The lack of cultural awareness is a social problem that affects every element of western society. People of different races and cultural backgrounds have lived in the same neighborhoods or, at the very least, interacted in the workplace or social events. However, cultural awareness or competency is yet to be considered an important factor in society as it is evident in the lack of knowledge of the other’s background.
The world continues to experience increased diversity in communities through immigration and other social interactions that bring people together (Bai et al. 12741). Cultural incompetence is evident in every aspect of society, and artists continue to exhibit the issue through various approaches. The literary works by Amit Majmudar and Ken Liu show how a lack of cultural competence leads to misinterpretations that can cause misunderstanding among people.
The lack of cultural awareness in society is widespread today because people do not take the time to learn and appreciate the background of the diverse people around them. Communities have been experiencing increased diversification in the composition of people. The increase in people from different cultures has not been met with an equal desire to learn about the values and beliefs of new people. The lack of knowledge has precipitated misinformation and misinterpretation of important aspects of culture. The two literary works show the lack of cultural unawareness through various characters.
Majmudar’s main character is a student whose class learns about India and its culture. The colored dot is the most important element of the history lesson. Based on the poem, the students lack awareness of the colored dot and its significance in Indian culture despite having a history lesson about it (Majmudar 842). The lack of knowledge about the dot leads to jokes and anger from the main character. “What I said wasn’t half so measured” (Majmudar 842).
The main character is Indian, and his response to his friends’ jokes and inquiries about the dot is to place one on his forehead and wish that his third eye would burn the schoolboys in their seats. Cultural incompetence becomes evident from those who are not part of the culture and those who are members of the culture in the poem. The lack of knowledge causes misinterpretation and in some cases, ridicule as is evident from the poem. However, having knowledge helps individuals to avoid misinterpretations since the main character would have explained the meaning the dot and hopefully avoided ridicule.
Liu’s short story depicts the lack of cultural awareness in several ways. The author shows this through the other characters, like the women who visited Jack’s home. The women did not expect Jack to know any English because his mother was Chinese. “That doesn’t sound very Chinesey” (Anders). The lack of cultural competence from the characters shows the state of current society, where people rely on stereotypes to make assumptions about those around them. People who do not know their culture or those of others are prone to make assumptions or use stereotypes to judge others that can cause conflict and strained relationships as is evident in the short story. The two women are similar to individuals who expect specific reactions because someone belongs to a specific culture. The lack of cultural competence leads to negative outcomes, where individuals have the wrong information or lack information while those who should address rarely get to address misinformation, which allows unawareness to continue.
Cultural unawareness has consequences on all members of society due to misinterpretations and wrong reactions to factors concerning practices. Every culture has unique values and beliefs responsible for dictating perceptions and behaviors. Knowledge of cultures other than one’s own is essential in reacting properly to the cultures of others. It is also crucial to understand the behavior and reactions of those we do not share similar backgrounds. On the other hand, a lack of cultural incompetence can significantly impact people we consider close. It can lead to damaged relationships and other impacts that are usually unprecedented.
Dothead shows the negative outcomes of cultural unawareness through the various characters in the poem. The Indian boy who is supposed to know the meaning of the colored dot and manage to explain it to his friends does not have that information. He lacks the words to describe the dot and prefers to show loyalty to the cultural practice (Majmudar 842). His actions present him as an individual who cannot stand up for himself to protect what is valuable. Failure to speak gave his friends further latitude to joke about the dot and led to anger in him. He began having negative thoughts and attitudes against his friends. “…my third eye burned those schoolboys in their seats…” (Majmudar 842).
It is expected that children will take advantage of the lack of knowledge of the teacher and the Indian boy to make fun of him. Similarly, people in society will continue with stereotypes and misinformation about cultures unless they are corrected. The prevalence of cultural unawareness leads to negative perceptions of people from other cultures and should be addressed appropriately.
