Exploratory Essay On Family And Culture

The term "Family of Origin" refers to the family that you grew up in - your parents and siblings, your original family. It may also include grandparents, other relatives, or other individuals who lived with you during part of your childhood. From our family we learn how to communicate, deal with our emotions, and get our needs met. We also learn many of our values and beliefs from our families. We often develop our sense of self in the context of our family of origin. Our family of origin or our "family culture" shapes who we are, determines the thoughts that we have about ourselves and provides us with examples of how to behave as well as what to expect from other people in our lives, especially how to behave and what to expect in our relationships- including our intimate relationships. (Family of origin)Our family culture may not be problematic in itself; however, many individuals seek professional support and guidance, to help come to terms with the past and the impact it has on us in the here and now. Alternately, individuals or couples may seek support to learn to deal more effectively with their family of origin today, or to prevent previous dysfunctional inter-generational patterns of behaviour from continuing, in order to provide a healthy marital and family environment. Adult awareness will help you not to repeat negative patterns modelled during the formative years. Once you become aware of the patterns of your family of origin, you can change them.

In the three cultures discussed above, while there are different variations of strictness, the partners were able to choose who they desired to court and in turn marry. This is not the case for Grecian courtships where “virtually all marriages are arranged” (Campbell, 1964, p. 124). The idea of marrying for love, while not a foreign concept in the culture, is often rejected and condemned. Often the only question asked during the courtship is “’will you marry this boy or girl?’” (p. 124). This being said, ““It is almost impossible for a girl to refuse the bridegroom of her family's choice if they insist upon it, although it is believed that a good father or brother ought not to force her into a marriage against her will” (p. 124).

Culture and identity could have numerous diverse definitions due to its nature of being “a composite of multiple integrated identities” (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel & Roy, 2013, p. 216). As most would agree, culture is what makes a person who they are. The distinct relationship between identity and culture is one where they co-exist and correlate with one another. It is the assured characteristic that belongs to a person which makes them different from everyone else in the world. Like a gene, it distinctively separates one identity from the other on a personal echelon. Aptly put, in Barker (2012), “…identity is concerned with both sameness and difference…” as it is “…deemed to be both personal and social” (p. 220). A person’s culture aids in

Everyone has a cultural identity, which most people don’t really express the fact that they do have culture even if they’re apart of the dominant culture consisting of a middle-class protestant male that is heterosexual and Anglo-Saxon. The description of the Dominant Culture though, is not what a lot of people fit into because there are so many branches of culture that someone could define themselves as. The definition of ‘culture’ that Nino and Bode defined is this, “Culture consists of the values, traditions, worldview, and social and political relationships created, shared, and transformed by a group of people bound together by a common history, geographic location, language, social class, religion, or other shared

Working in an elementary school, I have had several times when I have met someone with a different worldview than mine. For instance, I have had students that are Jehovah's Witness. Some challenges that I have had relating to those students are centered around holidays activities and birthday parties. One of my students was not allowed to participate in any holiday activities or birthday parties. Her parents did not celebrate holidays or birthdays and they did not want her to participate. If we had a special Christmas program, I would have to arrange for her to go to a different classroom. My principle would let her come help her during any special events.

Through relationships and our personal lives, culture provides values that shape our perceptions, attributions, judgements, and ideas of self and others. They are a sequence of lenses that form what we understand and don't understand, how we observe and interpret, and where we draw limits. Each individual can belong to various cultures that govern what is ordinary, suitable, and predictable when we interact with others. It forms our understanding of connections and how to deal with conflict and agreement that are always present when two or more people are together. Culture helps us to identify who we think we are and what and how it is important, these identities become factors in conflict. Cultures are surrounded in every encounter because conflicts arise in human interactions. Cultures affect the how we designate, structure, blame, and challenge in mediating

When you hear the word family, what are the thoughts come to your head? Maybe words such as blood, loving, nurturing; or even in some rare cases, overbearing, ashamed, and disgraceful. We all have a different perspective of what family means to us, but a common trend that most families exhibit is that a family is a unit of protection, a support system and that every family has its flaws.

