Sign in or 
Share this
Koobecaf: A Subculture of the Nacirema
By Carolyn Freeman
One emerging element in Nacirema culture is koobecaf. Koobecaf is intended to be a communication system in Nacirema culture, but it has become much more influential. It is mostly popular amongst people between the ages of 15 and 25, but there are some younger and older individuals who take part in the koobecaf culture. Koobecaf provides many different ways to communicate with others. While this appears to be a way to improve friendships and stay connected with others, it often has had the reverse effect. It has caused many Nacirema to settle for conversations in writing over actually spending time talking to people. It is the lazy escape to maintaining relationships. I have found that though koobecaf is intended to use to keep in touch with those far away, it has transformed into another mode of connecting those who are already close. Individuals can send pictures, artwork, and quotes to friends that describe them, or their friendship. This also shows one way that koobecaf is used to express popularity, which is shown otherwise by the number of “friends” one has, the number of pictures one is in, and some individuals have an addition to their page that says who their best friends are. All of these methods of connecting with people illustrate the social structure of koobecaf. While koobecaf is intended as a new mode of communication, it also serves as a way for this age group to express themselves in a way that discourages criticism. People can express themselves, or what they want to be, on their own personal page. On these pages, people can indirectly express themselves through additions to their pages that range from describing their favorite television shows or sports teams, what character they would be in a movie, or favorite quotes. Overall, koobecaf is an escape from reality, a way to avoid confrontation, and a method of showing who you want to be. It has become a subculture of the Nacirema. The underlying idea that koobecaf gives the opportunity to express individuality illustrates the superstructure of the koobecaf subculture. The Nacirema believe that their nation fosters independence and freedom, but the necessity of koobecaf as an outlet for individuals show that many are afraid to show their true selves in this so called “free country.” It seems as if judgment is the greatest fear for the Nacirema, and koobecaf is the escape from this judgment. It is non-confrontational, and therefore less threatening to the people. Despite the freedom that people feel koobecaf gives them, it is still superficial. Friends on koobecaf are not always friends in reality. People say things that they would never actually say to another person. Friends claim relationships with each other that do not exist. This shows the irony of koobecaf: people feel comfortable expressing who they are, while at the same time realizing that much of what they read about others is superficial. Koobecaf appears to be a representation of what the Nacirema wish they were. Individuals pick the pictures where they look best, they are friends with everyone they know, and they feel free to express themselves without judgment. Koobecaf has become Nacirema culture idealized.
One emerging element in Nacirema culture is koobecaf. Koobecaf is intended to be a communication system in Nacirema culture, but it has become much more influential. It is mostly popular amongst people between the ages of 15 and 25, but there are some younger and older individuals who take part in the koobecaf culture. Koobecaf provides many different ways to communicate with others. While this appears to be a way to improve friendships and stay connected with others, it often has had the reverse effect. It has caused many Nacirema to settle for conversations in writing over actually spending time talking to people. It is the lazy escape to maintaining relationships. I have found that though koobecaf is intended to use to keep in touch with those far away, it has transformed into another mode of connecting those who are already close. Individuals can send pictures, artwork, and quotes to friends that describe them, or their friendship. This also shows one way that koobecaf is used to express popularity, which is shown otherwise by the number of “friends” one has, the number of pictures one is in, and some individuals have an addition to their page that says who their best friends are. All of these methods of connecting with people illustrate the social structure of koobecaf. While koobecaf is intended as a new mode of communication, it also serves as a way for this age group to express themselves in a way that discourages criticism. People can express themselves, or what they want to be, on their own personal page. On these pages, people can indirectly express themselves through additions to their pages that range from describing their favorite television shows or sports teams, what character they would be in a movie, or favorite quotes. Overall, koobecaf is an escape from reality, a way to avoid confrontation, and a method of showing who you want to be. It has become a subculture of the Nacirema. The underlying idea that koobecaf gives the opportunity to express individuality illustrates the superstructure of the koobecaf subculture. The Nacirema believe that their nation fosters independence and freedom, but the necessity of koobecaf as an outlet for individuals show that many are afraid to show their true selves in this so called “free country.” It seems as if judgment is the greatest fear for the Nacirema, and koobecaf is the escape from this judgment. It is non-confrontational, and therefore less threatening to the people. Despite the freedom that people feel koobecaf gives them, it is still superficial. Friends on koobecaf are not always friends in reality. People say things that they would never actually say to another person. Friends claim relationships with each other that do not exist. This shows the irony of koobecaf: people feel comfortable expressing who they are, while at the same time realizing that much of what they read about others is superficial. Koobecaf appears to be a representation of what the Nacirema wish they were. Individuals pick the pictures where they look best, they are friends with everyone they know, and they feel free to express themselves without judgment. Koobecaf has become Nacirema culture idealized.
|
cmfreeman07 |
Latest page update: made by cmfreeman07
, Sep 20 2008, 5:23 PM EDT
(about this update
About This Update
Edited by cmfreeman07
view changes - complete history) |
|
Keyword tags:
None
More Info: links to this page
|
There are no threads for this page.
Be the first to start a new thread.
