Milestone 3

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Aesthetics and Recreation Lesson 9

Aesthetics and Recreation

Definition of the domain: In every society, people express themselves in ways that go beyond the need for physical survival. These creative expressions are guided by aesthetic principles of imagination, beauty, skill, and style. We see these expressions in art, music, sport, clothing, rest, and leisure or recreation.

Aesthetics, specifically, are the expressions of cultural norms of beauty or style.

*Recreation is the way people spend their leisure time – the things they do for pleasure, relaxation, or personal interest.

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*This lesson uses the words 'recreation' and 'leisure' interchangeably.

The cultural indicators of Aesthetics and Recreation can be illustrated by things people wear, how people decorate or modify their bodies in the name of beauty, building styles, the arts (theater, dance, music, painting, etc.), ways people spend their free time, hobbies, sports, and all types of games. Looking at how these areas are expressed will set the scene for the main part of the lesson: a discussion of cultural differences.

Remember that our focus is culture-general information, but many culture-specific examples are provided to illustrate these principles.

Lesson Objectives

It's important to keep Lesson Objectives in mind as you go through this lesson. All of your exam questions - and improved life skills - are based on these objectives. While reading through this lesson, keep the following learning objectives in mind:

1. Comprehend the cultural impacts of aesthetics and recreation both within a culture and between cultures.

2. Identify examples and distinguish between various elements of cultural change.

3. Relate leisure activity behavior and symbols to possible values and beliefs in a culture.

Lesson Enhancement

The required readings appear throughout the lesson. For your convenience, they are also listed here in case you prefer to read them ahead of the lesson content.

Gender and Leisure

Basu, Alaka M. The Telegraph. 4 July 2011.

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Buzkashi Afghanistan's National Sport

Jan, Aziz. Buzkashi, Afghanistan's National Sport. Unsourced. Undated.

Football, blood and war

The Observer, Guardian.co.uk. Football, blood and war, 18 January 2004. https://www.theguardian.com/observer/osm/story/0,6903,1123137,00.html (accessed 7 Sept 2016).

BEST way to OPEN internal links like these is by first RIGHT CLICKING the link and SELECTING "Open Link in New Window".

Why Do We Care About Aesthetics and Recreation?

This lesson enters the realm of leisure because what people do for fun and enjoyment says much more about their culture than other domains you've studied.

The division between work and play is significant, because it's the difference between time spent on the job or doing things necessary for survival, and the time spent doing things for pleasure, relaxation, and personal interest.

There are many societies that do not view time or business in the same "get it done" mentality as most Americans, and prefer to spend time on building social relationships before getting down to business. Discussing or participating in leisure activities is a great way to help establish rapport and show interest in the host culture.

Think about how you act when you are in uniform, versus at home, versus in public while you are not in uniform or on the job. If you are like most, your values have different priorities to some degree in each environment.

Military people who frequently have a no-nonsense-take- charge mentality at work (valuing reputation and efficiency), may often find themselves taking a more submissive "yes, Dear" mentality at home (valuing harmony).

Imagine seeing someone shirtless with a painted face and chest at a ball game. By observing, engaging in, or talking with local people about their leisure activities, you may gain

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If you are a spectator at a professional sporting event with some friends, you may show a playful, care-free, maybe even silly side to your persona (valuing "cut-loose" time, and building bonds with friends).

insight about their culture that is not apparent in a work relationship or official capacity.

This lesson begins with a discussion of recreation activities in general. It demonstrates how to inventory others' leisure activities and how they relate to culture, values and beliefs. From there, it touches on the roles of clothing and fashion, cultural change, and globalization of culture. Finally, it delves into the role of sports in societies, since sports have been bridge builders for Airmen and other U.S. service members in the past. In the Aesthetics and Recreation domain, as all the others, you are likely to find commonalities as well as differences with your host country counterparts.

In fact, sports, leisure, and artistic activities relate strongly to the previous lessons, Political & Social Relations (lesson 7) and Religion & Spirituality (lesson 8) in a couple of ways. For one, people use leisure activities and aesthetic demonstrations to show their belonging to a certain group.

Another aspect common to these domains, is the use of symbols to mark themselves as affiliated with, or different from, certain groups.

This lesson considers some of the various symbols associated with leisure and sporting activities. It explores how people use aesthetics and recreation to set themselves apart from other cultural groups (as strong markers of group identity), and also which universal concepts link all human activities in this area.

