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Assess the relevance of culture in shaping ones own identity
Assess the relevance of culture in shaping ones own identity
Relationship of one's language to social identity
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Rediscovering our Roots: Cultural Identity
How many times have people asked themselves, who am I? What defines me? Culture plays a very important role in the identity of people. People are born in a culture, their family's culture, but not with an already established culture. The term culture refers to the values, beliefs, customs, style of dress, food, songs and stories that are shared and learned in a characteristic group. On the other hand, identity is a set of features, attributes and characteristics that define a person. Identity is constructed by language, social structure, gender orientation and cultural patterns. Although many do not relate these two themes, there is a complex relationship between culture and identity.
Cultural identity
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Each culture has their own set of symbols with different experiences and perceptions. A symbol represents a nation, a country, rules, xan represent everything.The meaning of a symbol is not literal or instinctive, the people of the culture must interpret and share the meaning of the symbol with the next generations. Some are represented by nonverbal language, while others are represented by objects. However, the most powerful symbol is language. Language is a verbal and written representations , which convinces the world of a meaning. It is important for the continuity of the culture and crucial for the communication. Although language is part of our culture, people should not deny themselves the opportunity to learn other languages. In Canada, a group of French people refuse to learn English, this being the official language of this country, for fear of losing their cultural …show more content…
Each culture has its own manner of clothing and features that define them. Arab women and their "hijab". The PuertoRican women with their "bomba" and "plena" clothes. Around the world, several clothes are observed that although the majority are not used in the daily life are considered typical clothes, a symbol that represents a culture. Similarly, it happens with the physical appearance. People try to classify a person only by observing their traits. In the past, this technique would have worked but today it is only a stereotype. A person of white complexion, blond hair and light eyes was considered a British or American but today a person from another country like South Africa can have these traits. Today, the mixture of nationalities and races is commonly observed. When people moves abroad, this element can be affected by the culture of this country. Their appearance and dress change because the way of dressing and fashion is
“Cultural identity is a broader term: people from multiple ethnic backgrounds may identify as belonging to the same culture” (Elise Trumbull and Maria Pacheco). Though people may identify themselves with a certain culture, their beliefs and actions varies and adjust to their experiences. “…We do not consciously pick and choose attributes from the total set; rather, the conditions and events in our individual lives…” (Elise Trumbull and Maria Pacheco). A person is easily influenced by their culture which also makes an impact on their beliefs as well as their view of the world which can cause conflict with another person.
To begin with, culture is something that may change evolve within time but culture is something that come with your heritage or your ethnicity the traditions and things that happen that make up your culture like how your parents raised you are culture. In the informational text “ What is cultural identity” by Elise Trumbull and Maria Pacheco, and in the personal essay “Ethnic Hash” by Patricia Williams, there are similarities and differences in how each writer conveys their message about cultural identity. Based upon their research, Trumbull and Pacheco present the idea that culture changes and that it will never stay the same, while Williams uses her personal experience to develop the idea that many things influence cultural inheritage but
“Our own culture is often hidden from us, and we frequently describe it as “the way things are.”” People do not even realize their own cultural identity, so then how do people know what shapes it? A person’s identity is shaped by cultural experiences that make them into the person they are today. Some of these experiences include someone’s parents, the media, and where they grew up.
The rise of culture and personality in a sense is what helps create ones identity. The concept of identity is very hard to explain being that the idea itself is so complex. Anthropologists view identity as the reflective self-conception or self-image that we each derive from our family, gender, cultural, ethnic, and individual socialization process. Our identity is what makes each and every one of us unique. Tradition also ties into identity. Traditions are beliefs or customs that are passed down from generation to generation. They tie in with our identity because traditions are taught to us and as we learn them they become a part of who we are; our identity. My family and I identify ourselves as Ghanaians. In our family part of our tradition that I grew up with was the clothing that we wear. The Ghanaian attire is complexly patterned and brightly colored kente cloth. All of our traditional clothing is handwoven and worn by both men and women. We wear these clothes because it is a part of who we are and we take great pride in representing ourselves. Society has their own idea of how they see us. To some we are well respected because we never let go of our roots and we show great pride in where we come from no matter how we are seen or labeled. To others, we are also seen as a threat to American culture as we do not completely conform to their ideas of what it means to be an American. To
Culture and identity are two very strange ideas. They are received at a very young age, yet they are very hard to give to someone else. They will affect you for the rest or your life, yet for the most part you are born into them. However, they soon become very important to us and we cannot, no matter what we do, live without them. They are a part of us, and a vital aspect of society. However, it took me a very long time to recognize that I had an identity and a little while after that before I knew what it was.
