Change of environment/Change of culture

Topic:Cultural Change

                                                                   My hometown

Source: Changing my environment and getting accustomed to a different culture. The town where I come from and Arcata are very different in environments and demographics.
Relation: One's environment can change the way people interact and adapt.In Cultural Antro, Robbins defines culture as "the meaning that people give to things, events, activities, and people".(pg 4) The way i view things has changed because my environment has changed.

Description: The town that i came from was very different from Arcata. In Arcata the air is much cleaner and it is easier to breath. The town I came from is called Wilmington, its population is predominantly Hispanic. It is surrounded by pollution and refineries. In Arcata people are more environmentally conscious as a result I have become more environmentally conscious.People in Arcata are much nicer so I've had to change the way I respond to people. I find myself saying Thank you more often. I like my hometown as much as i like Arcata but I have noticed a change in me and the way i speak now as opposed to when i lived in Wilmington.
 My new home:Arcata

Commentary/Analysis:  Just like i changed i think other cultures change. They change to adapt to their environment or because it is the norm. I changed to adapt to this culture and think I am still changing.

Cockfighting: it's a cultural thing.

Topic: Cultural Text (Balinese Cockfight)

Source:Robbins Richard,Cultural Anthro,pg 21-22

Relation:"The Balinese cockfight is above all about status,about the ranking of people...The Balinese cockfight is a text filled with meaning about status as the Balinese see it. Cocks represent men, or, more specifically, their owners." 

Description: In Bali there are certain cultural aspects that we may not understand. Such as the Balinese cockfight where two roosters of opposing villages go into battle till' death. In a circle men gather and place sharp knives on each roosters and make them fight each other. The surviving rooster is considered the winner. Geertz sees these fights as an art form, he believes "it tells something real about their lives in a way that doesn't directly affect their lives".The cockfighting are representing the men. The fight is usually a representation of status.

Commentary/Analysis: In some countries cockfighting is legal and seen as a sport where high amounts of money are at stake.Then there are other countries were cockfighting is illegal and seen as a cruel treatment of animals. A friend of mine completely disagrees with this practice. She does not care that it is a cultural thing, she says that animals shouldn't be treated in that way and that the roosters don't willingly fight each other. I question if it has lost its cultural significance and why the people bet on such things. I acknowledge this as a cultural event yet i still find it difficult to fully comprehend such actions.