MIT Essay : Cultural Background and Identity
Definition of the word worldview can vary greatly, ranges from “we are all what we think” which has been inspired by Buddha, to a more current view being that it is a set of assumptions and beliefs that have an all-powerful effect , both on cognition and behavior. In brief, worldview influences and impacts the way a person view their surroundings, their lives as well as other people in their environment (Sue & Sue, 2003). Culture is only a single word that besets a plethora of categories which can influence a person’s thoughts, beliefs, actions and morals. Enclosing a myriad of life experiences, family values and lessons into a single word is quite a challenge. I am a product of Italian American culture.
I suppose when i used to think of cultural identity, i perceive it as what racial background we come from, what race we are. Whether it’s Mexican, Asian, French, etc… I assumed it meant what special foods we eat, and events or activities we participate in according to our background. Little did i know this is a misconception; quite a common one actually. Cultural identity is actually how you live your life and how you express yourself, the things you enjoy that make you, you. I am someone who enjoys many things, ranging from A-Z.
It is through the maintenance of culture that people often find themselves going to war. As a member of the Black community, I have gone through many good experiences that have increased my pride in preserving our culture. However, there have also been emotional experiences caused by tragic historical amnesia that have threatened our welfare. This work explains my racial and ethnical background, the challenges I have gone through, effects of these challenges and the necessary measures that I have taken to improve my profession as a counselor.
Cultural Background and Ethnicity | Free Essay Example for Students
Moreover, one of the basic assumptions of the study of the "Cultural Background and Ethnicity" is that there is a direct link between a person's cultural background and his or her identity. It seems clear that people tend to have two kinds of cultural identities: a professional or social identity which provides a person with a conception of his or her role in the world, and a cultural or ethnic identity which provides a person with an understanding of their place in a wider cultural or societal context. In the view of many sociologists, social identity involves no necessarily visible dimensions of social categorization such as social class, lifestyle, professional identity, and many more. Well, indeed there are ways of classifying someone based on this kind of identity, but the ways in which a say professional's cultural background do differ from the ways in which his or her ethnic identity is established. From a purely sociological point of view, the term identity refers to how a person is able to develop and nurture a sense of self and the ways in which that self is expressed to and recognized by other persons. In this respect, there are two main traditions in the theory of identity: one follows the symbolic interactionist tradition, which focuses on the way the sense of self and the expression of that self unfold in everyday social interaction; and the other follows a more structuralist line which emphasizes the role of social institutions and group identities in providing the material for the construction of self. Also, it seems that an identity is not inflexible and self-identity can change in the course of a person's social life; the views of sociologist, Anthony Giddens, seem critical. He argues that global modernity has transformed the world and that it is reflected in an openness of self-identity. Globalization refers to the shrinking of the world, the shortening of time, and the standardization of life conditions. It is mainly driven by the rapid development of ICT (information computer technology), transport, and international economics. It means that no one is grounded or anchored by old-fashioned local traditions and it has led to a loss of provisionality and a breakdown of meaning in the world. There is no fixed route which must be taken to get to an objective, the idea of a shared map of social life has gone and been replaced by a 'post-modern' world of signs and wonders based on the whims of consumerism. Well, the implication here is that the capacity for change in cultural background and identity is greater than ever and it is not unreasonable to suppose that this change is also facilitated by the possibilities of self-expression through the newfound global connectivity.
Understanding one’s ethnical and racial background is crucial because it helps in building the confidence needed to initiate progress within a particular community. Knowledge of the history of the black people, as an example reminds me of the accomplishments and the contributions that the Black race made long time ago. It also helps in developing a strong feeling of pride thereby giving me the necessary morale of surging ahead in terms of growth and development in different sectors.
Some people might have a different religion from the rest, and this causes a diverse in our beliefs by them not practicing the regular Catholic/Christian religion and basically determines what you can practice such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, and even birthdays.
