How do I Define my Cultural Identity?
Within my network of friends and acquaintances, there are lots of people with whom I have at least one thing in common: I know many people who speak Spanish; I know many people who are teachers. One thing which isn’t clear though, is how I, just like everyone else, am unique, and this is something I’ve come to consider as a part of this course.
The idea of culture forming ideas of right and wrong is, for me, ludicrous. There are so many factors which one must take into account in order to consider right and wrong, that to just to such a quick conclusion would be presumptuous. The way I’ve been raised and my experiences in life have taught me the difference between the two, as well as observing what other people of other cultural make-ups do well and fail at. The fact that I am British, for example, doesn’t mean I know I shouldn’t steal from a shop, or key a car. This is something we observe and something we are taught. And even then, some Brits still see this as acceptable. I do not see this as a cultural influence.
Despite the fact I was baptised as a baby, I am an atheist.
I think it’s true that to some degree, cultural traits make you different from others, but there will always be someone who shares your views and opinions, who may not necessarily be from the same town, city or country.
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"Do well and fail at" the thing that came to mind then is., Perception of right and wrong for example if we look at another individual with a cultural make up, different to are own. Then in judging what they do well and fail at, you must consider it not only from your own cultural background and personal perception but from others too. In reality to get an accurate portrayal of right and wrong. You would have to consider all cultural perceptions of right and wrong which aren't always comparable.
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And I think you mean "jump not just"
but otherwise.very good!
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Hello Christopher,
Do individuals shape social worlds or do social worlds shape individuals?
Are control and orderly conduct learned behavior?
If so?
Why? and how does it remain so?
Society - active agents - criminalisation of behaviors- work together to contain individuals.
Fear of exclusion/insecurity and the need to be included/security/ belong - are all forces working together to keep us as individuals pressured into working together for the greater good - that being maintaining social order/social stability.
I enjoyed reading your post.
Regards
Sharon
Individual?
Thank you for your comments.
There's clearly a lot to be learnt from other people's cultural make up, which is why it's such a great thing. Seeing how people succeed and the consequences of their mistakes is something which I personally think has a massive influence on MY beliefs. Having said that, I'm the first person in my family to do a course at university, and this is an example of something which I've made a decision on based on what I've seen other people do. There's a harmony between the two somewhere!
In response to your post, Sharon, if I had to force myself off of the fence, I would say that social worlds shape individuals. It's a bit of a chicken/egg scenario, and I know that SOMEONE had to ignite trends, beliefs, hairstyles etc, but I think in the modern world, a part of being human is mimicking what we see and what others do. This, I guess, links back to my earlier point, and how we make decisions based on how people from other backgrounds behave. The reason I enjoy blogging is that I see other people's blog posts and decide to do the same thing. I'd also orderly conduct is a part of this. We all have role models from a young age, and again, we mimic their make up in a warped psychological way. My role model was my Reception teacher at school, Mrs Messenger. Reflecting on the way I behave now, I draw many many parallels with her to this day. Similarly, I see students now where I work who are friends with people five years older than them, and who copy their positive (and often negative) traits. People often expect siblings to be of the same make-up, but they are often as far apart as any two people could be (although some younger choose the elder as THEIR role model). I can definitely vouch for the former.
For me, there are defined groups within society who share many common factors. Having said this, within those groups are individuals who have varying opinions of what's seen as criminal and what isn't. A good example of this is the recent Channel 4 series: Benefits Street. In this programme, we saw one close-knit community who shared the same beliefs and set of morals. Within this group, though, some people behaved in a way which somebody who lived a Cheshire stately home would deem 'unacceptable' and others behaved in a way which other people from a Cheshire stately home may have deemed 'acceptable'. With this in mind, it's clear to me that there is no 'rate card' with this, and as explored in L161 Unit 3, the 'I am singular' is a more predominant concept.
Now back to work!
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Liked your reply Christopher.