...Running Head: INFLUENCE OF CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT How do culture and environment influence one’s life? Name University 1 INFLUENCE OF CULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT 2 Influence of culture and environment on one’s life It is believed that the primary connection between human beings and the world is their senses. It is what one perceives, touches, smells or hears that constitutes their later output. Information picked up by these senses is provided by one’s immediate environment. Moreover, every action taken or utterance made has a direct or indirect bearing with the culture in the surrounding. The activities one engages in and the conversations held with different individuals in this environment, all make up one’s daily life. This influence can occur in diverse ways (Sarte, 2008). One way in which environment can influence one’s life is through language. Different people come from various ethnic communities. Each ethnic community has a native language that it teaches its offspring. Depending on where one was born, and the first language learnt, people can exhibit different accents. For instance, someone born and brought up in the American neighborhood will speak in the same accent as the Americans, irrespective of their ethnic background (Sarte, 2008). However, if the person had been brought up in an African setting, his/her accent would have been different. These differences are especially evident when one learns a second language. This logic explains why Black Americans may...
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...development processes. Employers recognize that experience, education, and intelligence may not be the only indicators of who the best hire might be. Additionally, understanding one's own personality characteristics may improve one's ability to develop as an employee and manager. Therefore, it is important to understand the different facets of personality and the ways in which they can be measured. One primary area of agreement about personality is that it is a trait. That is, personality is enduring and unlikely to change substantially in one's adult life. The aim of this article is to reflect over different factors that can influence our personality. What influences our personality more? Is it our culture, genetics or our environment? I believe all of these factors influence our personalities one way or another although, one argument is that personality is neither cultural, genetics nor environmental, but, that WE determine personality. We chose - we define ourselves by our actions and our beliefs: neither of which are genetically inherited. One lifetime of experience can undo an eternity of genetics as far as personality is concerned. Even if we are predisposed to anger - to fight rather than flight we can choose to attend anger management or practice yoga whatever works. Personality Influences Personality is that pattern of characteristic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that distinguishes one person from another and that persists over time and situations. Personality...
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...Cross-Cultural Psychology Culture plays an important part in one’s life as it relates to the field of psychology. Culture enables one to define him or herself and differ from one to another, and helps one survive. Culture facilitates self-expression, through language, appearance, and behavior. Culture exists everywhere and is a product of one’s environment. The significance of culture and its influence by oneself and others will be explained in this paper. In addition, the role of critical thinking in cross-cultural psychology and the scientific method involved with cross-cultural research will be addressed, and defined. Definition of Cultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology Culture is learned, passed down, from generation to generation and strongly influences individual behavior. It is an existing element in one’s environment, shaped by oneself and many others. Culture either shapes or influences one and is what makes one human. Psychology is the study of human behavior and performance; therefore, it is vital that the cultural and cross-cultural aspects are considered in determining the cause of one’s actions. Behavior is affected by sources both biological and environmental in nature but these do not entirely explain human behavior. There must be an acknowledgement of the social-cultural conditions, in which behavior occurs. Thus, cultural psychology looks to identify the link that between culture and psychology. This recognition allows...
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...interchangeable. Biological sex and gender are different; gender is not inherently connected to one’s physical anatomy as biological sex is. When one thinks’ of the term “gender”, we are referring to the role and personalities one assumes within society, for example in American culture females tend to be perceived as more nurturing and males are aggressive and dominant. Hormones and behavior affect gender identity in significant ways each with a distinct purpose. To understand the difference of biological sex and gender, nature versus nurture, and how the environment has an effect this paper will review and explain the interactions between hormones and behaviors and how those interactions affect the determination of gender identity. Gender development starts at the point one is conceived. Gender identity is defined as an individual’s self conception of being either male or female, as distinguished from actual biological sex (Britannica, 2013). Gender differences exist in nearly every social phenomena and for most persons, gender identity and biological characteristics are the same however there are some circumstances in which some individuals experience little or no connection between sex and gender (Britannica, 2013). Starting at birth, gender expectations influence how boys and girls are treated. Sociologists make a clear distinction between the terms sex and gender. Sex refers to one’s biological identity and gender refers to the socially learned expectations and behaviors that...
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...When one assimilates into a new culture, they are often conflicted because they are put into a setting that they are not accustomed to. People who are put into a new environment often want to feel like they are a part of the new culture and not feel alienated. By letting go of some of the old traditions and culture, they are allowing themselves to experience and adapt to a new environment. Even though parts of the old culture are lost, a new cultural experience is being created which helps widens their perspective. Although things like language and cultural traditions are lost, assimilating allows for people to gain a new way of understanding the world around them as well as create new traditions. Assimilating allows for a person to experience new things that they otherwise wouldn’t have if they didn’t. In Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake, Ashima and Ashoke are exposed to the American life and it changes their view of how different their life is in their Bengali culture compared to the American culture. The change takes on a bigger toll for Ashima as she has to live in a life that she is unprepared for. When Ashima gives birth to Gogol, she realizes how difficult it would be for her to raise her son in an environment that is completely foreign to her. Although she still tries to get accustomed to the new culture, she often finds ways to preserve some of her old Bengali traditions such as when she and Ashoke are deciding a name for Gogol or when they celebrate Gogol’s annaprasan....