Cultural Universals Related to Aesthetics and Recreation

Aesthetic and recreational activities demonstrate beliefs and values, and are therefore culturally bound (culture-specific).

The following elements of aesthetic and recreational activities - or creative expression - however, are cultural universals,

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which means they are found in ALL cultural groups:

Recreational activities provide enjoyment and satisfaction through social interaction in culturally acceptable ways.

People use aesthetic and recreational activities to represent their culture to others and also to transmit culture to future generations.

Sports, in addition to promoting physical fitness, are often used as a symbolic substitute for war or conflict.

Sports and other leisure activities serve two seemingly opposite cultural purposes. They serve to: identify self and other, to cause people to identify with their own society, culture, or micro- culture, as opposed to others. In other words, they help people create social in-groups. unify people in a common bond, and therefore can be useful in times of conflict to serve a peacemaking function.

CULTURAL LOG ACTIVITY 9.1 – Inventory of Your Leisure Pursuits

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Now look at your completed table in your log and respond briefly to these questions. Some of the questions overlap; think of them as prompting your reflection on your activities in general rather than as an assignment to respond to each one.

Which of the above categories and activities are most important to you in terms of how you spend your time?

Are there any that you think are "typically American?" Why?

Do they relate more specifically to any micro-cultures?

Based on what you have learned about culture in the previous lessons, how does your cultural background and your present situation influence your choice of these activities? Include in this response things like socio-economic class, geographic location, ethnic history, personal history, family size, etc.

How do people's access to certain activities influence their value for them and even their opinion about them?

How are the parts of your cultural background related to your values? Can you connect your love of the camaraderie and competition of street ball, for example, to the way you value basketball in your current everyday life? Are camaraderie and competition universal human values? What about them makes them both culture-general and culture-specific?

What underlying values drive your interest in some of these activities? For example, do you go snow skiing because you feel it enhances your need for individual challenge and achievement? Do you play World of Warcraft because you like to stimulate your imagination, sense of competition, and strategizing skills?

Are your pursuits related to "typical American" values?

How do some of these aesthetic or recreation activities overlap with other cultural domains? For example, basketball could overlap with the domains of Sustenance and Health, Political and Social Relations, and Learning and Knowledge.

Cultural Log Follow-Up:

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1 Observation

The tool below will help you become attuned to aesthetics and recreation in your host culture.

2

Orientation and Participation

A close observation of local culture will allow you to integrate what is new to you about the observed activities with your own understanding of them from your home culture. What you consider fair play in a game at home might be very different from what is considered permissible in a game in another culture. Taking the time to reflect, organize, and categorize this new information will allow you to move on to the next steps in this process, deciding, and then acting, with a higher chance of a successful interaction.

Almost all leisure activities are based in culture, from a micro-culture to the macro-culture of an entire country or region. You will be able to find people engaged in similar activities to what you like to do in the host culture where you deploy or visit, but they may have a totally different perspective on the activities.

For example, in some cultures, relaxation may take on a more religious character than most Americans are used to. People may listen to recitations of the Qu'uran set to music, they might engage in community festivals centered on religious rituals, or they might spend free time volunteering in the restoration of a local temple. This is another example of domain overlap. In these examples, the Religion/Spirituality and Aesthetics/Recreation domains overlap.

Domain overlap occurs when an activity can be classified into two or more domains. It also includes the idea that an activity performed in one domain (e.g. recreational) can also impact activities in, or affect, one or more other domains.

Be observant of leisure activities that you encounter and when possible, use them as opportunities to relate to people from the host culture. If you learn how to treat these as cross-cultural learning experiences, your experience abroad will be enriched.

CULTURAL TOOLBOX – Observation Tool for Aesthetics and Recreation

There are two ways to approach leisure and artistic activities when learning about a new culture:

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Deciding and Acting

The previous two steps lead to the most important part of this process: deciding and acting. You might consider becoming involved in activities with people from other cultures outside of the workplace. One way Airmen have connected with local people is through sports. Another is through volunteer work in activities like teaching English or spending time at an orphanage. These activities may count as work for the local population, but leisure time for you. Nevertheless, you might find opportunities to orient to and participate in local leisure and artistic events by volunteering.

Below are four sets of questions related to this domain to keep in mind when you are observing the activities and artifacts of people in a different culture. Being mindful of these factors will help teach you about the culture and behavior of the host country population and will also key you into activities that you might want to, or be allowed to participate in. Remember to approach this and all cultural information according to the first two stages of the OODA Loop: OBSERVE and ORIENT.

