Dominant Cultures and Subcultures - Essay Example

Dominant Cultures and Subcultures Dynamism in culture Culture refers to people’s way of life which include beliefs and social lifepatterns. People from different regions and countries portray varied behavior or mannerism due to cultural differences (Andersen & Taylor, 2008). Dominant culture refers to the established norms and values accepted by members of the society that face minimal or no opposition. Dominant cultures control the social institutions, political procedures, artistic expressions and many other fields.

Subcultures are those norms and beliefs that have insignificant influence on societal matters. Subcultures are mainly possessed by minority groups in the society and, therefore, have little or no influence to the dominant culture. Importance of understanding the impact of cultureUnderstanding the impact of culture is essential since one is able to learn people’s behavior. In essence, understanding the impact of culture facilitates proper planning of activities. In addition, one can study the behavior of others and make a proper judgment regarding people’s ethics.

Areas where culture difference is seenThere are various avenues where cultural differences are clearly shown in the society, for instance, on religious matters and social structures. In many instances, people in the society have varied religious faiths and believe in different social constructions. Dominant cultures seem to control the political, socio-cultural and economic structures in the society. These differences in cultural constructions stress the need for comprehensive studies on culture diversity in order to know how to live harmoniously in a cultural diversified society.

Guidelines for embracing diversityIn order to embrace cultural diversity, the society should accept all cultures and provide a common ground for both the dominant and subcultures. In addition, proper education structures should be developed so that members of the society can learn the importance of cultural diversity. In summary, cultural diversity is an important feature for steering development in any community. In this regard, diversity should be encouraged in all spheres of life.Reference:Andersen, M. L., & Taylor, H. F. (2008).

Sociology: Understanding a diverse society. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.