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How does culture impact human behavior
Culture and pattern of behaviour
Impact of culture on human behaviour
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The family is the fundamental base to learn patterns associated with behavior in society. Mexican-Americans are the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. The Mexican-American culture is mostly based on traditions and values that are passed on for generations. This is one of the main cultures in which parents teach their children the same ideals, values, norms and social roles they were taught while growing up. For Mexican-American family is essential and fundamental to their culture. The role the family plays in the development of children will influence the way they will behave in the future. Usually, the family structure of this culture is based on the trait of familism. Familism is common in Mexican descendants because it highlights …show more content…
Usually, the male is considered the head of the house and the authority figure. The reason why males generally have more authority in the Mexican-American culture is mostly related to the fact that they are usually the only economic provider in the household. Furthermore, the behavior of males can be greatly influenced by the machismo culture. Machismo is characterized by the behavior of males, which try to portray an image of superiority and dominance which is reinforced by society, culture, norms and values (Segrest, Romero, & Domke-Damonte, 2003). In other words, machismo represents the subordination to men. Some of the males of this culture like to have control and dominance over their family, especially over their wives. The display of machismo allows males to prove their masculinity to other males while proving their power over his family. Usually, young males while growing up do not play a role in the housework because it is considered something that is just for females. Granted that, young males are usually left to play with their toys or if required to help is usually with manly stuff such as helping the father fix the car or cut the house yard. Not only is the male the provider of the house, but he is also viewed as the protector of his family. Showing superiority and power is one of the main ideals of males in this
One of the most fundamental institution of colonial Mexico was the family. According to Mark A. Burkholder and Lyman L. Johnson, “‘family’ in this context meant not only the biological family, but also the larger set of family relations created by marriages and by forging alliances through the selection of godparents…”. The nucleus of the family was the father who exerted a great deal of power over other members of the family. Both, men and women were control by their fathers but, man were given certain liberties that were not presented to women. For instance, Susan Socolow mention that “daughters had to be controlled, and the...
According to Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, Mexico has high scores of Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, and Masculinity. We can tell from the scores that Mexico is a hierarchical society that people tend to work and live in orders, which means that there are levels among people and they try to fit into their own positions; people try to avoid unknowns and unwilling to take risks; and gap of values between men and women does exist in Mexico, competition, achievement, and success are emphasized in this society so people want to be the best instead of liking what they do. With low scores of Individualism and Long-term Orientation, Mexico is considered a collectivistic society with a normative culture. It emphasizes loyalty and strong relationships
Growing up in a Mexican-American family can be very fun and crazy. Having two different perspectives on two different cultures almost daily really shapes you to become a certain way as you grow up, which is what happened to me. Ever since I was about three months old I have been taking trips to my parents home town for a month time each time we have gone. Practically growing up in both Mexico and the United States for six years has really helped me understand my cultural background and the different parts of my whole culture, such as the food, heritage, language and culture.
As you can see in the graph above, family characteristics of US and Puerto Rico families differ in many ways. Families in Puerto Rico can be very large with many generations living in the same home for a great period of time. In the United States, this would seem very strange because we put such an importance on being independent and going out into the world and making something of ourselves. Our families tend to be smaller and family outings are not very common but once a few times a year. In the Puerto Rico, your family is your support system, your friends and whatever you do is for the betterment of the family. The United States puts more emphasis on our friends as our support group and what we do is to further our own personal achievement and status instead of our family. At their core, Puerto Rican families are about support and togetherness, while United States families are about stability until we have a chance to make a name for ourselves. The Puerto Rican family aspect and togetherness is something extremely lacking in the United States and something I personally believe we ...
In Mexican families, men are generally “in charge”. In a traditional Mexican family, women take care of the children and maintain the household while the men go to work and put food on the table. This is similar to American culture because in an American family, if a parent stays home, it is usually the woman. In both Mexican and American families, women generally have the nurturing and caring job while men do work outside the house. Men usually get the jobs that take more body power. There are also many differences in gender role between these countries.
We tend to be like those around us that have the same values and beliefs. So we also tend to do the same things and are raised the same way. Marrying into an Anglo family, this family does not have the close family relations that my Mexican family has. Some Anglo families may, although not to the extent of Mexican households. If you have ever seen My Big Greek Fat Wedding, well this is how Mexican families tend to live their lives, always in each other’s business. I don’t see much of this in my husband’s family and for me, it was a huge adjustment. There almost seems to be a distance and lives are not shared. Where Mexican women think family is most important, Anglo women think family is important, but so is the status. Anglo women seek it all; they want family and career; although not an impossible task, it can take away from family time. “Since prestige, power, and self-esteem are not derived from achieved status to as great an extent among Mexicans, employment is more crucial to psychological well-being for Anglo women than form Mexican” (Ross et al. 1983). Inequality among races shows that Mexicans take immense pride in the household chores while Anglos take great pride in status. By tradition, Mexican women are praised and revered for their roles as homemakers. This view is a status of prestige that is very respected in the Hispanic community. “Ministering mothers are respected revered and recognized important figures despite their alleged low status in the family” (Mirande, 1977:752). On the other hand, “Anglo women are not in traditional homes where the wife receives prestige for her role in family, yet they are not in nontraditional homes where the husband and wife share the work (both outside and inside the home) equally” (Ross et al. 1983). As stated earlier Mexican women in the roles of homemakers in their home are viewed as pillars of strength and respect in their homes and
I was raised in an encouraging household where both of my parents greatly valued education. Although they were high school graduates, neither could afford to attend college; a combination of family and financial woes ultimately halted their path. As a result, my parents frequently reminded me that getting a good education meant better opportunities for my future. To my parents, that seemed to be the overarching goal: a better life for me than the one they had. My parents wanted me to excel and supported me financially and emotionally of which the former was something their parents were not able to provide. Their desire to facilitate a change in my destiny is one of many essential events that contributed to my world view.