1. How do people spend their leisure time?

What activities seem to interest local people? Do they show any specific likes or dislikes?

How can you tell that certain activities are leisure and not related to work or survival activity?

You could fill in a table for yourself similar to the one you completed at the beginning of this lesson, but expanded to include the rest of these questions represented by the table below:

ACTIVITY SETTING

FORMAL

or

CASUAL

PURPOSE

(in addition

to

camaraderie)

TRANSMITS

CULTURE?

WHAT

VALUES?

WHAT

IS

NEW

TO

YOU?

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Soccer Field behind the school; only men; dressed in everyday clothes, not sports clothes; leader at work is leader on the field

Casual; people play according to rules, but games are pick-up, no certain times

Physical activity Yes, values of playing and staying physically fit, spending time with friends

They play every day

Read Romance Novels in English

Home, on break at work; young men and women; men and women don't talk about the "romantic" parts with each other, only with same gender

Casual; people do this when they can, not at specific times; also depends on who has the books

Mental activity, learn English

Yes, values of learning another language, of reading in general, transmitting "Western" sexual norms

Men read them too

Practice Calligraphy

At home, in community center; families together, couples, single people, pretty quiet

Formal-- classes at certain times, taught by masters

Artistic

Yes, value of traditional art, of spending time with family

The amount of attention people give to it

Distribute UN Food Rations to the Poor

In the village square, women and men, no particular uniform; UN people are leading; atmosphere is respectful

More formal-- have to be an approved volunteer, people follow rules of distribution, stand in lines

Service to community

Yes, value of service, of sharing with one another, of keeping good relations with international organizations

Women are given first place in line, rather than first-come, first-served

Help Church Organize Community Celebration

In the town; all ages, genders; people wearing best clothes, colorful clothes, atmosphere is like a party

More formal-- the celebration follows a structure from start to finish

Service to religion, service to community

Yes, value of religious belief, of community celebrating together

Military people can show up in uniform

Add your own columns to the table, based on what YOU think is important to the activity!

2. What is the setting for a particular leisure activity?

Here you move from general observations to a specific activity or event:

Is the activity similar to what you might see in your own hometown?

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Who are the participants? What roles do they have?

- Do you notice anything special about behavior or dress?

- Do the people seem acquainted?

- Is the activity gender specific? Are different age groups involved?

Does the activity seem connected with another domain? Family? Religion?

In what ways does this activity seem to transmit culture? What is being transmitted?

- Do you see different generations involved?

- Are older people teaching the young?

Are there symbols involved or related to the activity?

Is this a formal or casual activity?

- Is it very structured, ritualistic, free flowing, peaceful, chaotic?

(remember, this is probably your opinion)

- Are there rules, definable groups, or any authority figures?

(e.g., referees, holy men)

- Are they wearing expensive jewelry or adornments?

Did you notice anything else special or unusual?

3. What purpose does each activity seem to be fulfilling?

Is the activity performed to induce mental or physical exercise?

Is the activity designed to teach and/or build a skill?

Are the people socializing or relaxing during the activity?

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4. What's new?

Was anything shocking to you about the activity?

Did any part of it seem attractive to you?

What did you learn about the culture?

How did it compare to similar activities in the U.S.?

Did you see any benefit to the activity(ies) you observed?

The questions provided are designed to help you:

1. Record general impressions about what people seem to do when they are not working. This will give you an overall impression of the types of pastimes people engage in, and who does what. (OBSERVE)

2. Analyze a particular incident and, very much like a theatrical play, clarify the setting, the players, and the context. (OBSERVE/ORIENT)

3. Compare and contrast. This is what you walk away with, and helps you to determine future decisions (Is this an activity I can participate in?) and actions (I am going with a colleague from work to watch a game). (ORIENT/DECIDE). You can find a copy of this Tool in the Lesson Resources.

Clothes and Fashion

Clothing can be an obvious indicator of aesthetics, or what is considered beautiful, creative, and appropriate to that culture. When this lesson speaks of fashion, it is talking about the prevailing style or custom of dress, not only about New York runway fashion (although that is certainly included). Clothes are a surface-level indicator of cultural values – one that is easily observable. Our clothes often reflect our cultural and micro-cultural affiliations (as with the Air Force uniform), our status, and our beliefs and values. For those reasons, and the reasons listed below, the USAF Expeditionary Field Guides provide comments and guidance about specific cultures' ways of dressing.