So, in looking at my cultural identity, I am examining both my own labels and what they mean to me and layering on top of that cultural influencers that operate within my life and how the interplay between these layers works. In looking at all of the groups I listed as being important parts of my cultural identity, I think the one aspect of internalized or deep culture seen as an undertone throughout all of them is the theme of independence. I was raised to believe that as long as what I was doing was not hurting anyone else, it was okay. I was also taught early on that I am the only one who can make me happy, and that has to happen before I will be able to help others.
Cultural Diversity Essay | Community Essay Examples
We’re constantly being influences by our surrounding. Usually, our parent’s cultural background plays a significant part in shaping who we are. On the other hand, co-cultures also promote their own set of values which could easily shape our ideas about certain matters as well. These components are a part of how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive too. Growing in a Mexican household allowed me to be exposed to more family orientated events that included music, food and dancing.
My Family Cultural Background: [Essay Example], 762 words
My cultural background is Black America. Both of my parents are Blacks. However, my father has some Cherokee Indian culture from his family tree. I grew up in Miami, Florida, from my childhood until when I finished my senior high school, in the late 1960s and 1970s. I attended an integrated school where there was a mixture of Blacks, Whites, and Hispanics. Lucky enough, the intercultural integration in this school was not characterized by racism and cultural divide.
Cultural Identity Essay Writing Guide with Examples
There are different meanings and concepts behind cultural background and ethnicity. Cultural background refers to the variety of activities, such as different roles, teaching styles and behaviors, values and lessons of life, that are passed on to us by our families. It also refers to the different knowledge, traditions, practices and customs that have been adopted and practiced by particular ethnic groups at a particular time. Ethnicity refers to the dimension of cultural background that is based on differences such as nationality, religion, language, and customs. It also describes the distinctive or shared traits of members of a particular group, which sets apart that ethnic group from others. These traits can be made up of good, bad, and neutral things about the culture and can vary between families, communities, and countries.
Culture in Essays: Making Your Background Unique
There is great variation in cultural backgrounds, and in turn, there is great influence of cultural background on identity. According to Parham (2002), the cultural environment around us shapes our sharing of ourselves, regardless of being either selfish or altruistic, because it is from such environments that we pick up our competitive, individualistic, and individualism ways of sharing ourselves. He goes on to argue that the identity development process of any minority youth begins with an exploration of the meaning of the various aspects of his/her cultural background. These aspects include being different, disadvantaged, disempowered, and discriminated against or any of the various other negative attributes assigned to one's original cultural background and heritage, as described by Awakuni (2005). Social identity theory and social categorization perspective explain the influence of cultural backgrounds on identity through three related levels of social identity. These are: personal identity, which defines the individual from his interactions with himself; social identification, which, when changed in its context, may alter the sense and perception of such a group; and social identity, which may multiply by various group differences, as stated by Burke and Stets (2009). Adults play a very important role in the apperception of cultural identification and influencing the cultural attitudes of young children. In this regard, adults should have to respect the individual child and the manner to which he or she has already absorbed his or her cultural environment from the very first moment, and that should never be assumed that in isolation, change and alterations are undesirable (Larkin, 2005). Also, parents act as a socializing agent (agents of socialization) by passing on and teaching their language, values, culture, and traditions. These teachings and many other social experiences occurring in early childhood will have a lasting effect on how one's life will be and in which direction one's personality and identity will progress as an adult. As a result, one starts to adapt his or her personal traits on the basis of cultural norms and practices, which in many cases display choosing one's behavior strategies as motivated in the cultural background. However, according to Burke and Stets (2009), they see the influence of cultural backgrounds on identity as things to do with what drives someone from contributing to the social order. He went on to put into perspective factors such as socialization, relational interactions, and self-motivation as well as directs one's motives from within the cultural background. As a result, personal fulfillment and the quality of life may increase because of the knowledge and familiarity of one's culture and the means put up to promote cultural functions and practices within a culturally responsive environment.