PSYC400

Yeah, but I mean, think about it. Every. All of our. Most of our clients. Houses there. They have bigger things to worry about than, like.

Yeah. And it's not like we can, like, go somewhere far. It was kind of local. So we're. And we're not really in. My mom's not really in the space of, like, trying to back up right now.

Yeah. So it's like my dad's kind of pressed for as far as the money now, so my mom can't, like, really pay for rent.

My dad would save money. We're trying to actually get a house. Anybody else was affected by the fire? So this is actually part of culture. You are now entering what is almost like environmental disaster culture, where people who have endured these things and it will change the direction of your life.

I actually had a similar experience. I was devastated like you guys were. But anybody's familiar with the campfire fire. You guys remember that? So when we graduated, we actually moved up to Northern California, started a business.

It's coming really well, too. Great. If you got familiar with what the campfire was, that was like the.

Everything. The whole. They actually moved with us from UNESCO sergeant business.

And this whole family, they drove out of town with flames, you know, lifting their car with their dogs and the baby in the car.

They left California. They didn't come back that same week when the fire came.

The fire burnt within, like, 500ft of our house. We live, like, on the edge of the couple. Couple weeks later after that, we actually picked up, didn't move down here.

That's actually why we ended up in Southern California.

It's part of the reason why we live in the desert. My wife wouldn't let me move us around in the trees.

What we started realizing there was a whole culture of people who've been hearing these issues, and, you know, they have a different pattern of thinking, you know, pattern of feeling because of those events.

Right. And so it changed the way that we thought about things for sure.

So we're sorry to hear that. Hope you, you know, find some clarity. God does amazing things with ash. Just, you know, trees grow stronger, things grow thicker and better.

Right. I believe that, you know, things are. Well, let's go ahead and get started. So this week we have some things due on Sunday, including your second weekly assignment, which focuses primarily on.

And also we have our first analysis assignment, which is pretty easy.

You also have your reading of chapter one, which is Intro to Multicultural Psychology.

And then Deal this Sunday, of course, you have those sounds.

There's two assignments that we just talked about anyway or, you know, the format in which they need to be turned in.

Just come let me know or, you know, email me. It seem like everybody's kind of. So today we'll be going over a little bit of the, the Hazmat people.

Just going to have a quick discussion about it. Just curious to see what you guys find of about the people in the assignment.

But we'll go over some more vocabulary labels and concepts.

It's a little boring, but it's something we kind of have to get towards portion of the class.

Then we'll get into our identity and social construction theory which will kind of open up things a little bit.

It'll, you know, kind of make you think and question, you know, your reality.

And so at the end of class we'll do a video similar to last week.

This one's a little more intensive. This is about Ethiopian Christianity and some of the books that were removed from our King James Version Bible.

So I think a lot of you will find this to be very interesting.

I think a lot of this information, you know, is out there and it's somewhat common knowledge.

But I think a lot of us, especially those who are, you know, out in faith, both families, we felt a little bit afraid to explore things that we're not necessarily supposed to be looking at.

You know, it'll make us think about what does Christianity, you know, really mean?

You know, so because Christianity can mean a lot of different things, right?

We were talking about last, last week and we'll start seeing what that variation.

So what did you guys think about the video last week?

Are any of you shocked that people were still behaving like that?

You guys are all pretty educated, so maybe some of you were super shocked at their isolation.

Was anybody shocked if they were there was actually still cannibalistic ideas out there?

No. You guys are all pretty knowledgeable. I was, you know, I, I wasn't necessarily shocked.

I think my surprise is just the understanding that they have compared to us, right.

Morality, ethics. So thinking about their culture and the tribe and comparing it to our average culture, what do you guys think is the biggest difference?

You know, my wife was, you know, she was harping with the fact that the, the women were hunting, men were hanging out at home.

I was like, I, I like that idea. You. And so she thought, you know, that was really her fun.

You know, I can't get over the idea of, you know, being gold oriented, you know, compared.

That was what I thought was most different. I think, like, I noticed to me very few differences when it came down to, like, a lot of the root issues and how their culture changes and evolves is the same as ours.

And even, like, their predatory concepts towards each other and other tribes are very latent, but just as relevant and happening today in the US and in every culture.

And so to me, it was just like a simplified version of everything that we live through every day here.

More so than a different thing, different format.

That's an interesting take. So you understand what he's saying? What he's saying is he's. He saw conflict boiling down to its simplest format, right.

Kill or be killed. And what he's saying is he sees the same patterns of thinking where we have all of these groups that are constantly in conflict, right?

So we do, in modern society, hurt each other, but just maybe for maybe different reasons, Right.

Different goals, but the result is a similar pattern.

Anybody else see anything different? What do you think? I saw the provider and protector roles were like, a little, like, inverted.

Like the. You know, I think what I've experienced in, like, Western society is like.

Or Christian in any case, is like, the male is like provider and protector.

Like, the family unit is like, we'll say like the pack, right?

And then they leave to bring food back for the pack.

But it seems like they do it more in unison. Where is the females or, you know, women? They gather. So that was interesting to see. But to resonate, what this gentleman said was. Or Derek, is the brilliance and the basics. So how basic it is. But also the advantage of that, it looks like. Like watching that video, how longevity is there for them because they're so basic.

So they're doing more as a simple society with less.

And they look like they're thriving versus I thought of myself, I was like, watching this, and I was like, you know, I go to Costco, I spend several hundred dollars, and there's not.

I complain like, oh, it's crowded in there. But the end of the day, I'm getting all this food in bulk and putting it in a refrigeration system.

And then I just get to, like, make a bag of popcorn and just kind of chill, so to speak.

But so it was just those parallels of how their lives, they have less.

Less stress in that regard. It's the basics. Brilliance in that. And so that. That was interesting. Refreshing to see rather that that's still the. The good parts of living simple, right? Seeing that. Yes, sir. That's what I was saying, you know, entering. We all have to eat, right? And so to hunt, like we were talking about, is you know, a completely different form of that as opposed to entering this monetary system to earn those things.

Right. And the pattern of thinking, you're saying the, the role reversal, you think, hell, and how impact on how people specifically feel about the other gender.

Like in our culture, you know, men stay at home. There's, you know, this idea that they're lazy or, you know, that is sort of going away, you know, but it still seems to be omnipresent.

Do you think that form of thinking is present in their culture?

Most likely not. Right. It makes you wonder, what do they think? What would they think about our role? Reverse. Right. And so that it's very formative. Right. That basic change creates many cycles that are formative with your identity.

Yeah. I feel like, I don't want to say even our western society is individualistic, but everybody was family as far as within the video.

And everybody, the women were going to get food and the men were taking care of like all the children, like everybody.

There was a whole bunch of cousins and a whole bunch of like daughters and sons that were all together in one household.

And even the fact that men get married out, when they get married, they go to their, their wives family and then all the bachelors, like stay in one room and all the huts are built for like 10 or more like people to live in.

It's kind of different from us as far as, you know, man, woman, children sectioned off.

That's like our family. You can go talk to like your other cousins sometimes.

But this is like our main unit compared to them that it seems like.

I mean, even the pretty sure they're saying that, you know, they don't follow.

They don't follow their fathers, their uncles are the ones that they see to be like their father figures.

Truly a village raising children. Right. So now you're starting, you started to identify this change that you see.

There's almost two variations in human civilization that you see, see this individualistic nation, right.

So, for example, we are most likely mostly in individualistic society, right.

We're focused on individual goals. We're always worried about raising ourselves. And you know, what people think about us in other cultures, like for instance, like in India, they really think about the family unit.

And you really can't go outside what, you know, whoever is in charge of that family unit, you have to listen to them because their goal orientation is slightly different than ours.

You know, they are primarily thinking about their collective whole.

When I say their collective whole, it's mostly, you know, their family units as opposed to kind of Little group.

And a lot of times that group is infinitely small.

It's singular. What right. Start to Asma seem like they had like extended like families, like married couple and their children all.

And then like I said, the bachelors had their own little place.

Like people that weren't married yet. Just seemed like everybody knew their role. Everybody. Everybody. Great. What an interesting thought. So thinking about these two types of groups of people, two types of ways of living, what do you think this does with materialism?

I think after like being around a lot of people from more community cultures, like, they notice the amount of wasteful consumerism in like every way.

From like, oh, we need and we're all expected. Like, oh, you move out when you're 18 or at least 20.

But like to like my friends from South Africa, they're like, that's the stupidest thing they've ever heard.

And if you ever asked your kid to do that, you'd be stoned in that country because it's like against their entire social contract where here it's the expectation.

So it's like you need twice as many houses, twice as much rent, twice as much everything or however many for however many people.

What we see as a goal, what your 18 year old, 19 year old, God, I hope my kid lives on too, you know.

But it's fundamentally wrong in their thinking, right?

You're being wasteful. You're separating the family unit. Right. You're almost weakening your family in addition to creating this waste.

Right. One group's goal is another bird's plate. And so it's kind of interesting when you start thinking about it and you start swapping.

Imagine if he swapped herbs. Do you think any, any of you think you would thrive in this group?

Yeah, I think I would actually. If I could just get over, you know, some of the sleeping and bathroom arrangement stuff, I think I would be, I would be okay, actually.

I don't know, the older I get, I think the less I care about my stuff, you know, I'm more worried about experience and how I feel, how my family feels.

I think that would probably be definitive to me. What does it do to my family? You know, so when you think about all the differences between how they're living and we saw similarities, right, like we were pointing out, what do you think is the biggest difference in patterns of thinking and ultimately psychology?

Is it the removal of technology? Is it the inclusion of cannibalism as a, as a goal orientation?

Is it the change from being an individualistic to a collectivistic society?

Which one do you think makes the biggest difference in their thinking compared to ours?

The collectivism, I think, is what was highlighted watching that for me, because everything was for that.

The unison for that goal of reaching an end state together with that breaking bread and all.

But as a collective versus Western society, when I see it's like at the end of the day, it's reoccurring that.

It's like, what's in it for me? Right. How do I benefit from this? And if I get to a place where I'm comfortable enough as an individual, then I will then be in the generativity and then pick who I want to generate for versus.

But that society is like, no, we're generating for everybody at all times.

So that was something that I noticed. What a big difference. A lot of people would fall into this, like, idea. Like technology is the biggest difference, you know, and it does make a big difference, but it doesn't change full orientation as much as these arrangements in human society.