Clothing, jewelry, symbols we put on our bodies, and even modifications to our bodies can be practical and symbolic indicators of the following. Mouse over the bottom of the first few pics for explanations:

• aesthetics (what is considered beautiful, appropriate);

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• whether one is at leisure or work

• ritual activities or celebrations -- ex: wedding dress indicates a wedding ceremony; graduation cap and gowns indicate a graduation; some people use tattoos and scarification to mark their bodies in rites of passage

• a person's allegiance to a particular social, religious or political group – ex: hat or caps with Air Force symbols on them, a hijab , a t-shirt indicating a preference of a political party or candidate, tattoos, a Christian cross, wearing a certain flag as a piece of clothing, etc.

• One's status, economic or otherwise-- ex: high- or low-end brand names, material, style, cleanliness, etc.; also, special types of clothing for certain events or for certain people (a priest versus an altar boy)

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Why do women in America have so many different "options" for dress than men?

What does that reflect about our cultural values?

Our gender identities?

CULTURAL LOG ACTIVITY 9.2 – Clothes make the person

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When finished, review the information on the sites below (or search for your own) by clicking on the images for more information about the culture of Taekwondo, and the meaning of the clothing in the photo.

HISTORY ETIQUETTE BELTS AND GRADING

Were you better able to answer the questions after reading the sites?

Add to your lists, if you can. Then, go to the next page for a look at what our local expert saw in the photo.

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Cultural Log Follow-Up

A former AFCLC colleague, a second degree black belt with 12 total years of Taekwondo experience had this to say when he described the clothing and other symbolic meaning presented in the photo:

"First, it's clear this is a Taekwondo class because of the style of the belts the people are wearing (the width, length, and markings on them) and the way the belts are tied. All of these are clues. For instance, jujitsu belts are not as thick, have no markings except white or red tape, and generally are more flexible. The bars on the belt of the man standing with the black pants indicate his rank, second degree black belt. This looks like an advanced level class because of the color of the belts on the different people. I see black, red, and maybe blue belts here. Black is the highest "color" belt, but there are up to nine levels of black belt. Black symbolizes that you have learned the techniques, but ranks in black belt show that you continue on to master these techniques as well. Blue and red are below black, but above green, yellow, and white. Green, blue, and red are known as 'sparring ranks' because they can spar with each other in class and in competitions. Next, I believe the man executing the kick is the highest ranking person present, because the person who holds the focus point for a class demonstration is usually a lower-ranking instructor than the instructor performing the action.

Next, the people in the back wearing the helmets and pads with the blue and red dots are preparing for a competition. Those pads are worn to distinguish one competitor from another (blue vs. red) and also as a marker where competitors can score points for successful blows. It's common for people in more advanced levels to compete all year round.

Finally, this photo was probably taken in the last five years because of the style of shirt and pants the man holding the focus pad is wearing. This style was more recently officially adopted in the U.S. because it is of lighter material, easier to wear and less constricting than the tunic that crosses over in the front."

What about values?

"The values represented by the clothing and the other symbols I see here can be a regard for self- discipline and training, and respect for higher ranking practitioners as well as one's colleagues. People are wearing a uniform, which indicates respect for the sport and for other people who do Taekwondo; the students are sitting, for the most part, which shows respect for the demonstrators of higher rank; the people take part in the belt system, which shows they value the training and self-discipline required for a person to advance in Taekwondo practice."

Our local expert says the Taekwondo uniform (also called a Dobok) "should be white to symbolize cleanliness and innocence and a willingness to learn." These are all values!

What's the point, you might ask?

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If you can understand cultural symbols and what people value, or if you can learn how to observe and orient to new information, you can also:

Have a topic with which to start a conversation

Be able to indicate to them your cultural similarities and differences

Have an idea what is important to them when beginning negotiations or other relationships

How would you treat a person you know is steeped in Taekwondo culture?

What would you assume about him or her?

What kinds of responses might you expect from him or her in stressful situations?

Can you apply this to an Air Force example? Let's see!

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Could It Happen to You?

Here is a true story from a retired Air Force Financial Services NCO. "It didn't happen at my base, thank God, but it did happen in my MAJCOM.

We had a rotating deployment to the Middle East for a paying agent. The paying agent was required to transact business off base in civilian clothing, and therefore received a one-time $600 clothing allowance before deploying so they could acquire appropriate business clothing.

