seven nice days

I believe that history influences on most of the people during the time.
We are learning about American and Canadian histories, their ethnics and culture, but I think relation with persons who belong to these cultures is very important for understanding this course.
Invitation of two professors of two different culture(America and Canada)was very innovative movement .I hope this nice happen practice several time, although I know our Institute spend a lot of time and money for this invitation.

Laughing Eyes
With his nice laugh and laughing eyes entered to our class. He had big body and his blond face supposed German race, although we found later he was born in Canada (Ottawa) and has been taught in Birmingham University (England). At first he had a surprise for us! He brought pencils with Birmingham sign. After that he started his lesson. It seems he didn`t worry about our English language and taught as fast as persian language professors. So I think he had trusted us about language before tasting, during teaching. After teaching he asked wonderfully:" Any question?" our silence hadn`t any meaning for him just not participation.
Dr.Stive Tewitt had flexible style in teaching, he used power point with many beautiful colors, photos, cartoons and clear table. Although he tried to brake lifeless atmosphere of class, for example he laughed to some subject for exciting our interests.

Luxuriate Smile
with luxuriate smile entered to class, tall and handsome man saw us curiously, it seemed he wanted to know us with all of his background and observation about Iran! At first he taste our English language(he asked us to introduce ourselves). For teaching he spoke distinctly and deliberately, maybe he was worried about our understanding and he explained most of the concepts ten minutes or more. When we didn’t have any question or comments, he didn`t get surprise and when we asked him, he encouraged with this sentences: "it is a good question, good view etc. Dr. David Slocum, the professor of New York University, completed his teaching with showing a movie about colonies life in 1939.He also emphasized on reading his lesson before class.

Seven Nice Days
we learn a lot of things in these seven days! Wich program could ready us so soon with this quality? Although we didn’t have any experience like this before, but we could use of these seven days well, I think this happen had variety benefits for us:
1- learning in professors`s classes who belonged to countries that we studied those.
2- studying in foreign classes without going to foreign countries.
3- comparing those classes with Iranian professors`s classes with our classes
(we found that these classes haven`t had much difference to each other)

Same and different behavior
There are some behaviors which are common between Canadian and American professors:
1- they went to class with perfect self-confidence, this class was strange and new for them but they started their work without any problem!
2- they used of picture communication in their presentations.
So it seems these action are rooted in their culture! they also had ethics that are common between all of responsible and educated professors in the world:
1- they were very kind and pay attention to all of the students, boys and girls.
2- they would have started new sobject just when they had sure that we were understood.
3- they communicated with us with body languages for extended our understanding.

On the whole, it could be say that they were responcible about student`s understanding.

Diferent culture, Diferent Reaction
Michel Moor in “Booling for Colombine” considered about safe feeling in Canada in contrast of America. At the end of his investigation he found that mass opinion in America is so frightened that the people think about the Enemy or huge danger threaten them! So most of the people in USA don’t feel immune! Maybe we could attributed this supposition with these two professors`s behaviore. I think Dr. hewitt communicated in teaching easier than Dr.Slocum, maybe for his safe feeling! I think Dr.Slocum needed more time for knowing us.
I have to remember two another points: first, America and Iran have had many challenge during last century. So it is not so far from reality that we think about these phalanges and their influentions on both people`s behaviores and belifts. Second, I know that Dr.Hewitt met some of our students four months ago, maybe this happen influenced on his attitudes about us .

Wishes
We wished this course lounged more!
Thanks to our Professors in American studies institute .we wish we could answer to their nice actions.

ok

I`m enjoy of this course, I have been learning a lot of thing during this month. I really satisfy of my decision (go to American studies institute).Thanks God for every things.

racism

Still Racism

From 1492 to now

Hate Crime is a kind of various crimes which motivated by hostility to victim as a member of a group (as one based on color, creed, gender, or sexual orientation).
The FBI reported in WASHINGTON (oct.16,2006) that Hate Crimes in the United States dropped last year by 6 percent, the FBI reported Monday, although violence against people based on their race accounted more than half of the reported incidents.(nearly55 percent)

New appearances
It could be said that Hate crime was rooted from 1492, when Columbs entered to strange land and saw the Indians and enslaved them because of questing gold and the other valuable things in this area and also their simple and elementary culture .This process was expended by enslaving black people in seventeen century, the process we call Racism .enslaving let European to think they are belong to higher race, religion and color! So they call themselves white and the other natives noun white (!) black! Today but we see another kind of victims: Seventeen percent were targeted for their religious beliefs, and more than 14 percent for sexual orientation. In addition we face to news and reports that show Hate Violence and rhetoric on the rise against Latinos and prevalence of hate crimes against Homeless is growing up. So it seems hate crimes in USA today are finding new appearance rather than their historical appearances.

