An Analysis of my cultural experience Arriving at a foreign country at the age of eleven years old was and exiting and yet intimidating experience. High buildings, wide roads, newer and nicer cars on the streets were some of the first things I noticed when I arrived to the city of Los Angeles CA. Living in a country where you were not born in could be difficult some times. Although Spanish is spoken at a grand scale in CA, it was difficult to communicate with and understand the teachers from my classes at the elementary level since all they spoke was English. Los Angeles is a city of great diversity, therefore it is believed to be the perfect place for any person arriving from another country to not feel like a foreign, such believe …show more content…
A Muslim could be anybody who believes in Allah and the Prophet Mohammed as his messenger. Men and women do not pray together, men gather in one place, usually at the front of the praying site and women pray at a different place behind them. They do it this way out of respect for women as Muslims believe women could be a distraction since men and women kneel several times during prayer. It is a custom for Muslims to pray five times throughout the day, they believe this will help them stay away from doing unholy acts as they have to pray at a certain time regardless of where they are. If prayer is done five times during the day they will have thoughts of Allah which will help them stay away from committing sins. My expectations before visiting mosque During the last eleven years I have worked at the department of motor vehicles. I have met many people from different backgrounds and cultures. While I worked at the Tempe office, I came across many people from the Middle East, mainly Arabs and people from Pakistan and India. It was through my dealings with Middle East people that I notice how friendly and accessible they are. It was then that an interest in finding more about this culture started. When I decided to visit a mosque as part this project I was not sure what to expect. My experience is divided in two, as I ended up visiting two different mosques. On Saturday January 24 around 12:45 pm I arrived at a mosque located in
While culture, in a general sense, can be defined as the collective arts and customs of a population, it is also important to consider the broader collective aesthetic of said community. Being such, it is necessary to understand culture before interacting or entering a society as this allows one to better understand tradition and the attitudes towards various aspects, such religion and customs. When I look at my own culture, there are various aspects that shape my daily interactions with society at large and how I approach a situation. As a white male of a higher socioeconomic standing, I am afforded some level of impunity and status within my contemporaries, this due to the history of America and the culture that has been developed. Being that I wish to attend Lund University for the study abroad experience, there are
Cultural patterns are described as the preferred set of responses to different life situations. According to Kluckhohn and Strodbeck’s description of cultural patterns there are 5 dimensions or elements that address the manner in which a culture orients itself to activities, social relations, the self, the world and the passage of time. In the following reflection I will identify each one of these dimensions with the cultural patterns shown in my country.
In October we were given an opportunity to tour the Islamic Center of Akron/Kent and this was my moment to swing open the doors of knowledge, new territory, and discomfort. As I prepared for that day I wondered what I would encounter. More importantly, as an observant Jew I felt uneasy, because I was about to embark on a new experience that would put me in a room where a religion that is different from mine was being practiced. As I drove to the Islamic Center I wondered who or what I would encounter. Upon entering the Mosque, the first thing I noticed was the large prayer hall on my right. The ceilings seemed as if they could touch the sky; the windows were tall and grand, allowing light to flood in and touch every inch
I had recently moved to my new apartment, in a new neighborhood, one drastically different from all that I had known, when one day there was a knock at the door. I was not sure who it could be since I did not know anyone for miles around, and was quite surprised when I looked out the window to see a short Latina (who I later on found out was Mexican). I was able to ascertain the fact that she was Hispanic when she began speaking Spanish to me, very rapidly, when I peered at her through the window.
(Origin) When thinking about my family and our roots I identify my family’s places or origin as Germany and Ireland. A majority of my family is of German ancestry and the one exception is my grandmother and she is Irish. I identify these too places as where my family came from due to stories that I have hear from family members and to the traits that each member of my family carries. A majority of my family are all blonde hair, with blue or brown eyes which have a lot of similarities to people from Germany. My family as very few of the traits from the Irish side but the only ones the I have been told are that some people in our family freckle a lot
Religion, social economic-status and culture was what affected my values and norms that I used while I was growing up. I come from a catholic family and my parents made me go do by 1st communion and confirmation. There they thought me to always follow god and to always treat with respect people who are older than me. My culture also always thought me to always respect my parents and obey with anything they say. My culture has always thought me to never forget where I came from and to also never forget the people that help me get to where I am.