Right. Technology does have, you know, of course, its own filled lens, you know, that changes.

But you're. I think you're absolutely right. That's right. All right, you answered my question. Oh, sorry. So considering the impact that culture has on psychology, how do you think they would blend into American culture?

Could they become a part of American culture? Our culture is pretty convincing, right? A lot of people want to come here. Do you think that they would want to come here if they had a chance to get familiar with the opportunity?

Yes. I don't think they would because it just doesn't fit, like everybody's been saying to.

Into their ideals what they value. As far as what we have to offer for American culture, the more you're going to really get.

We wouldn't be too chill or smooth about them wanting to kill neighboring tribes, everyone, like they're obligated to do that.

And some things that they just value as far as collectivistic culture, we just don't really push that.

I feel like with most American culture, it won't be a perfect mesh like Glenwell as far as what their goals are as far as just survival all together as one kind of unit.

We bring food home for everybody. There isn't like a. There isn't any monetary. They don't have any, like, monetary goals that they're trying to reach.

It's not like I need to get this education so I can get a good job so I can live a good life.

It's like, you're born into our family, we love you, we're going to Bring food home for you.

Here's what. Maybe go out to play with all the other children. And then when you get older enough, you'll be able to do this type of kind of saying that they kill a cassowary and then you become people that can provide for your own family.

You get married. It's like the same thing. I feel like within our American culture we don't have any.

Our goal is different, we're different. It's most like they're kind of sarcastical alignment with their family.

We conflict with how we conduct our society. Right. I feel like this, this is so like simplified like how they're saying as far as we have so much.

I don't want to say America is really driven off of like monetary gains, but kind of as far as like money wise, we need money in order to get a whole bunch of things that we didn't want or feel like we need.

Need. They don't need that. Real capitalist. Yeah, for sure they don't. They don't need a do. They're going to go out and get their food and go out and do whatever they need.

You know, it'd be hard for them to wrap their mind around like why should I go do this job?

To go enter into this system Seems almost redundant, right?

Yeah. When I can just go and do my own thing. Right. Isn't it interesting how like their, their idea of like what is right and wrong, like the way that they live with their family and everything would probably conflict with how they feel about us.

They wouldn't want to interact with us in that way.

But yet they're the ones who are goal oriented for killing people.

And so it's interesting when you try to think about what, what is really right and wrong.

Yes. Or I think like again I think it's an interesting conversation of like our cultural, our cultures, underlying goal orientations do line up with theirs a lot.

But I think like if you actually laid out to them as a tribe, like here's the situation, I think you'd honestly probably get a mixed response.

And I think some people would say like, you know, from a lot of cultures, yeah, I could be better off.

Screw everyone else, I'll go there. And I think you would find people like that in that tribe because of that aspect of human nature.

Temptation to see what you're getting out of them.

Yeah. So I think like there would be people tempted by the fact that they themselves could do better than the community.

You can almost think that that sort of thinking is probably would be driven by what's happening in.

Within the tribe, the. In group dynamics. Right. Maybe somebody's getting bored it around and not k.

Right. That person might be more likely more willing to go up a sp.

I just don't think they want to be part of it because our country's divided.

They don't want to be part of American culture because we're a divided culture because we're divided.

They see too much. Think they would see too much conflict over here.

Yeah. They just. If they're. If they're all about family and they're all about sticking together even through conflict, they will see us and they will say we.

We will not be part of something like that. Interesting that. You know, that is a somewhat a. A common narrative that you'll see out there in social media in other countries where they.

That's kind of the idea like they pity us now. They wouldn't want to pity. Come here, you know, because we have so much conflict.

Right. But what's on the other side of conflict? Solution results, damage. The thing is, is I don't think they'll see results.

Sure. They'll see conflict. Yeah. And of course you always want to. What like conflict you want. Right. Yeah. So, yeah, I think, I think you would see mostly a rejection.

Right. Right. Because of that conflict and you know, family values and just what is ultimately matters.

Goal orientation, even with all the shiny screens and lights that we have, that may not be temptation enough.

Right. So before move on to that, you know, I was saying India's collectivistic culture.

What if they could go to that culture and go to India instead of ours, which is more similar to theirs, but they have technology and they, they have a.

They have their own diversity dynamics and issues.

They have almost like a caste system in some ways, if you're.

Well, we'll get into that actually a little bit later.

You think they would fit in a little bit more? I think they would. Right. Because their goal orientation really similar.

I think you would see an integration that would be unparalleled compared to anything that is individualistic.

Right. So just that goal orientation, the addition of the food culture, the technology, the.

The speech patterns, those things would be almost right because that underlying goal orientation.

So does it kind of make you really think about how important this is and how this can actually go in different directions?

And at the end of class we'll start seeing like, you know, ultimately, as Christians, we all have a similar role.

We all want to be saved. We want to see those around us and we want to be the best Christians.

We can be, right, but being Christian means so many different things, right?

Just in this country, how many of you have tasted on the nation, anybody not know that they were specific denomination until, like, they were like, down the road?

I got saved by Pentecostal church. So if you guys are familiar with how Pentecostal practice coming in from the outside.

So I would not. My. My father was Jewish, but my mother was Buddhist, so I was the first Christian in our family.

So when I started going to church, I went, like, really going to church all the time.

I was going to Pentecostal Church. And so that was my initial exposure. And so if you don't know, I'm a Pentecostal church that really believe in the Holy Spirit, people will stand up, they will yell, speak in tongues, people roll around on the ground and stuff.

You know, it's like, a lot different than, like, Methodist Church, right?

So it makes you think, so what was it like for you having both parents from a different religion and then you introducing a third?

Like, what was that like? You know, I think I was so lost at that point. It almost was irrelevant because I think it was almost like a whole life and just kind of wondering and not really knowing, you know, kind of being on the outside.

And then all of a sudden, you know, I felt relief, I felt connection.

I felt, you know, wanted. My life, like, almost immediately started changing, to be honest with you.

And, you know, initially my family was. My mother was pretty supportive. My father was. He's never really been supportive much of anything.

You know, he kind of just kind of blew it off. So, you know, for. For a brief time, everybody in my immediate family started exploring the Christian church because I think my life was going so well.

And my sister is a. Is a Christian, my brother is also a Christian, and they actually.

She found Jesus after me. My mother actually found God, you know, maybe a little bit before me, but never really pushed it.

When he found it, you know, he was in the service. And it's. It's interesting to have all of us as siblings. We're all Christians and our parents are not. So I'm always, like, trying to get my mom to watch church on TV with us and do those sort of things.

You know, my brother's always dragging her to church and stuff.

You know, unfortunately, I don't talk to my father too much and do not so wish that was different.

You know, those are things I'm gonna have to get. Get over, I guess, and work here as an adult, so I'm still doing that.

But, you know, and Being a Christian probably had a little bit to do with that, you know, putting a wedge between us, because I just didn't really believe in the way that he treated.

Yes. He just helped me not only see different, understand why it matters and why we should be different.

I pray every day for Jesus and God to make me the best Christian father and the best Christian husband that I can be, because I know how much of an effect that what I'm building has on the people around me.

So I wonder sometimes, what if my parents weren't Christian when I was growing up, would I have the same love and appreciation for God?

I don't know. Maybe not. Sometimes we take things for granted. Right. Easy to do that. And so my son is, you know, being raised in a completely different environment than I was, and so the results will tell with him, you know, and so I have a terrible relationship with my father.

And so hopefully, you know, in one generation of Jesus and Christ, we can fix that.

So I appreciate your question. It's. It's interesting to learn about people, people's journey to Jesus because it.

That is formative as well and how we think about things.

Right. So does anybody come from a family that is not primarily Christian?

What. What religion? Mostly very strong atheist. Okay. Kind of getting more common nowadays, right? Yeah. And then I was a Taoist for a little while before I was a Christian, but that was some side quest.

Side quest. Daoism has some interesting notions and concepts.

I actually like to think of Daoism and Buddhism not really as religions.

I know that might make some. They're philosophies. They all are. They are ways of things. Anybody see the movie man from Earth I need to watch on here?

I don't want to mess with people too much. It's. It's out there. I don't know. I'm trying to think how I can explain without ruining it, but I don't even want to do that.

So, you know, it. What people think about Buddhism and other, you know, religions is not always applicable in the same way that we think about Christianity.

I think it's good to incorporate some of those teachings and those philosophies into what we've learned, you know, as what we should be as Christians.

Right. So I just want to take a minute to really, you know, talk about this culture and, you know, just looking at how different we can be.

Right. How many variations of this, if I ask you guys to do it, assignment fund the.

The culture that you think is most different from ours, you guys would all come back with Something totally, totally different.

Right. And so anybody do extra research on TR and went home.

Everybody super busy first week. So we'll get into some of this vocabulary. Some of it's really basic. You guys will probably be aware of a lot of these concepts, but we just want to write them out so we know how to apply them and what to think about when we start talking about some of the more complicated ideas, like some construction.

So the complexity of how language is formed in perceiving should not be under.

Language has influence and power over attitude, relationships and systemic forces.

The impacts of language to cultural development, especially when concerning diversity rich situations, should be acknowledged as it can undermine all other efforts.

Communication creates a base for understanding.

And when there is an issue with under with understanding, solving issues can be very difficult, if not impossible, you know, especially if there's any complexity to an issue.

So existing in the same environment at the same time could be considered part of that complexity.

Dynamics of power between groups are heavily influenced and perpetuated by vocabulary.

So even basic humor with cross cultural understanding is something that is difficult to achieve.

The notion of incongruent elements is dependent on a specific cultural awareness.

So, for example, like, making a joke about a specific idea is often dependent on cultural vocabulary or understanding of certain concepts as a whole.

For example, making a joke about living off of fast food out every day and calling someone Mr.

And Ms. Of McDonald's may seem hilarious to us, but to someone who does not have McDonald's, like the ASMA people, or does not even know what fast food is, they may perceive the joke totally different for obvious reasons.

Right? These gaps in confidence, understanding, separation and practical thought, but specifically conceptual thought as well.

Unfortunately, this gap also provides opportunity for influence and power, which is often utilized.

So vernacular concepts attached to specific phrases can be very problematic in the study of multicultural psychology.

Meanings can be less obvious than desired, especially people due to complexities of current human interactions and previously created media, whether it's general literature or actual research within the field.

