What is Culture - Assignment Example

?Part Culture – In general, a culture is a set of shared values, goals and practices that characterizes an group or organization (Haviland, 2008). This is best understood by explaining its characteristics. Culture is learned. We learn our culture through different social institutions, like the family, school and church. Culture is shared by a certain and specific group. It is shared through social interaction. For example, the parenting style of my parents may impact my own parent style. Culture changes over time, it is dynamic and diverse. Culture is an important part of anthropological research as it provides the basis of understanding the development of human life. As an integral part of one’s life, culture can help researchers explain the impact of the different changes in the society over time. Generalized, balanced, and negative reciprocity – Reciprocity is the mode of exchange. Generalized reciprocity involves exchanges between closely related people and it functions to establish personal relationships (Haviland, 2008). The return of the exchange is not immediate and there is less expectation that a return will happen. Example, my friend treats me dinner for my birthday, there may be expectation that I will treat her on her birthday too. Balanced reciprocity is an exchange of equal values (Haviland, 2008).. Example, I will give you 3 books and you will give me 3 books that I don’t have but with the same author. The transaction is immediate. Negative reciprocity involves profit, meaning one party gets more than the other (Haviland, 2008).. This is like barter. Studying reciprocity is important in anthropological research because it explains the economic development of societies. Extended vs. nuclear family – A nuclear family consists of the parents and the children. There are no other family members included (Ferraro & Andreatta, 2008). The extended family consists of two or more nuclear families linked by blood ties or by marriage. Usually, extended families live together in one house or a certain area. It is a continuous unit that can last an indefinite number of generations since the older generation is replaced by the younger ones. There is an inclination towards the nuclearization of families in the age of modernization and urbanization. Usually, the difference between both families depends on how they live or associate together. Our family consists of both nuclear and extended families. We have an aunt living with her husband and children alone, away from everyone else. We have an uncle who lives with his wife’s parents and siblings. Understanding the family structure is important in anthropological research because it sheds light to its influence in the development of the society. Kinship – Kinship is the relationship between people through shared characteristics or through cultural arrangements (Ferraro & Andreatta, 2008). It is the basis for forming social groups and for classifying the different roles and categories of individuals. Through kinship, there are different things that can be transferred or transmitted. It may be goods, values or behavior. Kinship may be by blood or by law. The study of kinship is important for anthropological research because it helps researchers understand how it affects culture. It is also important because it affects social relationships, such as friendship and marriage. How a kinship works can be seen through inheritance. Most often, the closest kin, such as the spouse or children, gets all or more inheritance compared to distant relatives, such as the children of the cousin. Example, understanding the relationship between my parents and my grandparents may explain my parents’ parenting style. Norms vs. transgressions – Norms and transgressions differentiate the different behaviors in the society. A norm is the expected action or behavior. Example, as a child I am expected to respect my parents, such as say thank you, ask for permission to go out with my friends and not lie to them. Most norms are usually implicit or informal. Since it is widely accepted, these are not written as laws as there is no need for formal reinforcement. There are also norms that are written as rules or as laws such as dress codes. Transgressions are violations of these norms. Some transgressions have serious consequences such as being imprisoned. Some may just result to a frown from the society. Example, the norm is not to burp loudly when you are eating, especially with a group of people. If you burp loudly, you commit a transgression and the people in the table will find you disrespectful or gross. The study of norms and transgressions is important for anthropological research because it helps understand the culture of a society based on the different behaviors of the members. Part 2. Question 1. We have a lot of experiences during our lifetime. The different milestones, such as birth, death and marriage, help us learn and understand our perspectives in life. It also helps us realize what makes us happy and what makes us successful. The milestones are the themes of one’s life. It may also be family, friends, things that give value and meaning to one’s life. These are also events that may teach lessons and may impact not only the individual but also everyone else around him. What makes the themes in my life important is the value that it gives my life. Without these themes, I will have an empty life. It is as if I went through my life like a robot, without any purpose and without any reason. As human beings, we think, we reflect, and we base our decisions on different things. I believe that the themes in my life allow me to think and reflect on what should happen and what else would I want to happen in my life. The themes in my life are important in understanding how my life affected other people and how other people affected my life. Life is what we make of it. Although it is impacted by culture, society, environment and other people, my life is what I make of it. The decisions I make are my own. For example, I may marry my parents’ choice of man not because I am in love with him but because I want to make them happy and I respect them too much. But whatever happens, it will not be my parents’ fault since I decided on accepting their choice. I could have chosen another guy but I didn’t. Question 2. It is a common belief that women are more emotional than men. If being emotional means an outward display of emotion, then women are more emotional than men (Weitan, et.al., 2009). Women are able to express their emotions easier than men. Women can cry when sad, angry, happy or frustrated, sometimes even when they are happy. Women tend to laugh aloud when they are happy. If not, they smile and their eyes twinkle. When in love, their eyes light up. These are outward display of different emotions. Women can also recognize emotions better than men (Weitan, et.al., 2009). They base it on facial expression and other nonverbal cues. Studies have revealed that women tend to display emotions easier than men but there is no difference when it comes to both gender’s experienced emotions (Weitan, et.al., 2009). Gender differences in emotional functioning are limited to the outward expressions of the emotion. When it comes to feeling anger, happiness, sadness and frustration, men are as emotional as women. They just have the tendency to control it. This can be associated to the cultural expectation that men should be muscular and should be strong as protectors of the society. Outward expressions of emotions such as crying are seen as a weakness. And this is passed on to generation after generation. This expectation is still evident until today although it is more lenient. There are less judgments happening today with regards to men crying compared to societies before. When a man displays emotions connected to weakness such as crying, they are ridiculed. The man, thus, tries to suppress this outward display and people think they do not feel sadness or weakness as much as women. The reality is that he just keeps it to avoid being shunned and ridiculed by the society. Works Cited Ferraro, G. and Andreatta, S. (2008). Cultural Anthropology: An Applied Perspective, 8th ed. CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Haviland, W., et. al. (2008). Cultural Anthropology: The Human Challenge, 13th ed. CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Weitan, W., et. al. (2009). Psychology Applied to Modern Life: Adjustment in the 21st Century, 10th ed. CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. 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