Culture
Identity and Assimilation
Cultural Identity
Cultural Assimilation
Agents that Transmit Culture
Sources of Cultural Identity
Race
Important because of its cultural meaning in any society (not just biological factors), always evolving, racism
Sex and Gender
Defined on a basis of physical characteristics (reproduction), gender roles and behaviors, society rules for gender, vary from different societies
Health
Physical, mental, emotional states, medical profession dictates these rules, varies from societies (holistic, acupuncture, faith healing)
Ability and Disability
Defined by society's views of physical, emotional, mental ability
Social Class
Where someone is ranked in relationship to others in society, difference in society (movement in U.S., stuck in India)
Ethnicity and Nationality
Defined according to knowledge, beliefs, and behavior patterns shared by a group of people with the same history and possibly language
Religion and Spirituality
Shared set of ideas about the relationship of the earth and the people on it to a deity, shared set of moral values to enhance relationship
Geographic Location and Region
Characteristics of an ecological environment, may also include characteristics of community (rural, urban, etc), climate
Age
Length of time an individual had been alive and the state of physical and mental development they have attained, also responsibilities and abilities
Sexuality
Patterns of sexual self-identification, behavior, and interpersonal relationships, growing evidence of biological characteristics, U.S (male and female), Lakota Sioux (male-male, male-female, female-female, female-male)
Language
System of shared vocal sounds and nonverbal behaviors used to communicate
Social Status
Prestige, social esteem, and honor given to an individual or group from another individual or group (not based on money but other qualities)
Assimilation Theories
Anglo Conformity
Early immigrants to the United States/North America were mostly Anglo immigrants from Europe. They believed their views were the only way and even passed legislation so other cultures would be abolished.
Melting Pot
The term comes from a play The Melting-Pot (pr. 1908) by Israel Zangwill that celebrated interracial marriage. The main theme of this theory is that immigrants would all come to America with their traditions and cultures and come out on the other side as part of a homogeneous culture.
Multiculturalism
Minorities and immigrants are encouraged to share their culture instead of assimilating to another. Began in the 1960's due to the Civil Rights Movement and immigration reform.
In Your Classroom
2. Consensus on rules of conduct
3. Learning Adaptations
Video Starter Questions
2. Is globalization a good thing or a bad thing? Explain.
3. Why do we value culture so much?
Feel free to talk about other questions you have or anything else you want to discuss about these video clips.
Small Group Discussion
Question #1
1. How could you explain Steven's apparent ambivalence toward college?
2. Why do you think Steven needs to find himself?
Question #2
1. To what would attribute this?
2. Did you automatically assume Michael was of a certain race or ethnicity? Why or why not?
3. How is this related to cultural identity and assimilation?
Question #3
Shameka identifies herself as African American now, not because of what she thinks but because of what everybody else thinks. It's just become easier, she says. In seventh and eighth grade, soon after her father left, Shameka saw a counselor on a regular basis. She told her counselor that sometimes she doesn't feel like a black person because in many ways she was raised white. When she was younger, she would tell the counselor, she used to wish that she was just one race, because then she could say that's what she was and it was less confusing for people. But that wish created a dilemma for her. She felt that if she just said she was black, then she was denying her white side. And if she said she was white, she was denying the other side.
1. How could you help Shameka understand her internal conflicts?
2. If you were her classroom teacher, how could you make things easier for her in the classroom for her, or others feeling the same conflict?
A Resource for You!
Thanks for listening!
Website: https://www.smore.com/ut19-culture