Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Culture and How We Define It


Culture is the complex system of meaning and behavior that defines the way of life for a given group or society. Even at a young age we are influenced by the culture around use. This would include our beliefs, morals, values, habits, customs, and even language, among many others. I chose Chapter 2 because it explains how the difference cultures exist within a society.

"We live in a culturally diverse world. People will encounter individuals from different races, religions, and nationalities in their day to day encounters". - Dr. Deborah Swallow, 2009

Being raised in American you can get accustom to these vase cultural differences that surround us. My grandparents, for example; one set came from Czech and the other Germany. Many of the customs of my family stems from the culture they were raised in. To keep up with the German customs my grandparents always insisted we come over on the evening of December 24th to open gifts for this is how they celebrated instead of the 25th.  Christmas day was more for visiting with extended family and hosting a larger gathering. For my Czech side of the family, which would be my father’s side, they celebrate Masopust. This Czech Mardi Gras type celebration, yet over the years the tradition has not been as celebrated within my generation. Many customs like these can get lost as older generations fade.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTswaV6d_yI&feature=related Watch a Czech Masopust Celebration.

Czech girls celebrating Masopust in traditional costumes.


 When people speak of German, Spanish, or Japanese culture, they are referring to the shared language, traditions, and beliefs that set each of these peoples apart from others.  In most cases, those who share your culture do so because they learned it as they were raised by parents and other family members who have it thus easily passed on from generation to generation.


When you are new to an environment part of your survival is to learn what is expected while you are in that cultural. Observing culture involves studying what people think, how they interact, and the objects they use. For example, Mexicans embrace the manana attitude and are more relax and laid back. They focus less on the time-is-money unlike other cultures like here in America. There is an old Mexican saying is that "North Americans live to work, but Mexicans work to live!" Thus in order to survive in that culture one must respect their sense of time and traditions. If you do not, you can come off rude and will not be accepted. Since culture includes ways of thinking as well as patterns of behavior, if you do not conform to those specific in the culture in which you are in, you will be seen as an outcast.


Material Culture versus Non-material Culture


A culture is made up of both material and non-material cultures. For example, the costumes worn by the Czech girls in the picture above would be part of a material culture. The material culture is made up of objects created in a given society. The costumes represent a meaning given by culture in which they came from. A non-material culture would consists of the laws, norms, customs, and beliefs of a group of people. Not objects like the clothing but rather custom of wearing them during the cultures' celebrated tradition.


 "There is often anxiety surrounding unfamiliar cultures and much hype concerning understanding cultural differences".  - Dr. Deborah Swallow, 2009
 
These cultural differences is what makes us so unique within a mixed society. For one  culture, what might be considered "norm" could be viewed as odd in another.  What are some experience you have witness from a culture which you thought was odd?

Culture gives society a feeling of belonging and is what keeps us connected. Cultural patterns makes each individual unique and interesting. With such a diversity that exist in our world we could learn a lot from each other just by observing one another.

"Culture is  the widening of the mind and of the spirit" - Jawaharal Nehru

Blackfoot Indian hunting bison.
 I often find myself going to museums with my family and the last one I went to had an exhibit on the Blackfoot Indian Tribe, which also happens to be a small part of my husbands cultural heritage. Learning about their history and survival techniques was very interesting for it was a part of who he is.

Blackfoot people and various aspects of their society exist because of traditional values many of which has survived through the centuries. Much of their survival consisted of material and non-material components of their cultural. For example, hides and leather are a large theme among the Blackfoot, since the bison played a major role in their survival. Blankets, rugs, clothing, moccasins and battle dress are among the items that this group of people produced from the bison which is part of their material culture.

Now for Buddhist hunting bison would not be acceptable. They prohibit the eating of meat and any animal products which are the result of harming and killing of any living being. The Buddha states the only time it is acceptable for a monastic to accept and eat the flesh of sentient beings, meaning the animal died of natural causes. The Blackfoot believed the bison were controlled by spirits and that they provided the bison for their survival. This is an example that displays the important role of different religions within cultures and how they are very different from each other.



References:

Jawaharal Nehru, (n.d)  (Indian Prime Minister. 1889-1964) [Quotation]. Retrieved from

Youtube, Feb 3, 2007 Posted By eetrapper http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTswaV6d_yI&feature=related 
This is a YouTube video showing a typical Masopust celebration. This are not easily found in America but in Europe they happen every year in small villages.


"The Survival and Sustainability of the Blackfoot Nation and Culture", By James Craven/Blackfoot Name: Omahkohkiaayo i’poyi, Professor of Economics and Geography, Clark College, Vancouver Washington.
Presented at the 16th Congress of the IUAES, Kunming, China July 26-31 http://kboo.fm/node/18991
This link will give you a better understanding of the Blackfoot Indians and how they have survived the test of time. I really enjoyed exploring this website and seeing the pictures.

Patheos, Inc. Copyright 2008-2011. "Buddhism Sacred Narratives".
http://www.patheos.com/Library/Buddhism/Beliefs/Sacred-narratives.html
I am not to familiar with Buddhism but I do know that many of its teaching are very motivating and positive. This link explains more in detail.

Dr Deborah Swallow, 2009 [Quotation]. Retrieved from http://www.diversitytrainingtoday.com/understanding-cultural-differences.html 
I found this article very helpful when learning to understand the communication styles within different cultures . This can also come in handy when dealing with various people in a work place and public setting.