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Roles of culture in the formation of behavior
Roles of culture in the formation of behavior
Culture affects our behavior
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“Are your parents in the army?” is the question I am often asked when I reveal the number of houses I have lived in and the schools I have changed. When I answer that my family simply enjoys moving, my response is greeted by a look of both amazement and confusion. Since I was little, I have been raised with the idea that change is good, change is fun, change is needed. Finding a new place to call home was seen as a part of the change, and I welcomed it, accepting its presence in my life. The act of relocation became exciting for me; a new house, new school, new neighbors, and new friends. Yet I would take with me the memories created in my previous homes. Each street would continue to hold a special place in my heart, as I would accredit them all in making me the person I am today. One particular destination however, would make a tremendous impact on me and how I would continue to lead my life.
I remember getting off the plane in India for the first time. I was met by a slightly musty odor in the air, men insisting on taking your luggage for you, and honking, plenty of honking. To know that in two weeks I was not going to at the airport again to catch a flight back, that I was going to live in India for an extended period of time, made me a little anxious about what was in store for me. I tried to look to my parents for some sort of comfort and a confirmation that adjusting was not going to be problem. They could not offer much help though, as moving to India was a transition for them as well. Looking through the car window as we drove four hours away to our destination, I watched as the cars, scooters, and bicycles all fought for a space on the cramped roads. I saw street vendors trying to lure in customers and celebrity adver...
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... broadening an individual’s point of view on the world and their life. Living in India enabled me to understand how important of a role the problems a country and its people are facing play in shaping their viewpoint. The survival of the fittest mentality in India arises from the need to stand out and succeed in a large population. The priority of many Indian families is to put food on the table, and therefore many of the resources we consume on a full-time basis are viewed as luxuries. On a personal level, the time I spent in India strengthened my belief of helping those in need and most importantly providing them with the facilities and resources necessary for long-term aid. Living in India was and will continue to be one of the most enriching experiences I have had. As Henry Miller once said, “one’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”
Deloria, with his analytical survey, Indians in Unexpected Places, recounts the synthesis of western white expectations, and American Indians. The book takes its title from the general thesis, which explores not only the relationship between Indians and their introduction into an alien culture, but also the expectations that we have of Indians and how they “should” interact with our white western culture. According to Deloria, the common notion is that, “Indian people, corralled on isolated and impoverished reservations, missed out on modernity- indeed, almost missed out of history itself.” (Deloria p. 6) This falsified expectation that we have of the Native American peoples causes us to balk at the anomalies of an Indian when combined with Western culture.
Mary Rowlandson’s “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” and Benjamin Franklin’s “Remarks Concerning the Savages of North America” are two different perspectives based on unique experiences the narrators had with “savages.” Benjamin Franklin’s “Remarks Concerning the Savages…” is a comparison between the ways of the Indians and the ways of the Englishmen along with Franklin’s reason why the Indians should not be defined as savages. “A Narrative of the Captivity…” is a written test of faith about a brutally traumatic experience that a woman faced alone while being held captive by Indians. Mary Rowlandson views the Indians in a negative light due to the traumatizing and inhumane experiences she went through namely, their actions and the way in which they lived went against the religious code to which she is used; contrastingly, Benjamin Franklin sees the Indians as everything but savages-- he believes that they are perfect due to their educated ways and virtuous conduct.
Before, going directly to the point how one event changed my life, I just want to point that I was born and raised up in India. I studied there almost from Pre-k up till 10th grade. I had bunch of friends over there who were extremely close & meant a lot to me. So back in 2011 it was a cold day. I was
Have you imagined leaving your homeland behind and settling in a different country? As a kid I always enjoyed the idea of traveling the world, and discovering new things, but never had thought it would be very hard to let go everything and leave. Growing up, I was always eager to meet new people, learn new languages, and make my own adventures in life. Soon, that dream turned into reality when my family decided to move to the United States of America in hopes of having a better future and new opportunities. I had mixed feelings and was confused about what to expect in the future. However, this was the biggest fear I have ever faced in my life. It was difficult to get adjusted to a new culture challenging because change brings the unknown and unfamiliar with it.
