Comparing and Contrasting Uyghur Culture With the Mas
In a world of cell phones, Internet, and advertising, it's hard to ignore the world. Admit it. Who can ignore the pressure to "Just Do It" and buy ridiculous $150 dollar shoes? Who hasn't ever eaten under the Golden Arches? Know anyone who hasn't ever, not even once, said the "s" word? (Hint: It's not shin or ship.) Probably not. Or at least not until the Xinjiang trip. Xinjiang: where minority is the majority. Where Uyghurs don't pretend to be black. Where most people have never seen a McDonald's. No, they're not weird. They're just culturally different - and very different, at that. Firstly, let's begin with the obvious differences. Differences that are so blunt they need no explanation. The mass media language is English. Although some people may argue this, it is clear to most people that English is the major language used for advertisements, slogans, and in most multi-national companies. The language of Uyghur is, shockingly, Uyghur. Another obvious difference is the two culture's history. The Uyghurs are the descendants of the Turks (not Eminem, like some people might think) while mass media has no definitive historical background or ancestry. Enough said. Now to get out of the idiot's section of this essay.
Religion is also a major culture trait, and the Uyghur religion, is hugely different, in fact, almost completely opposite, from the religion of the mass media culture. Defining the one definite religion of mass media is impossible, however, it is still comparable to the Uyghur religion: Islam. The mass media "religion" is based on the solar calendar. The Islamic calendar, however, is lunar. Also, in the mass media "religion" the biggest holiday season is December: the season of hope when rich procrastinators all rush to the malls to buy presents they should have gotten earlier in the year. The time of giving when large companies rake in ridiculous amounts of money from Christmas shopping. Then there's the actual big holiday: December 25th where feasts are held in front of the Christmas tree or menorah. However, in Ramadan, the major Uyghur holiday, is not at time for feasting; it is a time for fasting. It's not a time for presents; it's a time for quiet reflection and prayer. It doesn't last one day; it lasts almost one month. It doesn't happen every December, nor does it happen every same month at all (because it is based on the lunar calendar). These facts are a few reasons why the religion is so different but the most significant reason comes back to the fact that the mass media culture doesn't really have a definitive religion at all. The lack of a religion in mass media culture allows the mass media culture to have a lot more freedom and also, arguably, a lot less morals. This lack of total freedom in the Uyghur society helps them maintain their cultural identity. Th
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Approximate Word count = 1068
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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