February

I found some of Virginia Woolf's statements to be rather interesting, and many of them are applicable today. It was interesting to consider how many women in literature are portrayed as being such valued characters, while at the time women were treated very poorly.  Today, I think, most characters can be considered more realistic, as women's role in society is now about the same as those of men.  I think most writing has shifted from a symbolic to a literal focus, and the characters have shifted accordingly.  For example, Rasheed is a more believable character than someone like Beowulf, and it seems unlikely that Laila would have killed herself as Edna did.

I thought it was interesting researching different topics concerning the Cult of Domesticity.  Certainly it was easy to find quotes by people like Rick Santorum - it is absurd that people like this make it into public office.    But to quote Mark Twain, "Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself."

Sexism abounds on the Internet, and I've seen plenty of pictures like the one Caroline brought in for the discussion. I think most of it is the result of freshmen and the uneducated posting anonymously to get attention, and should be taken with a grain of salt, as it can be very offensive otherwise.  It is ironic that the conservative Islamic culture has some of the same views on women, and the people who make these posts degrading females certainly also hate Muslims.

December 2012

Overall, I found the article very interesting.  Though I was unfamiliar with the 'official' tenets of Cultural Relativism, many of its elements have been introduced to me throughout life.  The author's evaluation and interpretation of Cultural Relativism much reflected my own beliefs regarding our affairs with people of other cultures.  It is important that people know that though some cultures are fairly similar to ours, some are very different.  We often tend to look down on those who are different simply because they are not the same as us - whether it be a new kid at school, a new immigrant to the country, or if we come into close contact with another culture (on vacation, for example.)

This concept has often come up in the literature we have read throughout the year - Beowulf and Things Fall Apart come to mind especially.  Beowulf's culture and people are from a Norse society from over a thousand years ago, and Okonkwo's world lies in the heart of Africa, isolated from the rest of the world almost since the beginning of the human race.  Both characters are much respected and are great heroes of their time, as seen by the members of their society.  However, both characters have attributes that are not seen as positive in our society - Beowulf's obsession with honor and glory, or Okonkwo's use of violence to obtain obedience.  However, if one acknowledges the differences between the cultures, they can be seen as heroes.

There are, however, some things that all cultures seem to agree are necessary for society - just as the article points out.  The general ideas that truth, treatment of murder as a crime, and the need to care for young are facets of all societies in so