Influence of Culture on Human Behavior and Development - Essay Example

Influence of culture on human behavior and development

Developmental psychology asserts that 'human behavior is a function of one's immediate environment.' Culture and human behavior are mutually exclusive phenomena in constant interaction to bring forth the holistic development of an individual within their social environment (Cronk, 2019). Culture can be described as the socialization climate and environment (inclusive of values, traditions, and norms) held by a group of people related by birth, marriage, or those sharing a common ancestor. On the other hand, human behavior is the expression of self by these individuals upon being cultured in certain ways. Culture exists as a sort of guide for a human being. For instance, many people are historically cultured to adhere to the rules of transition, which dictate that upon reaching a certain threshold after adolescence, marriage is the next logical step. The rules of engagement have, however, changed over time.

Life-Course theorists have since time immemorial based their developmental studies on the chronology of age (Ashford and LeCroy, 2009). They refer to this as social age where human beings are pegged to developmental stages based on their ages and cohorts. Particularly, further study has proven that culturally-induced behavior becomes imbibed during these formative stages of a human being. Culture can be described as social roles, religion, attitudes, beliefs, rituals, and even modes of dressing, among other distinctions. Different social groups ascribe to different behaviors based on what they believe in. For instance, some subcultures pride themselves in competition while others are quite the opposite. Such differences in belief systems drive human behavior. To conceptualize the extent to which culture influences human behavior, there needs to use a combination of historically approved theoretical approaches to developmental psychology.

Familial interaction and life span

Riley (2020) asserts that human interaction especially at the family level tends to have a significant impact on how individuals grow up and what they become accustomed to. For as long as I can remember, I have always done things a certain way. I learned at an early age that my perception of people was influenced by how I interacted with my immediate family. My family is very tight-knit. All of us are predominantly associated with blood while my parents are bonded by marriage. How my parents interacted taught me about the importance of the union of marriage and the need for respect if it is to last. When I was younger, I used to think my parents were perfect because I never saw them argue. It was only recently that I saw how they settle their differences and this only strengthened the fundamentals I already had. They are quite amicable and avoid raising their voices. They always did the same for us especially as we transitioned from childhood to teenagehood. They always reason with us and try to find rational solutions regardless of how bad the situation is. 'You can do anything you set your mind to do' has always been the mantra at home. There are no gender stereotypes because we are all culturally wired to work hard regardless of the task. An ethnographic study of my family would reveal that the tougher the task, the more enthusiasm. Our parents' attitudes towards work completely obliterated gender role assignments. Anyone could do anything as long as they set their minds to do it.

We have only one set of toys that were passed down from one sibling to the next as we grew up. As a child, it is almost instinctual to hate the idea of relinquishing what you believed was yours and having to share it with any other person. My mother's ideas on child-rearing were strictly attached to collectivism on the cultural spectrum. She is a firm believer in sharing and the ideals of prioritizing the needs of the entire group over those of an individual. She always advocates for harmonious settling of scores and rarely takes sides whenever my siblings and I argue. It has greatly shaped how I interact with people as I almost always give them the benefit of doubt. In a sense, it has heightened my emotional intelligence and made me more sensitive to others' needs. The focal point of her maternal care was the need for empathy which assisted us to be more tolerant of each other even as young adults. Once we became adolescents, the transition was marked with a total relinquishing of child-like behavior such as an attachment to t

oys. There was an unspoken agreement that we had to set our sights on more mature activities. It was characterized by taking on more responsibilities and becoming more aware of what we wanted in life. My father on the other hand was a disciplinarian. 'Tough but fair' is how I would now describe him if asked. He interacted with us on a level we seldom understood while we were younger. Although he never laid his hands on us, he was very stern and he meant business. If you were on the wrong, you rarely escaped the tongue lashing. In retrospect, they provided a great balance that fostered development for each of us.

Looking at the framed photographs in the living room, one will instantly notice how many of them are related to the church. These photographs range from christenings to baptisms and even regular after church photos with fellow believers. I was always excited about church. I got to see my friends and my favorite lesson teachers. My interactions with people in the church helped inculcate in me a sense of belonging. Moreover, I saw how my parents always tithed and remembered to give us some money to tithe as well. We had sort of traditions where we would visit each other and share God's word. We would also donate to the less fortunate every so often and congregate even within the week to further our Biblical understanding. I particularly recall our church holding blood drives and my whole family turning up in support. We hardly ever missed any church function and this shaped how I viewed myself and others at a very young age. The culture of helping those who are vulnerable within society is one that I have upheld to date even in the most unconscious ways. Concerning life, my outlook has been significantly molded by my belief in a supreme being. I am a firm believer in predestined outcomes because God is the author of life. Prayer was a custom I have carried forth to my adulthood phase because my parents taught us to pray in every situation.