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...Controlling One’s Environment: What Role Does This Play in Learning Belser Walker According to the constructivism theory of learning, people learn by recognizing meaning in their present knowledge framework. According to believers of this theory, learning is done by the process of assimilation and accommodation. Accommodation refers to the process by which failure leads to further learning; where a new experience that is contrary to one's expectations causes one to change their mental representations. On the other hand, assimilation is the process by which a new experience is integrated into an existing framework. Assimilation when the nature of one's perception of the world is the same as the experiences they go through. Therefore, one cannot ignore the effect that the environment has on a particular individual because it is the basis upon which one gains new experiences. (Piaget, 1950) Learning styles are different from culture to culture or from background to background. What may be acceptable in one area may not be in another. For example, learning in most African & Asian societies is very formal and controlled. Students are normally discouraged from voicing their own opinions. Most parents, teachers and other mentors enforce strict discipline during the learning process. However, in other developed countries such as the United States, learning takes place in a less controlled environment where parents, teachers and other mentors allow Students time to participate...
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...adjustment to the environment. A good personality is often as synonymous to one’s charming appearance, healthy build up, pleasing behaviour patterns, good character, fine temperament (blend of nature, character, spirit, outlook etc), and so on. Hence a complete description of an individual’s personality would include many factors like intellectual abilities, motives acquired in the process of growing up, emotional reactivity, attitudes, beliefs, and moral values. In a nutshell, personality is the combination of physical and mental qualities, ideas, aspirations, ambitions, and interest that characterize a person. 8.2 Nature and Characteristics of Personality 2 Nature of Personality 1. Personality is something unique and specific. No two individuals, not even the twins, behave exactly the same way over any period of time. 2. Personality includes everything about a person. It includes all the behaviour patterns like conative, cognitive and affective activities. Besides, it includes his/her semi-conscious and unconscious behaviour. 3. Personality is organization of some psychophysical systems or some behaviour characteristics and functions as a unified whole. 4. Personality is dynamic since every individual has to struggle against his inner as well as environmental forces in order to bring modification and change in his personality patterns. 5. Personality is developed because of the combinations of one’s heredity and environment; and it is fostered...
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...This essay will discuss the A society according to Thomas, L (1995:25) is defined as “a group of mutually interdependent people who have organized in such a way as to share a common culture and feeling of unity”. In other ways society consists of people, and culture consists of products that people create. Culture according to Giddens (2005:45) refers to “the pattern of human activity and the symbols, which give significance to this activity”. Culture is represented through the art, literature, costumes, customs and traditions of a community. Different cultures exist in different parts of the world. The natural environment greatly affects the lifestyle of the people of that region, thus shaping their culture. The diversity in the cultures around the world is also a result of the mindsets of people inhabiting different regions of the world. There are several components of human culture namely; symbols, language, values and beliefs, norms, and technology. Symbols are anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share a culture. The simplest most everyday things are symbols for examples a wave of the hand can be a friendly gesture of hello. However, if not done properly with all the fingers in the upright position it can be a rude gesture and a great sign of disrespecattention to their surroundings. (XXXXXX) Language is a system of symbols that allows people to communicate with each other. Language can be words or sounds that are spoken or words that are...
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...defined by social status). Specifically, when addressing the gender it is defined as ones role and personality that they assume, for example in the American culture females are nurturing and the males are to be aggressive. To understand the difference of the two, nature versus nurture, it is not until body parts are maturing to makeup the biological aspect of a person and how one acts upon this maturity is the character develop from the environment. Biological Factors- Nature Before humans are born gender is determined biologically based on feminine or masculine characteristics. Hormones linked to sexual characteristics and reproductive functions are found in different levels in males and females from infancy through adulthood (Hetherington & Parke, 2002). During the period of puberty the pituitary gland releases special hormones that trigger the tendency toward a specific gender. Though there is no solid proof of biological factors being the determination of one’s identity, that we are born with certain characteristics, one would even argue the fact that if a parent is an alcoholic does not mean the child will be one as well, though they carry the specific trait it will have other influences for one to go down that same path (genetic fixity). Environmental Influences – Nurture Since the first environmental influence a child experiences comes from the family, the impact on their identity starts when the baby is first coming home from hospital based on the gender of their...
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...psychological processes that consumers go through in recognizing needs, finding ways to solve these needs, and making purchase decisions .whether or not to purchase a product and, if so, which brand and where), interpret information, make plans, and implement these” (Perner, 1999-2008.). People in today’s society perceive messages differently. The way people perceive a message has a lot to do with consumer traits and behaviors. “The behavior that consumers undertake in seeking, purchasing, using, evaluating, and disposing of products and services that they expect will satisfy their personal needs” (Perner, 1999-2008.). As human beings we are all unique and have our own opinion, this reflects on our pattern of purchases. Marketing strategies of different product and services are why purchases differ from one another. One individual may enjoy colorful scenery throughout their household while another individual love the simple more modern scenery. The consumer goes through a process of receiving a stimulus and acting accordingly. This then triggers decision making. Culture plays a role in a person needs and behavior. According to Perreau, “an individual will be influenced by his family, his friends, his cultural environment or society that will “teach” him values, preferences as well as common behaviors to their own culture.” Individuals have set of values and perceptions rather it is through family of life situations. “For a brand, it is important to understand and take into account...
