3. A.S.S.C.
The American Society for the Study of Culture
IN STUDYING THE VALUES, CUSTOMS, AND TRADITIONS OF THE
AMERICANS, WE MADE SOME STARTLING DISCOVERIES...DURING WHAT
APPEARS TO BE A COMPLEX WINTER RITUAL, THE AMERICANS WORSHIP A
DEITY OF NATURE. FIRST THE AMERICANS REMOVE A NEEDLED TREE FROM
THEIR SURROUNDINGS AND INSTALL IT IN A SACRED PLACE IN THEIR
HOMES. WE SUSPECT THAT THE TREE SERVES AS AN IDOL REPRESENTING
THEIR NATURE GOD. THERE, THE IDOL IS CEREMONIALLY GARNISHED
WITH VALUABLE METALS AND JEWELS SYMBOLIZING ITS HOLINESS. THE
WINTER CELEBRATION THEN TAKES A PARTICULARLY STRANGE TURN
WITH THE RITUALISTIC “HUNT FOR OFFERINGS”. HERE, THE AMERICANS
SCOUR THE COUNTRYSIDE TO OBTAIN OFFERINGS THEY BELIEVE WILL BE
MOST PLEASING TO THE WINTER GOD. REVERENCE FOR THEIR GOD IS
ALSO SHOWN BY THE CEREMONIAL DECORATION OF THE OFFERINGS IN
BRIGHT COLORS. STRANGELY, THE AMERICANS APPEAR TO GO TO SUCH
LENGTHS TO PLEASE THEIR GOD, THAT THE DECORATION OFTEN
CONCEALS THE VALUE OF THE OFFERING!
4. MAKING THE “FAMILIAR STRANGE”
CHALLENGE!!!
DIRECTIONS:
1. CHOOSE A CULTURAL FEATURE OF THE AMERICANS OR SELECT ONE OF THE OPTIONS BELOW.
2. FIND AN INTERESTING IMAGE ONLINE WHICH ILLUSTRATES YOUR CULTURAL FEATURE
3. COMPOSE A PARAGRAPH WHICH OBJECTIVELY DESCRIBES THE CULTURAL FEATURE (MAKES THE FAMILIAR
STRANGE
4. UPLOAD THE IMAGE TO ONE FOTOBABBLE.COM ACCOUNT AND NARRATE THE DESCRIPTION.
5. SHARE YOUR FOTOBABBLE WITH LORETMICHAEL@GMAIL.COM
6. IF YOU ARE ABLE TO OBJECTIVELY ANALYZE THE CULTURAL TRAIT SO EFFECTIVELY THAT YOU STUMP THE
CLASS, YOU WILL EARN 3 POINTS EXTRA CREDIT TOWARD YOUR QUIZ AVERAGE!
-A FAMILY/GROUP WATCHING TV
-A FOOTBALL GAME
-THE WEARING OF MAKE-UP BY FEMALES
-GOING FOR A DOCTOR’S VISIT
-WALMART
5.
6. OPEN YOUR SPIRAL, AND
DESCRIBE IN CULTURAL TERMS
WHAT IT MEANS “TO MAKE THE
FAMILIAR STRANGE IN ORDER TO
MAKE THE STRANGE FAMILIAR”
7. OPEN YOUR SPIRAL, AND
DESCRIBE IN CULTURAL TERMS
WHAT IT MEANS “TO MAKE THE
FAMILIAR STRANGE IN ORDER TO
MAKE THE STRANGE FAMILIAR”
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT???
