Cultural Self Reflection

Cultural Self Reflection Essay                                                                                                         1











Culture

Communications 40164

Joe Germaine

6-6-11

Undraye Howard













Cultural Self Reflection Essay                                                                                                         2

Culture is defined as learned patterns of perception, values, and behaviors, shared by a group of people, that are dynamic and heterogeneous (Martin & Nakayama, 2011). When we are brought into this world, there are people, situations, and environments that lead to the development of who we become, and what we stand for as people. Culture is the way we look at our surroundings.

There are a few factors that need to be considered when talking about culture. They are: Culture is learned, Culture involves perceptions and values, Culture involves feelings, Culture is shared, Culture is expressed as behavior, and Culture is dynamic and heterogeneous.

Culture is learned is referring to the fact that we are all innocent when we are born. We don’t have any idea of how to act other than the instincts we are born with. We learn how to act from the other people that we are around, most likely our family members. This process usually takes some time to adapt to. This process is called socialization. We tend to take on the traits and action of those we are close to.

Culture involves perceptions and values in which we “share perceptions, or ways of looking at the world (Martin & Nakayama, 2011). This is how we process all of the people and places that are a part of our culture.

Culture involves feelings describes the comfort level we experience when we are in our culture. When we are in our own cultural surroundings we feel a sense of familiarity and a certain level of comfort in the space, behavior, and actions of others (Martin & Nakayama, 2011). This process is...