The lack of cultural awareness in the average American Soldier served Essay

The lack of cultural awareness in the average American Soldier served as a detriment during the early phases of the Iraqi War - Essay Example Firstly, culture is not a static entity. Rather, it`s a dynamic and an ever changing concept. Since people are the driving force behind a culture, it keeps evolving and changing according to the change in circumstances. Secondly, culture is not inherited, i.e. it can`t be transferred via genes to the next generation. In fact, it is transmitted through socialization from one generation to another. Culture can also be multi-faceted, which implies that one person might be exposed to various cultures at the same time, which incarnates values and beliefs in an individual which are a blend of various other cultures. Fourthly, there are various means of transmitting a culture, including our family, friends, school, religion, media and any other modes of communication we experience. Thus, acquiring a culture is a continuous process which goes on through our entire lives. Lastly, culture is expressed though various means, which is reflected in the way our beliefs are carved, the way we dress up, talk, eat, our work habits etc (Colbert). Thus, culture is a very important entity which leaves an impact on almost all aspects of the lives of an individual, who is a member of a community or a nation. Since shared cultures and meanings are an important part of an individual`s identity socialized via various modes, it is important to understand the culture of a region to understand the dynamics of that area. For this reason, the lack of cultural awareness in American soldiers acted as a detriment during the Iraqi war. To analyze the situation closely, it is important to study the geography and the history of the military conflict in detail, the weather analysis of the region, and the ASCOPE (areas, structures, capabilities, organizations, people and events) of the region of interest. To understand the culture, however, it is important to

Analyse Cast Away (Dir. Robert Zemeckis, 2000) in depth as an example Essay

Analyse Cast Away (Dir. Robert Zemeckis, 2000) in depth as an example of New Hollywood and examine film from industrial, formal- - Essay Example A FedEx delivery van pulls into a ranch with a big overhead iron sculpture which reads Dick and Bettram. The ranch is an island in a sea of prairie. The radio plays Elvis Pressley â€Å"Heartbreak Hotel† as the driver picks up a package stamped with a logo of two wings embraced by three halos. As the driver leaves, Elvis sings â€Å"I’m All Shook Up†; it’s not a radio, she’s an Elvis fan. The van door reopens in Russia. The package is delivered to her husband who is with another woman. The next package is delivered by a little boy to Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) who pulls a timer from the packet and continues his lecture on urgency, how time rules life. Back in Memphis, Chuck proposes marriage, actually he doesn’t, but promises to discuss it on New Years Day when he returns, to Kelly Frears (Helen Hunt) in a car at the airport. He was paged at Christmas dinner for this troubleshooting trip. She has given him a family heirloom, a railroad pocket w atch used by her grandfather on the Southern Pacific, with her picture in the case. Chuck rushes to the plane. The plane crashes in the Southern Pacific. Chuck washes ashore, alone, on a small island. Chuck must learn survival skills such as building a fire, collecting edible plants, fishing and crabbing. An episode of self-help dentistry caps his early time on the island. Four years later, he is a competent provider and will survive. One day half a portable toilet shed washes up. He sees it as a sail to get past the breakers. He designs and builds a raft and awaits the changing winds and tides to escape. Finally, he is cast adrift again hoping for a sea rescue. When a freighter finds him, he is on his way to a home that no longer exists. He is dead in his home. Kelly has married and has a child. He knows he must find a new life. The Socio-Cultural Perspective of Cast Away Cast Away is set from 1995 to 1999. The coming millennium brought discussions of time or urgency versus the com pass or importance (Covey, 2004). The religious aspects of the millennium and associated doomsday scenarios concerned the populace. The man versus the machine debate gained momentum. This film addressed these pressing and timely issues. The Clock Versus the Compass (Covey, 2004) The first speech Chuck Noland gives involves the importance of time. The film opens in rural Texas, a crossroads in the middle of nothing, where time is measured in days, not seconds. An artist listens to Heartbreak Hotel, foreshadowing the sight of the husband in Moscow. Chuck is in Moscow to troubleshoot the truck delivery issues faced by FedEx. He rewards the boy delivering the package with a portable CD player and an Elvis tape; Chuck is a fan too. Chuck is explaining through an interpreter that time is a relentless master, time rules over everything, time is like fire, it can give warmth or burn. Logistics is life, more important than his asking Kelly to be his wife. Christmas is a pager at dinner and t wo minutes in a car at the airport. Scheduling dinner requires both people with calendars looking for gaps in urgent activities. Kelly and Chuck are not priorities in their own lives. Traditional Hollywood views time as a â€Å"ticking bomb†. A deadline is set, for instance, the kidnappers will call for the money by noon. The action centers on accomplishing a task by a certain time. This film reverses that trend. Time is irrelevant on that island. Survival is relevant. Then in Act III, when Chuck is exhausted and just hanging on, time becomes relevant