What is family? Fam-i-ly (fam’ə le, fam’le) n., any group of persons closely related by blood, as parents, children, uncles, aunts, and cousins (Webster’s 505). Who decided the definition of family? Who has the say as to what family really means? As far as I’m concerned, anyone who is is a big part of your life, could be considered family. Although the definition of family is someone who is related to you by birth, blood doesn’t decide who your family is, close connections and support do.

Through many generation of my family, our heritage has still remained the same. The last four generations of my family was born and rise in southern area of China, Guangzhou. Both side of my family share relatively similar teaching such as working hard, be honest, and language. They share the history of going through Civil wars, China revolution, and having to rebuild their career due to war. Sue (2013) state that traditional Asian Families tend to be hierarchical and patriarchal in structure, male and older individuals occupying a high status. (p. 397) I believe that is closely related to my family and our structure. As much as we are all equal, the male is still being favor more when it comes to decision-making. Another heritage that is inheriting down is parenting style. In the Chinese culture authoritarian and directive is the key of teaching the children. According to Way (2013), Chinese parenting emphasizes strict parental control, uncompromising imposition of parental rules, and high expectation for effort and achievement. As a mother I notice that I have

According to Walsh (2012), culture is an essential component to the human healing process. With ever-perspectives and developing understandings of various cultures, the modernized populations have recognized minority cultures; however, culture is still thought as something that “non-Americans and people of color possess” (Walsh, 2012, pp. 250). Despite that the majority of the population is becoming aware of the uniqueness of the various types of cultures, people still have to convince their friends, family, and colleagues of the dominant culture that even the minority cultures matter. Walsh summarizes culture as an “ongoing social context within which our lives have evolved. It patterns our thinking, feeling, and behavior” (Walsh, 2012, pp.251).

Family is one of the most important relationships that an individual will encounter in his/her lifetime. I have often times heard the saying “blood is thicker than water” and I do agree that this quote is truthful. Many families share the same blood and the connection is very deep. Even families that do not share the same blood have deep connections that make them family. Family can be immediate or distant and can originate in many shapes or forms. In this paper I will observe my personal, immediate family and share some characteristic as well as describe in what way it relates to the family systems that we have encountered in this class until this point.

“Ohana means family and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” Family is individuals who have special meaning. At a young age, I always thought family consists of just your parents, siblings, and relatives. Nevertheless, as I got older and started living on my own, I realized and learned that family is also those who come into our lives in the time of need, no matter what through thick and thin, they seem to stay. Family can also be friends, peers, classmates, or on a bigger scale, it can be religion, sports, and co-workers.

The concept of culture has become clearer and clearer to me as this process continues. It has become apparent that culture is literally just who we are. In my opinion, culture can be the people around us, what we believe to be important, what we wish to carry with us as we grow up, and our values. It is important to understand that culture “contains words and ideas that people use to name and interpret what they experience” (Johnson 2014: 32). Culture is who we are as an individual within different groups that have developed us into the people we are today. As far as values, it

What makes a family? Some might say love, others say happiness but can you really define a family? Or can it be defined in more than one way. I was born into an extended family in the Caribbean’s on a small island called Haiti. About 80 to 90 percent of families in the Caribbean are from an African background, and came as slaves to the region. Being forced to work in plantations and fields Dominant Male slaves were also used as ‘studs’ to breed top quality slaves. As a result forced families were conceived. Before this family structure was maternal and extended. Common-law unions and illegitimacy were seen as failed attempts to imitate white norms (Frazier 1966 as cited in Barrow and Reddock 2001).So does the

No one can’t meet a family like mine’s. My family is well diversified. Every family member plays an important role in all my family’s lives. In my family, there are four people: my father, my mother, my little brother and me. My father is one who brings money home and is also responsible for organizing and planning family trips. My mother is the one who is in charge for making meals and makes sure everyone eats at the appropriate times. My little brother is the pet of the family. He actually doesn’t have any responsibilities, for he’s the pet. I am the rock of support in my family. I always go beyond my parents’ expectations. I also support my younger cousins and little brother, by being a role model that they can look up to. Another