The Society and Cultural Values and Norms - Essay Example

Individualism and Freedom The society and cultural values and norms influences both personal and professional decision making. To further explain this, some following issues about culture and cultural values should be discussed. Every individual is a member of a "social system."(Spindler: 1963) The social system refers to the ordering of people into the hierarchy and roles such as position of authority and in kinship categories, the interaction occurring between people occupying these positions, the alignment of groups in equivalent, there is superior and subordinate, positions of power, prestige, responsibility and the structuring of activities by economic and subsistence needs. Every member of a society participates in what they call "cultural patterning" it is the wide range of directive or perspective, orientations varying from highly specific directive patterns such as ritual and verbalize belief through values of all levels of specificity to broad thematic orientations. Specific cultural directives for behavior as implemented through roles connected with statuses ordered by the social system and thematic orientations and values as merging into the area normally designated as "personality structure." Personality structure is the organization of emotional and intellectual; resources characteristic of individuals. Although it is not fixed or stable under certain conditions, personality structure is very dynamic. A person always undergoes changes in everyday life as a result of internal and external factors. There is a socio-cultural continuity that each individual should maintain and this socio-cultural activity demands an individual to interact with other members of the society in order to show continuity. When socio-cultural conditions change the individual struggles to adapt to these conditions and in so doing the organization of his emotional and intellectual; resources changes. The individual struggles to adapt to conditions whenever socio-cultural conditions change. While adapting to these conditions the organization of the individual's emotional and intellectual resources changes, this changing, adaptive, organization will, however exhibit certain broad continuities with the previously stabilized personality and this change is what anthropological studies call psychological process. This process develops interaction with people such as parents, teachers and peers as cultural agents who are carrying out roles provided by the social system and cultural patterning of their group. These modifies the role of constant adjustments to various situations and as they are interpreted by the individual cultural agent. For example, a developing child encountering these agents identifies with particular persons and specific roles, as perceived through his experience. The child internalizes certain directives structured into these roles and merely acknowledges others. Depending upon the The role of relationship exists between the individual and these cultural agents. The individual reacts to the directives both as he/ her encounters them and after these directives are internalized. This frequently happens at a "pre-conscious" or "sub verbal" level of interaction within the individual's psyche. Each reaction is responses to the behavior that the individual perceives in others are the material out of which his personality structure develops. The individual personality is therefore a dynamic and sometimes delicate to equilibrium of forces. Dramatic changes are sometimes possible in this organization because changed conditions call latent forces in the personality. The personality equilibrium is dependent to a large extent upon the kinds and intensity of conflicts in directives to culturally patterned directives is interpreted by the cultural agent's encounters. The "modal" personality is that organization of emotional and intellectual resources created out of the process of encounter. (Spindler: 1963) The features of this organization that are most relevant and most functional in the specific socio-cultural setting are the greatest interest. These features together the socially required personality" in a group rather than as inferable largely from the "collective policies and products" of social institutions. When it comes to career development decision process cultural values is still the main factors affecting my decision, to be more specific social relationships values have an important role in the career development process.(Arbona:1995) These values serve as a standard guide how I should function and struggle to achieve my goals in my chosen career. I should decide according to the acceptable social values that I developed through social interactions and social patterning. I believe that work values are the values that each person should be satisfied as a result of their participation in the work role. Financial prosperity, altruism, achievement and responsibility are examples of work values. Work values, and as individual we develop other values that we expect to satisfy our life roles other than work, such as our family. I also believe that cultural and work values are the primary aspects that influence the career choice making process, the occupation chosen and the satisfaction with and success in the chosen occupation. But other life role values also influences many factors of the career development process. Although cultural values is the major influence in any decision we make there are other factors in choosing and advancing in a chosen career.(Hotchkiss and Borrow:1996) These other factors are socioeconomic status of a person, if I belong into a lower level of the hierarchy of the society I will strive harder in order to move up to the higher level ( I do not believe to some theories that people living in poverty tend to have lower aspirations than individuals who are higher on the economic ladder regardless race or ethnicity because they believe that their fate is controlled by external factors), family or group influence and history of discrimination and of course gender. I consider myself as an empowered woman that is why gender is an important aspect for me. Women are overrepresented in lower paying occupations when compared to men. (Brown: 1995) These are the reason why I always strive harder to get a high position in my chosen field. I always make it a point to do good in every task that I do in order not to experience gender discrimination in the work force. Although in a very patriarchal society gender is one of the most constraints in the career decision making process of women. The women's orientation to other life roles, primarily as a result of what the culture and society dictates. Their role in the family is the major factors of the decision making that limits women to directly participate in the labor force. I believe that women are more productive than men that are why I can freely decide for the advancement of my career without sacrificing my role in my family. Although women is a member of collective social value it is not always true that we women will enter more restricted range of occupations than men with a collective social value. It is how we define ourselves, if we view ourselves as a powerful human being then nothing can stop us to get out of the box that culture and the society put us in. It does not mean that we are a member of a collective social group; we do not have a sense of individualism. Yes, it is okay to follow the social norms but it will help us as human beings to have a sense of individualism Thinking as an individual, cultural values regarding activity like doing, being-in becoming will not hinder the occupational decision making process. People who give importance to individualism and have both a future or past-future time value and a doing activity are the ones who make decisions at important points such as what course to get in college after high school, whether to move out of the house to live alone and develop independence. . References Arbona, C. (1995). Theory and Research on Racial and Ethnic Minorities: Hispanic Americans. In F. T. L. Leong (Ed.), Career Development and Vocational Behavior of Ethnic and Racial Minorities. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Pp. 37-66 Brown, D. (1996). Brown's Values-based, Holistic Model of Career and Life-Role Choices and Satisfaction. In D. Brown, L. Brooks, & Associates, Career Choice and Development. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco. Pp. 337-372. Hotchkiss, L., & Borow, H. (1996). Sociological Perspective on Work and Career Development. In D. Brown, L. Brooks, & Associates, Career Choice and Development. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco Spindler: George D.(1963). Education and Culture. Rinehart and Winstons: New York City. Pp.353-355. Read More