While conversing with my parents, I quickly understood why I am seldom unmoved by illness and the idea of death. "What is meant to be will be no matter how bad you feel", my father occasionally says. For older people especially, the idea of death was easier to contend with. Due to the transitions in life, it was easier to understand the life cycle and come to terms with death. I have been cultured to believe that death is inevitable and will come when you least expect it. Whenever a relative falls ill and we are informed about it, the first instinct is to pray for their recovery. We visit them and bring them food and engage them in prayer to ask God to heal them and strengthen their immediate families. Our natural response to illness was that God gave His strongest servants the toughest battles because He knew they could handle them. We shared the word with them, offered them solace and comfort in the form of prayer, and even helped them accomplish tasks they were rendered incapable of doing because of their illness. Subsequently, upon recuperation, most of these individuals responded with immense gratitude. The culture has always been to 'treat others how you would like them to treat you'. It often worked and brought the families closer. Concerning death, I hardly ever shed tears because it is just how I was brought up. The belief that death happens at the time when it is least expected used to scare me. Further, into my interaction with relatives and those who shared similar beliefs, I came to appreciate that it is the cycle of life. People are born and at some point, they have to die because it is how God has designed the entirety of our existence.

Basing my familial analysis on a combination of the interpersonal relations theoretical framework and the life span theory brought the central themes together to assert the great influence that culture has on human behavior. The theories are predicated on the assumption that who you interact with regularly influences how you develop. Human development is also cyclical and the stages seldom overlap (Featherman et al, 201

9). My family is quite big on cultural values. We are very particular on humane orientation because we understand that everyone is equal and must be treated as such. We more often than not practice restraint which emphasizes the need to avoid over-indulgence especially in activities that could lead to negative behavior. We are also culturally bound by our need for accountability and integrity. My parents are unforgiving when it comes to observing etiquette and corporate social responsibility.

We have only one set of toys that were passed down from one sibling to the next as we grew up. As a child, it is almost instinctual to hate the idea of relinquishing what you believed was yours and having to share it with any other person. My mother's ideas on child-rearing were strictly attached to collectivism on the cultural spectrum. She is a firm believer in sharing and the ideals of prioritizing the needs of the entire group over those of an individual. She always advocates for harmonious settling of scores and rarely takes sides whenever my siblings and I argue. It has greatly shaped how I interact with people as I almost always give them the benefit of doubt. In a sense, it has heightened my emotional intelligence and made me more sensitive to others' needs. The focal point of her maternal care was the need for empathy which assisted us to be more tolerant of each other even as young adults. Once we became adolescents, the transition was marked with a total relinquishing of child-like behavior such as an attachment to t

oys. There was an unspoken agreement that we had to set our sights on more mature activities. It was characterized by taking on more responsibilities and becoming more aware of what we wanted in life. My father on the other hand was a disciplinarian. 'Tough but fair' is how I would now describe him if asked. He interacted with us on a level we seldom understood while we were younger. Although he never laid his hands on us, he was very stern and he meant business. If you were on the wrong, you rarely escaped the tongue lashing. In retrospect, they provided a great balance that fostered development for each of us.

Looking at the framed photographs in the living room, one will instantly notice how many of them are related to the church. These photographs range from christenings to baptisms and even regular after church photos with fellow believers. I was always excited about church. I got to see my friends and my favorite lesson teachers. My interactions with people in the church helped inculcate in me a sense of belonging. Moreover, I saw how my parents always tithed and remembered to give us some money to tithe as well. We had sort of traditions where we would visit each other and share God's word. We would also donate to the less fortunate every so often and congregate even within the week to further our Biblical understanding. I particularly recall our church holding blood drives and my whole family turning up in support. We hardly ever missed any church function and this shaped how I viewed myself and others at a very young age. The culture of helping those who are vulnerable within society is one that I have upheld to date even in the most unconscious ways. Concerning life, my outlook has been significantly molded by my belief in a supreme being. I am a firm believer in predestined outcomes because God is the author of life. Prayer was a custom I have carried forth to my adulthood phase because my parents taught us to pray in every situation.

While conversing with my parents, I quickly understood why I am seldom unmoved by illness and the idea of death. "What is meant to be will be no matter how bad you feel", my father occasionally says. Read More