{"id":5969,"date":"2015-10-08T22:59:49","date_gmt":"2015-10-09T05:59:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=5969"},"modified":"2015-10-08T23:12:42","modified_gmt":"2015-10-09T06:12:42","slug":"be-an-agent-of-cultural-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/be-an-agent-of-cultural-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Be An Agent of Cultural Change"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"culturechanger\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Introduction<\/p>\n

Social Geographies: Space and Society by Gill Valentine is a very unique look at geography based on the most basic words in the English vocabulary. Using common words such as body, home, community, institution, street, city, rural and nation. The author defines it this way;\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cthe plural social geographies which emerge here are a porous product, an expression of the many connections and interrelationships that exist between the different fields of geographic inquiry.\u201d [1]<\/a> This is what the book is about: interpretation of simple, common, everyday words that have such deep and wide complexity. Our perspective of these words defines our understanding and our worldview. It defines our society and our space.<\/p>\n

Summary<\/p>\n

The author was trying to draw from a simple viewpoint but not as an expert on the subject but more as a tour guide to the concepts that are so complex that it can\u2019t be completely defined.\u00a0\u00a0 She stated it for the reader like this: \u201cSome of these connections for you are in the text to draw your attention to them. Others are there for you to find.\u201d[2]<\/a> This way of approaching an intense subject is very engaging and intriguing. It causes the reader, to think for him or herself and to come to their own conclusions because of the exposure to a really wide brush stroke of material. (She then gave a detailed way to outline your own dissertation, which will be incorporated in this author\u2019s pursuit of becoming a writer.)<\/p>\n

Analysis<\/p>\n

The one word that kept leaping off the page was the simple word culture<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 Every time a new subject was introduced there was a definition of the cultural setting or landscape that it was in.\u00a0\u00a0 Assumed culture or applied culture affects the outcome of any of these words. Rural culture or city culture affects the geography. Every place has a culture and people either fit in that culture or not. When it came to sexuality, culture was one of the determining factors. Gaining status happens through cultural practice, this allows individuals to demonstrate their taste and judgment.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThere has been a cultural turn: a trend in the twentieth and twenty first century which has seen the social sciences and humanities increasingly focus on culture.\u201d[3]<\/a> We are shaped by culture.<\/p>\n

In the context of this whole book, culture shapes geographies. Here are a few examples: Body<\/em>: cultural and social values in Western society construct particular groups (gypsies, lesbians and gay men.)[4]<\/a> Home<\/em>: factors like culture, taste and emotional attachment can shape your residential choices.[5]<\/a> Community<\/em>: including culture, values, language, morality and so on.[6]<\/a> Institution<\/em>: being a part of the \u2018team\u2019 or \u2018family\u2019 points out that an awareness of the potential value of workplace culture dates back to the 1930\u2019s. [7]<\/a><\/p>\n

How much power is there in the fact that your culture can shape how you view and act on these simple words? Culture affects meanings, identity and life.<\/p>\n

Can you change your own culture? What will your own culture look like? Are you willing to go against the main stream to develop your own culture? In the work place will you bring something to the culture? In your home, will you determine the culture? Did Christ change his culture? Are we called to change our culture?\u00a0\u00a0 Be a light? Be salt?<\/p>\n

Takeaway<\/p>\n

Develop your culture and then shape your geography! Be an agent of cultural change.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kevin Norwood<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1]<\/a>Gill Valentine, Social Geographies: Space and Society, Harlow, UK, Prentice Hall,<\/p>\n

2001, 1.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a>IBID 12.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a>IBID 342.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a>IBID 342.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a>IBID 32.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a>IBID 114.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a>IBID 154.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Introduction Social Geographies: Space and Society by Gill Valentine is a very unique look at geography based on the most basic words in the English vocabulary. Using common words such as body, home, community, institution, street, city, rural and nation. The author defines it this way;\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cthe plural social geographies which emerge here are a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":72,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[663,638],"class_list":["post-5969","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-lgp6","tag-valentine","cohort-lgp6"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/72"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5969"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5969\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5973,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5969\/revisions\/5973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}