How does Culture Affect Society

There are multiple cultural aspects that influence not only the way we view others, but also how we interact with other people. Culture is a strong part of a person’s life because it determines their views and values. The way individuals grow up within their culture can easily follow throughout their adult life.

As I am African American, my culture is very unique in its own way as are other cultures. My culture focuses on more sentimental things such as important values, religion, language, and art.

People may not understand why African Americans have such harsh language and identify us “ghetto”, because they were simply not raised around that scenery. Others view colored people as “dumb” because they feel they have an advantage. Society may not understand why colored people wear multiple pairs of jewelry. Many people also may not understand why colored people wear extensions for hairstyles. People may not understand why lots of colored people wear shiny lip gloss. People may not even understand why colored people wear different color hair wraps, or turbans. Other cultures think differently towards other people’s lifestyles or cultures because they simply grew up differently or were taught differently. Many from different cultures simply might not understand why people live their life a certain way and may question their lifestyles at times. Ethnicity has everything to do with how a person views the world but mostly has to do with the reaction coming from a person based on a race. For example, In the personal essay, “Two Ways to Belong in America,” the author, Bharati Mukherjee once said, “We would endure our two years in America, secure our degrees, then return to India to marry the grooms of our father’s choosing.” This statement shows that Bharati could have a possible shot at a normal life and planned out the future she wants, but stated in the quote “would” meaning it could be possible could not. As what someone looks like and what others think are two different things it is also two things that make someone believe.

A family only is enough to change a person’s view by others, because others have different perspectives on what family is and what family means to them. In my culture, a family is an important value because we always can talk to each other and know we are protected. Family is the most important influence on a child’s life because parents and family help children form relationships with others by forming the child’s first relationship with parents. Having both parents in the household is important also because it guides the child on the right path in life. Having no active parents in the household can cause them to be troubled kids or cause them to have problems interacting with other people. In the worst-case scenario, the child may eventually disagree with their parent’s views and decide to adventure on their own. For example, in the story “Everyday Use,” the author Alice Walker describes the mother of the story as “ a large, big-boned woman with rough, man-working hands.” Her daughter was ashamed of her masculinity, she viewed others as being judgemental of her family background as she is so she tried more to fit in. In my opinion, most children feeling insecure about their family appearance try to change their appearance to qualify to fit in with society.

Family values are important to have because it holds a family together through all. The essay “An Indian Father’s Plea¨ by Robert Lake states “As his first introduction into his world, he was bonded to his mother and to the Mother Earth in a traditional native childbirth ceremony. And he has been continuously cared for by his mother, father, sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and extended tribal family since this ceremony. This was all done in order to introduce him properly into the new and natural world, not the world of artificiality, and to protest his sensitive and delicate soul.” These statements suggest the mother goes on to say how she protects her child by calling his traditional Indian baby basket his” turtle’s shell.” In my opinion, all mothers are overly protected and sensitive about their own children that is a normal reaction. Family values are an important part to have in your culture it brings protection and the feeling of knowing you’re loved by multiple people.

In conclusion, my personal experience I had was in my ninth-grade year, my ninth-grade teacher didn’t like African Americans because she felt like we “didn’t put in enough effort” by that she started to treat all colored people differently that I noticed around me. Not to mention the class was a college prep A.V.I.D, so we did talk about different topics to get to know us, and she still refused to be an open-minded person. This situation didn’t just affect me there was one more colored person in the room, but experiencing this type of treatment I and the others were uncomfortable and non-active in topics. Family and heritage both affect a person’s view from both the world and others’ perspectives. Before a person is put out into the real world after being under protection for so long, people see new things they’re not used to and tend to judge.

There are multiple cultural aspects that influence not only the way we view others, but also how we interact with other people. Culture is a strong part of a person’s life because it determines their views and values. The way individuals grow up within their culture can easily follow throughout their adult life.          

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