An ethnography is an observational case study that provides anthropologists and cross-cultural
psychologists detailed information regarding a particular group’s practices, customs, rituals,
beliefs, and general way of daily life (Kelland, 2021). Before this class, I knew of ethnography,
but I did not know the actual term. When I was first taught about Native Americans, I was
immediately intrigued. I wanted to learn as much as I could about their culture and how they
lived their lives. I found it very interesting that they would perform rituals for specific occasions.
Growing up close to Mexico, some of my friends were a part of Aztec tribes. Their religion was
polytheism; they worshiped multiple gods. Because I was brought up in a Catholic church, I
wanted to know why the Aztecs believed there was more than one God when I was taught
differently.
I do not believe stereotypes have any substance when viewing one’s culture. I feel that one
should not assume that a specific culture is one way or another. An example would be that
someone would say that a person likes to drink or fight all of the time because they are Irish.
From what I have witnessed, there are different personalities between rich and poor people. Years
ago, I was homeless (while I was pregnant) for about a year. It was hard to get a job because I
did not have any work experience, and I did not have a home. I basically jumped from shelter to
shelter. I was around other people who were poor. Being poor made us have a better appreciation
for the little things, like a toothbrush or a glass of milk that was not spoiled. My stepdaughters’
mother is pretty wealthy; they like to flaunt their money. When the girls are at my house, they
complain that there is nothing to do because they do not own a lot of the high-priced toys and
electronic devices like they do at their mom’s house. My husband and I have tried to get the girls
to understand that a simple card game is something to cherish because there are kids who do not
have anything. Because they get whatever they want, whenever they want it, at their mom’s
house, they expect the same at my house. According to DeAngelis (2015), research has found
that higher-class people act more selfishly and less ethically compared to lower-income peers.
They are also found to have a sense of entitlement and have narcissistic personality tendencies
(DeAngelis, 2015).
It is hard to say whether or not my culture has influenced my personal development. As I
mentioned earlier, I was raised Catholic. When I became a teenager, I no longer followed that
path. My family did not have any beliefs or specific way of living; everyone was their own
unique person. The only thing that I think may have been a cultural influence is that my family
has always been hard workers. “Work hard, play later” was something that my dad used to
always say.
References
DeAngelis, T. (2015).
Class differences.
American Psychological Association.
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2015/02/class-differences
Kelland, M. D. (2021, January 25).
Chapter 2: Culture and personality
. Social Sci Libre Texts.
https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Psychology/Book
%3A_Personality_Theory_in_a_Cultural_Context_(Kelland)/02%3A_Culture_and_Perso
nality/2.02%3A_Cultural_Studies_in_the_Field_of_Psychology