Most Mexican families are extremely traditional, with the man as the head of the house hold, and the authority figure. Machismo (masculinity) in all latino countries is a huge problem, not only because women are being deprived of their freedom, but because men abuse their power. I asked five Mexican women how they felt about Machismo in Mexico. Two of the five women told me kind of the same thing; They believe that it is not a bad thing, but it depends on the man. The other three were very against it, and they ...
In a tradition Nepali family, the male is considered the head and is responsible for family decisions. Likewise, women are supposed to stay at home and take care of the children. People live in a joint family and make contributions on household tasks and expenses. However, like the Mexican culture, these practices has been changing in Nepali culture too. As mentioned earlier, Mexican families had been modernized. While some families still follow the traditional family system, many others have changed the way they live. New families prefer to live in nuclear families and females have started being the head of the household. Even though the family structure has been modernized nowadays, family is the number one priority among many modern Mexicans. They still like to celebrate festivals and occasions with all of their relatives and still take care of their elderly parents. Family ties are strong in Mexican culture and have been for centuries, and they hope to keep it the same
In this specific article, the authors had several questions about the way Mexican Americans went about their parenting. Mostly, they aimed to find a connection of how cultural values and neighborhood dangers impacted parenting. Past research discovered that it was quite hard to fit Mexican American parents’ parenting into the four parenting styles, because they were influenced by so many different factors. The four main types of parenting styles discussed were authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, and neglectful. The participants were biological Mexican/Mexican American families of 5th grade students who lived in the same household in Southwestern United States.
Mexican men are independent because they are the main bread winner. They are powerful or maybe influential because they are expected to find work and be the main source of the household. For example, they are responsible for bringing food to the table, taking care of the family and making sure everything is fine. American men are very similar to Mexican men but they tend to be more dominant. Women in the other hand are dependent because they depend on their husband to do all the masculine work. Mexican women are submissive as well because they are the ones to be obedient and do what their husbands expects them to do. For instances, they are expected to have the house cleaned and food ready by the time their husband gets home from work. Now in the United States, women are used to working. They are. It expected to have the house clean nor food ready at a certain time because they are out of the house working. They pay their own bills, pay for the household food and do what some Mexican men are expected to do in
Even though the United States and Mexico share a common border the difference in culture between the two is significant. cultural Mexico has a very different history than the United States, and therefore is different in many ways. Both countries differ from equality/inequality, collectivism/individualism, gender roles, uncertainty avoidance, indulgence, restrains, and power distance index. In comparison with the United States, Mexico 's culture is more family-oriented and family is their first priority. Their children are celebrated, sheltered and wives fulfill domestic roles. Mexico places more importance on well-defined power and authority structures in organizations, and prefers more certainty and predictability. In the United States,
Today, Mexicans make up one of the fastest growing minority populations living in the United States (Sobralske, 2006). With this in mind it is important to learn and understand their culture so we are able to better serve their medical needs. Until the 1940’s Mexicans were able to move freely between Mexico and the United States and since then many have decided to stay in America. Today, many Mexicans come to America in search of better job opportunities, healthcare, and education and the majority of Mexican-Americans reside in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Florida, New Mexico, and Texas (Cartwright & Shingles, 2011). To help better understand Mexican culture I am going to explore healthcare beliefs, certain folk illnesses,
Latin American society places a great deal of importance on the family as a support network; it is not uncommon for several generations to reside in the same house. This emphasis is called familismo, and the mother in the family is usually the most important figure. She “is seen as the primary nurturer and caregiver in the family…[and] plays a critical role in preservation of the family as a unit, as well as in...
The ethnic- Mexican experience has changed over the years as American has progressed through certain period of times, e.g., the modernity and transformation of the southwest in the late 19th and early 20th century, the labor demands and shifting of U.S. immigration policy in the 20th century, and the Chicano Civil Rights Movement. Through these events Mexican Americans have established and shaped their culture, in order, to negotiate these precarious social and historical circumstances. Throughout the ethnic Mexicans cultural history in the United States, conflict and contradiction has played a key role in shaping their modalities of life. Beginning in the late 20th century and early 21st century ethnic Mexicans have come under distress from the force of globalization. Globalization has followed the trends of conflict and contradiction forcing ethnic Mexicans to adjust their culture and combat this force. While Mexican Americans are in the struggle against globalization and the impact it has had on their lives, e.g., unemployment more common, wages below the poverty line, globalization has had a larger impact on their motherland having devastating affects unlike anything in history.