So the purpose of defining these groups, these people groups, is to create clarity and understanding where there would possibly be partial misunderstanding.

So these labels that are used and defined in the block are based specifically on the patterns in multicultural psychology literature.

This means there are. There are ways the terms are being used in academia that can be different.

So you just want to make sure that you're using them in the way that we think about it in our field.

So I think it's worth noting that the very first table in the book is a description of terms that you may be familiar with, with, but may not be immediately obvious, their definitions.

At least I think it really puts the importance of vocabulary in the perspective.

So imagine introducing this information at the end of the course.

How would it impact your overall understanding of the subject?

How would it impact the accuracy of your knowledge?

So this is only to be a glimpse of some of the concepts.

So the first two terms in Table 11 are majority of minority.

So majority definition refers to the socially dominant group in society.

Minority is defined as the ethnic, racial or ethnic cultural groups that are not part of the socially dominant group.

So even with this simple terminology, you can have a problematic effect, right?

Minority, majority. So just really important to make sure that you know, think about the definition carefully and identify what you're, what you're chasing after.

So it's really easy to misinterpret a simple concept.

So not only can some of the terms terminology be problematic, but it can create negative feelings due to our personal experiences in the reality that is set in our environment, especially here in America.

Our personal understanding of how these phrases impact us and how we perceive the ideas can be extremely important.

With that said, you should try to think about these ideas in the terms that are noted by the book so that we can extract proper understanding.

And so the next labels in that first table are next to which include white or Euro American and people of color.

So Euro American white is sometimes used interchangeably with white non Hispanic.

People of color refers to the diverse group of people who do not share single cultural, racial heritage, typically anybody who's just not like.

So the last three terms that are used to describe groups of people in that table include marginalized, socially dominant, and culturally diverse.

Marginalized is defined as people who experience interpersonal, social, economic or political distinction disparities that result in experiences being separated, treated differently, devalued and dominant.

Socially dominant refers to the people who hold the majority of power and privilege to define indirect, socially constructive context.

So social context sees these groups as the typical or baseline normal group.

So we just mentioned this on the previous slide, kind of like in a different way as the majority being socially dominant group.

So just keep in mind that the context can come up either way.

Culturally diverse refers to the group of people who have a primary cultural identity that is distinct, distinctively different from those in a socially dominant group.

So America is certainly a special place. So when you consider how diversity and culture is maintained, formed, disseminated and evolves, America is unique and forefront of a lot of these ideas of what is going to happen when people come together right so we are the great experiment.

There are many influences from every corner of our society that can influence how and what you do.

American culture, the music, the ideas, the realities, all play into everyday life.

When people come here from other countries, they typically begin their journey of enculturation.

In many instances, it is a point of pride to assume this assimilation of American culture.

And so I do want to point out, I said acculturation, not incultration.

So that, that should have been a Pluto. So we'll get into that. So enculturation is what you typically do, the first culture that you learn when you're a child or baby growing up, what you'll find is a lot of people are coming to America, they already have a culture.

And so, so when they come here, they are not going to be enculturated, they're going to be culturated with an A.

So we'll get into those distinct definitions later on.

But you'll see that, you know, people are really interested in our culture, right?

And it means a lot of different things. And so typically, enculturation is the process in which an individual learns the traditions and values of a culture and then assimilates those understandings.

Essentially, they're repeating what they see and what they understand.

Essentialism. So this is, this is more philosophy psychology. In some ways. It kind of looks at people and objects or concepts and it basically says that they have an underlying essence that defines their true nature.

This essence is something is believed to be inherent, unchanging and universal.

So for example, consider the concept of a tribe. So according to essentialism, a triangle's essence is that it is a three sided polygon with interior angles and sums up to 180 degrees.

The essence is what makes a triangle a triangle, regardless of the size, the color or material it's made from, or even concepts that people would like to apply to them.

Like this is sharp, this is big. So even, even if you draw a triangle on a paper, carve it out of wood, or visualize it in your mind, its essential properties remain the same.

Even if you were to change the name of the triangle, it would still be what it is.

Right? So in a social context, essentialism can be seen in the belief that certain traits or characteristics are inherent to specific groups.

So for example, the idea that all women are naturally nurtured and that all men are inherently aggressive, our example is of essentialist thinking.

So these beliefs can lead to stereotypes and limit the understanding of individual differences.

And so there's, you know, these different types of Essentialism.

So biological essentialism is the believe that certain traits or behaviors are inherent in biologically.

So an example of this is, like I was saying, the idea that women are naturally more nurturing or the men are more aggressive.

And so basically it's suggesting, this perspective suggests that these traits are hardwired, they're unchangeable, and they're not, you know, determined by factors like the environment or social interactions.

Racial essentialism is a belief that certain racial groups possess certain inherent characteristics that define them.

For example, the stereotype that all Asians are good at math or that all black people are naturally athletic are forms of racial essentials.

These beliefs ignore the individual differences within the racial groups.

So gender essentialism is the belief that men and women have inherently different characteristics and roles based on their gender.

And so like I was, you know, referring to before, the difference between men and women.

And so when you think about women typically being actually, you know, the carrier and men being better leaders, that's a form of gender essentialism.

That's a bit of a rate that one actually determines job opportunities.

A lot of women have been given the same opportunities to be leader, resourced by that specific concept.

And so this also can occur culturally. This happens when the belief that certain cultural groups have inherent characteristics that define them.

For example, the idea that all Italians are passionate and expressive, or that all Germans are disciplined and inefficient, those are forms of cultural essentials.

Of course, you know, this is all problematic of thinking, right?

This is essentially stereotyping people, right?

So you're oversimplifying complex human behaviors.

And you know, this is somewhat human, natural behavior, right?

We create, we talk about abnormal. We create schemas in our, in our mind to help make sense of the world.

Otherwise imitate us a very long time to process all the information, right?

But it's being aware of what those standards are and the impacts that will allow you to make proper assessments going into this threshold of stereotype.

So identity is the stable defining characteristics of a person that makes a person an individual.

So this can include personality traits, preferences, thought patterns, strengths and weaknesses.

So our identity pertains to us as individuals and who we are in cultural psychology.

Identity, ethnicity, personality visions social clinical in our class, psychology explores how cultural influen cultural influences impact identity formation and disability specifically.

So understanding perception and behavior plays a large role in what we become.

So thinking about how cultural influence improves and thinking about your specific place in society can indicate some of the underlying identity variables that have, that may have been influenced by your culture by the end of the class, I think you'll have a little bit better of an understanding of the different cultures that you're part of and how they are influencing your thinking.

A lot of you may think you already know, but I think you might be surprised.

As you start digging into the layers, you start feeling that we have primary drivers.

Right. But sometimes it's the little nuances that make us change.

Micro and macrosystems are part of ecological systems theory.

So this explains how different environmental systems enclose human development.

You don't have to really know about that theory, more or less know about these two systems and what they are referring to.

So microsystems are the immediate environment in which an individual interacts.

They include your family, your friends, school, workplace and other direct social settings.

So microsystems have a direct impact on individual development and behavior.

For example, employment in the environment can foster positive self esteem and emotional well being.

Macro systems are the broader cultural, social, economic context that influence individual's development.

So macro system systems encompass societal norms, values, laws and cultural practices.

They shape the larger environment in which the microsystems operate within.

So for instance, cultural attitudes towards education can influence the importance placed on academic achievement within a family.

So microsystems are the immediate direct environment that affect an individual, while macro systems are the larger overarching cultural and societal differences.

Both of these obviously play a large role in, you know, who you become as an individual.

You'll find that the macro systems includes the microsystem characteristics and dynamics.

That includes often impacts the individuals more than the presence of the macro systems, if that makes sense.

Because we're really more connected to those macro systems.

Right. We really listen to what our families are saying.

What schools. Right. Is telling our families, but more through them. Right. Not so much just five minutes. And you see that order that I change changes. Right. So if you guys want to take a break for 10 minutes, it's, it's it.

It's it. It. I'm trying to remember. So her being here helped you a little bit? Yes, it was definitely like she was super kind in finding like resources like that.

I wouldn't have probably known where to find or even maybe known the right questions to ask.

So it was helpful to have somebody to talk to. Yeah. Because that's actually their critical information.

Like we should be getting taught that. But yeah, I've been complaining about that. Yeah. 21. Oh, okay. I was wondering what she was telling me. Yes. Yeah, you can, you can transfer your connection.

So I guess because one of the things I was asking her, I think I have to like starting the same.

Like if I were to start it here, I have to finish it here as well before I would be able to like transfer it.

So now I just have to figure out, okay, when do I start?

You know what I mean? Because if I start, do I have to stay here, try and finish?

So it's like a two year program that's just like a personal life question, I guess.

But she was able to like help me answer some of the like logistical like things like that, which was super helpful because I didn't know and I don't.

It's hard to find out too. I feel like it's like you don't know. You don't know, so you don't know where to look or what to ask.

So it was like super nice of her to like show me all that stuff.

Yeah, I started bringing her. There was a similar thing happened in the first semester.

She just came to like keeping company. Yeah. And like, like a couple of them were gonna be teachers and they started talking to her and like she helped us.

Has like. No, he did the same thing to me too when I was in school.

So every school is pretty much the same. So you have to do it on your own. Not really sure why. I know you can kind of if you find like somebody the right person, like if you call a county, you know, to get hired in.

But that's hard to find. Most of the time those people are busy, they don't want to be bothered, you know.

So if you're staying in the area, she could really help you.

But you definitely can transfer. I know that that's definitely what way to go. And it's better to transfer from here to other states.

From what I understand, it's more hard to the other way.

Yeah. And so I know a while back I had looked into something called the TEACH program for a very long time ago.

Okay. I think I've heard of that. I mean not too much but like I've heard someone mention that it's part of the stuff situation.

Okay. I think what if you can use your. Use that money like your FAFSA money to pay for this program.

So the TEACH program, basically they award you. Is it. I'm trying to remember. It's a specific state. And so basically you remote. Okay. Do the program. And so they assign a local school to you. You do their academic work, but you're hands on in your local area.

I see. And yeah. And then you get your state certification through them.

And they. My. That's really important. Yeah. I mean I was really close to doing that at one point when I was finishing my undergrad.

I assume it's still there. Yeah. Probably the cheapest way to do it as an investing it.

