Uniqueness of Cultural Background - Essay Example

Culture Before starting to sort an individual’s cultural baggage, archival observations that it is imperative to understand the meaning of culture. Reliable citations maintain that culture revolves around everything one does in his or her daily life. Culture is therefore a routine, societal function, or values of a group or an individual (Samovar, Porter, and McDaniel 79). Generally, culture explains the functions and values of a society as well as daily proceedings of a group or individual’s lives. This paper will seek to explore the meaning of culture with reference to mine and establish whether it is similar or different from mainstream America. Under this spectrum, the paper will establish similarities and/or differences by exploring cultural or religious traditions, symbols, or beliefs from my cultural background. Findings depict that culture traverses along broad measures and as such, it can be or appear as a myriad of many things that ranges from the food people eat to the ways in which people dress. It can even seek to explain how to obtain and prepare the said food. There are large numbers of factors that influence an individual’s culture. However, common thoughts suggest that when one brings the issue of culture into a debate, culture becomes something that is very narrow and defined (Havilland 44). As such, certain people define it as simply an area in which one resides in. Note that, structures of a family that comprise of things such as habits of a community, expectations and gender roles can have great impact on the ways in which one looks upon another’s culture. The ethnic background of an individual or a group provides a stepping-stone towards regarding a particular type of culture. When grows in a family, he or she takes up after the ethnic background of the respective family. This means that, society influences someone’s cultural response towards laws, morals, and rules of that society. Following practices and adhering to rules of the given society shapes one’s way of life, which in turn explains his or her culture (Samovar, Porter, and McDaniel 102). Bear in mind that, when one becomes deviant of these rules and laws of the society as depicted by the culture, he or she is liable for punishment. With reference to this aspect, it becomes paramount for one to accept and learn the cultural laws and rules of the society that he lives in, in order to avoid unnecessary punishments (Havilland 61). Since our cultural baggage composes of a wide range of cultural belongings, our daily assumptions, values, and communication styles as well as biases are part of the things that are present in our cultural baggage. There are also countless mannerisms and gestures that inevitably cloud and tumble out our culture. It is true that many people are culturally unaware of themselves (Havilland 96). Observations opine that, children of the twenty first century have a high tendency of ignoring their ethnic backgrounds. Although this serves as a congruent system of eradicating racial discrimination and the likes, it is also important to understand that some people feel left out when introduced to new cultures. Immersing one in a different or foreign culture leads to lack or loss of awareness of ones cultural character traits. Thus, such people feel fearful, frustrated, and vulnerable. Upon taking a closer look at my culture, I find it hard to believe that there might be some similarities. My culture displays a scene full of beliefs, norms, and practices while mainstream America appears to be a place where laws and rules shape people’s culture. My current culture is a swirled slate. I consider my background as well as my existing cultural identity as swirled slate mainly because I grew up without some specifics of cultural identity. For instance, I shifted from a variedly quaint town of Guilford, Connecticut to the rich suburb of Main Line in the outskirts of Philadelphia. I did not have any specific religion to identify myself with and I did not identify myself with existing culture (Havilland 113). Shifting from my place of residence degraded any chances of maintaining certain cultural identities as the shift came along with different recreations, food, beliefs, and customs as well as architecture. Another reason as to why I find my culture different from that of mainstream America is that in my hometown, houses were simple and modest. However, in mainstream American, houses were overdone and ostentatious. Today, I find food being fancier which represents flavors of the new world commonly depicted by the upscale restaurants. To add on that, my culture is different from that of mainstream America because, according to my personal point of view and experiences, Philadelphian culture sounds overtly disconnected from my personal lifestyles, morals, and beliefs. Recreation present in my culture is incredibly different from that of mainstream America as in mainstream America there is lack of preserved nature, forests, water, and outdoor sports are unavailable and unpopular (Samovar, Porter, and McDaniel 211). The idea that culture changes constantly, customs never remain the same, and culture is ideally a static unit applies to my case with the highest extent. Agreeably, recreation, outdoor sports, and preserved nature hold a significant place in our cultural background. Nevertheless, if another person raised in the mainstream America heard me discuss the position held by these symbols, he or she would think of my culture as absurd. I believe so because mainstream America culture holds no place for forests or outdoor sports. In my culture, neighborhood dinners, frequent markets, hula performances, frequent outdoor trips that take place throughout hilly regions and along the coast as well as strong sense of community are common. Further, ancient native folklore plays big role in shaping our cultural beliefs as it acts a very strong influence of admiration and respect. Nonetheless, things are different in mainstream America as there is neglected sense of communism and people foster individualism. Overtly in my culture, animals are a sign of respect for the natural resources and the earth (Havilland 126). In mainstream America, it would sound awkward to talk of animals as symbols since mainstream American culture sees animals as mere products at their disposal mainly for money and food. In conclusion, it is agreeable that culture is not a static unit. As illustrated in this paper, my cultural background seems unique and different from my current cultural life. This aspect has allowed me to understand that since culture has never been static I am still in the journey of discovering my culture each day as well as continue to embrace it through change (Samovar, Porter, and McDaniel 387). It is understandable that mainstream America is a grasping form of culture that is allows no room for indigenous cultural beliefs, norms, and practices. Believably, it will be unimaginable to ever think of symbols and signs in my culture incorporated into the mainstream America as the latter composes of not one but many different cultures. Works Cited Havilland, William et al. Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge. New York: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Samovar, Larry, Porter, Richard and McDaniel, Edwin. Communication Between Cultures. New York: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print. Read More