Re: [xmca] Cultural memory

[ERIC.RAMBERG@spps.org]

Yes, exactly the cultural practices are transmitted from adults to 
children via the extremely strong ties to what has been practiced for 
generations.  An example is that the Hmong have a very strong belief in 
spirits and that bad luck befalls a family as a result of spiritual 
unbalance in a family member or in the belongings of the family; many 
cultural practices revolve around appeasing these "bad spirits", very 
common to see Hmong children wearing strings tied around their wrists to 
off evil or to keep their 'souls' in spiritual balance.  Also if a Hmong 
child is born with a disability then the family takes it on as their 
personal burden and are very reluctant to seek outside assistance. 

It is also interesting that since the Hmong have lived in St. Paul for 40 
plus years now that a written language has emerged as a result of schools 
efforts to illicit support from families in the educational process. 
However, it is interesting that Hmong cultural practices believe that the 
child is sent to the expertise of the teacher and it is not for the 
parents to interfere in the education of their child.

By the way Clint Eastwood directed and starred in a fabulous movie called 
"Grand Torino" that has a strong influence of Hmong culture incorporated 
into the plot.


If this has already been posted to XMCA please forgive the double posting

eric



From:   Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net>
To:     ERIC.RAMBERG@spps.org
Cc:     "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
Date:   10/17/2011 11:10 AM
Subject:        Re: [xmca] Cultural memory
Sent by:        xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu



Yes, that is interesting, Eric. Do you know *how* they do it? Is it just 
by how they raise their children?
Andy

ERIC.RAMBERG@spps.org wrote:
> Hey Andy:
>
> I don't know if this is exactly in line with what you are thinking but 
> in St. Paul there is a large population of Hmong (mountain people of 
> Laos) that have transplanted here.  They did not have a written 
> language but their cultural are still extremely strong (marriage at a 
> young age, long drawn out funerals, tending animals (I have been to 
> houses in St. Paul where chickens are kept in the house), gardening. 
>  Is this along the lines of your thinking?
>
> eric
>
>
>
> From:        Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net>
> To:        "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
> Date:        10/14/2011 06:54 PM
> Subject:        [xmca] Cultural memory
> Sent by:        xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
> I need some help. I am having a discussion with a supporter of Robert
> Brandom, who was at ISCAR, but is not an Activity Theorist. on the
> question of cultural memory.
>
> One of my criticisms of Robert Brandom is that he does not theorise any
> place for mediation in his theory of normativity. He supposes that norms
> are transmitted and maintained down the generations by word of mouth
> (taken to be an unmediated expression of subjectivity), and artefacts
> (whether texts, tools, buildings, clothes, money) play no essential role
> in this.
>
> I disagree but I cannot persuade my protagonist.
>
> I challenged him to tell me of a (nonlierate) indigenous people who
> managed to maintain their customs even after being removed from their
> land. My protagonist responded by suggesting the Hebrews, but of course
> the Hebrews had the Old Testament. Recently on xmca we had the same
> point come up and baseball culture was suggested, and I responded that I
> didn't think baseball-speak could be maintained without baseball bats,
> balls, pitches, stadiums, radios, uniforms and other artefacts used in
> the game.
>
> Am I wrong? Can anyone point to a custom maintained over generations
> without the use of arefacts (including land and texts as well as tools,
> but allowing the spoken word)?
>
> Andy
> -- 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *Andy Blunden*
> Joint Editor MCA: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/hmca20/18/1
> Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/ <http://home.mira.net/%7Eandy/>
> Book: http://www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=227&pid=34857 
> <http://www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=227&pid=34857>
>
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-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Andy Blunden*
Joint Editor MCA: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/hmca20/18/1
Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/
Book: http://www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=227&pid=34857

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