She got a. That's what she was showing me, like a little bit of.

I think originally I was getting confused on the first day I was telling you guys, we're gonna have a quiz on week three that was incorrect.

Week four. So I was getting anybody. You guys will always know you. Anybody who's had my class before. We always do it. Theory, like anyone really believed, you know, Freud's theories.

Psychoanalytic theory, for example. There's always a lot of Freud loggers and haters.

Psychology school. Anybody totally hate Freud? No, Nobody wants to say that, right? Anybody really like his idea? Same effect. Nobody wants to venture down that road. It's a tough one. Yeah. Like, I think there is merit in where he started in his ideas and the questions he cared to ask and pursue.

I don't agree with his conclusions, but I think, like, he started a worthwhile conversation that's worth revisiting.

Yeah. And, you know, I think you'll find that to be a really common idea that you see applied to this theory that.

Yes, I agree with, you know, the separation of the id, the rest of the mind.

You know, you start looking at how people are developing.

You look at the psycho. The sexual psycho stages, right? And you start thinking, well, this could make sense, right.

But by the time you get to the end, he does lose a lot of people, Right?

But the overall concept out of what is happening, this, you know, what happens at these stages and the goals that are being assessed, you know, what the outcome is, may be, you know, like you said, correct or flood.

But there seems to be something there, right? Most. Most people can say there. There does seem to be value in his developmental theories, you know, while they're not 100% applicable or.

Or. Right. A lot of people hate to think of us as sexual views, you know, but there's value and there's merit to what he's saying.

And so what I think you'll find is that most of you guys are going to be postmodernist in some way or another.

And so you're going to take things like Maslow's pyramid and synthesize it.

Everybody remember Maslow's pyramid, The hierarchy of needs, right?

Start synthesizing that with other psychological theories of really understanding people.

And so the idea of postmodernism is really about taking apart these ideas that are present in common theory or present theory and then rearranging them and applying them in a way that makes sense while still applying.

But why still, you know, attributing the ideas to the theory, but maybe not bringing all of the concepts along.

And so I think, because we'll talk about another way this happens where you don't deconstruct the ideas.

So this is really a philosophical orientation, if you will.

It encourages both a distrust of random theories and current ideologies.

It's still acknowledges some of the accomplishments and awareness that has been provided within the field.

So it, it's really encouraging the deconstruction of what is already assumed by examining the values, beliefs and other variables within the existing models.

So by discounting or deconstructing current theories and application of current theories, it gives you a chance to somewhat redefine, realign variables that have already been specifically chosen elsewhere.

And so you could say that postmodernism is a consideration of cultural sensitivity in our field, thinking that nuance is important and conditions of norms should be rethought.

The idea is that there is something essential to be discovered in each specific case using the presumptions.

And so this is really about, you know, taking ideas that really make sense, you know, in some cases, entire parts of a theory that makes sense and just removing things that may not be.

Maybe you don't necessarily just agree with it, but it's not.

And so the idea is to get a clear image or a clear understanding of what's happening.

And so people are complicated sometimes it's going to take different angles to really understand concepts as a whole.

That's why you'll see multicultural psychology dovetail, dovetails into other psychological practices like family therapy.

Right. How much of a difference could this awareness make in family therapy?

Right. Especially when we start looking at families that are multi culture.

Right. So let's get a lot of pushback on this theory. It's interesting. So social construction theory focuses on a belief that reality is not defined definitively subjective, but it's instead an amalgamation of language, experience, concepts, practices and beliefs.

It focuses on how perception is defined, how perception is defined by society's constructs opposed to just being inherited.

So even ideas like gender or race are considered to be a construct formed by society.

So the ideas of acculturation are directly related to the processes of socialization which are part of the formation of social construction theory.

So perception behavior creates a fundamental nature of reality.

So when observing these variables in culture, those perceptions and behaviors become a part of a person and their identity.

So really, this Theory is the idea that our understanding of reality is shaped by the social processes and the interactions that we engage in.

So according to this theory, many aspects of our world, including knowledge, identity, identity and social norms, are not natural, they're not inherent.

But they're all constructed through these social interactions in these cultural practices.

So what does that mean? Or nature versus Nurture? Right. So this is really like honing in on the environmental impacts and saying that these are the things that are formative to your personality.

So social constructs are concepts or practices that are created and maintained by society.

Examples include things like gender role, even race and social class.

These constructs are not based on inherent biological differences, but are shaped by cultural and societal norms.

Language plays a crucial role in social construction.

The way we talk about label things influences how we perceive and understand.

For example, the terms we use to describe gender or race and shape our perceptions and attitudes towards these concepts, which we will get really into later on in this semester.

Before talking about critical race theory, social construction theory also examines how power dynamics influence the creation and maintenance of social constructions.

So basically, those in positions of power often have the ability to shape societal norms and values, which can reinforce the meaning and significance of social contracts.

Can vary across different cultures for periods, time, what is considered normal or something that world society may be very different.

And even in the same society, society be different because of that change of time.

So an example you could consider the concept of gender.

Social construction theory suggests that gender roles and expectations are not biologically determined, but are created and reinforced through social interactions and cultural norms.

So for instance, the idea that women should be nurturing, men should be served is actually a social construct that has been shaped by historical and cultural factors over time.

And Latvia may vary across different sides. So social construction theory really is looking at the role of social processes and interactions and how they shape our understanding of our reality.

It emphasizes that many aspects of our world are not fixed or natural, but they're actually created by us and their main time, by typically the powers that are in control to maintain the status quo.

So what does this mean? Is race real? Does that mean. I know it's really heavy topic and heavily debating, but I believe race is this something that the human created?

I don't believe that there is. If you think about it like there was nationalities and there are people from different lands.

He is from blank land. Even in like the Bible, he's from this place. There was no he is black, he is white, he is of this.

I think it's something that sadly and maybe it was before, but I do believe that it was created just as a way to impose superiority to and inferiority to other subsets of lay people, like freedom.

Talking about, let's just say, exploration area, the neighborhood Columbus is going to explore, and going over to America and stuff like that.

I feel like at the same place, maxim makes me superior than others, or else there would be no body of power.

You want to create a certain power in them. And power, I guess, like superiority type of thing compared to other people.

And the way you do that is through playing race, or else they wouldn't have.

And it's a really easy thing to like, outwardly almost identify.

Right? Yeah. I think a lot of people would be surprised. One of the earliest forms of racism actually was formed within a spec.

Within a specific culture. You'll find that if you go back historically to Spanish in Spain and Portugal, they often created this system where the people that were empowered, that had money, that had more rights, that were more desirable, they were lighter skin.

And as you got darker, your value in society was decreased.

This was. This was made to be much more TR when the New World was introduced.

And so they even added another layer onto this. Whenever the New World was introduced, if you lived in Spain, you were often told and taught that the people, the Spanish World that were being raised and bred, like in Mexico and in the Americas, in the New World, they were smaller, they were less intelligent.

They were actually had like, all of these lesser attributes.

So not only was there this, like, system, you know, race and color, their color of your skin is the value, but then they started applying it to locations, right, to create power, because that was a big part of the Spanish struggle, you know, to maintain power over the colonies.

And that was one of the dynamics that was actually used.

And so a lot of people struggle with this, you know, and so there is actually race is a social construct.

You may say, well, there's genetics. There's no genetics that allow race in the way that you put it.

So, yes, as you were speaking, I thought of a race as a.

Could be a label. And so specifically, if something has a title to it, and I'm from a different part of the globe, and I want a resource or something that that particular race has.

If I put a label on it, it's easier for me to dehumanize that and make them less than and take what resource they have.

So I look at it as a label and as a dehumanizing effort.

The geographic region doesn't matter, but it's easier to.

To to hurt something or take from. If I label it, it's like a. It's a power dynamic, right. Achieved through language. Yes, that's being the language just using to identify something basic that is almost non suffering.

Right. And so it's, it's a way to control people. And so that it's, it's a shame how this is used to control people more than it is to free people.

And I think just like you said, when you see a group of people that has something that another group wants, you know, you start trying to find a reason why they should, you should have it if they should.

Not every group is like this. Right. But that does seem to be a lot of how humans behave.

I was, you know, I like to say that a person smart, wise woman.

But people seem to be selfish and I don't know, unforgiving, if that makes sense.

A person by himself seems to be smart and not recommended, willing to do the right thing.

But people as a whole seem to have a different personality as group.

Right. Do you see that the group mentality? What are you gonna say? No. All right. I guess like that's where for me, I guess I'm forgetting exactly like what sources I read when I was younger on the history of it.

But we're like race to me was always framed more as an expansion of like humanity's tribal nature and racism and the corruption and all the things that have split, spread out of that have more been due to group thought than the construct of race itself.

And that it's more of like it's not just us imposing, they're all them.

It's also saying I'm part of this group and that that's a moral neutral.

Where then within the group thought you become immoral in group.

Awkward behavior in forming in group and out group dynamics is really important for our identity and our self awareness.

Right. It also kind of dictates whether you feel safe, whether you feel included.

Right. Whether you feel empowered. And so, you know, separating ourselves from other groups, you know, gives us that opportunity too.

And so when you include the other groups and by labeling with it, labeling them like you said, you're creating that power dynamic.

Right. And so who's creating these power dynamics in our society right now?

That's rhetorical because I think we all kind of have a feeling about what that, what that is.

Right. And what that means. So talking about like sp, you create race. Why would you want to put yourself at the bottom of like power?

And there are people that say a race like real. Okay, if you believe that it's kind of crazy to think that somebody would willingly put themselves when they have a.

Like any human back then that's trying to get in a position of power, wouldn't just leave the opportunity off the table if somebody said, oh, you can have all this power to control people and you.

All you can do is, like, create subsets of, like, races and put yourself at the top.

Nobody's willing to put themselves. I don't say nobody does. I don't know. But nobody's willing for themselves at like, the bottom.

In order for everybody to be equal, you have the opportunity to.

And it's evil. It's evil inherently at heart in nature. But I don't think they would miss on the opportunity to be humble enough to say, oh no, we're all equal.

And they have more technology than everybody. They're like, oh, no, you guys, because of your skin, you're not as knowledgeable, you're not as.

You're inferior to us. Even if the. Even if that wasn't the case, right. You still want that, that control, that power. Right? Say whatever you can. You know who's really good at doing this? They didn't do it so much as a race, but they did as a society in Rome, they went around the world and they basically kicked in everybody's door and told them, be Roman or be a slave, basically, you know, and why them were even given that opportunity, A lot of times it depended on how you work, but that was basically what they did.