Unfortunately, for one base, no one thought to check the Senior Airman's idea of 'appropriate for business'. When he showed up at his site, he had brought nothing except oversized baggy jeans and sports jerseys! I guess he thought he was really stylin', but he ended up going right back home and someone else had to take his deployment! I've always wondered if they made him pay back that $600."

Clothing is a symbol that transmits values and culture. Is there any question in your mind why the Senior Airman was not allowed to transact business off base in the clothing he brought?

Cultural Change

Let's take a minute to review the USAF definition of culture:

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The definition of culture itself says that culture changes. You read in Lesson 1 that aspects of culture such as affiliation, action, and organization will not be maintained unless they mean something to people. Lesson 2 also established that culture is dynamic.

Aesthetics and leisure activities are a prime indicator of cultural change.

We can see this in numerous venues, and probably most obviously in American culture in music, sports, and human physical aesthetics (appearances). Music changes quickly from generation to generation, and in our current generation music has proven to be a great equalizer, with equal opportunities for success regardless of gender or ethnicity.

Sports, traditionally dominated almost solely by men, now showcase female boxers, soccer players, and racecar drivers. Sports gear and fan paraphernalia (symbols) are worn or displayed with equal fervor by men and women. Physical fitness, once confined to professional athletes, is now a major industry, pulling in billions of dollars in consumer spending every year.

However, the relative gender equality in sports and recreation we see in the U.S. is not shared across cultures. An article from The Telegraph newspaper of Calcutta, India says that women's leisure time is "fragmented and secondary." Women's leisure time doesn't often have a designated time or place, but usually happens while other work or family activities are taking place. Here is the article.

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In most Western countries, women's spending power has increased since the 1950s because of their expansion in the workforce.

To cater to these new consumers, we have seen an infinite number of aesthetic innovations – facial and body treatments, lotions, cosmetics, clothing styles, hairstyling products, and so on. Along with these products come changes to cultural beliefs about how women should "maintain" themselves. At the same time that women have gained spending power and relative equality in leisure activity participation, our culture still regulates women's (and men's) behavior through expectations about appearance and other kinds of activities, such as sexual behavior.

Therefore, culture norms change in multiple domains (Economics & Resources, Aesthetics & Recreation), that impact the domain of Gender and Sexuality, though not necessarily in the same ways.

Finally, think about the movies or photographs you see from the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. It's not very hard to tell what decade you are looking at because both men's and women's clothing and hair styles changed dramatically! Think Mullets, Mohawks, Caesar, Shag, Feathered bangs, Crew- cut, Fade, High-n-Tight, and Emo – all cultural symbols.

All of these are cultural changes based on our highly dynamic transmission of culture, both via electronic means and generational interpretations.

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How have your views been formed on the things you like to do for leisure?

How has culture been transmitted to you, and how do you transmit it to others?

Does anything transmitted to you from your parents have a different meaning to you than it does to them?

Is it possible to observe cultural change when you are in an unfamiliar culture?

Globalization

Closely related to culture change is globalization – the transmission of specific cultural practices, symbols, or influences to other parts of the world.

It is hard to find a place on the American, European, or Asian continents that doesn't have McDonald's or Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants. The world is saturated with blue jeans and sneakers, distinctive American cultural symbols. American sitcoms and movies are shown throughout the globe, often transmitting a rather dramatic and frequently unflattering, unrealistic perception of American values.

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Along with these and other cultural transmissions, it is interesting to explore how the attitudes of other populations change with their adoption of aspects of our aesthetics and recreation activities. Populations previously restricted in material possessions become more consumerist; people accustomed to repressive standards of expression become more vocal; societies with strict dress standards find themselves losing control of modes of dress. This in turn leads to cultural change.

On the other hand, cultures also respond to an influx in "foreign" cultural practices and values by taking measures to protect themselves from change. For years in Iran, the morality police have banned western haircuts in order to escape any influence on their traditions. They issue official posters depicting "acceptable" haircuts and round up those who are out of compliance.

Considering the vast array of haircuts in the western world, just a few of which were listed on the previous page, it would be interesting to know precisely how a western or non-western haircut is defined!

It is not just American culture that takes root in other societies. Can you find an American city with no Chinese or Mexican eatery?

Not easily! Did you ever celebrate Cinco de Mayo, or read a horoscope? How about played soccer or dominoes? All of these things are cultural transplants to American culture. You may be surprised to know that one particular ancient African music pattern has permeated popular music worldwide.

