Monday, March 30, 2009
Creatures of our culture
I somewhat agree with anthropologist Ruth Benedict’s statement “we are creatures of our culture”. Most of our behavior is learned which in turn is developed from our upbringing. This is where our culture becomes a major factor of “who” we are and how we identify ourselves. As we grow older, I am not referring to senior citizen status, we begin to develop individualism; this is what I have experienced being raised in America. This is where we can break through the limits of our cultures. In California we have such diverse communities that it is easy to recognize the struggle members of different collectivist cultures are faced with trying to adjust to American culture and our individualism. Can we break through the limits of our cultures? I am not sure. In some ways we will always carry with us what was learned at an early age. In other ways we definitely want our own individual identity but this still incorporates some aspects of our habits, beliefs, and impossibilities.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Hello sjsueducatedfool,
ReplyDeleteThe point that you made about us carrying with us what we have learned is a good one. No matter what age we are we always have our beliefs instilled in us. When we come in contact with others and learn a little about their beleifs and practices we realize just how diverse a world we live in. I think that it is important to recognize other cultures and keep an open mind when faced with certain beliefs or ideas that we may not have previously been exposed to. With Califonia being as diverse as it is, it is important that we learn and grow together.
I agree it is very hard to break away from our beliefs and values that we learned at a very young age. I think living in California and especially the bay area we are subjected more frequently to other cultures. I think as a 3rd generation American that my struggles with culture are less frequent than that of a first generation American because my earlier ancestors have already been through the difficult process of becoming one in this great big melting pot of cultures we call America. I think we all think that our own culture is the best because of the way we were raised. Ethnocentricity is a tough battle.
ReplyDeleteCapones Mom