Do you agree with anthropologist Ruth Benedict that we are "creatures of our culture" and that our habits, beliefs, and impossibilities are shaped by our culture? If so, can we break through the limits of our cultures?
I would agree with Ruth Benedict's statement because culture is what helps shape us as humans within certain communities. We learn certain habits, beliefs and impossibilities by viewing what is closes to us when we are developing throughout our childhood, teen-years, and early adulthood. However, there are always those individuals who follow certain beliefs or habits but at the same time adapt to new ways of living outside of ones own culture. Nonetheless, people first want to have a sense of belong, which they learn from their own culture and then build confidence or need to learn about other cultures. I believe it is the learning of other cultures that allows us to move towards a more peaceful and understand civilization. According to the text, cultural is what humans make of the environment around them, so cultural can be both tangible and non-tangible styles, methods, etc (p. 343).
Have an awesome week!
Thanks,
Blondie
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2 comments:
I agree with what you said about how in order to relate we must learn from other cultures. In doing so will help us to get a better understanding and things would be more peaceful and we understand the way things worked much better. I think the same way, in order to better communicate with each other we must first understand each others differences because we need to realize that we are all individuals and different in out own ways. We all do things differently and it doesnt necessarily mean that one way is wrong or right, or the way he/she does it is better. There are always several good approaches to every situation, and by learning from others and their culture only make you more knowledgable.
Good points here Blodie. I would ask though, when you said, "However, there are always those individuals who follow certain beliefs or habits but at the same time adapt to new ways of living outside of ones own culture", would those 'new ways of living' also be considered ones culture? How would you define culture? :)
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