cine,en un teatro, sólo tengo que invitarla para que se quede un rato.
Ay, ay, ay, que se va la vida más la cultura se queda acá
La cultura es la sonrisa para todas las edades
puede estar en una madre, en un amigo, en la flor
o quizás se refugie en las manos duras de un trabajador
La cultura es la sonrisa con fuerzas milenarias
ella espera mal herida, prohibida o sepultada
a que venga el señor tiempo y le ilumine otra vez el alma
La cultura es la sonrisa que acaricia la canción
y se alegra todo el pueblo, quien le puede decir que no
solamente alguien que quiera que tengamos triste el corazón"
Susana Guaglianone
Well, this topic took such a long time to arrive into conclusions during the class (in fact, we didn't). I totally believe that all the items that Susana mentined, as mate, asado, locro nad tango, are symbols of our country. But what I think is that everything is part of a person's culture; I mean, I do not listen to tango music all day long and I do not like locro, for example. We live in a country where the cultures of almost the whole world live together. That is why we like going to McDonalds and dance Reageton as much as drinking mate and eating "pastelitos".
I personally think that "culture" is a concept that each person can attach a different and personal meaning, with different symbols, customes, etc.
In my opinion, "culture" has to do with customes and beliefs that represent a group. I think that mate, tango or empanadas are symbols which represent our country . We share a lot of different cultures and we also acquire some traditions which do not belong to our culture for example Halloween, as Sandra have mentioned before.
I agree with Vanesa in the sense that mate, empanadas and tangos are symbols that represent our country. And as regards "Culture", I think that this terms has to do with the beliefs and costumes share by a group of people.
I consider that every country has its own culture and that there are certain features which belong to each country. In the case of Argentina, empanadas, mate and Tango are part of our culture. However, we have to mention that there are many subcultures in our country. What is true is that they are very different one from another as regards music, ethnic background, religion, etc, but in my opinion they are part of the our
culture because they share many others features of it.
I believe that there are symbols of our country, like "mate" that make us feel at home whenever we are. I understand that there are people that make not like them or use them but, if they are Argentinians, they will recognize them wherever they go. I think that culture has to do with that, with the feeling that certain things awake in some people and not in other. Maybe culture is just like love, it is always there but it is imposible to describe and put into words.
Mariana, I totally agree and like tour last phrase. "Maybe culture is just like love, it is always there but it is imposible to describe and put into words". I think it describes the feelings Argentinians have for our customes.
I agree with Mariana. I think that Culture has to do with the idea of recognizing these symbols which were mentioned before, such as mate, empanadas or tango. They are part of our culture, and I agree with Martin too, in the sense that there are other cultures in our country and we share a lot of their custumes and beliefs.
I totally agree with Marian. Those items mentioned before are our Culture, whatever you like them or not. Those represent our country in other parts of the world. If some of us don't listen tango or don't drink mate as me, that doesn't mean that is not part of Argentina's culture. Although one or more people don't do it, it still remains as Argentina's Culture. End of discussion.
I agree with you people when you say that for example, empanadas, locro, tango, etc, are symbols that we as Arentinians recognize all over the globe because they are part of our culture, our traditions. On the other hand,I think that culture is something that is continually changing and developing. Our culture is in some aspects the same and in some others different to that of our grandparents and parents. Just consider the way we dress, the music we listen to, the way we talk to them.That is culture too.
I agree with Vanesa when she says that “culture” is the things that represent a group. For example, mate, tango, empanadas are part of us. When foreign people hear the word tango, they immediately associated it with Argentina. Talking about Halloween, I don´t thinks is such a bad thing to celebrate it. I know that it is a celebration that comes from another “culture” but we do it just for fun with the children. If you are teaching English is useful to get their attention and you can do a lot of activities, games and projects with this theme.
P.R
I think that mate,empanadas and tango are symbols that identify to our country and people started to take as cultural and traditional objects.However,I think that taking into account these symbols people can create their own concepts of culture according to what people feel as culture connected to their different choices in life...
I totally agree with Mariana in the sense that the term 'Culture' is very difficult to describe. And that all the things we mentioned before
are symbols that represents our customes as Argentinians.
I share Paola´s opinion about Holloween. If we are teaching English, we should tell students what Holleween is about. Besides, children may have some fun in the classroom. If we live in a country where many customs from other parts of the world live together...why not enjoying Holloween with students?!
I agree with Yanina. The fact of teaching English also includes their culture and costumes so, i think it's not wrong to teach students about what holloween is about. Apart from that, students really enjoy this kind of things.
HI, I agree with many that mate, empanadas and tango are elements belonging to our culture. However, whenever someone from Argentine travels abroad, he/she is immediately identified by foreign people with Maradona, or with Messi. The latter is, no doubt, our clear referent abroad. Yet, culture involves some other different aspects. For instance, one is delighted to hear talk a cultured person, that one who can describe you a day in the Roman Colisseum hundreds of years ago. Even most, culture is connected with politics. Generally, cultured people know beforehand what political candidates are going vote whereas others, possibly with less political culture, rely on comic TV programmes and account their selection of the candidate on the grounds that the imitator of such candidate was sympathetic or danced very well. For this and other reasons, culture is very important for aur lives. Well, bye.
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