Culture

Culture is a collection of values and qualities that one presents to society. That is, culture may begin with family, where ethnic background and religion are often elements of a culture. Even further, one may develop his or her own sense of culture. In these cases, the culture is value-driven where one takes on an appearance, a style, personality, or qualities. In doing so, one represents the culture as a reflection of the self. At the collective level, where culture tends to exist the most, it is a reflection of the group. For instance, those coming from the farEast to the United States are going to bring with them a culture that is typically going to be different, even disconnected from the Western world.

​Personal cultural identity is less diverse and dynamic. As an American female who speaks in English, the cultural identity tends to align with the typical Western norms. Cultural factors such as sexual identity and religion also tend to align with the normalized culture that one would find in the United States, where the typical traditions are followed. Therefore, there is a push to create value and establish the self as one who represents something more than normalized behavior. The person I am is a reflection of my family and environment, where there is both nature and nurturing connected to my role as an individual. There is a familial connection, one that is inherited at birth where a culture has been adopted. Beyond that, my capacity to learn from others and grow as an individual is linked to a social environment and the various segments within.

​Culture is either earned or achieved. It can be inherited or develop over time. Putting pride in achievement rather than culture is a personal creed. That is, one should take pride in the capacity to learn and grow, rather than showing pride in an identity that has been undertaken at birth. While my culture is considered normal, unique qualities should not be overlooked.

JG/AB