The musical pattern, known in American music as Clave (pronounced klah-vey'), is discussed in the following clip from the BBC documentary radio program, "A Short History of 5 Notes". Play this 11-minute clip.

Did any of that sound familiar? If so, you can thank globalization! If you see something in a foreign country that looks vaguely familiar, but you can't quite put your finger on it, it may simply be a different cultural spin on a familiar concept.

In today's digital world, globalization is likely to spread faster than ever. Recently we've seen numerous Middle Eastern societies rising against their repressive governments. They know that, even though they may not win, the world will see what is happening because of the global reach of media and the new social media like Facebook and Twitter.

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Areas with very little technology or resources are already influenced to some degree by outside cultures.

Sports and Culture

Let's turn now to the world of sports, its influence on culture, and how you might use it to relate to people in other cultures.

A sport is a specialized form of play unique to humans that can be found in some form in all cultures. It consists of a competitive physical activity that has rules, according to which there are clear cut winners and losers. In the context of the sport, athletic prowess is contested in a space, rewards go to the victors.

In this case, the definition really focuses the discussion on formal competition and games, often watched by spectators. Therefore, playing spades is not a sport, no matter how seriously one may take it! In addition, sports provide an excellent basis for cross-cultural comparison. Sports reflect numerous themes about culture:

They project the values and beliefs of a society

Sports are used to transmit these values from generation to generation

Fans and players of sports often constitute a micro-culture involving unique behaviors, symbols, roles, and beliefs

You may see some similarities between sports and the Religion domain, covered in the previous lesson. Among these similarities are that the event takes place in a certain space; often a special type of space, and that there are certain rituals involved.

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Some rituals that you are familiar with include shaking hands with the opposing team, carrying a torch to start the Olympics, or running onto the field to the cheer of the crowd. Players may carry on rituals of donning uniforms and armor, and purifying themselves physically and psychologically. They may also use prayer, 'pep talks', and camaraderie to unify or steel themselves for competition. Finally, both Sports and Religion, like Political/Social Relations, have clear symbols to identify group members and in some cases, roles.

Uses and Purposes of Sports

How do societies use sports? Another way to ask the question is: what function(s) do sports serve for society? We counted three ways!

1. Transmission of Culture

Sport can be a mechanism for teaching and transmitting forms of behavior that are culturally "ideal" or admirable for a given society. Of course, by demonstrating behaviors, we are also transmitting values, such as sportsmanship and fair play. Sports play a great role in transmitting values to the young.

Consider the sport of baseball.

In the United States, baseball generally has no boundaries as far as who can play: young, old, any race or ethnicity, male, female (although women usually play softball and teams are segregated by gender).

Baseball has many positive effects, such as passing on a favorite American pastime and tradition, providing opportunity for socializing and developing physical skills (with low rate of injury compared to many other sports), and exposing its participants to the concepts of sportsmanship, which we will come back to in the next section.

A sport may also transmit history and serve as a means of keeping traditions alive.

Think about rodeo sports, which have roots in America's ranching and farming history. Barrel racing values agility and partnership between a

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person and a horse; steer wrestling or calf roping reinforce the precision and timing needed by ranchers to capture animals, even if the rodeo athletes are not ranchers themselves.

At the same time, communities may hold agriculture expositions or beauty pageants, both of which serve to bond non-rodeo activities to rodeo in a way that helps transmit and perpetuate culture and American values. [1]

2. Bonding:

Sports can create bonding between groups that are opponents or even completely foreign to each other. In other words, it can help to overcome the self vs. other feelings that arise naturally when we encounter different kinds of people.

Consider the following excerpt from an essay written by an Airman who served in Korea:

"When I returned to South Korea for another tour in 2004, the country still remained in a state of war restrained by an armistice as stated by Global Security. However, relations between North and South Korea had improved so significantly that athletes from both countries marched together under a unification flag for the first time in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Even under tension over North Korea's suspected efforts to develop nuclear weapons, the two countries marched together again under one flag at the *2004 Olympics in Athens. The team name in the march was simply Korea. "We are the same blood" stated Mr. Chang, a North Korean IOC member. The flag depicted a map of the entire Korean peninsula, which was a very powerful symbol. "It might bring a lot of people to tears" stated United States IOC executive board member. Also it was very good news for the sport, the Olympic family and for the games of Sydney." [2]

*Also marched together during 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Pyeongchang

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Can you suggest other incidents when a sport has served to unite opposing parties? A main point of this lesson is that sports can form a basis for communication between you and your host country counterparts.