Mass opinion about this phenomena

Rising Hate crimes in USA based on minority groups, so this is a serious dangerous for most of the people in this country, because USA is IMMIGRANTS`s COUNTRY and there are a variety of ethnics and minorities on there One in three Americans is Hispanic, African or Asian. This dangerous surely influence on global`s mass opinion about American culture.

undeniable problem
“Of the known offenders, 60-percent are white, and 20 percent are black.”
According to this information from FBI, we could find the prejudice culture`s goal which conducted these Hate Crimes is not based just on ethnic or color! I think social changes in USA (during this century) make new divisions between people like women, homeless and religious, blue-collar labors and etc.
“Hate Crimes in the United States dropped last year by 6 percent” but yet USA faced to this big problem that it could not be denied it.

Let Celebrate!

Celebration is one of the popular elements of American culture and THANKSGIVING has special status between them. Thanksgiving is celebrated every fourth Thursday in November in "Thanksgiving day" for thanking God because of the plantation and agriculture productions. In this day Americans met each other and gifts like greeting card. "Turkey" is the name of famous dinner which is served in Americans`s homes in Thanksgiving day.

"Our Creator … Shall continue to dwell above the sky"
Thanksgiving is known worldwide as an American custom, but it`s roots extend far back into human history, the first Americans observed rituals and ceremonies to express gratitude to a higher power for life itself. A Seneca Indian ritual, for example, states, "Our Creator ... Shall continue to dwell above the sky, and this is where those on the earth will end their thanksgiving." Some of the Historians think that the first Thanksgiving is celebrated in 1621 by Pilgrims but it is not true! 1621`s feast has become a model for the Thanksgiving celebration in the United States that is described in a firsthand account presumably written by a leader of the colony, Edward Winslow, as it appears in Mourt's Relation. there are interesting points of this book:
-Indians four in one day killed as much fowl as, with a little help beside, served the company almost a week and they went out
-They killed five deer
-It be not always so plentiful as it was this time with us and etc.
In this celebration other flow are served too like ducks, geese, turkeys and even swans. We can say that the first Thanksgiving of the new United States of America occurred in 1777 when General George Washington and his army, as instructed by the Continental Congress, stopped in bitter weather in the open fields on their way to Valley Forge to mark the occasion.

Thanks to God in many religions
Although thanksgiving traditions brought to North America by settlers from many parts of the world, some authorities link the American thanksgiving with the ancient Jewish observance of Sukkot in the fall, which expresses thanks to God for the bounty of the earth, but all the major world religions—including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam—have rituals, observances and liturgies that express thanks and gratitude to a higher power for the gift of life and its wonders. For example Muslims fast for 30 days in the "Ramezan" month and at 31th day they celebrate the last day of fasting is named"Fetr". In this day Muslim go to pray and the grand people in the families give plentiful food for thanking God to all of gift of life.

Long question lane
What happen from American ancient custom to Thanksgiving day? Why was this feast gotten by Europeans and extended in north America? As was came The first Thanksgiving of the new United States of America occurred in 1777 by General George Washington and his first proclamation after his inauguration as the nation's first president in 1789 declared November 26, 1789, as a national day of "thanksgiving and prayer." In addition in 1941 President Roosevelt signed the bill establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. So it`s necessary to notice to political power to extend this celebrate. It seems the political men know their people well, Americans interest of celebrate and ritual so Thanksgiving is opportunity for political men to mix these two interests and convince people about their truth and religion.

African hair style

News

Doin' Da Do's

CYMC, , Ashley Smith, Oct 05, 2006
Editor's Note: Ancient African hair styles are still seen on the streets of the U.S. -- the young women that shape modern style claim the art and aesthetic of their ancestors. Ashley Smith, 16, is a filmmaker with Conscious Youth Media Crew

Instrumental usage to serve Capitalism

When we see this report about circulation of African hair style in USA we might think the African custom could find popular statue in USA. But I don’t think so! If we notice to amusing program in USA media (Rap and Hip- Hop musical movies, fashion models, super sexual movie and etc.) we could see a lot of African young people who have main role on playing them so Market goals and Capitalism role on behind of this story is not very far from of reality. It seems Hair style is one of the another items of this instrumental usage to serve Capitalism.

About our course

About AMERICAN CULTURAL STUDIES ETHNOLOGY course

It seems that this course can help us to understand American culture and ethnic groups better , especially when we have American History meanwhile .
Another important advantage of this course is its teaching style , Dr Ameli is well-known for his deferent teaching style and It could be said that this course is guaranteed by him. So I have to say making web log and putting issues on it every week , getting acceptance in foreign conference etc. needs much time and order.