D Nell

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Within this blog entry I will be discussing the concept of "where I know from."

I was raised in a traditional, religious, Afrikaans environment. A lot of my views were shaped by the church within our town. I was taught religious views and practices from a young age, with emphasis on loving one's family and friends as well as one's neighbours and enemies. Love and family is a central concept within my household as well as the community within the town. However, my views may differ from my neighbour's views as we were brought up in different households and this means that where I "know from" is different to where my neighbour "knows from." 

These concepts taught to me by my parents were passed on from their parents as well as their grandparents and I will pass it on to my children eventually as well. I can safely say that because of these principles which I have learnt, my views of the world have definitively been influenced in a positive way. We build our beliefs around the church and the values of the church. As a result, it allows us to treat every individual around us with the same respect and understanding.

However, my mother's side of the family rely mainly on family rather than religion. My grandfather was Italian and my grandmother is Hungarian. Growing up around my grandparents there were a lot of European influences, not necessarily in terms of the way we speak or behave because I was not brought up within those countries, but my grandparents passed down some of the culture in the food they would make. Traditional Hungarian and Italian dishes made by my grandparents would pass down some of the influences and culture of both Hungary and Italy and it was in this way that I would get a taste of the European culture.

Above all else, they valued family and believed that dinner was a time where we all could sit down and all share the same cultural experience. I may not "know from" a European standpoint but I have some insight into the cultural and social spheres of these two European countries.

Both my father and mother's side of the family value traditional family values and as a result I "know from" both sides of my family. I "know from" a religious aspect because of my father but I "know from" a more social and European aspect because of my mother.

It is difficult to describe where I "know from" because I am not entirely a part of each culture. However, I still share similar views to those in the respective cultures. I just "know from" a different environment.

D Nell

52275876

Within this blog entry I will be discussing and reflecting on my social network and the interactions that take place within it.

My social network consists of my family, my friends and my fellow students. However, the difference is that each of these spheres of my social network have different interactions  and I relate to each of them differently as well.

Firstly, my family is the main part of my social network. I relate to them in a sense that they are my flesh and blood as well as them being my main support group while I am at university. We interact on a day-to-day basis and within these interactions I tell them about what I am feeling, how my day was and just about general events which occurred on that specific day. They look after my emotional needs and ensure that I remain positive and encouraged.

The next sphere that forms part of my social network is my friends. I form a deeper understanding with my friends because they are of a similar age to me and can understand me better at times than my family. I tend to turn to my friends when a specific problem, which they can relate to, arises. They act as my secondary support group and cater towards my need for social interaction as well as emotional support at times. However, if there is a problem within my family environment I can turn to my friends and ask for advice.

The last sphere of my social network is my fellow university students. This is the sphere with which I interact the least, however it does not mean that it is not important. The social interactions within this sphere may be few and far in between but I relate to this sphere the most in context to my university life. Although I do not necessarily form a deep bond with them, I can still relate to them, especially the first years, as we are all going through a shift in our social environments as well as a change in our emotional needs. I understand that I am not the only first year experiencing this and this helps me to deal with the stress of a new environment.

In conclusion, the social network in which an individual lies plays a huge role in emotional well-being and social needs. There may be different levels or standings within this social network to which individuals relate differently towards, however each sphere or level is just as important than the last. I discussed the three levels within my social network and how it affects me and how I relate with and interact with them. These levels include my family, my friends and my fellow university students. Each one on their own is important but together they form the basis of each individual's social life and ensures that said individual lives a well balanced life and forms part of the culture within a certain environment in our society.

Daniel Nell

52275876

According to Edward W. Said(1978 : 13) the orient is an idea that has a history and tradition of thought, imagery and vocabulary that have given it reality and presence in and for the West.

Orientalism is but a single example of a stereotype against a culture and a race to strengthen the ideology of the West. It was used to enforce and strengthen colonial rule from the West.

According to Ngozi, to have a single view or idea of a topic is dangerous because it limits your understanding of what the actual reality is within the certain culture or country you are learning about.

Stereotypes affect a culture as a whole and as a result of this those responsible 'other' the people within that culture, be it through literature or media, the results are the same. Not all stereotypes are negative, however it depends on the reasoning and context behind it. The topic of stereotypes and stigmatization is not lost on me as I as an individual have experienced it as well. 

I have learnt that to have assumptions without knowing the full story or full picture of a certain topic is dangerous and damaging. To only present a certain culture in one way ensures that they do not have the power to defend their beliefs and practices. What we see as right and wrong may not be what a different culture views as right or wrong according to their societal norms and values. So therefore, by not knowing this we shed a bad light on that culture and we end up 'othering, them.