The iceberg metaphor for culture show a cruise ship sailing close to the iceberg for a look at this foreign territory. Part of the iceberg is immediately visible; part of it emerges and submerges with the tides, and its foundations go deep beneath the surface.
I would like to talk about the area at the water line and the area below the water line.
The cultural observer has to be more alert says the textbook. It’s so true. We may not judge to fast! It’s important that we learn about the things below the water line. It’s also very important that everybody understands the fact that we can not and may not judge to fast! As a teacher, I will give attention to that.
Below the water line is very interesting. I want to discover this area when I hopefully get accepted to do my internship abroad. It will be an enrichment. But I also think it is a shame that because of those judgments are under-the-waterline, it will not be questioned. I think you need to question that at least once in our life. You do not need to accept everything! Then you’ll become a machine. A machine made by the society. But then again, I’ll hope that I can discover a lot of those habits, understandings and values. This helps me to question ours. This will be a good thing for me.
The East wants to become more logos.
I can understand that but I also have a lot of respect for mythos. I think it’s beautiful that someone can believe that for example trees have eyes. Believing in something is gorgeous and may not disappear!
I also respect people having mythos thinking approach of the nature but I think that it’s a bit nonsense to believe that (to take your example) trees have eyes. Having strong believes in these kind of things are a bit strange. I know that I won’t say such things if I lived in East countries and educated in these believes. I’m sure that if I lived in Vietnam, my way of thinking would be more mythos because I will do like the others. All depends what you’ve had as education. Actually, I come from Vietnam but I’ve been living in Belgium since I was 3 years. So I’ve learned to think as logos and it’s normal I think. Now I could not change my mind and to become mythos. That would seem me weird. I would like to say by this way that it’s not completely true that people living in the East want to become more logos. Maybe they want to have the same benefits than people in the East but their roots will be always there and they will keep their way of thinking. If you are educated in this believe, it’s difficult to change and to have a different approach. I respect myhtos people, though. They can learn us a lot of things and it could be really interesting and enriching.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenMieke,
BeantwoordenVerwijderenIt's true, it's important that we try to know the part below the water. When we have to judge a student, but we don't know his background. Then we aren't good. We have to figure out the background of the students. Only then we can judge objectively.
I love the way some people believe in certain things. I am looking for a meaning behind it, but then we come back to the Logos.
TIP: figure out the background of pupils or cultures.
Greets
Gitty
As Mieke says that you will have to stay for a while in a culture and live in the culture to be able to observe and find the aspects situated below the waterline.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenIt is our job as a teacher to at least find out what the aspects are from our students at the waterline. Like this we can place their actions in a bigger picture and we will be more able to understand their actions.