In general, I believe that we like to think of ourselves as cultured human beings, having our own tastes, beliefs and personal identity. I also believe that many of us like to think that we have an understanding of the different cultures that surround us. The meaning of culture is a combination of a “person's life experiences drawn from their family, their community, their disability, their sexuality, their gender and their personal history”(5) and as such every person has a culture unique to them. And yet within our society the lack of easy access to a fair lifestyle reflects how as a whole we do not respect everybody’s unique culture and how we do not help nor encourage people to become independent and seize opportunities. For example, Miss X has found that people are apprehensive to allow her to take control of her life. It took her over 2 years for her to be considered for independent living, despite her capable abilities. She had to overcome her parents, and care groups to allow her to have her independence, although if she had not had her LD,
The concept of culture is something that defines many aspects of one’s life. From physical objects to different ways of thinking, culture adds significance to human life and makes groups of people distinct from one another. Culture is essentially a group of people who come together with similar interests and points of view. According to the Center for Advanced Language Acquisition of the University of Minnesota, “culture is defined as the shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs, and affective understanding that are learned through a process of socialization.” From a more sociological perspective, culture is a way in which people come together in order to fulfill their needs. These shared patterns and ideas identify the members of a culture group while also distinguishing those of another group.” Culture is one of the things that sets the United States apart from the rest of the world. Not that the rest of the world is not cultural, but the circumstance here is different. Many people of different cultural backroads come to this country in search of a better life. As a consequence, the United States has become a place where many cultures merge together like a colossal pot soup.
This dialogue with Mr. C will impact my interactions with other individuals from within his cultural background. Being able to interact with him and learn about who he is and what his life is like really showed me how different people can be. Though one may assume certain stigmas about a culture does not mean that everyone within that culture share in the same beliefs and values.
Culture is a complex subject held by a particular social group, considered the core concept in intercultural communication. It varies from primary dimensions such as age, ethnicity, gender, geographical location, sexual orientation, social economic status, etc. culture, however, is “not rigid and homogeneous, but is dynamic and heterogeneous” ( Martin, Nakayama 36). It is valid to say this statement is opinioned to be true. We live in a social world in which we are not part of a unified system. Culture is not a variable, meaning it cannot be quantified or measured. For instance, being a Hispanic at a time and place is deeply heterogeneous. People who belong to a certain group culture in a particular, do not all act alike or behave the same, regardless of their cultural background. Nevertheless, individuals are stereotyped based on their physical appearance or background, etc.
to allow people a piece of sanity and balance within their lifestyle. When it comes to culture
The environment, family, and community I have grown up in has shaped me as a person. So far, I grew up in the same house all seventeen years of my life. My personality has grown and molded over the years of middle school and high school based off the lessons I have learned and the things I’ve been through.
Every country has a different culture. Culture is the idea of what is wrong or right, it is the concept of what is acceptable within our society. Culture serves us as a guide, taking us to the "right way" and helping us to make sense of things that surround us. There are many different cultures around the world. It is obviously known as the differences of lifestyle, language, race, religion, and so on. A lot of them are similar in specific ways, and others are just completely different. This difference makes people think that others from different backgrounds are "weird".
Who am I? What is the different cultures I have been allured to and what is my culture? How did I grow up? These are questions we are acquired to answer when meeting someone. Learning about me is engrossing. I have been through different cultures that has shaped me into one unique person. Culture is defined as the “integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief and behavior that depends upon man’s capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations. It is also the customary beliefs, social forms and material traits of a racial, religious or social group”, (Merriam-Webster)
Culture is defined as the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization by the Merriam-Webster dictionary (Merriam-Webster, n.d.). Everything that has happened in my life has the ability to affect my culture. The few of the big things that I think has impacted my life are GPS, smartphones, social media, emojis, and Google. These are technologies that have change the way most people think and ultimately our culture. This quote was written in an article by Eva Dodsworth, “We now rely on technology to not only speed up our processes but to reduce our own efforts (Dodsworth, 2008).” I recently have purchase a GPS watch, so I can map my bike rides. I also use GPS to assist in farming techniques, and my car has a GPS system. I keep my phone on me at all times where 30 years ago someone my age would only have a bag phone in their car because the technology was not there. Social media has been a part of my life since middle school, I remember the first time I got a social media platform. I have to check my social media accounts multiple times a day to see what everyone is up to. The creation of emojis is relatively new, but it has impacted my life by allowing me to express my emotions over text in the form of cartoonish pictures. Google has allowed me to not have to remember things like facts from history. I can just “Google it” if I need to know it. These things have impacted my culture and I think many others.