Culture And Cultural Identity

According to one source, cultural identity can be defined as, “The system of understanding characteristics of that individuals society, or some subgroup

According to the Hay’s addressing model, my cultural identities as a Latina woman of low socioeconomic status makes me part of non-dominant groups. My identities set me apart from the majority population which means that; I am perceived inferior than those of dominant groups. My lineage constitutes of indigenous ancestors that like me, share a darker skin tone that till this day is seen imperfect.

Though it does not come up in everyday thought, cultural identity is an idea that all humans possess. Abridged, cultural identity can be simply explained as the sharing of a similar culture by people of various ethnicities. However, cultural identity is more complex than that, defined by an individual’s values, beliefs, and ideas of moral behavior influenced by their culture. Furthermore, cultural identity is ever changing from individual to individual. This means that although two individuals may be of the same ethnicity, differences in circumstances may cause variations between the individuals’ personal beliefs. As a result of interracial interactions, multiculturalism has grown during the twenty-first century.

Cultural identity is the identity or feeling of belonging to a group. It is part of a person’s self-conception and self-perception and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality or any kind of social group that has it's own distinct culture, my culture identity is being Mexican American.

There is a Mexican man that enters with the rest of his family. They eat beans, rice, flour tortillas and etc. The family does there every day routine, the dad wakes up at six- thirty to go to work in his truck. The children go to school and the mother stays at home. The things a person does in their all has a reason which goes all back to culture. Culture is what makes up everyone different from one another. Texts such as “What is Cultural Identity?”, “Where Worlds Collide” and “Two ways to Belong” supports that depending on one’s culture it effects one perspective on the world and others.

Cultural Identity is “The definition of groups or individuals (by themselves or others) in terms of cultural or subcultural categories (including ethnicity, nationality, language, religion, and gender)” (Oxford Reference). Everyone has cultural identity even though some are unaware of theirs because their habits and traditions might be seen as normal to the person and they might not make the connection that it is a cultural tradition or connected to their cultural identity. Some people are very aware of their cultural identity and have conflict within their identity because the cultures may not coincide. Frida Kahlo’s Self Portrait: On the Borderline Between Mexico and the United States and Pat Mora’s “Legal Alien” both show cultural conflict through symbolism, conflict, and purpose.

When I think of the word “cultural identity”, I think of myself, and what makes up who I am as a person. My cultural identity influences everything about me, from the moment I wake up, to the minute I rest my head on my pillow at night. My culture influences the way I eat, speak, worship, and interact with people. However, I am not only affected by my own culture, but others’ culture as well. I am fortunate to have an extremely rich heritage, and I couldn’t be prouder of my cultural identity.

Cultural identity is feeling of belonging to a group, it is an element that is brought about when a person comprehends his/her own culture, it is part of a person’s self –conception and perception and this helps the person to also comprehend and appreciate the culture of other people as well. It is related to nationality, religion, ethnicity, generation or any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture. So culture plays an important role in one’s life because it is a strong factor in shaping one 's identity.

A person is defined, in large part, by their individual viewpoint, worldview, and self-view. These determine how we interact with others and the world. Of course, as many know, all people, especially during their childhood and adolescence but even during adulthood, act as sponges and absorb a lot of information from others, or even from Mother Nature, even if they believe otherwise. While a person’s viewpoints, worldview, self-view, and interactions with others are influenced by multiple factors, they are influenced and are defined by their personal social, emotional, cultural, and familial experiences by way of their culture identity and their social situation.

The purpose of this essay is to critically reflect on the new ideas I have learnt throughout this semester, ideas that has changed the way I understand the experiences of the Aboriginal and Torres strait islander people. The essay will also link my understanding of how cultural identity can influence health equity, using the CATSINaM’s definition of cultural safety.

Cultural identity is identifying with a specific group based on certain cultural categories, like nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, and religion. It is both built and preserved by shared insight and knowledge of things, such as traditions, heritage, language, aesthetics, norms and customs. Following the above categories, I’ll try to establish and examine my own cultural identity. My nationality is Canadian; ethnicity is mostly Irish/British; race is Europid; gender is female; religion is Christianity.

Cultural identity is defined as the sense or feeling of belonging to a group. I connect my cultural identity to my immediate family. My immediate family consists of my parents, two younger sisters, and myself. Each one of us has significant values that have been instilled in one another. I believe that they play a large role in making me who I am today. Coming from a large, Sicilian family, the importance of love, loyalty, and support has always been prominent.

Despite the centrality of culture in defining who we are, its definition continues to allude many. While some may see culture as the material relics of a certain group, such as food, dress art or language, others view it as the intangible beliefs and norms which govern our behaviour. Indeed, culture is a multifaceted and subjective construct that becomes internalized and therefore is a driving force in the formation of our unique identities. Cultural identity thus becomes an expression of our governing systems of kinship, ethnicity, race and religion, interacting with the social, economic and political world around us (Hall, 1995). In this way, cultural identity represents the extent we feel connected to and a part of a given cultural group. While identity formation is a fluid construct which is subject to evolution and influence, one could argue that people born to the dominant in-group experience a relatively smooth and unvaried transition into their sense of self. Conversely, first or second generation immigrants who have stake in two different worlds may find themselves hindered by conflicting values, practices and identities. Indeed, globalization has opened up the door for culture to flow between time and space and thus it becomes transferable (Hall, 1995). This transference has large implications for both racism and nationalism as overt differences between peoples can become a point of tension. As such, culture becomes a powerful concept with the ability to either

Cultural identity is the basis in which identification is used to express different aspects pertaining to identity and heritage. A person's cultural identity may be created by social organization, as well as traditions and customs within their lives. The two aspects that construct my cultural identity are the frequent chores I must complete every day in order to fulfill my behavioral expectations, and the youth group I attend weekly. These aspects are important to my family and me. Therefore, my identity has an immeasurable effect on my upbringing into this multi-cultural world I live in.

When I think about cultural identity, the thought that comes to mind is that there is so many cultures in today’s society and there is more to come as our world expands. So if there’s a large variety to chose from how will I know which one is my own? My answer is clear, I’m not sure, I’m just stuck to what came my way. I have adapted to the cultures both my parents and grandparents have exposed to me.