The most enjoyable part of the BIC program has been the insight, structure, and historical context of World Cultures. On paper, it appears to be just an ordinary history class but it is much more enriching and insightful. The readings we did were not only enjoyable, but reflective of the culture and helped us gain a different perspective of the time period, area, and people. Studying history in high school, is like when you look at a painting and memorize its colors, brush strokes, characters, and etc. If someone was to ask you what color hair the largest figure had you could easily recite the answer. However, the interdisciplinary concept of Word Cultures dives into the reason and logic behind the painting. Why the artist painted the sky amber? What time period was this picture painted in and why? How come the faces are more somber? World Cultures asks these kinds of questions about history and gives meaning behind facts.
Similarly, this trip has given me deeper understanding of history by diving beyond analysis and experiencing the culture. The notion of education has evolved for me with the BIC and during this study abroad program. The greatest joy I have found is connecting my readings or analysis to the tangible evidence. The painting is more significant with deeper comprehension, but it comes to life when you actually touch it. Being in Turkey and Greece is making everything I've learned more real to me. We read several ancient Greek texts by Homer, Aesychlus, Plato, and Aristotle and it's been inspiring visualizing what they envisioned in their writing, actually seeing what they would have seen, and putting yourself almost literally in their shoes.
The themes and values they convey in each text not only arise in the culture, but even the art, architecture, and government. It reminds me of a baby growing into an adult then into and elderly person. History is the autobiography of a country. When the baby is born it has certain distinctive traits and characteristics. Then it starts to grow and learn and his/her views start to change. Maybe a dramatic incident will happen or a neighboring kid will influence him/her. His/her frame of mind keeps evolving and so does his/her character. The way they dress changes from one trend to the next and even their values may fluctuate as they realize what is truly important in life.
To elaborate, we can use ancient Greek history as a reference because it not only was a thriving culture but a foundation to Western Civilization. During Greece's infant through adolescent years is considered the Archaic period. This was the time of Achilles and Odysseus that we have read about in Homer's epic poems. There existed several city states, but not a whole nation of Greece. However, they still all considered themselves Greek and had a common language and religion that united them against enemies. We observed that this period made free-standing sculptures that were stiff, egyptian influenced, and had interesting smiles. Art can be an interesting reflection of the societal mindset of that time period. A lot of the tour guides insist that Greece was doing well, so the statues were smiling.
The next period is called the Classical period, which I would classify as a person's twenties. This is an exemplary time for both human history and cultural. The beginning is usually marked by the overthrow of the Athenian tyrant and transition into democracy. The people exercised more freedom politically and it was also demonstrated in their studies and art. The Parthenon is a iconic image of Greek flourishing combining intellect with grandeur. Philosophers began to seek the greatest good and truth in order to enrich their souls and live a happier life. Imagine a person that has just left their home and under the "rule" of their parents to enter university. It's an exciting time of discovery about themselves and the world around them.
Afterwards, we see the hellenistic period come about after the conquests of Alexander the Great. When we went to Pella, where Alexander and his father, Phillip II were born, we could the shift from city life to the more elaborate, luxurious homes. I already went into great detail about that in the previous blog so we will just skip over that. Basically, a person's thirties people have great stability and enjoy life comfortably.
Then mid-life crisis hits, the Romans take over and we saw this in the structures such as Pergamon in Turkey with the emperor worship of Trajan. The olympic gods are slowly falling into decline and Christians are persecuted. In order to maintain their power over the people, emperors had to exalt themselves as gods. The new Christian God threatened their authority during this time.
This goes into another great topic; how religion influences society and shapes history. If we look at Islamic practices in Turkey, we can infer a great deal about their culture. They are very pious and worship five times a day to Allah, the one true God. The Quran has many of the same biblical stories Christians and Jews are accustomed to but their religious views differ significantly. They believe that Jesus Christ is a holy prophet and the only sinless man. However, they do not believe he is the son of God and is divine. Actually, Muslims believe that no one can be divine except for God (Allah). That is why they reject icons and symbols in the mosque. Instead, they use arabic writing to create beautiful pictures. Visiting the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, you can see the use of symmetry and flower patterns they use to decorate every inch of the area.
Everything, we have learned in class and from reading has been cemented within this study abroad program. The connections I have made about history, art, architecture, and literature is truly unique to this type of studying.
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