As a living human being we are in a constant state of flux, life events constantly change us. From the smallest thing like a flat tire on the way to work on a raining Monday morning or a compliment a kind person gave you last year that still rings in your ear, all these events change you and shape you. Catherine Latterell points to assumptions about identity and how it is created in her book titled “Remix”, assumptions about identity and how it is created. The three assumptions being: identity is something we are born with, identity is shaped by culture and identity is shaped by personal choices. The assumption that environment has a role in who we are and who we become, as well as what we are born with or without – including our culture, all play a part in bringing together the mosaic of a whole person. Yet it is never fully complete, for it is always reshaping and growing. Mrigaa Sethi discusses these issues in
Culture is what makes an individual distinct from others. It is believed that culture is a powerful force that affects and shapes the way we perceive the world and on how we interact with other people. It is synonymous to a country or nation which sets and bears its own desired qualities or attributes. For instance, a group of people conversing in language other than English notices a woman passing by wearing veil over her face and a ruby on her nose would likely be described as one from different culture and which can likewise be alluded as one from somewhere else.
This work is very important to me because it highlights the importance of cultural identity and how this is continually formulated in spite of the dramatic rate at which technology is taking over every aspect of my life. I particularly find it interesting that even with the proliferation of devices and new media, I am not able to completely let go of what I regard as memories that define my cultural identity. These memories come from experiences and development of oneself. Cultural learning, also called cultural transmission, is the way a group of people or animals within a society or culture tend to learn and pass on information. Learning styles are greatly influenced by how a culture socializes with its children and young people.
This is a journey of self-discovery to understand the fundamental meaning of what makes me, me? All of us have a unique identity and culture. An Identity are a sets of social expectations related to ourselves and others that are grounded in the interplay between similarities and differences and pertain to the personal, relational, and communal aspects of lives (Hall, 102). In other words, it is our identity that makes us who we are. On the other hand, Culture is defined as a historically shared system of symbolic resources through which we make our world meaningful (Hall, 4). Culture is how we as individuals make sense of the world. So what is Cultural Identity? Cultural Identity allows us as individuals to feel a sense of belonging to a particular
What is culture? Many people ask themselves this question every day. The more you think about it the more confusing it is. Sometimes you start leaning to a culture and then people tell you you’re wrong or they make you feel like a different person because of your culture. I go through this almost every day. Because of the way I was raised I love Mexican rodeo but I was born and raised in Joliet. This can be very difficult trying to understand culture. I live in this huge mix of culture. Culture is personal. People can have many cultures especially in America and because of globalization. Cultural identity is not one or the other, it is not Mexican or American. Cultural identity is an individual relevant thing.
When we think about our identity we often think about the way we look. Such features as hair color, eye color, skin tone, height and weight come to mind. Whilst these features are part of our identity, there are many more complex factors that make us who we are. Whilst psychological issues are paramount to the formation of our identity, I will be addressing the nature of our identity in relation to socio-cultural factors (Austin, 2002, p.9). During the course of this essay I will be discussing the term of Identity and some of the axes of identity, including Race, Class and Gender. It is important to understand some of the significant issues of identity so that we have more of an understanding of who and what we are, which in turn may help us to begin to better understand others.
No human being is culture free. We are a product of the many different cultures which surround us. Our values, worldview and experiences are structured by the society and culture that exert influences on our lives each day.
Every human is unique because of the genetic diversity, and also their culture. Culture does not necessarily define a person, but it does influence one’s beliefs and values. Culture can be defined as shared patterns of behaviors, ways of thinking, and interactions that are learned through socialization. Your genetic make up, most likely, will not change, unless you are somehow introduced to radioactive substances. Culture, however, because it is learned, it can vary and it can change over time. When analyzing culture, people tend to focus on certain aspects such as religion, music, language, diet, and education. Culture seems to have a definitive and infinitive meaning. This means that while culture can focus on certain aspects of ones life, it is not confined to one particular definition. Culture can vary. My definition of culture is that it is a learned behavior due to family history, environment, and social interaction.
Everyone comes from a different cultural background. Many of us though, never really stop to think about what defines our own, I, myself included. This is important to do though, so one, we can know ourselves better, but also so we can start to understand other cultures as well. Surrounding the idea of culture are the concepts of ethnicity, class, gender, age, and belief, each of which I will be reflecting upon. To begin with, we have the concept of ethnicity, not to be confused with race, as I often do.
The term “culture” refers to the complex accumulation of knowledge, folklore, language, rules, rituals, habits, lifestyles, attitudes, beliefs, and customs that link and provide a general identity to a group of people. Cultures take a long time to develop. There are many things that establish identity give meaning to life, define what one becomes, and how one should behave.