They went around the world. When they would enter an area, you know, everybody was beneath them, right?

And so I think that's part of the reason why you start seeing people call us, you know, we're kind of like an empire, because we do have some of that.

That notion when we go around, unfortunately, we do something which is called ethnocentrism.

Anybody read ahead, know what that is? We'll talk about it. We might talk about actually today, but maybe next week.

And so it's really about when you look at the world and the value of other people, people and yourself through your specific lens of understanding, your world is the center of the world.

In the center of what is right and wrong is basically the right.

And so us as Americans, we're really competing. We do this. Quite so. Anybody watch Anthony Bourdain or know that? And so you ever notice, like, how humble he is when he goes abroad because he's traveled a lot.

He knows that how Americans have acted, you know, abroad.

And so he's very careful we may watch a little bit of his class because it's a really fun way to explore culture.

He goes all around the world and he goes to the countries to eat and only to enjoy too.

Sounds like, well, how much could you learn about people?

You would not believe how much you learned about people.

It's incredible. And what's really interesting is that even within a specific country, you have all of these different cultures that are connected to these food, one thing, food.

And within that, you can see this different pattern of thinking emerging.

And so you'll see him. He'll go and he'll go to India, tell each street food, and he'll go to the finest restaurants.

He'll go down to the south where people are eating on the beach.

And then, you know, and then he'll go to a village and he'll have somebody's grandmother eat them.

Food. What a great way to really understand the culture.

Right? Because all of those things are the culture. They all have different ways of thinking. That's sort of what we were talking about last week, you know, with the salable and the melting pot situation.

So. So we learned a lot about kind of how different our identities can be.

And we always kind of, you know, enjoy the fact that we are melting pot in this country.

But there is a lot more value, I think, to be the salad, like I was explaining before, to be able to appreciate each other's nature without changing each other's nature.

Anybody have, like, parents or grandparents that's really tied to their home country to make that you're modernizing or really like an American?

Anybody? I mean, my. My grandmother, before she passed, you know, she was just.

She could not take it, you know, why aren't you eating our food?

Where's this? Where's the sweet rice? Where. Why aren't you doing this and doing that? You know, just. Things have changed. Right? So also, my grandmother's Egyptian, but I felt like during the time she came to the U.S.

i feel like it's also like, mentality. So in, like, she's the exact opposite. Or as far as when she came in and they immigrated, it was like an assimilation type of thing where you shouldn't leave your country at all because you have to form to what US Is telling you to do.

So she doesn't. Or now it's fine because, you know, the US has kind of gotten more accepted.

Like, I goodness, you heard this dramatically. We don't speak Arabic in the house. We don't do, like, nothing like that. I want you to guys to go to school only speak English.

We'll do this because we have to culture so the exact opposite.

And that's how my mother was. My mother was so proud to be in this country. My mother loved this country more people that are born pharma school and she we're speaking English in the house and we're going to do things you mentioned American way.

They have a good life. Even now she'll tell you we love Thailand, right?

But she loved you know, she really her whole alignment with this country, you know and she.

She was able to appreciate America but still maintain a lot of her own cultural distinctiveness.

I don't know, my mother's a little bit unique in that sense.

So she's really like her stubborn and hard headed.

My brother, he really like he turned into a. You know I think some of it is about what we desire.

You know some of us desire to just be accepted and be part of the whole.

You know, some of us desire we have something else, you know, difficult orientation.

And so I think there's probably value in both of these things but I think there's certainly more value in the salad.

You can always grind this down, right? But you can never take that apart, right? And you can never go back. So losing that knowledge and losing that. That unique heritage, there is something lost in that.

So I don't think I get too much this just because of what we talked about it last week.

Identity and culture are two interrelated concepts that shape how people communicate and interact with each other.

Identity and culture are formed and influenced by various factors.

They are important for understanding communication in diverse contexts.

Identity is the definition of oneself or how one perceives and expresses oneself.

Identity is not fixed, it's not static. It's always changing. It's dynamic, right? Just like culture and all these slides will be up on the Week 2 module.

Identity is infinite, influenced by personal, social and cultural factors as well as by situational and protection factors.

So personal identity refers to the aspects of self that are primarily interpersonal or intrapersonal, I should say, and connect to one's life experiences.

This is like your personality interests, your skills, your values.

Social identity is referring to the aspects of self that are divided from from one's membership in various groups like your family, your race, gender, religion.

Usually these are going to be your micro systems, but you can have the macro systems play a role in your identity.

For example, one that's really common in our country is nationality.

Profession is another one. Cultural identity refers to the aspects of self that are shown shaped by beliefs, norms, Values and behaviors of a particular culture or can be a subculture.

Culture is the ongoing negotiation of learned and patterned beliefs, attitudes, values and behaviors that are characteristic of a specific group.

Culture is not bottlenecked, but rather diverse, consisting of multiple subcultures and co cultures that may have different or even conflicting views and practices.

Like mostly in Christianity. This means that culture is changing and has multiple variables.

So identity and culture are mutually part. This means that they influence each other. Identity is both a product and a producer of culture as people internalize and externalize cultural norms and values through their identity expression, communication.

Culture is both a product and a producer of identity as people create and maintain cultural patterns and meaning similar of their identity, performance and negotiation.

These are also dynamic and adaptive meaning. They change and evolve over time and also across context.

Things change and that's what you'll see with Christianity.

Context of location and context of historical context.

Especially identity and culture are influenced by various factors.

Setting, history, it can be politics, economics, media is a big one now, technology, education and of course organization.

These factors can create opportunities and challenges for identity and cultural development, maintenance and transformation.

So these are important for understanding communication in diverse contexts.

They affect how people perceive, interpretation, interpret and respond to messages and situations.

Communications is both a means and an outcome of identity and culture construction as people use verbal and non verbal symbols and codes to convey and receive meanings and impressions.

Communication is also influenced by various dimensions of identity.

Culture of course, like I was talking about power, privilege, depression, resistance, adaptation.

So all of these dimensions can create barriers. They can create bridges for communication across differences and similarities.

It depends on us, right? Communication can also be used to challenge and change identity and culture as people engage in critical creative dialogues and actions that promote social justice and cultural diversity.

So we already went over social construction theory and so I think I combine my two week skill.

That's why we gotta slides. And so I think, you know, I just want to make sure you remember that this is really saying that our understanding of reality is shaped by the social process and interaction, right?

Nothing is static. Everything is changing. Of course we have those minutes like I was talking about language, communication, power and authority and of course context.

So social construction theories that apply to various topics and issues in multicultural psychology such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, human disability and enforcement health.

For example, social constructionists suggest that race is not a biological fact, but actually a social construct that has been used to justify and maintain power and privilege for some group over others.

Similarly, social construct social construction contend that gender is not natural or innate characteristic, but is actually performing Social identity that is influenced by the culture and actually the cultural expectations.

Social constructionists also question the universal validity and applicability of psychological consciousness concepts and practices such as intelligence, personality, even diagnosis and therapy.

So what's the difference between race and ethnicity?

Is there a difference? Most of you are saying yes. Anybody want to. I said I was talking to like my pastor about this like a couple months ago, we were talking about the difference in race, ethnicity, nationality.

But I feel like I can't really explain it. These just examples for me. But kind of how. It's tough, right? Yeah, it's tough. I don't want to help. Isn't ethnicity more like your culture? Because then I think about also nationality too, because you can be like born.

Okay, so like let's say I'm black, but I was born in Africa.

Let's say I'm born in Nigeria, but I'm American. American nationality. My race is like black, but my ethnicity is Nigerian.

What's a. Not a bad way of explaining it? And you said that it's kind of like your culture. Ethnicity is your culture, I think. I don't know. I searched this up. That's why like not that long ago. And then that's what the web was telling me or something.

You know, it's. It's crazy because there is not a ton of research done in this field specifically about multicultural psychology.

You will find these like half answers out there. Because there is not a ton of research. You want to break into a field research where a paper that matters in this field, because there's not a ton, there's only a couple test for that.

Or you could say I just think ethnicity is your family background, ethnicity is your family background.

Because my ethnicity doesn't explain who I am as a person, but it explains my background in my family.

So you're close. Because typically your family shares the same cultural things and being.

Right. So your emphasis really like the stuff that's not physical, like your culture, your language, your patterns of thinking.

And then while your race is purely physical, if the race was real at all.

So we'll talk about Italians, what it means to be Italian.

Is there an Italian genetic lineage or is it Italian internationality?

Is it an ethnicity? It's interesting, right? You start really thinking about it, especially you start thinking about the history of the Italian people.

So we're going to talk about that probably next week.

But it's to get complicated and messy and some people don't like it, you know, because there's a lot of gray area in this subject.

For sure. And so you're, you're, you're both, you're both all white, you know, and so that, that's part of the, the issue with discussing a lot of these concepts as you start getting deeper is this overlapping gray area.

So like I was saying, racist skin color, hair texture, facial features, white, black, ethnicity is your cultural factors, customs, living.

Sounds like Spanish Jewish. Aaron so according to those who believe in this theory as a primary driver organization, they would typically say that race is not right at the TO that's used to create people together and ultimately control them.

So I think, you know, the idea if race was real or not, you know, there's arguments that it's both.

I think there's a lot of value in reasoning in both concepts.

It's really not thinking about the outcome. I think like somebody was legion before, you know.

The short answer is that race is a social construct, but there are attributes that are not social contracts that are often tied to race.

So we certainly can align the reality that there's no physical DNA link in race alignment.

There's actually a lack of biological evidence to indicate that there is racial alignment, but it's human perception that's really creating these groups.

But what's not a construct that is tied to the concepts of race and can confuse people is genetic ancestry or geographic origins.

So in genetic ancestry, actual DNA types applies to specific groups.

It can be viewed as race in some occasions, but it's a more localized alignment and typically does not include everyone within what would be that race subculture.

That's part of the reason why it's not applicable.

They do see some alignments, but they're not definitive as also a geographical origin can align rate.

But this is just like the DNA issue. You find people who fall outside of these parameters who would typically be included.

It's important to understand racial alignments.

They're constructs that are human created and they just would not exist if we not apply our own lens to these things to give them actual meaning.

