Professor Alejandro Muzzio to Present Talk Feb. 16 in Social Sciences Lecture Series

While culture informs every aspect of the human experience, “culture” remains a word that is difficult to determine a shared definition.

“Culture informs the reality that we see,” explains Dr. Alejandro Muzzio, professor of anthropology at Howard Community College. “It is the learned beliefs and behaviors that a particular group of people share.”

Dr. Muzzio will present a free community lecture, “On Seeing: A Reflection on Culture,” on Tuesday, February 16 at 6 p.m. to share his engaging personal stories, which illustrate how culture informs our understanding of reality.

“Culture is a bubble. You are in that bubble with a whole bunch of people who share your beliefs, your attitudes, your behaviors, and your perceptions,” said Dr. Muzzio. “A behavior that may be abnormal in a different cultural construct makes perfect sense when you are in your bubble. It’s not just a matter of opinion—it is a reality of how you view yourself and the rest of the world around you.”

By recognizing that everyone exists within their own “cultural bubble,” Dr. Muzzio says that we can begin to understand that the world is not simply black and white. We can work towards bridging the divides that create conflict in our world.

Dr. Muzzio holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Iowa. In fall 2020, he received Howard Community College’s Student Choice Award for faculty member of the year. Prior to joining Howard Community College in 2019, Dr. Muzzio taught for five years in the City Colleges of Chicago. His research interests include the impact of tourism on indigenous communities, revolutionary movements, and immigrant entrepreneurship in the U.S.

Dr. Muzzio is the first in the five-part Social Sciences Lecture Series that will take place on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. during February and March.

The series continues with Dr. Laura Cripps’ “Inter(esting) Sex: Beyond the Binary” on February 23, Dr. Michael Heffren’s “What’s Going On? American Politics 1970-2020” on March 9, Evelyn Del Rosario’s “The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: Know Its Meaning and How It Protects Your Rights” on March 16, and Dr. Eric Clark’s “De-escalation Techniques from Behind the Wall” on March 23.

Each lecture will be held virtually and is free and open to the public. For more information and to register for each lecture, visit howardcc.edu/lectureseries.