Why is that one fish out in front of the others? Think of an explanation before you read the rest of this post.
In my class on bilingualism, we're looking at how cultural identity can impact the way people think. Today our professor told us about a study that was done on bilingual Chinese Americans. When the participants were first presented with a series of American patriotic pictures (such as the flag, the statue of liberty), they tended to answer that the fish in front is the leader. When the participants were first presented with a series of Chinese images (Chinese art and historical pictures), they tended to answer that the fish in front is being chased.
The point of the study was to show how certain thought patterns and perspectives can be tied to a particular culture, and that individuals who identify with more than one culture may change how they perceive the world around them based on which culture they are identifying with at a particular time (or in a particular context).
But it's interesting to see the heavy influence that the things we are being exposed to immediately can have on the way we perceive things. I wonder how my current context is shaping (for better or worse) my perspective on life, and how well it's reflecting my true identity.
