Personal Cultural Origin

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Personal Cultural Origin
I was born and brought up in a nuclear family that consisted of my parents and an elder sister. From young, my father had a full time job and was the breadwinner of the family while my mother stayed home to take care of both my sister and I. All immediate and extended family members are Chinese and my grandparents came from Anhui and Xiamen, bringing along their cultural values and traditions from China to Singapore. Chinese culture has been found to originate about 5,000 years ago (Chinese Government's Official Web Portal, 2005). It has been passed through numerous generations and continually evolving as each generation embraces it. The cultural practices of my southern Chinese ancestors, local ethnicities in Singapore and western influences combine to form the cultural values I identify with. My parents were both brought up amidst a traditional Chinese family and as a result, they place a lot of emphasis on collective values, which are largely influenced by Confucianism, such as familism, collectivism (Duan & Wang, 2000), and filial piety (Kwan, 2000).
Chinese Cultural Values
Filial Piety
From young I was taught that we must always respect our elders and the head of the family always has the final say. Influenced by Confucianism, as my parents’ child, I was expected to conform to the order where I honour, show obedience and respect parents in obligation to my parents providing me with the basic necessities of life like food, shelter, education and love. Children are also supposed to take care of their parents in return. My parents would often tell me that those who neglect their parents will be struck by lightning. When I was still a child, I was also expected to go along with my parents’ wishes when m...

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...e cultural context: Accommodating both individualistic and collectivistic values. Asian Journal of Counselling, 7(1), 1–21.
Kwan, K. L. K. (2000). Counseling Chinese peoples: Perspectives of filial piety. Asian Journal of Counselling, 7(1), 23–41.
Ministry of Education, Singapore. (2007). Civics and Moral Education Syllabus: Primary 2007. Retrieved February 1, 2014, from http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/syllabuses/ aesthetics-health-and-moral-education/files/civics-and-moral-education-primary-english-2007.pdf The Methodist Church in Singapore. (2012). FAQ : Social Concerns. Retrieved February 6, 2014, from http://www.methodist.org.sg/index.php/component/content/article/42-faq/1231-faq-social-concerns
Yeung, K.C., Chu, C.K., & Ho, W.S. (1994). Solution-focused family therapy in Hong Kong: Experience and reflections. The Hong Kong Journal of Social Work, 28(2), 33-41.

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