You know, using the Italian as the example. So is being Italian a social construct? Is there a way? It may not be a social construct. So a construct would be the language, the food, the cultural affiliations we may associate with being Italian.

These are tied to cultural practices, historical influences.

What's not a construct is location. DNA traits of appearance and demeanor. Those are not constructs. Those are, are real. But like I said, those two things are not definitive.

There's people that fall outside those lines. That's why they don't actually. But they're relatable. You know, they, they do mention people in groups and it does describe those groups somewhat, although it's leaving certain people out.

So I do want to point out that while these constructs are considered not real, you know, quote unquote, you should consider the reality that we as humans, we live and die by these constructs, right?

We fight wars over them, we hurt each other, we exclude people.

So while these ideas are created by human perception and construction, they create a very fundamental framework in which we live that has very real implications and consequences.

You hear people who commit suicide all the time. Money related. Or people who do terrible things to themselves or others or trade off everything for something as simple as money.

Is money real? Oh, this is problem, this money room, the actual like physical dollar or physical wherever money is real.

But like the monitor or we're able to get cousin money.

The things that we have in place, the power that we've given money, right.

It's relatable to the Italian concept, right. So there can be a physical reality to it, like a location.

But the values is defined by us. We're the ones who define what the money really means.

What is money? So far we've been learning kind of what humans are worrying about.

What do you think money is? What is money being used? I think we all have a pretty good idea. I see money as a form of control. I don't see much more than. Yeah, you know, it's hard not to go into exosiology, especially with the fire and all that.

Like I, I, I hate to even ask, you know about the insurance situation.

So if you guys know about insurance, they are doing that terrible.

They're doing it, they were doing it to us out in the high desert a number of years ago.

They kicked us off the insurance and we had to go find other insurance.

And if you think about why insurance exists, right.

This is the flaw with some of, you know, our western thinking.

If I was president for a day, I could change our society.

Here we are. There are certain things that we as humans we need, we want, you know, we desire.

We all should really have house, place to live, food.

Why should there be children out there? Why am I bringing all these things up? Because these are all disproportionately expensive.

These things all determine your reality, right?

So for example, the insurance industry think about present per day.

It would be nonprofit indefinitely. Just like the medical inside industry. People say, well then who's what they do. A lot of people. And so the reason why the way you do this is you make it nonprofit, just like the medical industry.

Medical industry should be used to heal people, create jobs and maintain a service for everybody.

Right. I don't think anybody needs to make $500,000 off of our surgeries.

Does that make sense? And so these ideas and capitalism are integrated in our society, our life.

And they're not even like real ideas, they're constructs.

So the insurance, for example, if anybody knows how that's going to play out and what that's going to determine, everybody, they're not going to pay, they don't want to pay.

They've been trying to find a way out today and they don't have to pay because they're a for profit.

Does that make any sense? We need a service to. People need insurance, Right? And so that the loan companies can give you the house loan and still be protected to insure.

So if you ever buy a house, you can't buy a house unless you have health insurance.

Right. And so they should be used to provide the service.

We don't need five billionaires making a bunch of money for insurance.

That's not the purpose of insurance. Right. The purpose of insurance should be to provide a service, protect us, and then provide jobs.

Right. And so this is how goal orientation can is like changing the formation of our society.

It changes the formation of cultural roles. And so what a shame to really think about things like that, right?

Way things could be. And so back to my crazy statement, you know, if I was in charge for a day, which probably wouldn't be a good idea, you know, if I was, I would make a few things not and they would only be allowed to provide the service and to provide jobs.

And you may say, well, what's going to drive innovation?

That's what the capitalists always say. If you take capitalism out of them, they're discounting you human desire to want things to be better.

I think you'll find that a lot of doctors will pursue research, a lot of medical companies will still exist because they're still.

So did it happen in the past? Huh? Well, before capitalism, what do you have? You really have the feudal system, right? It's not capitalism, but it's almost a form of capitalism where you're paying with crops.

So what is the future? You know, I heard the phrase that we're building a future right now, that dopamine was called.

I think that's a relevant statement, right? Because we, there's too many roles, we're separated, you know, so it's a shame.

These social constructs are determining our realities as Humans as people in general.

And we have to live in these systems that are not evil.

You know, the whole money thing is. It's rough, rough one to deal with, you know. That's why I think the gentleman, Derek, he said I could be comfortable, you know, living with the aspect of people.

And I kind of felt the same way. And part of it is to be removed from that social construct.

I'm curious though. Yes, it's difficult, like a simple living. And a quick example is like I went camping once for like three weeks, but there was a constant in there.

And it was that, like I missed amenities. And I was like, oh, I really want Starbucks. So I drove 30 minutes from my campsite for Starbucks.

So although I was simple and happy, I still needed to drive 30 minutes to go get that, you know, that Frappuccino.

And it's because. So. But I was happy when I was at the campsite, but something inside, he was like, go get that Starbucks.

And it wouldn't go away until I did that. So it's really like conflicted conditioning, right?

So I'm very much. So I like the idea of something, right? Like I want to be in the wilderness, but then I'm like, oh, but I want to still have amenities.

And for those amenities I need money. So I just, I'm very much so married to the system in that regard.

I mean, because we're always looking at the end of the chain, right?

What's the goal or what? What do we get out of it, right? It's like we a lot of times don't consider what it takes for us to get to that pent goal.

That's part of the problem with a lot of these social constructions is that they're goal oriented.

They don't really care on the head there who gets in the way.

There's always somebody in the way because we as humans rarely.

So I think did the Italian example help with understanding the social control.

Guys, want to take a break for few minutes because we still got like 10 minutes lectures only activity.

I'll try to let you down. You guys want to take a break? Come back here at 4:00. Everybody sign the sheet. Would we love to do a class activity at home or is it like where we need partners to do it?

Typically we'll do them in class here, but you can finish them at home, especially if you want to like really think about it and work on it.

So the idea is really that we'll typically get started in here, but if you notice, till the Sunday, if not Push back even farther.

Some cases. Okay. But the idea is to, you know, just start it that way when you look at it this weekend and just.

Okay. Make sense. Yeah. I try and get everyone out of here. You know last week we got out a little bit early. Yeah, it's fine. I lived in some bad traffic place. I lived in DC Lived in. This is drop though one. Are you doing good? Yeah, doing good. It. I mean it helps me. I've started three games. Yeah. I actually worked right there at Port Street Mall right next to U of H.

Okay. On five in the morning like going right there to yt.

It is actually over there and split. He's not a competitive person. He's a. That was the one thing that kept me in sports. I think you know it's pretty small one that was my dad.

You don't. You don't want especially like you know when at the highest level is it does take those kind of sacrifices and that kind of obsession and that kind of emotional attachment.

So don't hate him. You should love him for it. But maybe not respect his team that go back to construction and stationary work.

And I can be happy with that. Yeah. And even at that point like being here is good for that regardless of the degree.

If you guys haven't seen the APU basketball team, go cheer them on at the game.

Guys have a chance. Thank you. Take care. Take care. So you know, I was looking at what's going to cover our multicultural assumptions.

I think maybe I'm just going to go ahead and jump into the video that way.

I don't want you to get too lost in this next batch material.

I want you to kind of look at this Christianity with what we were talking about before we get into all this.

I would have liked to do this but I don't want to squeeze it.

Right. It is a great question. Anything we watch in class, I always repost it in either a class activity or it'll be labeled somewhere else.

Yes, these were week two slides are not closed yet.

So after we go to the material. So by Friday or Saturday you see all the slides up.

I used to put the slides in before but it could creates bad habits for students because then guys want to take notes and they're like oh, maybe classes I got this time.

So I didn't want to encourage anybody. So I'm trying to find the right balance if that makes sense.

But you know, if you ever miss a day and you know you're like oh, I don't know what to do, you can go in those slides and you'll have a really pretty good idea of what we come.

And I actually have been starting to make audio recordings of the lecture.

So that should be a help if you guys miss or you miss something in class.

So she said this is posted in the canvas module. It's listed as a class activity. So if, remember the cultural mosaic I was mentioning before?

You know how these little tiles and we're all creating our own picture of who our, our personal identity is, right?

We all, we all use tiles. We all have similar, similar color tiles, right?

But there's different tints. So for example, let's just say Christianity is red, right?

There's different colors of red to include in your mosaic.

So if we have a cultural mosaic where we're all going to create our own unique personality and all of our pictures will be different, but they will also have similarities and relationships between them.

So this includes the pieces of glass or tile used within your mosaic.

So like I said, you consider the color red for Christianity, for example, so you can start thinking how many patterns can be made with red tiles.

How many different color variations are there red tiles that could be combined to create different feelings, those colors or those images.

So this assignment takes a brief look at what the red tiles in our mosaic could range from.

So we have many different cultures in this world.

Like we learned, you know, how diverse human society can be last week, right.

And so what you'll see this week is that even within those cultures, like Christianity, you have subcultures which can have distinct patterns of thinking and distinct patterns of behavior.

And so you start thinking, thinking about why is that the case?

And then you start looking at how do those groups within the cultures look at each other?

So I mentioned, you know, the different forms of Christianity.

Do we look at each other differently? How do Catholics view forms of Christianity? How do those, those forms view Catholicism? Very strange, right? Anybody here Catholic? My brother's Catholic as well. I respond to the structure like it's because it's like I was like, oh, this is an open book test.

It feels like the military. So that's one of the reasons why I gravitated towards that.

Right. We often, you know, appreciate and enjoy things that make sense to us, right?

And so that, that can really, really pull us in. And so like I was saying, I was saved by a Pentecostal church.

They would shout and speak in tongues, praise the Lord in a very different way than what I see in my current non denominational church or others like Methodist Church.

Why do these groups behave differently and what does that really mean?

What, what kind of psychology is formed within those groups?

And so does that have an effect on your identity and your personal identity formation?

Of course it does. Right. So start thinking about Christianity. Just in this country, that variation, how we think and behave differently.

Let's take another shell. Let's start thinking about Christianity in other countries like China, about Saudi Arabia.

What does it mean to be Christian in Israel, especially now, while a formative tile of Christianity may look similar, it can represent a completely different life, a different outcome, a different pattern of thinking in reality.

So in this country, to be Christian is to be part of a dominant group and to be free to express and believe and interact with other faiths and each other.

In some countries, like China, it means to be oppressed, it means to be jailed.

