The Relativity of Cultural Normality - Term Paper Example

Cultural Normality INTRODUCTION Cultural normality is a relative concept that encompasses all the different features of different cultures around the world. The relativity of cultural normality is central to its interpretation and application. For example, what may be acceptable in Chinese culture may be vetoed in Japanese culture. Tea drinking may be a definitive feature of Japanese culture (culturally normal) but not China’s. As such, a tea enthusiast will be perceived as culturally normal in Japan and culturally abnormal in China. At the same time, there are aspects of Chinese culture which will be derided in Japanese culture, and this is viewed as integral features of Chinese society. This is the essence of cultural normality. This paper will present a discussion of how age-based norms change over generations. The paper will be based on the results of an interview conducted with an elderly person. The body of the paper will consist of two paragraphs, one talking about the life history of the interviewee and the other analysing the responses obtained from the interview. LIFE HISTORY The subject of the interview is a 70-year-old retiree who, for 38 years, worked as a communications officer at General Electric. Although she currently resides in Chicago, she was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Her father was an Anglican minister while her mother was a high school teacher. Her parents were disciplinarians who attached a lot of value to education, good upbringing, morals, and religion. Her parents were socially conscious individuals who were active in community engagement, sensitisation, and political movements. This instilled in her a well-rounded view of life and the world and prepared her for the rigors of the corporate world, especially in an age where very few women worked in the corporate world. She understands the challenges involved in raising children through generational changes and has witnessed the world evolve to become fast-paced and highly dynamic. She attended public schools and then joined New York University to study marketing and public relations. After graduating in 1967, she was recruited by General Electric to work in their expanding marketing division. The interviewee got married to her childhood sweetheart in 1969, and they have four children. She is a practicing Anglican, who has maintained her parents’ respect for and inclination to religion. She is also socially active in her community, where she is respected for her career, activities, and age. She runs her charitable organisation that provides support for the underprivileged. This has enabled her to interact with people from all walks of life and to expand her mental horizons despite her advanced age. In the last two elections, she was involved in voter education programs that targeted the youth and the elderly, enlightening them on the power of their vote and their role as responsible members of the society. Currently, she spends most of her time either in her organisation, for which she is the chairperson or at home with her children and grandchildren. I was surprised to find that she is very knowledgeable about generational differences, cultural changes, and the challenges of raising children in the 21st century. Although she may have wanted – in terms of personal and social development – her offspring to grow in the same environment she was accustomed to as a child, she accepts that time has and must change. She stated that modern society has become too corrupt and lawless, and children deserve better. That is why she remains a socially conscious and active member of her community. Having brought up her children to be responsible members of the society, she wants to guide other younger generations to follow the same path. ANALYSIS The interviewee emphasised four aspects which she believes should be cultural norms at all levels of humanity. These are morality, ethics, responsibility, and caring. Decades ago, the world’s moral compass seemed to be consistent in most regions. Nowadays, however, morality has become a concept that is open to interpretation by any person (Storey 15). She is adamant that this is wrong. The values children are brought up with should be preserved and passed on to later generations, not dismissed as archaic and flaunted to satisfy personal interests. From politicians to entertainers, it seems that moral standards have declined over the last four decades (Alarcon 28). However, the big question still revolves around who should take responsibility for these seemingly negative changes. Well, the answer is the senior members of the society. This includes, first and foremost, parents. Other important stakeholders who should be vigilant in reversing the trend include teachers and schools, religious leaders, and politicians. Children practice what they see; there are very few immoral behaviours that are completely novel and inspired by children. Most of them have their geneses in parents’ and teachers’ laxity. It is not normal for adolescents to openly disrespect their parents and feel justified in their actions (Berger 56). It is also not normal for high school students to be carrying firearms, using them on their colleagues, procuring abortions, and abusing drugs to the point of hopelessness (Smith 108). Teenage pregnancies are on the rise, but everybody (except teenagers) understands that the importance of completing one’s studies before giving birth. Pregnancies should be limited to responsible women only (25 and above) (Rivers, Lane, and Balfour 64). These are women who have a degree, are working, and do not depend on men for their basic needs. Men, on the other hand, should be stable by their late 20s. This is the age where they can handle their responsibilities with the commitment and dedication expected of them at that age. However, more and more teenage boys are becoming fathers at 17 or 18 and turning to illegal activities to support their young families (Carr 21). Younger generations are not the only guilty parties, however. My interviewee brought up an issue that has become common in recent times. This involves the age gap in marriages. For example, a 50-year-old retiree should be, ideally, married. If she is single, she is expected to be widowed or divorced and focused on her family. If she has an intimate relationship with any man, it should be with someone who is either the same age as her or older than her (Dean and Taylor-Gooby 41). This used to be the norm in many societies. However, older women are now marrying men who are young enough to be their sons, and they have made it acceptable to do this. A 20-year-old man should be in school or doing something sensible with his life, not in a relationship with a woman twice his age. In most societies, it is expected that a woman aged 24, and above should be either married, in a long-term relationship (Eliot 35). However, many women are now choosing to remain single rather than pursue long-term relationships. In fact, it is now common to find 25-year-old women who have already decided against marriage (Barron 37). At the age of 40, most people are expected to be settled down and focused on raising their families. However, according to the interviewee, 40 has become the new 20. Some middle-aged men and women now have better social lives than their children, while others are fixated on the “life begins at 40” mantra. This betrays the expectations placed upon them by society and signals an irreversible shift to a new era of unrestricted freedom regardless of age (Cashmore 23). CONCLUSION From the interviewee, and using past and present research on the subject of cultural normality, it is clear that age-based norms are becoming diluted as time goes. A majority of people no longer respect the age-related expectations placed on them by society. Small age differences can now equal massive lifestyle and attitudinal chasms. An 18-year-old teenager may be in the same age group as a 20-year-old, but their behaviours are hugely variegated. This explains why generational gaps are now extremely difficult to bridge using age-based norms. Younger generations have no respect for age or age-related thresholds, and older generations are easily dismissed as out of touch with life. This is the reality of 21st century social development. Works Cited Alarcon, Renato. Cultural Psychiatry. Basel: Karger, 2013. Print. Barron, Lee. Social Theory in Popular Culture. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. Print. Berger, Harry. Figures of a Changing World: Metaphor and the Emergence of Modern Culture. Fordham: Fordham UP, 2014. Print. Carr, Deborah S. Encyclopaedia of the Life Course and Human Development. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2009. Print. Cashmore, Ernest. Celebrity Culture. Second Ed. New York: Routledge, 2014. Print. Dean, Hartley, and Peter Taylor-Gooby. Dependency Culture. Hoboken: Routledge, 2014. Print. Eliot, T. S. Notes towards the Definition of Culture. Reprint ed. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. Print. Rivers, Augustus, Henry Lane, and Henry Balfour. The Evolution of Culture, and Other Essays,. Ed. John Linton Myres. Illustrated ed. Oxford: Literary Licensing LLC, 2014. Print. Smith, Preserved. A History of Modern Culture. Revised ed. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2014. Print. Storey, John. From Popular Culture to Everyday Life. New York: Routledge, 2014. Print. Read More