I think that what it means to be civilized is defined by more than one source. It was ingrained in the culture I grew up; therefore, in myself as well. Now, when I analyze it, a lot of kids’ media I grew up with perpetuated the idea that people who are not white are barbarians. It reinforced the idea that Africa, Asia, and South America are savage places with a lot of cannibals, wild animals, and uneducated people. One of the most popular kids authors in the USSR and post-soviet countries (sort of local Dr. Seuss), Korney Chukovsky, in one of his poems – beloved by many kids today as well- wrote, “Small children, do not go to Africa for a stroll! There are sharks, gorillas, and big angry crocodiles, who will bite and hurt you. Do not go to
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Another example of how being civilized was treated in the kids media is Pippi Longstocking’s father from “Pippi Longstocking” by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Another extremely popular kids’ book in Belarus, yet, another example establishing European superiority. Pippi's father was a sea-captain and one day he disappeared. Later, we learn that he was able to get in the island full of cannibals, who were also black; however, they loved him so much that later they made him their king. Maybe it is not as a striking example; however, I believe, it reinforces the idea that white people are better as governors and know better what “barbarians” need. There were also Soviet cartoons that portrayed people from Africa as half-naked wearing plant leaves instead of clothes and dancing happy ritual dances with animal like giraffes uncivilized barbarians fascinated with educated Soviet travelers. I am telling all that not to prove that USSR was horribly racist (although it was in a great extent), but to show how such a thing as kids’ books and TV-shows that are often being dismissed as a non-important part of the media can perpetuate a certain point …show more content…
Even aside from stereotypes of barbarian vs. civilized, people usually tend to surround themselves with things that are defined as civilized. Best technologies, cars, decent houses, nuclear families, better schools, significant books, and so on. Also, education is highly respected in the Western world. Usually, people who do not have a college education are not as respected as people who do have it. Besides, people tend to dismiss any political and social problem that are not happening in the Western world by saying something like, “What else can you expect from these barbarians. They are all just evil and up to no good”. A lot of Russian men find comfort in thinking that women in Muslim countries are treated far worse than in Russia, therefore, they are not misogynist and sexists, and if Russian women do not like something, they can go to Afghanistan and try to talk about women rights over there. This thinking raises a lot of questions and conversations; however, it is also, once again, a contrast between “civilized” Russia and “uncivilized” Muslim countries. Positive effects of the concept of civilization, I think, is an aspiration to make person’s life as comfortable as possible which means new cures to the diseases and new technologies that are created to improve people’s lives. By saying all of the above, I think that the concept of being civilized, although changed, has the same roots as it used
Another example of how being civilized was treated in the kids media is Pippi Longstocking’s father from “Pippi Longstocking” by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren. Another extremely popular kids’ book in Belarus, yet, another example establishing European superiority. Pippi's father was a sea-captain and one day he disappeared. Later, we learn that he was able to get in the island full of cannibals, who were also black; however, they loved him so much that later they made him their king. Maybe it is not as a striking example; however, I believe, it reinforces the idea that white people are better as governors and know better what “barbarians” need. There were also Soviet cartoons that portrayed people from Africa as half-naked wearing plant leaves instead of clothes and dancing happy ritual dances with animal like giraffes uncivilized barbarians fascinated with educated Soviet travelers. I am telling all that not to prove that USSR was horribly racist (although it was in a great extent), but to show how such a thing as kids’ books and TV-shows that are often being dismissed as a non-important part of the media can perpetuate a certain point …show more content…
Even aside from stereotypes of barbarian vs. civilized, people usually tend to surround themselves with things that are defined as civilized. Best technologies, cars, decent houses, nuclear families, better schools, significant books, and so on. Also, education is highly respected in the Western world. Usually, people who do not have a college education are not as respected as people who do have it. Besides, people tend to dismiss any political and social problem that are not happening in the Western world by saying something like, “What else can you expect from these barbarians. They are all just evil and up to no good”. A lot of Russian men find comfort in thinking that women in Muslim countries are treated far worse than in Russia, therefore, they are not misogynist and sexists, and if Russian women do not like something, they can go to Afghanistan and try to talk about women rights over there. This thinking raises a lot of questions and conversations; however, it is also, once again, a contrast between “civilized” Russia and “uncivilized” Muslim countries. Positive effects of the concept of civilization, I think, is an aspiration to make person’s life as comfortable as possible which means new cures to the diseases and new technologies that are created to improve people’s lives. By saying all of the above, I think that the concept of being civilized, although changed, has the same roots as it used