week 4 dq 1

For me this subject is interesting since I study both neuro and historiography. I am used to studying cultures for the motivations of why they do what they do.

Of course, religion plays a huge if not central issue in most world cultures. However, facts about some religions around the world are not all that acceptable to discuss. So those subjects will have to be hinted at, instead of covered. If you knew your ancestors theology was based on information you would seriously not like, it is the habit of the human species and or the individual to blame the messenger instead of being able to process the data as the facts they are. So to avoid shoot the messenger, I will avoid saying historiography aspects which a lot in the western cultures will seriously not like. Although I am not sure the word seriously, is sufficient for the response I would receive.

From the reading, I have read most of it before in previous classes both at the masters and bachelors level. I find cultures to be much more complex than what most of the theories allow for in descriptions. Simplification for me does not work well, since it is like trying to simplify an equation when the variables that are being left out change the =x. Leaving out the true location of the Crucifixion changes the entire make-up of the belief system, leaving out the foundation of Protestantism changes almost every aspect of the questions of this week. The crucifixion and the foundations of Protestantism are in most ways the same almost exact variables applied 1400 years apart. The theocracy that the Prussians used is based on Protestantism, and of course Anglicanism has the same equation structure. The presented theories and definition tools are more than a little difficult to apply.

My heritage is British (not English mind you but British) and Irish. With a little bit of Basque from my moms father Castillo. The ll’s are a y sound.. The Castillo’s came to Ireland through the Spanish Armada. The crashed ships, the infantry and crew were mostly Basques who were allowed to live on the shores of Ireland, but the Spanish were either killed outright and or captured and sent back to England.

The most interesting and violently anti-British culture I can find is the Prussians. Their value system leaves a great deal to be desired and as a group they have been guilty on several occasions of committing crimes against humanity.

When you get past the rhetoric and other pure fictions of history, you can find a lot of information about a culture based on digging for facts and evidence.

The core value that the Prussian culture operates from is unity, what the leaders decide they want and in most cases demand that the citizens follow the directions of the leaders without a single pause questioning of the authority. The leader said jump it is expected the citizens simply obey. The whole is more important than any individual. Individual wants, needs, desires, etc. have no impact on the needs of the whole.

Socialization, the culture is directed by “A given task” that only the leadership know and to a very small degree understand. The population is kept almost entirely ignorant. Because if the population knew and or had the smallest inklings regarding what the cultures task was, the population would be very unhappy to follow along. The Socialization of the Prussian culture is to attack mercilessly the British culture that possesses knowledge from the ancient past. That ancient knowledge, the Prussian leadership have been convinced time and time again, are the tools to be used as weapons. Those weapons must be in the hands of the Prussians (or their enumerable other names) so that the Prussians can bring mankind into its leadership, since that is of course the will of god. God appointed the Prussians to be guardians of divine knowledge and tools, and anything which gets in the way of said divine purpose is to be identified as evil and destroyed. The entire culture has been taught that they are “gods gift” and that the enemy needs to be sought out, the divine tools seized from the evil people, so that the righteous can possess said tools and rule the world the way god expects. The entire culture has been taught this for 800 years under the name Prussian, previous they were called Teutonic Knights, before they were called Romans, previous they were the descendants of Agamemnon, before they were called Hyksos.

Social roles, the society is supposed to simply follow the directions of the leaders and not mind the occasional crimes against humanity to perform gods will. The leadership have a role, the peasants have enumerable roles, but the largest role is to do what the leadership say without question. However thanks to some very unacceptable actions, the Prussian culture in the late 1700s early 1800s through a huge amount of genocide (which ironically lead directly to the creation of modern psychology, with Wilhelm Wundt and William James directly in effect working in a concentration camp, same camp, same location, same leadership a few decades apart 1840s versus 1880s) obtained the secrets of the industrial revolution. But they needed to convert their agrarian society to an industrial one, hence the creation of the IQ test. which has a huge long, and complex multi-cultural and social structure story all on its own. In a very solid way the IQ test has become the modern way to determine social roles.

Social cognition, the society has been convinced over several millennia that their tasks are divine, they will be rewarded in heaven. Since all those really bad behaviors are gods will, all the sacrifices and sins are forgiven in the epic battle between good (which the Prussians are of course) and evil (which the enemy is of course).

Social behavior any and all behaviors which make the leadership more money, more power, expanding the influence of the empire is rewarded. Anything which takes power and money away from the leadership is punished mercilessly.

The English

The English are also a vastly different culture than the British. Although through the last half millennia the English have done everything in their considerable power to adopt the mask of being British, but the British and the English are entirely different. It is actually interesting to watch English people try and pretend to be British when they have no ability to be British.

Socialization, the English have been taught since the late 1500s they are in fact British, despite extreme differences in all aspects of life. This often creates a rather strong disassociation disorder within the English people. Are they English or are they British, since the rules of social order are on the extreme side of different for both.

Social roles, very similar to the Prussian governance model, but with huge differences. The largest difference would be that the Monarchy of Britain is still semi-intact, while the Monarchy of Prussia is the leadership. The Prussian Emperor (although that title was abolished in the early 1900s, the role simply changed names but still very much exists) is the leader, whereas the English title was changed from Emperor to Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is the English Emperor. Although the PM has vastly less power and control. Since the parliamentary system set up by the British is still very much in control. Although the House of Commons and the House of Lords do have a remarkable problem with two very different social rules of order which for the most part are contradictory. These issues play out in both houses usually in harsh political interplay.

Social cognition, the English culture most of the population and most of the leadership are kept entirely in the dark regarding what the culture actually does. What the makeup and direction the culture takes is. Most of the citizens would not approve at all if they knew the truths. But that is what makes controlling the cognition of the culture so powerful. If you keep the people focused on x than the leaders can do all manner of not ok things since the people are so distracted by the x actions.

Social behavior; the English society is similar to the Prussian, in that neither is really allowed to question authority much. Although there is a larger amount of wiggle room with the English. Freedom of speech does have a stronger affect in England, than Prussia. Although since 1945 Prussia has operated in exile. But still a collective and strong, but the structure changed entirely. Instead of having citizens and a central government, the Prussians chose to go the corporation route, where their citizens are employees, much less government which is expensive. It is much easier to simply buy politicians to do what you need done. The English social behavior allows a lot more leniency regarding social behaviors, but when the limits do catch on, the limits come stronger and harsher. However the leadership are also allowed more leniency regarding to grey areas of following the rules. The interplay between the leadership and the people the rules of order are different enough to seem different, but the similarities are still present.

references

KOLEŃNIK, K. (2013). The Role of Culture in Accounting in the Light of Hofstede’s, Gray’s and Schwartz’s Cultural Dimensions Theories - a Literature Review. Financial Internet Quarterly “e-Finanse,”9(3), 33–41. Retrieved from https://search-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=93652158&site=eds-live&scope=site