2.3 Cross-cultural Ethnography; God Grew Tired of Us

ACTION ITEMS: Please read the two readings below for our next class. Both of them are about culture.  

Action Item:  Kohl's Values Americans Live By

First, the Kohl reading is about American culture.  It was written to help emigrants arriving in America adjust to cultural values that they may not be familiar with.  For Americans, the reading provides interesting insight into the culture that surrounds us.  Like fish who have never questioned water, we are engrossed in our cultural values so ubiquitously that we don't realize it.  This reading will help us take a step back and view the ways that American culture shapes those within it.  As you read, think about examples from your own life that illustrate the values Kohl highlights. 

 

Action Item:  Buettner's Thrive

Second, the Thrive reading is from a book by Dan Buettner.  Buettner travelled the world as sort of an ethnographer writing about people all over the globe.  In Thrive, Buettner focuses on the places in the world that report the highest levels of happiness.  The book focuses on a few happiness anomalies (Blue Zones) around the world: Denmark, Singapore, Mexico and San Luis Obispo (USA). This excerpt is Buettner's concluding chapter in which he tries to make sense of what the places all have in common and what we can learn from them to make our lives happier. As you read, look for areas of happiness that you had not thought about.  Make a note of things that Buettner suggests that you can do right now in your own life as well as things you want to do as you get older.

Today's lesson:  An ethnography of refugees; studying others to learn about ourselves.

In order to better understand the culture that we live in, sometimes it is easier to examine those in a different culture to find revelations about our own culture.  Like the fishbowl metaphor, if the fishbowl is our culture, we are like the fish swimming in it.  That makes it very difficult to notice the water.  So, to help us become more sociologically mindful about the ways that our own culture influences us, let us examine refugees who are from a completely different culture.  To do this, we will watch the documentary "God Grew Tired of Us."  

This documentary is an ethnography of sorts where you get to follow Sudanese refugees to examine all the ways that they have to adjust to American culture.  Pay special attention to the values that are so difficult to adjust to.

When I was in undergrad here at Loyola, we had a class where we got to meet with Lost Boys and hear about their struggle.   Here is a website dedicated to the Lost Boys of Sudan in Chicago.  This movie wasn't out yet though.  But then, a few years ago my mom happened to meet and talk to one of the lost boys in the film and she recommended it to me for sociology.  I'm so thankful to her for that. Anyway, in the movie we see numerous cultural differences.

To speak about culture in a more distinct way, think in terms of the way sociologists might explain all the components of culture; culture is made up of material culture as well as the nonmaterial: gestures, language, norms, mores, folkways, taboos, values.

Watch the documentary

Here is the movie on Amazon Prime

Here it is on Watchdocumentaries.com

Here it is on Tubi

Here it is on Youtube (free with ads)

If you cannot view God Grew Tired of Us, the documentary Babies is also an interesting ethnography.

NOTE: The first 10 minutes gives background into the Sudanese civil war.  Although brief, some of the scenes are upsetting.  But the rest of the movie is not like that

Google form is here.

Part 1: Beginning to finding work in America.  Please focus on the cultural differences that the boys must adjust to, especially, norms (folkways, mores, taboos) and language.  

1.  Describe some of the norms that the Sudanese men are used to that are different from American norms.

2.  Describe some of the material culture that is different for them.  

3.  Although the men speak English, what is some language (words, phrases) that they learn in America? 

Part 2:  From work to their Sudanese Ingroup

For the second half of the ethnographic documentary, please turn your attention toward the cultural values that are shaping the boys' lives in America.  

4.  How is life in America different and difficult? 

5.  In what ways was the refugee camp easier/healthier for them?

6. How do they turn to their Sudanese in-group to find meaning?

Other Resources:

This post explains more about immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers and the 2017-2023 crisis at the border.

Here is John Bul Dau's Foundation website which also includes information about his memoir and ways that they are serving Africa and how you can help.

Here is John Bul Day speaking at Google about his life, his foundation and the Lost Boys.

Here is his Ted Talk:

Lost Boys on NPR 2007.

From PBS the documentary, The Day I Had To Run details the story of the Lost Boys.

60 Minutes part 1

60 Minutes part 2

Seeds of Sudan

International Rescue Committee timeline of the Lost Boys

March 2016 South Sudan Faces Another Civil War
Sudan broke apart into two nations; Sudan and South Sudan.  South Sudan is where the Lost Boys in the movie returned to. Unfortunately, South Sudan faces a new civil war within itself.  

February 2024 Lost Boy Signs 3 Year NBA Contract

Duop Reath, NBA player for the Portland Trailblazers, was born in Sudan before moving to the Kakuma refugee camp when he was young due to the war. He talks about growing up in the camp and his journey in basketball. 

For more about refugees (and asylum seekers, immigrants and migrants) see this post.