Cultural Determinism is Dead, Murdered by Outcasts armed with Smartphones
Not for all humans but for sure those with access to technology, Cultural Determinism is a dead concept. The concept of Cultural Determinism was dead even before our current technological advancements allowed us to record and recognize those living a life of Free-Will. Formerly Historians and Anthropologist ignored Outcasts. They were anomalies that broke the mold and made the story too complicated or too much.
Outcasts went undocumented in mass media and mainstream history because of fear. Cultural elitist, religious leaders and governments monarchs or elected officials all use fear to force the concept Cultural Determinism. “Believe in one god or die. Believe one race is superior or die. Know your place based on class, sex, and age or” … you guessed it or… “die!” These were the messages given to the ignorant, out gunned and out witted among humankind throughout the ages. Outcasts have been people who were minding their business when in came a man (usually a white man seeking glory, purpose and praise) stealing, raping, pillaging what he didn’t have yet wanted so badly. He had no control over his environment and choices (and was most likely drunk from beer) so he casted his fear aside and sailed the planet instilling fear while setting a system of beliefs and rules he called “culture”. Which is just a bunch of stolen cultural stuff, reimagined and imposted in his vision under sentence of death. Culture never determined anyone’s behavior. The fear of death, imprisonment and lack of desire to fight tyranny made the determination.
Speaking from my time on earth. In this life and the history I was taught, we can now Determine our own Culturalism. The choice is made by leading a life without FEAR firstly; a life filled with curiosity. I chose not to be christian even though many around me are christians. My choices are not determined by the culture of christianity. While there was influence from the teachings of fear and punishment of hell the influence didn’t stick because I always rationalize my way through the confusion they tried to implant. They called this mad question asking thought process, misbehavior, thinking too much and disruptive.
People like me in the 1990s and 2000s were called trouble makers. In the 2010s we were called disruptors with a new positive connotation.
To achieve my “free-will” status I had to be alone many years even before technology caught up to me. Before the tech was developed outcasts existed unseen and unrecorded as part of society or even their own families. Briefly mentioned in historical texts, outcasts were never written about from their own perspective.
The bible speaks about about outcast known as lepers. There are no stories from lepers only stories about the culture of keeping away. Their lifestyles and social complexities were never examined nor discussed. They didn’t live as flies on the wall hoping to be a part of the uni-cultural determined society. They moved on. Today’s lepers live in celebration, community, empathy and support for all aliments from MS and Physical Disability to Cancer and HIV. We can find each other and record our existence. We can reach out and no longer be alone. Even gods trapped in human form can connect with each other and no longer been seen as oddballs. Witches can practice freely again without being burned alive.
Once the technology to connect and self publish was developed outcasts came to life in a renaissance of celebrated life experiences, finding a voice and sticking it to the man. We only needed to search one word to find communities abundant with similar ideas or afflictions. The ability to freely choose to walk paths some people FEAR is seen as brave by those choosing to remain stuck in Cultural Determinism. Many of us call it the American Dream, to be who we want to be. This means change, fighting the good fight, learning endlessly and manifesting on our own. Cultural Determinism is outdated and very far from WOKE!
