Cultural concepts are the outline of life. These concepts work with and complement each other. There are sayings such as “you are what you eat” and “you’re a product of your environment” These sayings only hold true if you believe you were put on earth to serve a purpose. There are some that believe your design for life has already been made and there are those that choose to believe the outcome of your life is what you make of it. Every choice you make redesigns your life’s path. I choose to believe in the saying “life is what you make it”.
After reading each meaning I can understand why I choose to make the decisions I make on a daily basis. Material Culture is the man-made possessions in society, such as our cars, computers, and cell phones. Society has rapidly adapted to the technology we have access to. Not too long ago we were without the internet and cell phones. Today most of us would turn our vehicles around if we forgot our cell phones at home. One can say that nonmaterial culture is taught to us as a part of growing up. We watch our parents or caregiver...
As new technologies and business began to grow shortly after the European empires began, the definitions of culture at home began to become more important. It grew more important for a group of people to bond rather than with technology. Another form of culture is material culture. Material culture is everything that is part of constructed, physical environment, including technology. Nonmaterial culture values beliefs, behaviors, and social norms. Material things as well as nonmaterial things can influence
Culture is something that we all have to define who we are and the reason why we love the things we do and the reason why we act the way we do. There are many types of cultures out there and the one culture that defines who I am is the Hmong culture. I was raised in a traditional Hmong family where it is not only just your parents, brothers and sisters, but your extended family as well. Henslin (2015) defines culture as: “the language, beliefs, values, norms, behaviors, and even material objects that characterize a group and are passed from one generation to the next” (p. 38). There are other contrasts between nonmaterial and material culture. Material culture is more of what we can see, touch or taste; while nonmaterial culture is theoretical
Culture often means an appreciation of the finer things in life; however, culture brings members of a society together. We have a sense of belonging because we share similar beliefs, values, and attitudes about what’s right and wrong. As a result, culture changes as people adapt to their surroundings. According to Bishop Donald, “let it begin with me and my children and grandchildren” (211). Among other things, culture influences what you eat; how you were raised and will raise your own children? If, when, and whom you will marry; how you make and spend money. Truth is culture is adaptive and always changing over time because
The term culture refers to a broad spectrum of general human society that can be delineated as “the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious or social group” as well as “the characteristic features of everyday existence...shared by people in a place or time.” However, with such a vast notion that acts to give meaning to the various methods of operation used by the equally various societies and their respective members worldwide, the definition of culture can be stretched and expanded because of culture’s flexibility as a conceptual aspect of humanity that surrounds, defines, and permeates those in it. Simple attributes such as a group of people, a civilization’s geography, and a set of societal features can
One source commented, “Our own culture is often hidden from us, and we frequently describe it as ‘the way things are’” (Trumbull and Pacheco 9). Often times, individuals are blinded by what they consider “normal,” and therefore cannot understand their own cultural identity. People should examine their culture in order to better understand how it affects their identity and perceptions. In order to understand one’s cultural identity, he or she needs to understand what the term means. According to one source, cultural identity can be defined as “invisible webs composed of values, beliefs, ideas about appropriate behavior, and socially constructed truths” (Trumbull and Pacheco 10). Considering this definition, I realize that my cultural identity can be best represented by my close relationship with my family because my they have shaped my beliefs and values. Various aspects of a person’s life that
To sum up, culture defines peoples’ identities, and every community or cultural groups of people have their own values, behaviors, and styles of living. Food and styles of celebrations are parts of peoples’ culture as well as heritage. They have their own different practices and unique habits. Indeed, culture influences our views, values and even fears. It is considered a part of a person’s life as well as it shapes the person’s character. It also enhances people’s understanding of their world to see it according to the community where were raised.
Dominica’s culture is very unique as it has changed hands between European countries such as Spain, Great Britain, and France, who brought African’s as slaves to work the fields. As a result of this combination of different cultures, Dominica contains characteristics that combine to make what is called Creole. This Creole is the mixing of these cultures in language, music, art, food, architecture, religion, dance, dress, and sports. France has had the most noticeable affect on Dominica, which is seen through the majority of Dominicans practicing Roman Catholicism, the French based patois, and the French place names. The best example of this culture is seen in their Carnival, which involves an out pouring of Calypso as the islanders celebrate their heritage through dress, dance, and food.
Material culture is all the objects and technology the people of that culture use, and is important because the materials provides a protective barrier between humans and their environmental dangers. Materials can also be used as a way for humans to use their environment as well as possible. The nonmaterial component of culture is all the abstract concepts that are apart of the culture such as, belifes, values, knowledge, and guidelines for acceptable behavior. Nonmaterial culture is shaped by things like family, religion, economy, government, and education. On some occasions the two components can mix in things such as jewelry, because the item may be a physical object but contain a deep meaning in the culture, symbols can also do this as
Human beings are impact throughout the years by their cultural forces that have shaped their identities. However, people culture varies because, for example, the country that they or their parents originate. Nevertheless, there are always some forms of similarities among them. Some for example, are the foods they eat, the music they listen to, how they are raise, among others. As for me, I am highly impacted by my cultural forces, which as embedded in me by my parents’ upbringing, which is to get a college degree, stern words of encouragement, and how to obtain my goals.
Material culture or materialism refers to objects as resources and spaces that people use to define their culture. In which cultural value placed on the accumulation of material possessions, a process in which people base their sense of themselves, their well-being, and social standing on possession- Ashley Crossman. Such aspects of culture are used to define one’s social status. Where in the west, the standards of living has never been higher. To a point a ‘hyper-reality’ started to form in our society where it affects everyone’s expectation of life. The main source of these pressure is from people closest to them such as parents and mainly friends and society at large.
Children across the globe have toys in common within their culture related to the act of play. Depending on the use of these toys, they can either help or hinder a child’s development. While children develop certain behaviors genetically, others are learned from their experiences, parents, surroundings, and, most notably, toys. Through toys they can establish communication and motor skills, encourage logical thinking, and enhance imagination. Childhood and culture influence children’s identities and behaviours, and also reinforces gender roles. The focus of this paper are the factors and implications of stereotyped toys . In order to understand the influences of these toys, the meaning of gender must be explored. Gender is the socio-cultural dimension of being male or female. It is formed from what children are associated and exposed to. Childhood toys influence gender from an early age, resulting in gender differences in both cognitive and social development.
Question Answered: Present the ways in which cross-cultural experiences strengthen a continuous development of the world environment.
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.
Cultures play an extremely important role in our nationality because it determines who we are, what we eat, how we dress, what language we speak and how we behave. These are all the aspects of the cultures that are passed down from generation to generation. However, cultures can also be affected by many other factors. According to Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck’s theory (Kohls 1981), one of the factors that can have an impact on cultures is nature. As explained in Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck’s theory, there are five common human concerns which are the human nature, man-nature relationship, the idea of time, activity, and social relationship with others (Kohls 1981). One of the human concern that shows nature can impact cultures is the man-nature relationship.
In the end, what we learn from this article is very realistic and logical. Furthermore, it is supported with real-life examples. Culture is ordinary, each individual has it, and it is both individual and common. It’s a result of both traditional values and an individual effort. Therefore, trying to fit it into certain sharp-edged models would be wrong.