It means to suffer for your convictions rather than being elevated by them.

This creates a lot of different goals. Thinking in action. Right. To get an idea of the complexity, we'll consider just one form of Christianity in this activity, and this one will be specifically.

So we'll watch the video and then you can answer the prompt in canvas.

Excuse me. The Christian culture Ethiopia is obviously very different from that in America.

In most cases, even the Bible is different. That's what you'll find that sometimes it can be.

One object can create different patterns of thinking, or one.

One type of behavior can create cycles that form somebody's identity or form words.

The Bible is something that helps form our identity as Christians.

Right. So what happens when you take that specific object and you change it towards it?

Or maybe you change the meaning a little bit. Would it change the way you think as a Christian? So really, these are kind of all the ide you want to be thinking about.

And so the Christian culture in Ethiopia, you know, is a lot different, mainly because of the Bible.

Scholars cite the variants in the Bible versions to be the main reasons that Ethiopians practice and believe differently.

Specifically, you'll see the inclusion of specific books in the Bible that are removed from the King James version that we.

We touched on last week. So they're really easy prompts in the activity. You guys will see. You're welcome to finish it anytime by Sunday. If you can't work on it after the video, get it over with.

I'll let you guys leave a little early. 10 minutes to work on. Let's just go ahead and get that in. In addition to the assignment, if you really liked the material and you felt like you were getting a lot from it, there's an extra credit assignment where you can go in there and you can really look and try to figure out what is different about the Ethiopian Bible and how it really impacts the thinking behavior.

And really what you'll be looking at is some of the specifics in the books that were excluded, like the Book of Jubilees and the Book of Enoch, and maybe try to understand why these were excluded and what the thinking behind the inclusion or the explosion of that material, what kind of pattern.

So of course that's your credit and is, you know, optional and up to you guys.

I allow you guys to do extra credit for the whole semester.

So the last day of the semester, whenever our final is due, that's when all the extra credit is due.

So there's no rush in getting this done. But you know, a lot of times work on the material as it comes.

If you want, you can definitely take notes because they will get into some specifics about the variants.

So if you were going to do the extra credit assignment specifically, this would really help this venerable text, pivotal to the Ethiopian Orthodox to a Hindo Church, is rich with mystical stories and prophetic revelations.

It sets itself apart in both depth and complexity from its counterparts in other Christian traditions.

Unlike the Bibles used in Western Christianity or the Jewish time, the Ethiopian Bible encompasses a broader canon, including several books that were removed or weren't included in other Christian traditions, books that some believe hold some of the most incredible pieces of the puzzle.

These chapters tell stories so enigmatic and profound that they can completely flip our understanding of the very fabric of early Judeo Christian thought.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tiwahedo Church is one of the oldest Christian denominations in the world, dating back to the early Christian era.

His Bible Bible reflects this ancient heritage, preserving texts and interpretations that have been lost or altered in other Christian traditions.

The Ethiopian Bible, known as the Netsah Kedes, was initially written in Gay ez, an ancient Ethiopian language.

This language, now used primarily for liturgical purposes, was the lingua Francis franca of the Ethiopian Church and the Axumite Empire.

The translation of the Bible into Gayez is attributed to the early efforts of these missionaries and scholars who sought to make the Scriptures accessible.

What sets the Ethiopian Bible apart from other Christian is its broader collection of books.

It includes several texts not found within the Catholics, Catholic or Orthodox canons, such as the Book of Enoch, the Book of Jubilees, and various other writings.

These texts offer insights into the Ethiopian Church's unique theological perspectives and its historical connections to Jewish traditions.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Tawahedo Church, the primary custodian of this Bible, regards these additional books as integral to its canon.

This inclusion reflects the church's historical isolation, which allowed it to develop a distinct religious identity relatively uninfluenced by the theological debates and reforms that shaped Christianity in the Roman Empire.

To some, this means that the writings of this Bible hold some of the purest states of Christianity and its sacred writings.

But the Ethiopian Bible is more than a religious text it's also a work of art.

The manuscripts are renowned for their intricate designs, vivid illustrations, and elaborate bindings.

These features reflect the rich artistic traditions of Ethiopia, where religious art is deeply intertwined with spiritual expression.

The process of creating the Ethiopian European Bible was labor intensive and required exceptional skill.

Craftsmen use indigenous materials such as vellum from goat or sheepskin and natural dyes for illustrations.

The artistry often depicts biblical scenes, saints, and Ethiopian Christian routines, showcasing a blend of indigenous and biblical iconography.

The the Book of Enoch, an ancient Jewish apocalyptic text, holds a special place in the Ethiopian Bible.

This enigmatic and profound book is not part of the Jewish or most Christian canons, yet it has had a significant impact on early Christian thought and remains a key piece of literature in the Ethiopian church.

Its content, themes, and historical contexts offer this ancient text is traditionally attributed to Enoch, the great grandfather of Noah.

It is divided into several sections, each with its own distinct focus and style, but all revolving around the figure of Enoch and his heavenly revelations.

The first section, the Book of The Watchers, chapters 1 36, tells of the descent of the Watchers, fallen angels who fathered the Nephilim by marrying human women.

This act leads to the corruption of humanity and the earth, prompting divine judgment.

Enoch acts as an intermediary between heaven and earth, conveying messages and judgments.

The nan the Narrative of the Watchers introduces a complex hierarchy of angels and demons, a theme that deeply influenced later Jewish and Christian thought.

The Nephilim, as offspring of angels and humans, embody the corruption and violence that prompted the Great Flood.

The apocalyptic visions in Enoch are vivid and detailed, filled with symbolism and imagery about the end times times.

These visions provide insight into the worldview and expectations of early Jewish apocalypticism, which heavily influenced Christian eschatology.

The influence of the Book of Enoch on early Christian thought is evident particularly in the New Testament.

References and themes from Enoch appear in the Epistle of Jude and the Book of Revelation, among other texts.

The concept of the Son of Man as presented in Enoch is particularly significant in the context of Christian theology.

The Book of Enoch is rich in themes of divine judgment, angelology, and eschatology.

Despite its influence, the Book of Enoch was eventually Excluded from the Jewish canon and most Christian Bibles, however, its predecessor, preservation in the Ethiopian Church, is a testament to the diverse nature of early Christian literature and theology.

The Book of Enoch has also been a subject of fascination and speculation among scholars and theologians.

Its detailed descriptions of otherworldly realms, its complex angelology, and its apocalyptic visions have prompted various interpretations and debates about its origins, context and meaning.

Initial contact between the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and European Christianity can be traced back to the early Middle Ages.

However, these interactions were limited and did not lead to a deep understanding of the Ethiopian Christian tradition.

It wasn't until the European exploration and missionary activity in Africa intensified in the 18th and 19th centuries that the Ethiopian Bible and its unique canon came to the attention of Western scholars.

One of the earliest and most significant figures in the discovery of the Ethiopian Bible was James Bruce, a Scottish explorer who traveled to Ethiopia in 1769.

Bruce's primary interest was in finding the source of the knowledge, but during his travels he encountered the rich religious culture of Ethiopia and its unique scriptures.

He returned to Europe with several Ethiopian manuscripts, including a copy of the Book of Enoch, which was previously unknown to European scholars.

The return of Bruce with Ethiopian manuscripts sparked interest among European theologians.

The Book of Enoch in particular, was a subject of intense curiosity.

This text, referenced in the New Testament but absent from the Jewish and most Christian canons, was a missing piece in the puzzle of biblical literature.

The study of the Book of Enoch and other Ethiopian texts contributed to a reevaluation of early Jewish and Christian literature literature.

Scholars began to recognize the diversity of religious thought in the early centuries of Christianity and the significant role of apocalyptic literature in the development of Christian theology in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

The Book of Enoch is not merely a historical artifact, but a living part of the Scripture.

It is used in liturgical contexts and continues Christian thought and practice.

Another apocryphal work included in the Ethiopian Bible is the Book of Baruch.

This writing is traditionally attributed to Baruch, the scribe of Jeremiah, a major prophet in the Old Testament.

However, the text's actual authorship and date of composition are subjects of scholarly debate, with suggestions ranging from from the first to the second century A.D.

the narrative is set in the aftermath of the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and the subsequent exile, a period of significant turmoil and reflection.

The book is structured as a series of visions and revelations given to Baruch.

These visions are apocalyptic in nature and are filled with symbolic imagery and theological themes.

The narrative takes Baruch on a celestial journey, guided by an angel through the heavens and the earth.

Along this journey, Baruch witnesses the workings of divine justice and the ultimate fate of souls, both righteous and wicked.

The Ethiopian Book of Baruch delves into several profound theological themes.

Central to these is the concept of divine justice and theodicy, the vindication of divine goodness in the face of the existence of evil.

The visions aim to provide an explanation for the suffering of the righteous and the prosperity of the wicked, a theme that resonates deeply in the context of the Babylonian exile.

Another significant theme is the eschatological focus, the study of the end times in the Final Judgment.

The text provides vivid descriptions of the afterlife, depicting the rewards for the righteous and the punishments for the wicked.

These descriptions are meant to offer hope and encouragement to the faithful, assuring them of God's ultimate justice.

The inclusion of the Book of Baruch in the Ethiopian Orthodox Bible portraits the unique development of the Ethiopian Christian tradition.

Unlike the Western Christian camp, which does not include this text, among many others, the Ethiopian church has preserved and incorporated a variety of writings that display the nature of early Christian and Jewish literature.

This broader canon, including texts like the Ethiopian Book of Baruch, enriches the theological and spiritual landscape of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church faith.

It provides a wider array of perspectives on key biblical themes and offers a more comprehensive understanding of the early Judeo Christian worldview.

The Ascension of Isaiah is a unique and intriguing text that blends elements of Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature.

This ancient work, attributed to the prophet Isaiah, offers a vivid portrayal of a song celestial journey through the heavens, rich in symbolic imagery and theological insight.

The text is particularly significant in Ethiopian Orthodox Telachito Church, where it is included in the broader biblical canon.

The Ascension of Isaiah is traditionally divided into two distinct parts, the Martyrdom of Isaiah and the Vision of Isaiah.

The martyrdom section, which is more Jewish in character, details the prophet Isaiah's persecution and death under the reign of King Manasseh of Judah.

The Vision section, which is distinctly Christian in its outlook, describes Isaiah's journey through the seven heavens guided by an angel.

