Herzberg And Bizzel's Representation Of Contact Zones example essay topic

Negotiation is the central theme to this novel. Learning the values and ideals that a writer buries beneath the text is the key to a full comprehension. The authors mention contact zones as cultural differences between groups of unequal powers. Contact zones therefore are prevalent in a "multicultural" democracy. Perhaps Bizzel and Herzberg may not achieve every aspect of understanding cultural conflict yet by presenting historical arguments, support is added to their philosophy.

Herzberg and Bizzel's representation of contact zones can be revised in the aspect of unequal groups of power conflicting with one another. I have often seen groups of equal power conflicting culturally on the sole basis of misunderstood ideologies. Many Christian and Muslims fight on a regular basis about religious differences yet there are still of equal power. Herzberg and Bizzell use historical perspectives and case studies to justify differences in the past and what results occurred. Every case study represents a cultural problem in today's society. The authors provide the students with all applicable arguments in that case study as well as documents and further examination into counter arguments.

Bizzell and Herzberg represent the text as experts by appealing to the common senses of humans and not befuddling the reader to misunderstanding. Their rhetorical strategies contain the logical and emotional side of an argument. Bizzell and Herzberg are also seen as referring to the text as a guide reading all types of text and understanding cultural differences. Representations of historical context such as physical, political, and social dilemmas all prove to support Bizzell and Herzberg claim. America, the land of opportunity, attracts cultures, races, classes, and genders of all types. The future my parents would have had in India was very different from the future they decided to choose in America.

In India they would have been accepted as the upper echelon of society and respected in Indian custom. Traveling to America this respect had to be earned as they sadly found out. As a product of my parents I have also had to "negotiate space" when encountering contact zones. Pratt's definition of contact zones establishes cultural conflicts as being between groups of unequal power. Since the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center members of the Indian community have been discriminated against. What the world fails to see is that many Indians were also in those towers on that tragic day.

In school, I was un deservingly taunted as being affiliated with a terrorist group. Hearing the mocking, I kept pace and avoided the stereotypes, never knowing whether it would have even been worth the effort of attempting to change the mislead impressions of uniformed and puerile individuals. Ignorant people frustrate the desire for understanding and discourage a sufficient blending of cultures. Not only was it the terrorist taunting as much as it was just being a little different. Wearing different clothes or saying different phrases then the regular kids kept me apart from mixing totally with many individuals.

Also as a member of a higher socioeconomic status, I was often ridiculed for being spoon-fed, a child who just couldn't deal with real world situations such as working or even going to the grocery store. Inside, I was aware that man of these children did not receive the type of family environment so they would not understand my ideologies towards school and the real world. My parents continuously pointed out that education was the sole imperative in life and working or playing sports would come second. An Indian family has many ideals that the western world does not share. Conveying these principles to many of my friends was a task that I would not be worthy of due to the immensity of persuasion.

Through the years I have worked out these contact zones, realizing that with proper understanding of different people and customs we can all get along by negotiating a little "space.".