3. Symbolic substitute for armed conflict:

While they can be used to bring people together, sports are also used as a symbolic substitute for war or conflict. Players are the combatants in rivalries that pit city against city, or country against country. The funny thing is that the players usually exhibit a great deal of camaraderie and respect for one another. It's more often the spectators who vicariously experience competition and can get into heated disputes with their rivals. During the Cold War era, people in the US and USSR continually used international sporting events like the Olympics to "prove" whose society was better.

Sometimes the line between sport and conflict becomes blurred, such as when angry fans throw objects at players, fans fight with each other, or players take "cheap shots" at one another. Here are some headlines from across the globe of fan-on-fan violence:

Zimbabwe, 9 July 2000

"Thirteen people are trampled to death in rioting during a World Cup qualifier in Harare. Hooligans invade the pitch after South Africa take a two-goal lead. Fans stampede towards the exits as police fire tear gas into the crowd."

Brazil, December 2000

"109 Brazilian fans are injured when a fence collapsed at the São Januario stadium, in Rio, during a game between Vasco da Gama and Sao Caetano. The fence collapses as fans try to escape rioting in the upper part of the stand. The match is halted after 23 minutes."

Iran, December 2000

"Following an ill-tempered Tehran derby between Pirouzi and Estegahl violence spills on to the streets as fans destroy cars and buses. Three players from each side and 60 fans are arrested; more than 250 coaches are vandalised."[3]

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Here is a reading for this lesson, which primarily focuses on soccer hooligans in Serbia. Read carefully!

Thus, while sport may serve to minimize conflict between countries, regions, or cities, it doesn't always achieve that goal. It seems to depend on what else is going on in the country, such as high rates of unemployment or inter-ethnic discrimination.

Gaining Perspective: Buzkashi

The Afghan sport of buzkashi is often described as the most violent sport in the world. Buzkashi combines the horsemanship and head-to-head competition of polo with some skills we might associate with rodeo cowboys. To learn more watch this clip (Warning!--graphic content).

This video excerpt is clearly old and maintains a Western point of view on the sport ("few rules and no regard for the spectators"; "In buzkashi, human life counts less than the result").

Now read about buzkashi from the point of view of a cultural insider. In it, you'll find more detailed information about the history of the sport and what it means to Afghans in terms of their cultural heritage.

"When horsemen were practicing in ancient times, their relatives watched them. At night, the horsemen were told about better techniques which they translated into action next time. Later, when fighting on horseback was discontinued, the horse came to be used as a means of transport in the first place, and a vehicle to play buzkashi in the second."

Buzkashi became a way of preserving traditions of horsemanship and showing a person's skills and excellence in other realms, as well. Moreover, buzkashi may have taken on different cultural importance over the last ten years because it was banned under Taliban rule and now is permitted once again.

Test your knowledge and perspective-taking skills with the questions below, which come from the web site and the video.

Sportsmanship

Now that we've talked about the many purposes that sports serve in life and culture, let's look more about cultural values reflected in sports. How would you define the concept of sportsmanship? What values are important to Americans when they compete in sports?

If you thought of "fair play," "following the

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rules," "not being a sore loser or a poor winner," or "not cheating", then you are likely in the majority.

Even American children know these "rules" of sportsmanship: see this 1-page essay written by a 5th grader for the "National Sportsmanship Day Essay Contest."

Thus, most people learn the rules of sportsmanship at an early age. How do they reflect American cultural values?

Most Americans:

value the rule of law; we respect police and do not (usually) respect those who break the law

do not like people who cheat, who get around the rules, who take more than their fair share

try to maintain culturally accepted levels of pride and anger in their everyday lives

Thus, the behaviors we value in sports reflect the behaviors we value in life, and vice versa.

Is Sportsmanship Universal?

Do we take it for granted that all people will share our concept of sportsmanship and fair play? Probably most of us do. However, in a cross-cultural context, assigning your culture's values and beliefs to another group is ethnocentric. One Arabic visitor (language teacher) to the Air Force Culture and Language Center told us that there is no translation in his language for "fair play."

Do you remember discussion about schema earlier in the course? Based on all your experiences where you grew up in the U.S., you have associations in your mind about sports and behavior. Exploring your own schema, as we have done on the previous page, makes it easier for you, by comparison, to begin to understand the schema of people from a different culture.

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Sports are an excellent way to connect with others, but be prepared for some differences in attitudes towards fairness, behavior, and other American values.

