Since this is my first blog post here, I feel it's essential to establish one of my main topics: culture.
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, culture is the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group (1). However, culture is very broad and ambiguous, making it difficult to define it in a way that encompasses its essence (2). Culture can be broken down into culture as a group or as an identity.
Cultural Groups
Cultural groups, in a sense, share traditions, beliefs, values, and norms across all the people that are a part of that culture (3). They can be classified as ethnic, religious, linguistic, or regional.
Ethnic groups are bound together by their race, language, nationality, or cultural similarities. An example of an ethnic group is Native Hawaiians. They are the indigenous Polynesian group that settled in Hawaii several centuries ago. When isolated in Hawaii, they had their own traditions, beliefs, values, and norms. Since they were all from the same island, tied by their large similarities of race and descent, they are considered an ethnic group.
Religious groups are groups that are bound together by the same religion. An example of this would be Muslims. Because they all follow the same religion, most Muslims tend to have the same beliefs, values, norms, and traditions, making them a religious group. The reason they aren't considered an ethnic group is because they have no tie to race since anyone can convert to Islam and adopt the traditions and values of that religion.
Linguistic groups are groups that are brought together by the same language. An example of this would be Arabic. Many countries in the Middle East speak Arabic, which connects them all linguistically. While some may argue that people who speak the same language might not share beliefs or traditions, I disagree. Languages often come from similar areas in the world. For example, Russian speakers usually hail from Eastern Europe, sharing the same environment and life. With those in common, it's likely that they can relate to other speakers based on where they are from or the culture they grew up with, which explains why it's possible for there to be a connection between culture and language. (4)
Regional groups are brought together by the region they live in. For example, people who live together in the Bronx are considered a regional group. America is known as a melting pot of cultures, with the Bronx as no exception. Many people of different races, religions, and languages live in the Bronx, making it seem like they have nothing in common. However, being in the same region can connect people. Whether through the activities offered there or the experiences they all go through, they are connected as a cultural and regional group. There's a reason people know what you're talking about when you say, "I'm from the Bronx." (5)
So, despite what may separate and unite them, all types of cultural groups can relate and connect to one another. However, we can go a step deeper and analyze cultural identity.
Cultural Identity
Cultural identity is a part of a person's identity in relation to ethnicity, religion, language, region, gender, social class, etc. (6). Many people assume that a person's cultural identity is only a reflection of their culture, which is far from true. While they do take from the different aspects of their culture and apply that to their identity, it's more than that. They utilize their experiences with the world, which changes their identity the more they know and learn. So, it's a combination of their culture and their experiences. (7)
There is no guarantee that just because some people come from the same background or share the same culture, their cultural identities are similar at all. One excellent example of this is immigrants. Immigrants have the most complex cultural identities out of everyone. They grew up with one culture and have the opportunities to interact and observe other people's cultures, adding to their experiences and shaping how they interact with their own culture.
Cultural identities are a part of every person. I've had white male friends tell me that "they don't have a culture," and I hate to break it to them, but they do. Whether through their connection of being male, growing up in a particular region, or growing up with a certain religion, they have a cultural identity, and so do the rest of us. It's crucial to understand our own cultural identity and how it relates to the people around us.
Conclusion
Culture is a part of us all, and we can't really escape it. In this day and age, there are so many different people with different cultures interacting all over the world. Now more than ever, it is important to understand each other's cultures and identities in order for us to connect and trust each other as a society. My blog will delve deep into understanding different cultures around the world, relating to them, and identifying our differences to come to a better understanding of each other. If this interests you to any extent, I suggest you stick around.
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