The word, culture, has a variety of different
meanings. I remember in biology the definition of culture was a growth or
colony of bacteria. Today, I’m not going to talk about cultures living on your
kitchen counter, nor the cultures that live on your computer keyboard. Of
course I’m not going to talk about the cultures that live in your toilet. Today
I want to talk about the culture definition of learned and shared values,
norms, language, and behavior patterns that distinguish a group of people from
another group.
Have you ever heard of in-groups and out-groups? I’m
sure you have, in fact we all belong to an in-group and out-group. An in-group
is a group of people that you identify with, while an out-group is the
opposite; it is a group of people that you don’t identify with.
Immigrants, for one, have a hard time with
in-groups/out-groups. They experience high levels of stress as they move to
another nation, just because it’s hard to fit in with an in-group. This stress
is called culture shock; the
feeling of disorientation experienced when subjected to an unfamiliar culture,
way of life, or set of attitudes. Immigrants try to fit in, but it’s
very difficult. That’s why in the United States of America we see subdivisions
like China Town, or parts of a town that may be Dutch or Spanish. I for one
lived in a German community called Moltke, Michigan. My great-great
grandparents on my father side moved from Germany and moved to a German area in
Michigan just so that they could be part of an in-group. On my mother’s side,
well, I don’t know exactly how many “greats” to use, so I’ll say, great-great
grandparents moved from Poland to Posen, Michigan which is filled with many
Pollock’s so they could be part of an in-group. Cultures aren’t just inherited.
You can’t acquire a culture. You learn culture by those that raise you. Since
my great-great grandparents were brought up a certain way, they wanted to be
with others that were just like them, other’s that learned the same norms,
values, symbols, and language.
Within cultures, there are co-cultures. Co-cultures
are groups of people who share values, norms, and interests beyond their
national citizenship. I myself have been a part of a co-culture. I may be
Polish-German, but I associated with other’s that were Irish, or English, or
Mexican. For an example, in high school,
I was in the “shy” co-culture. All my friends were of different nationalities
and lived in small communities of their culture like I have in Moltke, but we
shared the same values and norms; shy, quiet, and reserved, but not towards
each other. We had the same understandings, tastes in food, behavior patterns,
and interests. I thought I could get out of the shy co-culture. I wanted to be
with the groups, such as the preppy, cheerful, bubbly cheerleaders. I tried out
for cheerleading, which was a big step out of my safety net. As the season went
on, I still wasn’t “part” of the cheerleading co-culture. In fact, it was very
stressful just trying to fit in with this new group. Cheerleading didn’t last
long for me. I just went back to my familiar co-culture. My friends and I had
the same interests unlike the cheerleaders and I. The cheerleaders didn’t have
the same interests, nor the values that I held. Don’t get me wrong. You can be
part of multiple co-cultures. You might belong to co-cultures that share the
same ethnicity, religion, music, or age group. Within these groups, they have
their own norms, traditions, or values. Co-cultures can be seen with in other
co-cultures.
As you read this, what in-groups, cultures,
co-cultures came to your mind that you may be part of? It’s an interesting
thought process going back in your family history and seeing if they belonged
to an in-group culture, or trying to think of the co-cultures that you belong
or belonged to. For one, I had fun.
Here are a few websites you should check out:
Here are a few websites you should check out:
Anthony Bourdain is a professional chef that travels the world,
finding new dishes to try while experiencing the food and customs of the
people. His show is called, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.
The National Geographic Society, since 1888, is a a large non-profit
organization that explores the worlds geography, archaeology, and natural
sciences.
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