Week 2: Michael Hurt

Rida Riaz
ASA 141
Week 2 Blogpost

Michael Hurt states the concept of social empathy which is the ability to understand people through perceiving their traditions/ethnic clothing to gain information about their culture or disparities. Hurt presented the example of the Korean hanbok becoming a trend for many non-Korean people who are embracing the hanbok in their styles and how by "walking in someone else's shoes" allows one feel empathy and connected to others. Coming from a Pakistani background, embodying your own culture while living in a Western nation is quite rare and almost daring to do; however, when the Pakistani diasporic community comes together for a wedding or special get together, everyone tends to wear their ethnic clothing resulting in an expression of culture as well as unity. Therefore, I love it when I see a white person at a Pakistani wedding wearing shalwar kameez (one of the many Pakistani ethnic wear) since that person is ready to experience the Pakistani culture respectfully and genuinely.

Formal Pakistani Wedding Guest Dress 

 

Modern Hanbok Dress 

Trying to experience someone else's culture by social empathy whether it's done by locals or foreigners, isn't such a negative thing as people appreciate what that nation has to offer. A person assimilating to a culture where they travel isn't them being negligent, but it's a way for that person to connect to the locals and have a deeper connectivity to the culture.