Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
of the many neo-Nazi movements. A flag represents an entire country, evoking
both patriotic fervor and epithets.
Symbols, however, are not limited to nations, large-scale organizations, and
movements; they are part of everyday life. Schools select a mascot to embody
school spirit. Members of social or academic fraternities wear pins to identify
themselves. Symbols may signify historical influences in a community. For
example, a Jewish star or Star of David (with Hebrew words carved into the
stone) of a building marred by graffiti and broken glass marks the historical
presence of an orthodox Jewish community (see Figure 2.5). This symbol of
the past provides some insight into the roots of current tensions between young
African Americans in the community and older orthodox Jews (see
Abramovitch & Galvin, 2002, p. 252). Symbols provide the ethnographer with
insight into a culture and a tool with which to further probe various cultural
beliefs and practices. Symbols are often part of a ritual.
Figure 2.5
Yeshiva in the inner city with graffiti