The short story also shows the consequences of lacking information about specific elements of a culture. Jack did not know the significance of family to the Chinese culture and the effect his strained relationship had on his mother. Family is important in the Chinese culture and having a good relationship with family is crucial in life. Therefore, when Jack becomes distant with his mother, it took away the hope that she had when he was born. “I was so happy when I looked into your face and saw shades of my mother, my father, and myself” (Anders).
The lack of knowledge causes a strain in their relationship because Jack does not know his importance to his mother and that family represents hope to her. Knowledge of the Chinese culture would have ensured that Jack knew the importance of family in the culture and the need to maintain a close relationship with his mother. It would have ensured that he understood his mother’s value for the paper toys she made when he was young. It would have helped Jack to stand up for himself to defend the toys rather than keeping them away and straining his relationship with his mother.
Cultural competence is crucial in developing and maintaining good relationships with people from other backgrounds due to better understanding. The existence of several cultures implies that everyone has a different perception of specific factors in society. People have unique perceptions about various things in society. Understanding and appreciating their uniqueness requires comprehension of their values and beliefs, which can be different for the learning individual. However, understanding the position of every individual is essential in ensuring better relationships among people.
The characters in the poem do not show an understanding of the cultures of others, leading to anger in the main character. The main character is Indian and knows that his culture is different (Majmudar 842). Coming from a minority community made him aware that his peers would joke about his culture whenever they could. His ignorance becomes the reason for being made fun of since he did not take the opportunity to learn about the significance of the dot and its role in their culture. The friends also take advantage of the fact that he does not defend his culture by being quiet. He later accepts his failure to explain to his friends about the dot, noting that he could not have explained it the way his mother did. “What I said wasn’t half so measured” (Majmudar 842).His acceptance he shows the importance of knowing one’s culture and using the information to address common cultural myths. The information would have prevented the ridicule and negative thoughts that emerged later.
The short story also shows the significance of cultural competence in maintaining good relationships with those around us. Jack blamed his mother for being Chinese and passing Chinese features onto him. “Son, I know that you do not like your Chinese eyes, which are my eyes. I know that you do not like your Chinese hair, which is my hair” (Anders). He did not know that being Chinese had significant meaning to his mother, and he should have shown better respect for his background. Jack lacks knowledge of the Chinese culture that emphasizes the importance of family as the central unit in society.
The significance of family in society makes relationships between family members vital in maintaining the unit. Family members are expected to show love and compassion towards each other and resolve their problems. However, the lack of this cultural knowledge led Jack’s strained relationship with his mother. Cultural competence is also essential in family setting because it ensures that individuals know what is important to each member.
The diversity in society today is more than ever as people from other cultures settle and live in the same communities, leading to the need for cultural competence. The analysis reveals the significance of cultural awareness in the characters’ daily lives. The poem shows the role of cultural awareness in a society where knowledge of the cultures of others is significantly low. The teacher’s lack of knowledge of Indian culture left the students to their interpretations and led to the ridicule of one of the learners. The short story also presents the current state of relationships between people who do not know the backgrounds of their parents and even friends.
Jack did not know Chinese culture and its significance to his mother. He strained his relationship with his mother because he was ridiculed for the toys she made for him. He does not know the significance of maintaining a good relationship with family members. Knowledge of the cultures of the respective character would have made their situations easier and eliminated some of the adverse outcomes of cultural incompetence. The analysis reveals that cultural competence does not only affect those outside one’s culture but also affects family members.
Works Cited
Anders, Charlie J. “Read Ken Liu’s Amazing Story That Swept the Hugo, Nebula and World Fantasy Awards.” Gizmodo. 2012. Web.
Bai, Xuechunzi, Miguel R. Ramos, and Susan T. Fiske. “As Diversity Increases, People Paradoxically Perceive Social Groups as More Similar.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 117, no. 23, 2020, pp. 12741–12749. Web.
Majmudar, Amit. “Dothead.” The Norton Introduction to Literature, edited by Kelly J Mays, 12th ed., W. W. Norton & Company, New York, 2017, p. 842.