Saturday, March 27, 2010
Culture
I agree with anthropologist Ruth Benedict when she states that we are creatures of our culture but, like many things in life, there are exceptions though. We are what our culture dictates but many times it depends on how strong our culture is presented to us. In many families now days, due to the mixing of different cultures, the lines are blurred and it is difficult to define one culture. For example, many immigrant families move to the U.S and their children find themselves in between their parent’s culture and their new culture in the U.S. If the parents or the family surrounding them isn’t strong enough to influence them then children could fall into following a culture that is presented to them by friends, or their new environment. I believe that we can break through the limits of culture if we are actively participating in a culture that is different than ours. By seeing and experiencing other cultures, our world is opens up and people are able to find a new way of doing things, believing in things, and habits.
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I agree that while we are creatures of our culture, it does depend HOW strong that culture is in our life. While I don't come from an immigrant family, I come from a family where our cultural heritage is very strong. However, I do feel close to some than others. For example, I feel closer to my German culture than I do my Hungarian culture and of coarse feel closer to my American culture than either of these. I feel like our "American culture" has broken through a lot of those cultural limits. We now live in a place (espically California) where we're just a big mix of all kinds of stuff. Really, where can you find AMAZING Mexican food and AMAZING seafood within walking distances of each other?
ReplyDeleteMia,
ReplyDeleteI liked your post a lot because I could relate to what you were saying. When I moved here from a different country I found myself being split between two cultures and the American culture would stand out more than the other. I regret not being equal with both cultures because now I wish I was more into my Arab culture so that one day I could teach my own children things that I was brought up on. You are right about participating in another culture other than our own to find out more and experience other things. Your post was really interesting, great job!
Hey there, I definitely love reading this post of yours. I can also relate to this situation because I grew up in a traditional Chinese family, but my friends are mostly Americanized. I had to learn Cantonese as I was growing up because my parents do not speak English even though they have been here for more than 25 years. I realized that this was such an important factor in my life because I really appreciate my ability to speak and listen to Cantonese. I wish I knew how to read and write, but it was just something that I did not do when I was younger. Now, being bilingual, I feel that there is an advantage because I can connect with that culture a little better. There is just so much to learn from each other and as long as make that effort to talk to each other, the opportunities are infinite.
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