Essence of Mexican Culture - Essay Example

MEXICAN CULTURE Introduction Anthropologist Edward B. Taylor in his book Primitive Culture” (1871) defined culture as “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society” (http/anthro. 2006 p.1.). I believe this definition is still valid today and applicable to modern as well as primitive societies. Understanding of the Term “Culture” Culture is examined in this course through the prism of 5 subject areas namely business (1), art and architecture of ancient Mexico (3), literature (7), history 1519-1550 (4), and finally the muralists and Freda Kahlo (8). For example, Mexico’s business culture is the antithesis of the aggressive, individualistic, innovative and profit driven business culture of the US. Because of its’ Catholic religious centered values, Mexican business practices are less aggressive and individualistic, more formally structured with precise rules , based on close familial and friendship ties and more adverse to risk taking and unpredictability. The art and architecture of ancient Mexico (3) reflect the beliefs about the natives’ relationship with their gods and how they perceived their world functioned. For example a Mayan sculpture portrays Lady Xuk and the tools she used in a bloodletting sacrifice. Also in the Mayan city of Chichen Itza there is a pyramid with 365 steps corresponding to the calendar they developed which we still use today. The Spanish conquerors, fearing the ancient manuscripts documenting early civilizations contained magical spells (7), had them destroyed, but later recognized their value and had them reproduced. The history, 1519-50 (4) describes how the Spanish conquerors decimated the indigenous cultures through enslavement, killing European diseases for which they had no immunity. Finally the muralists and Freda Kahlo painted the walls of Mexican buildings in the second decade of the 20th century celebrating pre Spanish culture, current folk traditions and socialism. This was designed to incite the people to rise up and throw off European political and cultural domination. How 5 different historical and social contexts have helped to shape human belief systems and values. The Mexican approach to business stems largely from their over 50% Catholic population inherited from the Spanish conquerors (1). Both this context and the indigenous civilizations stressed traditional values such as uncertainty avoidance, strong familial and community cohesion and loyalty, personal relationships, deference to authority, risk avoidance and acceptance of social stratification. The ancient civilizations of Mexico were preoccupied with trying to control unpredictable natural forces and conduct of neighbors which could impact on their situation and even survival (3). They assumed their gods controlled these events and to get desired results they must be placated with offerings as depicted in their art and architecture. The conquering Spaniards destroyed most of the manuscripts of the ancient civilizations although they later encouraged their recreation (7). When Spaniards wrote about the natives it was usually without understanding their culture. From the early 19th century novels were the principal form of literature. Written in the style of Realism and Modernism initially they were targeted at the upper class and ignored the lower one in the interest of stability. However after the Revolution of 1910 they became more socialist in an effort to promote the interests of the lower class and Indians and to bridge the material and intellectual gap between these sectors of society. Cortes’ 1519-1550 conquest of what is now Mexico was motivated largely by the pursuit of gold and silver (4). No doubt the Spaniards rationalized that it was God’s will and their duty to convert the natives to Christianity, but I suspect this was done at least in part to make them less resistant to their conquest and enslavement. This along with the importation of unfamiliar diseases largely destroyed native culture. Finally the Muralists painted walls depicting the suffering and subjugation of the masses (8). They were considered the art of the people and designed to encourage political action. How our Cultural Experiences has Influenced Intercultural Experiences. People tend to judge other cultures in terms of their own perspective and assume if a practice is right for them it should be right for other cultures as well. For example as Americans we may decry the Mexican approach to business overlooking the fact that to them it is merely a mechanism for the production and distribution of goods and services required in order to live (1). Unlike in America it is not generally a means of social mobility, to acquire wealth and status as quickly as possible. Therefore we may denounce the lack of urgency, innovation individualism and risk taking , failing to recognize that these traits are not as highly valued in Mexico as it stresses status and stability rather than America’s frontier spirit. We also may be horrified at the ancient civilization’s worship of many gods and their sacrificial practices including those involving humans. (3) In doing so we forget that although they made astute observations of regular patterns of nature enabling them to develop an accurate calendar and understanding of astronomy, they did not have the means to scientifically understand more unpredictable phenomenon such as drought for example. Therefore they assumed such events were controlled by gods who must be provided with valuable gifts or sacrifices so that they would be moved to create rain or other needed resources. We may prefer novels that confine themselves to plot and character development. (7) However we must recognize that in Mexico such literature was one of the few ways of mobilizing the masses to demand a more democratic share of power and resources. We condemn the Spanish conquest of 1519-1550 and the assumption, no doubt actually believed by at least some of the conquerors that they were benefiting the natives by converting them to Christianity (4). In our globalized world with immigrants from many different cultures, hopefully we have learned to take a more cautious approach. While some integration and common values are required to hold a society together, some form of multiculturalism seems to be the best prescription for a healthy modern society. Finally while we may regard the murals as graffiti, like the novels they were one of the few ways to stir the masses into common political action to improve their situation.(8) Conclusion Every culture is an adaptation to a particular physical and social environment. We should not denigrate Mexican culture simply because it differs from our own, but recognize that it is also an adaptation to its’ own particular historical and social context. Reference Taylor, Edward B. “Primitive Culture” (1871) http//anthro. palomar edu/culture. Read More