Here are more specific aspects of sportsmanship that may be different in other cultures, followed by questions to ask yourself when trying to orient to another culture. These are repeated in the Tool at the end of the lesson.

Competitiveness a. How is this value expressed both on and off "the field" of sports?

b. Is winning the most important aspect of an interaction?

Keeping fit a. What would people from this culture think about Americans' dedication to personal fitness?

b. How do local people stay active?

Teamwork a. What is expected of team members?

b. Is everyone treated equally, or are certain members more important?

Cultural Tool: Observing and Participating in Sports

There are two ways you can learn from sports in an unfamiliar culture:

1 Observing a sports event

2 Participating in sports with Host Country Nationals

You can tell a lot about a culture by attending sports events, and noting their attitudes towards sports and comparing it your own. Sample questions for comparison appear in the tool below. One way to practice using this tool, and others, is to use them to describe American cultural and sports events, as if you were visiting the U.S. for the first time.

What was the purpose of the sports event?

• Was it a professional sports event? School competition? Informal after work? A community event? Just a group of people gathering spontaneously?

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• Where did it take place? What effect did the place have on the sports event?

• How did you come to be at the event? Were you invited?

• What equipment was involved?

What cultural differences can you observe at a sports event?

The questions in this section are geared towards onlookers or spectators.

• How were the athletes treated?

• Did you observe any rituals (national anthem, half-time activities, shaking hands at the end)?

• What was the behavior of various groups before, during, and after the game: athletes, coaches, spectators?

• What was the flow of events? Did it differ from an American sports event?

• Were the rules of the game obvious? From what you know, were participants following them?

• Was there food or other paraphernalia not directly related to the sport?

• What symbols used to demarcate players, teams, or affiliation of spectators were apparent?

• Were there other items of symbolic value? (objects, insignia, or rituals and movements.)

• Did anything occur that you did not understand?

What were the attitudes of the host country people towards sports?

These questions can be answered by either a spectator or a player.

• Did the host country people have the same concept of fair play as yours? How could you tell?

• How important was winning the game? What value was accorded to participation alone?

• What tactics did the players use? How well did they coordinate?

• How did they perceive sportsmanship? Is there respect for opponents?

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Lesson Summary

This lesson was concerned with the activities that people do for pleasure, fitness, relaxation, and personal interest -- things to go beyond what must be done for physical survival. A good way of improving your ability to relate and communicate with local people when you are abroad is to note the ways they express themselves creatively and spend their leisure time. Observing these things can be a window into history, traditions, values, and beliefs.

The Aesthetics and Recreation domain shares some similarities with other domains such as Social and Political Relations or Religion and Spirituality, because of the ways people behave and/or use symbols to show their belonging, or to mark themselves as different from, specific groups. We also gave examples of behavior that combined both Recreation and Religion to illustrate domain overlap.

For another look at an example of this domain, solve the jigsaw puzzle.

Aesthetics and Recreation is a good domain for reflecting cultural changes because changes here - i.e. hairstyles, music, participants - can change quickly between and even within generations. It is also a domain that can easily demonstrate examples of cultural change, cultural transmission, and globalization. Sports, specifically can be viewed as a cross- cultural phenomenon.

Another key takeaway for this lesson is the awareness of how aesthetics and recreation can convey and transmit culture.

Think back to the Airman who deployed with the wrong clothing! Do you remember the Knowledge Check about Air Force tattoos and piercings? Body art, although very common in today's American macro-culture, is a great way to transmit your personal values, but doesn't necessarily convey the values and the culture the Air

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Force wishes to project: uniformity, professionalism, and discipline.

Finally, a major point of the lesson was that aesthetic, leisure, and sporting activities serve two cultural purposes:

1 They serve to identify self and other, to cause people to identify with their own society, culture, ormicro-culture as opposed to another.

2 They serve to bond people together, and therefore may be useful in times of conflict to serve aunifying function.

Here's one last question for you.

Knowing what you know now about the uses and purposes of recreation activities and sports, how would you approach these to be a positive influence in a deployment situation with other coalition forces?

References

Lesson 9 Endnotes

[1] Miss SLE Rodeo. 2011. Alabama Cattlemen's Association. Online. Available at: http://www.bamabeef.org

[1] Rodeo 101. 2011. Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. Online. Available at: http://www.prorodeo.com

[2] Former ITC student's discussion post. Spring 2010.

[3] The Observer. 8 October 2009. Football, blood and war.