Thinking
about my own culture is something that I have never really done before and
trying to think of the key aspects of it in some ways is almost a challenge. The key aspects of my culture are heavily
influenced not only by where I live and have lived but how I was raised and
what I have learned in school and elsewhere. Some of the key aspects of my
culture come from my religion or values my family and friends have instilled in
me. The things that I value or the values and norms that have been instilled in
me are more than likely typical of someone from a middle class family that has
grown up in rural area.
For my
entire life I have grown up in the UP with friends and family always living
close by and always being there for support. Even now while I am up here at
Michigan Tech I have family that lives half an hour away and a network of
friends that are always there for me. The value of my family and its importance
in my life is something that was instilled in my belief system since I was
young. From a young age I was taught that family comes first, this was
something that was easy for me to grasp because I have two younger brothers
that I have looked out for since I was young. Having to watch out for them got
me to realize that having someone there for me when I need it is important if I
run into trouble. This might differ from someone who does not like their family
or view them in the same way that I do. For
example I might differ from someone that was an only child who might have been
given whatever they wanted and only worried about themselves.
Another thing that is important to me
is to treat people with respect and to treat them how I would want to be
treated. This golden rule was instilled in me at very young age by my parents
and has allowed me to gain many friends as I have grown up. This is important
when you are young because it helps you learn how to act in groups and to get
along with people. The idea of respecting everyone and their beliefs has also
instilled in me the value of acceptance. The value of acceptance is something
that is fairly important to me because if I can’t accept others viewpoints or
beliefs I feel as though I am missing out on a way of thinking about things
even if I don’t agree with that perspective. This is something that has been
reinforced over the years by my father who is a police officer. In his job he
has to look at things from different viewpoints all the time when dealing with
people that are in disputes or bringing in complaints. He would always tell me
to look at things from each perspective before making a decision about
something or someone. This has led me to be accepting of different ideas or
beliefs and adapting to be able to get along with just about anyone.
In addition to the values of
family, respect, and acceptance another thing that I was raised to value is
hard work. As I grew up I was always taught to try my best and work hard to
accomplish my goals. This was instilled in me in various ways the most obvious
to myself being through always having to earn my allowance or work to save
money to buy the next best toy or gadget as I was growing up. This was also
instilled in me through school work because I realized that the harder I worked
the better my grades were. Also when my grades were good my parents would
reward me by letting me have friends over or if it was hockey season and I
wanted one, getting me a new hockey stick. Eventually I have come to realize
that hard work is kind of its own reward which differs somewhat from what I see
with kids growing up now who seem to feel entitled to everything including
grades.
Overall the things that I value and
find important in my life are not limited to the examples I have given above
and are wide ranging with some being more important than others. Each one
shapes my actions and personality in ways that make me who I am. These values
have been reinforced through my daily interactions with people as well as my
friends and family. These values more than likely would differ from the values
someone from a different culture would have. Culture and the values within it
all shape who we are and differ based on the values and beliefs instilled in us
as we grow up and learn about our environment and interact with it.
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