Many folks go their whole lives without having to move. For them it is easy; they know the same people, have loads of friends, and never have to move away from their families. As with me, I was in a different situation. I grew up my entire life, all eighteen years of it, in a small town called Yorktown, Virginia. In my attempt to reach out for a better life style, my girlfriend and I decided we were going to move to Shreveport, Louisiana. Through this course of action, I realized that not two places in this country are exactly alike. I struggled with things at first, but I found some comforts of home here as well.
Coming to a foreign country is a daunting experience. When I first moved to America, I had to leave everything behind such as, - my family,friends, and life back home. Although I welcomed the change, I was also afraid. This fear hovered over me for a long time before I had the courage to let it go. My experiences, both good and bad, allowed me to break out of my shell, become a leader for my family, and strive against all the odds to achieve my goals.
Moving far away from family and friends can be tough on a child at a young age. It has its pros and cons. One learns how to deal with moving away from the people they love and also learn how to deal with adjusting to new ways of life. Everything seems so different and at a young age one feels like they have just left the whole world behind them. That was an experience that changed my life as a person. It taught me how to deal with change and how to adjust. It developed me from a young boy into a mature young man.
I walked around unsteadily all day like a lost baby, far away from its pack. Surrounded by unfamiliar territory and uncomfortable weather, I tried to search for any signs of similarities with my previous country. I roamed around from place to place and moved along with the day, wanting to just get away and go back home. This was my first day in the United States of America.
Having been born and raised in India gives me a wide understanding and perspective of the plight of the undeserved and vulnerable population. I moved to the US only in 2003 and have spent all my life in India prior to that. My own personal experience makes me very familiar with the different tropical diseases and how poverty and the lack of infrastructure affect the treatment of these diseases in those countries.
...iance, readers are capable of seeing how citizens in the world today try to be independent of others and sustain their personal beliefs and philosophy. Individuals have to put an end to conformity and trying to be a duplication of everyone else because they will never achieve success if they never decide for themselves. A person must not rely on the judgment and minds of others and learn to think for him or herself since depending on others only exhibits a person’s inferiority to larger institutions. People must stop using travel as an excuse to evade personal problems because if they do not have a direct confrontation with the dilemma, trying to escape will only lengthen it. People in today’s society must appreciate this work so they will approve of their individuality and be stronger in fighting against everyone else that disagrees with their personal philosophy.
Throughout the course of this paper, I have discussed Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions where I broke down these dimensions. Additionally, I have stated how India tends to appreciate the hierarchical relationship structure, is a collectivist country and leans towards being a more masculine society. Additionally, India tends to possess a medium to low preference towards uncertainty avoidance and leans towards being a future oriented society. Having lived in the United States for almost a decade I think I have become more “Americanized”. India is a great country and I’ll always visit it in the future, but from the way things are going I am going to permanently settle down in New York where I would like to start my career and family.
It was a beautiful, sunny day in South Florida. I was six years old, playing by the pool with my new puppy. I loved swimming in the pool almost every day after school. I also enjoyed going out on our boat after school or crossing the street and going to the beach. My father came home one evening with some interesting news. Now, I do not remember exactly how I felt about the news at that time, but it seemed like I did not mind that much. He had announced that we were going to move back to my birth country, Belgium. I had been living in Florida for five years and it was basically all I had known so I did not know what to expect. I had to live with my mom at first, and then my sister would join us after she graduated high school and my father finished settling things. I remember most of my earlier childhood by watching some old videos of me playing by the pool and dancing in the living room. It seemed like life could not get any better. However, I was excited and impatient to experience a new lifestyle. I realized that I could start a whole new life, make new friends and learn a new language. Belgium was not as sunny as South Florida but it has much better food and family oriented activities. Geographic mobility can have many positive effects on younger children, such as learning new languages, being more outgoing, and more family oriented; therefore, parents should not be afraid to move around and experience new cultures.
So far in my life I have moved eight times and been to twelve different schools. I’m not talking about just moving houses. I’m talking about eight times, packing all of my things and moving to a whole different state. In all this I have learned the most important quality that anyone needs to get through all of the hardships and changes in moving. That quality is courage.
The mind and heart are common terms personifying intellectual and spiritual characteristics. The mind illustrates the current state of what it describes and the heart describes the undying features of which is portrayed. The mind may change depending on influence but the heart is fixed. These regards, the Indian mind and heart may take on many forms.
Vasco da Gama landed at Calicut, sailing via the Cape of Good Hope in 1498. This marked the beginning of