What is Culture?

Introduction

I am writing this reflective study on culture to describe the key issues and the importance of culture in my life. Blend of different cultures makes a wonderful environment with each cultures specialities and aesthetic sense. This reflective essay is discussed below with the help of Gibbs reflective model helps in thinking systematically about experiences during a specific situation or event.

Main Body

Figure 1: Gibbs Reflective Cycle Source:

Description

I am having the idea of culture as beliefs and values that contribute to self-development like helping the people in need, valuing people etc. So it is also believed by anthropologists and psychologists that culture influences the personality trends of a person. Culture is generally defined as patterns of human affairs and symbolic structures that gives importance and significance to such activities like tolerance, acceptance, showing respect. Culture is created through communication, and it nurtures the human attitude in a society. I am influenced by the blend of culture in my surrounding that depicts unity in diversity and uniqueness of each culture.

Feelings

I have heard that culture is hereditary, and awareness of culture gives me the understanding to interplay the dynamics like cognitive thoughts, behaviour and perceptions, values and beliefs, socialisation and relationship process. Cultures are not genetic or encoded in human gene but are socially created and accepted beliefs, that is passed on to the heirs as functional blueprint as integrated part of the system. For example, I am taught in my culture to greet a teacher once I see him, this teaches me respecting others, or helping the streets dogs find a shelter or food. While walking on road if any accident takes place, my reaction at the moment is influenced by my culture.

Evaluation

I have learnt to be helpful to others in their need and respecting people to get respect in return. Like my culture, there are many other cultures also influences individual’s moral values and judgemental processes and can be identifiable across cultures. I have a mixed culture in my environment, which helps me in breeding creativity by blend of cultures and innovation of new ideas. The challenge that I have faced is the integrity of my traditional culture is sacrificed, and I and my society are adopting the best from other cultures and eradicating our unnecessary cultural beliefs.

Analysis

I am greatly influenced by my culture as well as others belief and the beauty in blending of both of these cultures. Cross-culture understanding initiates the development of society and enhances unity among people from different parts of the world. By eliminating harmful beliefs and valuing important thoughts that will help in steering the up-gradation of the society as a whole. However, changes in my cultures allow me to see others as a part of society that influences the unification of diversity.

Conclusion

It is to be concluded in this reflective study that culture of individual helps in accepting new beliefs, society gain in achieving diversity and initiates the feeling of being united. Exploring different cultures has given me immense knowledge about other people’s culture.

Action Plan

This reflection has refined my ways of thinking process on culture, and I will take optimistic initiative to remove the social barriers among the people in society and try to stay together as a single-family. For this, I will understand the cultures that are less familiar to me. This will help in building tolerance among the group of people in society and enhance social and cultural development.

Conclusion

From the study, I have understood that culture reflects on personal characteristics, perceptions and knowledge of individuals. In this context, I have a diversified culture which influences me to interact with others in society.