Many examples of clothing styles could be used to illustrate how symbols are used to produce cultural diversity. Consider, for instance, changing dress codes in the United States. During the 1960s, many young people wore jeans, sandals, and beads to symbolize their rebellion against what they conceived as the conformist inclinations of American society. By the 1980s, many of the same people were wearing “power suits” as they sought to advance up the corporate ladder.
An example of how hairstyles can create meaningful symbolic codes can be seen in a group known as the Rastafarians(sometimes known as Rastas or Rastaman) of Jamaica. The majority of the people of Jamaica are of African descent. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, they were brought to Jamaica by European slave traders to work on plantations. The Rastafarians are a specific religious group within Jamaica who believe that Haile Selassie(1892-1975), the former emperor of Ethiopia, whose original name was Ras Tafari, was the black Messiah who appeared in the flesh for the redemption of all blacks exiled in the world of white oppression. Rastafarian religion fuses Old Testament teachings, Christian mysticism, and Afro-Jamaican religious beliefs. The Rastafarian movement originated as a consequence of harsh economic, political, and living conditions in the slums of Jamaica.
In the 1950s, during the early phase of the Rastafarian movement, some male members began to grow their hair in “locks” or “dreadlocks” to symbolize their religious and political commitments. This hairstyle became well known in Western society through reggae(強節奏黑人音樂) music and Rasta musicians such as the late Bob Marley. Rastafarians derive the symbolism of the dreadlock hairstyle of the Rastafarians from the Bible. They view the unshaven man as the natural man and invoke Samson as one of the most important figures in the Bible. Dreadlocks also reflect a dominant symbol within the Rastafarian movement, the lion, which is associated with Haile Selassie, one of whose titles was the “Conquering Lion of Judah(猶大).”To simulate the spirit of the lion, some Rastas do not cut their hair, sometimes growing their locks 20 inches or more.
Thus, to a great extent, culture consists of a network of symbolic codes that enhance values, beliefs, worldviews, and ideologies within a society, Humans go to a great length to create symbols that provide meaning for individuals and groups. These symbolic meanings are a powerful source of cultural diversity.
52.What is the main idea of this selection?
A.Hairstyles and dress codes identify political beliefs in diverse societies.
B.The Rastafarian movement symbolized a religious and political commitment.
C.Symbols provide meaning and a satisfaction of biological needs in society.
D.Hairstyles and dress codes can be important symbols of cultural diversity in different societies.
53.The author uses the examples of the Scottish tartan, the motorcycle jacket, and the Islamic veil to show .
A.the political power of dress codes in different societies
B.the diversity of clothing styles throughout the world
C.dress codes that symbolize different ethnic and religious groups
D.the resistance to change of culturally different groups
54.The author suggests that the young people wearing jeans in the 1960s wore “power suits” in the 1980s because .
A.styles changed B.the American government changed
C.their attitudes and goals changed D.both outfits symbolized rebellion
55.All of the following are true of the Rastafarians EXCEPT .
A.they believe that Emperor Haile Selassie was the black Messiah
B.they are the original natives of Jamaica
C.they are a religious group with political commitments
D.they formed as a result of harsh living conditions in Jamaica
55.The Rastafarian movement began .
A.at the beginning of the nineteenth century
B.around the middle of the twentieth century
C.before European slave traders arrived
D.in the early eighteenth century