In the Vision of Isaiah, the prophet is taken up into the heavens and witnesses the glory and majesty of the celestial realms.

As Isaiah ascends through the different levels of heaven, he encounters various angelic beings and observes the worship and praise offered to God by these heavenly inhabitants.

The descriptions of the heavens are rich in symbolic detail, reflecting both Jewish and early Christian cosmological beliefs.

The Ascension of Isaiah is replete with theological themes that are central to both Jewish and and Christian apocalyptic literature.

One of the key themes is the contrast between the corruption and sinfulness of the earthly realm and the purity and holiness of the heavenly realms.

This dichotomy underscores the text's eschatological message, the ultimate triumph of God's kingdom over earthly powers.

Another significant theme is the depiction of the Messiah.

In the Christian context, the text is interpreted as a prophecy of Jesus Christ's incarnation, crucifixion, and ascension.

This messianic focus links the Ascension of Isaiah with the New Testament, particularly with the christological themes found in the Pauline epistles.

In the Ethiopian Orthodox tradition, the Ascension of Isaiah holds a special place.

Its incorporation inclusion in the Ethiopian biblical canon reflects the church's appreciation of the early Christian and Jewish writings.

The text is valued not only for its theological insights but also for its contributions to the understanding of early Christian mysticism and eschatology.

The Ascension of Isaiah also resonates with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church's emphasis on asceticism and the spiritual journey.

The prophet's ascent through the heavens can be seen as a metaphor for the soul's journey towards divine union, a theme that is prevalent in the church's spiritual and monastic traditions.

The Ascension of Isaiah is believed to have been composed sometime between the late 1st century and the early 2nd century A.D.

a period marked by significant interaction and tension between emerging Christian communities and traditional Jewish groups.

The text reflects this, incorporating elements of both traditions while presenting a distinctly Christian interpretation of Isaiah's prophecies.

For scholars, the Ascension of Isaiah is a valuable source for studying the development of Jewish and Christian apocalyptic thought.

The text's blend of traditions provides insights into the ways in which early Christian writers adapted Jewish motifs and ideas.

The Book of Jubilees is another text revered within the Ethiopian Orthodox Tihido Church but absent from the canonical scriptures of most other Christian denominations.

This ancient work, also known as bilogenesis or kufale in the Ethiopian Ethiopian tradition, is notable for its unique content, themes and its role in shaping Ethiopian Christian thought.

The Book of Jubilees is an ancient Jewish religious work considered an apocryphal text in the context of broader Christianity.

It is believed to have been written in the 2nd century BCE the text retells the stories found in the Book of Genesis and parts of Genesis exodus from the creation of the world to the giving of the law at Mount Sinai.

However, Jubilees presents these narratives with significant expansions, interpretations, and additional details.

One of the key features of the Book of Jubilees is its chronological framework.

The text divides history into Jubilees, each consisting of 49 years and and provides a detailed timeline of events from creation to Moses.

This framework gives the book its name and offers a unique perspective on biblical history.

The Book of Jubilees delves into several theological themes that are central to both Jewish and Christian thought.

It emphasizes strict observance of the Sabbath and religious festivals, adherence to the dietary laws, and the importance of circumcision.

The book also explores themes of angelology, providing detailed accounts of angels and their roles in the divine plan.

Jubilees is particularly noted for its emphasis on predestination and divine intervention in human affairs.

It portrays history as a predetermined sequence of events orchestrated by God reinvested, reinforcing the idea of divine sovereignty.

In the Ethiopian Orthodox te Church, the Book of Jubilees holds a significant place.

Its inclusion in the Ethiopian biblical canon reflects the church's broader approach to scripture, which encompasses a wider range of texts than those found in the canons of Western Christianity.

The Book of Jubilees has influenced Ethiopian Christian thought in various ways.

Its detailed chronology of biblical events has been important in shaping the Ethiopian Christian understanding of history.

The book's emphasis on law and observance has also resonated with the Ethiopian Church's strong tradition of religious observance and liturgical practice.

Another fascinating book book, the Kebra Nagas, or the Glory of Kings, is a pivotal text within the Ethiopian Christian tradition.

Though not part of the Ethiopian Bible in a straight canonical sense, this work, revered in Ethiopia, blends biblical narrative, apocalyptic literature, and national mythology, forming a crucial component of Ethiopian cultural and religious identity.

It narrates the legendary origins of the Solomonic line of Ethiopian kings, tracing their lineage back to the union of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba and the subsequent establishment of the Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia.

The Kabrah Nagasque is more than a religious text for the Ethiopians, it is a national epic central to their history and identity.

It was created by combining of various legends and scriptures, including Jewish and Christian sources, along with Ethiopian oral traditions.

The narrative begins with the visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon in Jerusalem, a story also found in the Bible.

However, the Kibra Nagasque expands this tale, describing a romantic relationship between Solomon and the queen, resulting in the birth of a son, Menelik.

Menelik later travels to Jerusalem, is recognized by Solomon, and eventually returns to Ethiopia with the Ark of the Covenant.

The account of how the Ark of the Covenant came to Ethiopia is central to the Hebrew magazine.

According to the text, Menelau, accompanied by many Israelites, co brought the Ark to Ethiopia.

The Ark's presence in Ethiopia is seen as a symbol of God's favor and the legitimization of the Solomonic dynasty rule.

This narrative has profound religious and cultural implications for the Ethiopians.

The belief that the Ark, the most sacred object in Jewish tradition, resides in Ethiopia, has been a source of pride and spiritual identity for Ethiopian Christians.

It has also been a subject of fascination and speculation for historians, theologians and adventures worldwide.

We have an entire video focused on the Ark of the Covenant diving into the theory that it was not just a religious artifact, but an advanced technological device that had profound powers connected to the people pyramids of Giza.

If you want to watch the full video, click the link in the top pinned comment.

The Gabri Nagas not only links Ethiopian history to the biblical narrative of Solomon, but also establishes the Ethiopian rulers as direct descendants of the biblical king.

This connection to Solomon and the Davidic line provides a religious and historical foundation for the legitimate legitimacy of the Ethiopian monarchy, which claimed descent from this lineage until the fall of Emperor haile Selassie in 1974.

The story of the Queen of Sheba, known as Makida in Ethiopian tradition, is also significant.

She is portrayed as a wise and powerful ruler and her visit to Solomon is seen as a pivotal moment in the spiritual spiritual history of Ethiopia.

The narrative elevates Ethiopia's place in the biblical world, intertwining its history with the broader Judeo Christian narrative.

The use of gayers, which is an ancient Semitic language, is a cornerstone in the Ethiopian Bible and the Krana Gospel.

The language is no longer spoken in daily life but is preserved in liturgical and and scholarly contexts.

It holds a status similar to Latin in the Roman Catholic Church or Classical Hebrew and Judaism.

It is the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and is used in religious texts, services, and scholarly works.

The preservation of this ancient language and religious practice has been crucial in maintaining the continuity of Ethiopian Christianity Christian tradition.

The use of gay A's, however, is not without its complexities.

As a language that is not actively spoken as a mother tongue, its nuances, idiomatic expressions, and grammatical structures can be challenging to fully grasp even for those educated in it.

This has implications for the interpretation of the Ethiopian Bible as the depth and subtleties of the language can lead to varied understandings of the text.

This leads many to believe that there are many secrets hidden in the Ethiopian Bible waiting to be deciphered.

Translating the Ethiopian Bible into other languages, including modern Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia, or international languages like English, involves several significant challenges.

The translator must not only be proficient in J and the target language, but also deeply familiar with the cultural and theological Context of the texts.

This is particularly important given the mystical and symbolic nature of many of the books in the Ethiopian canon, such as the Book of Enoch.

Moreover, the translation process is not merely linguistic, but also cultural.

The Ethiopian Bible is steeped in a context that is both ancient and uniquely Ethiopian.

Translators must navigate cultural concepts, historical references and theological ideas that may not have direct equivalents in other languages or cultural contexts.

The challenges of language in translation significant impact on how the Ethiopian Bible is understood both within Ethiopia and by the wider world.

For the Ethiopian Orthodox community, the use of J?

EZ in liturgy and scripture study is a link to their ancestral heritage, a sacred connection to their religious history.

However, it also means that the deeper study and interpretation of the Bible are often reserved for those who have had the opportunity to study James.

For the international community, the limited availability of translations and the complexity of the text mean that the equal in Bible are less accessible and understood than other Christian scriptures.

Scholars and theologians who wish to engage with these texts must often rely on a small number of translations or burn gez themselves.

Despite these challenges, the translation and study of the Ethiopian Bible offered valuable opportunities for scholars of religion, linguistics and history.

The Ethiopian Bible is a rich field of study offering insights into early Christianity, Jewish Christian relations and the development of religious thought.

For the Ethiopian Orthodox community, translations into more accessible languages, including modern Amharic, can open up the riches of their scripture to a broader audience.

In conclusion, the Ethiopian Bible is not just a collection of religious texts, but a reflection of a rich and ancient Christian tradition.

Its unique canon, language and historical context make it a subject of great interest both for believers and for scholars of religion and history.

The Ethiopian Bible's distinctiveness offers valuable insights into the development and spread of Christianity in the early centuries.

If you want to dive deeper into apocryphal biblical texts that hold incredible missing parts of the human story, you can watch our video on the Book of He which discusses in detail.

I'm not gonna make you guys hang out do the activity.

You guys can do it on your own. You guys have a pretty good idea what the they're looking for.

So anybody starting to get an idea of what could awesome possibly be different or why their Christianity can be different?

Anybody can assume that their form of Christianity is actually there than Western Christianity like in Europe.

We'll really get into the translation variant, some of the differences in the books concepts due to formative identity one but you guys are free to go.

Any questions? Yes, I saw that the video was different than the one that we just watched.

That's right link on that. Is that supposed to be. No, it's probably the old one. So, yeah, I apologize for that. Thank you for. If you ever see mistakes in Canvas, please help me.

Like, I. I'm still learning, you know, these classes past, you know, few semesters.

But you guys are really blessed to have, like, a lot of these professors.

They've been teaching this class 15 years. You know, not all my content is perfect sometime misspellings.

And so if you see me make mistake on a slide, please, I appreciate.

I've also introduced assignments about giving people the ability to actually submit their answer.

So if you see that.