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...and development, identifying one influential theorist for each. In addition this paper will include many views of the lifespan perspective followed by an explanation of how nature and nurture effect human development. Developmental theory can be defined as a conglomeration of ideas about achieving a good change in one’s society. Such theories draw on a variety of science disciplines and approaches that can provide a framework to understand how and why people evolve throughout their lifespan. Theorists in an attempt to make sense out of their observations try and design concepts that can outline a person’s development throughout life from one’s start as an infant all the way through adulthood (Berger, 2010). The influential theorists in this paper that I will discuss are: Sigmund Freud, John Watson, and Jean Piaget. Psychoanalytic theory is a theory of personality organization and the dynamics of human development that holds that irrational, unconscious drives and motives, often originating in childhood, underlie human behavior (Berger, 2010 p. 17). (Berger, 2010) According to Freud, development occurs over three stages during the first six years of life, each stage being characterized by sexual pleasure centered on a particular part of the body (p. 18). Infants experience the oral stage, early childhood experience the anal stage, followed by preschool years in experience with the phallic stage. In middle childhood, Freud stated the latency stage takes effect, when this...
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...Cultural Anthropology 1. Anthropologists define culture as all the learned behaviours, beliefs, attitudes, values and ideals of a particular society or population. 2. All cultures share common characteristics such as politics, economics, family, communication, recreation, war, knowledge, beliefs and material culture. 3. Nature: the influence of inherited biological characteristics on human behaviour. Nurture: the process of training and influencing a child through learning. 4. Arapesh: * Children were treated warmly and that both men and women participated actively in child care * Both genders grew up to view the world in a trusting way * Aggression was not acceptable Mundagumor: * Both girls and boys were treated harshly and left to fend for themselves * Women and men grew up to be hostile and aggressive * Gentle individuals were seen as maladjusted Tchambuli: * Women were tough while men were passive * Men looked after the children and the household * Girls were trained in handicrafts and were absorbed into women’s way of life * Boys were given no training for their future roles * Adult women later formed a cohesive group * Boys were excluded from major ceremonies Mead concluded that most of the personality traits we associate with “masculinity” and “femininity” are the result of early learning, not heredity. Therefore, nurture rather than nature was determining human behaviour. 5. 1) Most of...
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...Culture and Religion: An in Depth Analysis Culture and Religion: An in Depth Analysis “Religion is one element of a culture, a transcendent element of it." Francis Arinze The Influence of Religion One of the most pervasive influences in how people in various cultures and sub-cultures develop identity and purpose is through their faith and religion. One’s religious traditions - like family, tribe, or nation - anchors them to the world. Religious traditions provide structure, discipline, and social participation in a community (Samovar, Porter, McDaniel & Roy, 2013). Religion, also sanctions a wide range of human conduct by providing notions of right and wrong, setting precedents for accepting behavior, and transforming the burden of decision making from individuals to the supernatural power (Samovar et al., 2013). As such, religion responds to the basic human need to understand the purpose of life. This paper will examine five major religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism along with each of their core values and assumptions. It will examine the impact religion plays in cultures as well as the overall impact religion has on globalization in the 21st century. Through a personal reflection on religious diversity in the workplace along with an overview of the Society of Human Resources best practices to handle such diversity, it will provide recommendations on how to develop a cohesive culture that values diversity and aligns the tenets...
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...just one of these influences and they all can have a different impact. There are varying limits to which of these circumstances might be more influential than others. Culture is one of the factors that could greatly shape our current views, along with our surroundings, the people we associate with, or simply genetics. Our culture sometimes informs the way one views the world and others because although culture can play a different role in anyone’s life, the extent to which it shapes our perceptions is entirely unique for everyone. For many people, although their views can be greatly influenced by their surroundings and people they associate with, their culture can primarily shape many of their...
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...enveloped in the culture of shoes During this time of his life, his lifestyle was heavily influenced through what he thought was the best way to be approved by his peers. Though culture takes a major role in one’s views of the world, wanting to fit in, making decisions, and pleasing others around oneself are the factors that truly effect one’s viewpoints as aspects of his or her culture. Playing an instrument is a part of one’s culture due to all the practicing and traditions that come with it. In “Two Kinds” the mother tells the narrator to be a prodigy and she agrees stating “My mother and father would adore me” (Tan 22). The reader can understand that Amy wants to earn praises from her parents, so she goes through with all the rigorous training to find a way for her to be a prodigy. As her childhood goes on, she realizes that she wants to be herself and not the prodigy she believes she cannot become when stating “Why don’t you like me the way I am? I cried “I’m not a genius! I can’t play the piano” (Tan 24). At this moment, Tan is...
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