Cultural Adaptation And Change : A New World

If the change in behavior of one individual is a natural act results from internal transformation and external influences, then cultural change is an inscrutable mystery. Which factor is influential enough to cause a change in a society composed of individuals with different thoughts? There is no definite answer to this question, because there never exists one solid element that changes an entire society. There is always a combination of reasons behind such changes. However, there is always one solid factor which is present that makes culture change. In “The Power of Context”, Malcolm Gladwell describes how the crime rate suddenly “went into a precipitous decline” (151) due to changes of “the smallest details of the immediate environment” (155). On the contrary, in her text “An Army of One: Me”, Jean Twenge discusses how society systematically built Generation Me, a cultural change that happens gradually over decades. Although Gladwell and Twenge’s arguments concerning cultural change seems contradictory, they both consolidate one essential factor that makes culture change- an active assertion of change made by an individual or a group of individuals. Therefore, active attempt of change is an important cause of cultural change. Such assertiveness helps to introduce the change in the first place and makes it noticeable in the perspective of society, While it influences people’s mentality when behaving and making decisions.

“Culture comprises traditional ideas and related values, and it is the product of actions” (Kroeber and Kluckhohn, 1952); “it is learned, shared, and transmitted from one generation to the next (Linton, 1945); and it organizes life and helps interpret existence” (Gordon, 1964).

Another relationship Pratt says exists between cultures is the concept of transculturation. Transculturation, she states, is a process in which “members of subordinated or marginal groups select and invent from materials transmitted by a dominant or metropolitan culture” and transform it to fir their own principles by giving it a cultural makeover (Pratt, 505). But why is it necessary for transculturation to be performed by secondary, inferior cultures? It can be argued that different types of people can learn and adapt things from each other even if the distribution of power between them is unequal. Larger

Culture shapes our image of people, food, the way we dress, and even our opinion on certain topics whether political or social. Important Information. In the text such as in “An Indian Father’s Plea”, “Everyday Use”, and Two Kinds, culture impacts the way one’s outlook is on the world around them.

The foundation of human development, responds to the breakdown of its commitment to the development of attitudes and skills, which facilitate authentic personal, spiritual, and social development and the transformation throughout an individual’s life span. During an individual’s life span, the foundations of human development begin to change, as the direct result of the social environment. Contact within the social environment, such as various relationships with others, causes growth and change in human development. The understanding of culture and the importance of cultural competency are

Through Biological Anthropology has shown how this process is done and the research from different geographical changes helps in the developmental change. By studying human beings within their living habit shows how the all of the different elements comes into account in the development of humans. By breaking down the different environmental differences along with the personal’s economic background with the combination with their genetic profile determines the development of the individuals. Biology Anthropology shows what all forces both internally and externally have a part in each and everyone’s development.

The earlier historical settings gave an opportunity to the Europeans to visit the primitive cultures of the world. As time progress the settling of the Europeans in different areas provided an accumulated firsthand knowledge which defined the means for existence for human beings. By looking around us we can observe the later stages on cultures that are as a result of the process that was initiated at the late age of colonization and exploration. The culture of the people has spontaneously been affected by this occurring changes thus causing cultural readjustment that has significantly contributed to transformation and new ways of social interaction. When cultures interact, then there has to be cultural exchanges that are experienced.

The Social Ecological consist of several different levels including the individual (this case the child), microsystem (their parents, school, and peers), mesosystem, exosystem (mass media), and macrosystem (laws, customs, and ideologies) (). Each one of the different levels plays a major impact in building the foundation of the relationship of the parent and the child. While acculturation is the change that occurs in populations experiencing engaging contact with another population with different culture and values than

Nevertheless, as times change, families must adapt along with the cultures they hold within them.

Cultures should be preserved so that they are able to be passed down throughout different generations, especially as passing down information is one probable and important key to the survival of any culture. To accomplish the preservation of culture through transmission, change seems like an essential to cultural survival, instead of a potential enemy. In his TED talk, Davis (2003) asserts that “The Sioux Indians did not stop being Sioux when they gave up the bow and arrow anymore than Americans stopped being American when they gave up the horse and buggy” (14:46 – 14:54). Davis’s statement highlights the idea that change is always occurring, especially with the introduction of new technologies, and that specific individual traditions or ways in a culture do not make up the entirety of the culture. Rather, I think that culture revolves around the spirit and collective traditions of a group of people. For example, Davis (2003) mentions the story of a man’s grandfather creating a sleigh and weapons out of little material and describes the story as an example of the people’s “resilience” (18:50 – 19:56). Davis uses the practices of a people to explain their values, and in turn, to communicate their

It is almost undeniable that the technologies cause rapid changes in human relationships, cultures, and societies. While it enormously facilitates us in nearly every aspect of our life, such changes also create consequences that we do not yet realize. Almost all of us know Darwinism and Natural Selection in the biological field, but we often overlook the similar phenomena in the social aspect. In fact, resemble to the way we adapt to our physical environment, we also adapt to our social environment in order to survive and excel in our social relationships. Such adaption is called Social Darwinism. Because technologies have significantly influenced our social environment, humans are forced to adapt not only to technologies, but also to the

Several factors affect the formation of one’s culture, Palispis, E. (2007) quoted Sir Edward Tylor, “Culture… refers to that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as member of society.” (Palispis, E., 2007) In this context culture is something we acquire from the people we have lived with since we were born, it is not something a person can learn overnight nor can be disposed effortlessly.

If an ethnic group retains its formal ethnic identify but loses its core cultural practices, or the knowledge, resources or the ability to continue them, then that culture may not be able to survive. (Cultural practice, 2014). Individuals who become socialized to the norms of the larger society do not necessary give up their own original culture values and behaviors in the process of learning new ones. Because values and behaviors are largely related to context, the individual who embraces both is able to develop bicultural adaptation skills, bicultural competency and bicultural identity. This individual is culturally

The world is always changing which forces people to modify their ways of life. Some people label changes in society, politics, economics,

Change is a necessary way of life. It is all around people: in the seasons, in their social environment, and in their own biological processes .Beginning with the first few moments of life, a person learns to meet change by being adaptive. A person’s very first breath depends on ability to adapt from one environment to another. As indicated by the first quotation introducing this essay, each hour is different, offering people new experiences.