What is culture?
Culture is the learned and shared patterns of behaviors, interaction, morals and laws in a society and which separate it from another group. Culture gives people a sense of identity and belonging, provides means to life's basic needs and teaches a way to achieve self-actualization. Some elements of culture are beliefs, values, norms, symbols and language. All of these things are understood without written rules and help us feel comfortable within society.
Cultural capital refers to non-financial social assets that promote social mobility beyond economic means. Examples can include education, intellect, style of speech, dress, or physical appearance. Social capital deals with the the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively.
Cultural capital refers to non-financial social assets that promote social mobility beyond economic means. Examples can include education, intellect, style of speech, dress, or physical appearance. Social capital deals with the the networks of relationships among people who live and work in a particular society, enabling that society to function effectively.
My Cultural Artifacts
1. Skype- This program is a way to connect with people across the world for free, showing that connection and interaction is important in my culture. I have many family members and childhood friends that I have not lived near for years and because of the convenience and ease of technology in our day, It is easier to stay connected with loved ones. For example, on my dad's side of the family, we have a tradition where all of his siblings, their families and our grandparents have a Skype session the first Sunday of every month. This is a way that I feel closer to them and we share how our month went and what is going on in our lives.
2. Brigham young University- This university which I attend has always been an expectation of me to go to college and BYU is a big part of my mormon culture and of my family culture for its great academic programs and high moral standards. Because I go to BYU, I am able to connect to family members who have also gone here as well as form friendships with students who have similar goals and aspirations as I do. Just being a BYU student means I live a certain way, dress and talk modestly and am religious since there are certain rules that enforce these aspects of my life. As a BYU cougar, I know the acronyms of all on the buildings on campus, I know what to say at a sport event including the fight song and "whoosh, Kevin!" and so forth.
3. Missionary tag- Serving a mission is a very common part of life in my culture and one that I chose to make a part of my life as religion often plays a role in culture as a common belief and identity between people. Since being home, I instantly connect with other return missionaries as we talk about the people we taught, struggles we had, miracles we witnessed, I also am able to connect with my brother who is serving a mission now and can understand some of his experiences better because I have been in similar situations. In my family, we pray for missionaries and we write my brother every Sunday night so that he can get our emails Monday morning.
4. Scriptures- In my culture, scriptures are like the manual that explains the beliefs, morals and goals that I have been taught and choose to live. In my home growing up, we always set time aside to read the scriptures as a family and share our thoughts with each other as we studied them. We have become familiar with certain words and references that are found in the scriptures because that is what we talk about in church, or even when my parents are trying to give us advise or teach us a lesson.
5. Mini vans- I have always lived in places where privately own cars are the main source of transportation and, coming from a big family, we have always owned a big vehicle to take us all the places we need and want to go in a very convenient way. We have gone on many road trips to explore new places or visit friends and family since those are ways that we want to spend our free time as a family. Also, in a big family, everyone wants to participate in certain activities and has certain obligations that can only be accommodated through convenient transportation. Once teenagers in the U.S. reach a certain age, they are concerned about getting our driver's license and parents need to teach them the rules and skills for driving safely and see it as a necessary part of growing up and being self-reliant.
6. Dining room table- Although the dinner table can be a place of much noise and debate, it has always been a special place for my family to share ideas and thoughts and to spend time together. This is a place where we share different parts of our day and we know that this is a safe place and time to learn about each other and talk about what is important to us.
7. Weekly planner- Time is something that in my culture has a great value and needs to be used wisely to allow a balanced life style of fun and responsibility, I have been taught to try to manage my time the best I can to be productive and achieve my goals and therefore I always keep a planner. If I forget a certain event or activity it can be offensive to the people that I made plans with and so I have learned how to avoid those situations that make me feel bad and instead make sure that I can be honest and fully devoted when I make plans and promises.
8. Backpack- School has always been a part of my life and my culture places a great emphasis in always learning and achieving well in academics in order to have a brighter and more successful future of job opportunities and needs being met. I have grown up in a home and in communities where women are not only allowed to but they are highly encouraged to get an education and because of those expectations and support, I have never imagined myself not taking advantage of opportunities to learn and to go to a University and pursue my academic goals to be a teacher.
9. Temple- this building has always been a symbol of my goals and principles in this life and gives me perspective of why I am here and what I need to be accomplishing to gain true success and happiness which is one role of a culture. A temple is a place with much symbolism and order and is something that is seen as a blessing for those who want to be there and have prepared to enter. Going to the temple means that I have made and am always striving to keep certain covenants with God that I have been taught about in my family and at church my whole life.
10. laptop- Especially in college culture, life would be much more difficult and nearly impossible with out daily and even hourly access to the internet that a laptop provides in order to complete assignments and do other tasks. I feel a "need" to be on my laptop constantly as I use it to do homework, read online articles, check emails and be productive according the expectations that society has of me as a young adult and university student.
11. United States flag- Patriotism is a big part of my culture especially coming from an Air Force family and is something that has united me to my family and many communities that I have lived in which have a similar cultural tie to honoring our country. Being an American citizen means that I have certain rights that make me free to act, make choices, speak, write and worship as I please. I also have responsibilities to vote for government representatives and to be a law- abiding citizen. Therefore, I need to be aware of laws, policy and news on a regular basis. This also means that I participate in certain holidays and know that on July 4th I celebrate my country's independence by spending time with friends, eating hot dogs and launching fireworks. I also know that when I see a flag at a big event or at school that I will put my hand over my heart and say the pledge of Allegiance that I memorized when I was in Kindergarten.
12. Facebook- I have friends and family members all over the world and staying connected to them is a big part of my millennial culture where there seems to be a need to communicate with people many times a day in order to notify others about our lives and to know what is going on in theirs no matter the significance of the event. I know what it means to "facebook stalk" in order to learn about a person I am interested in or want to learn more about. I know that conclusions are drawn based on how people look in pictures, how much they post, what they say, what pages they like and who their friends are.
13. Airplane- I have been able to travel to many places and countries and have therefore learned to appreciate, learn about and apply aspects of other cultures to mine. Since I have been able to travel to many places, I feel like I am more likely to make connections with people about certain countries or cities. When I am in an airport, I can easily navigate to certain gates or terminals and I know how to find my flight and what to do when I go through security. These are examples of some of the norms and expectations of people in public places all over the world no matter the city you are in.
14. iphone- I always have my phone, it allows me to have access to the internet, take pictures, call, text, look up the weather, check social media, use all of the applications that I feel a need to have to help my life run smoothly which exemplifies a need in my culture to have accessible information at my fingertips at all times. When I am with a group of friends at a certain event or activity, one of us is likely to say . something like "let's take a selfie" in order to document our time together and someone pulls out their smartphone since we all have one.
15. Movie tickets- Movies are a big part of modern American culture and something that conveys our culture in many ways and provides a type of language between people as they watch and quote them with each other. Most of the humor in my life comes from movie quotes or scenes that are referenced when I am with friends or family members. There are certain "classics" that I am expected to have at least heard of and know the storyline of to be able to engage in certain conversations. Movies reflect what a society values or finds to be interesting, funny, scary or informative.
16. Chocolate Chip cookies- When new neighbors move in, or their is a potluck where I need to bring a dessert, when I am feeling sad and want some comfort food or when I spend a Saturday at home with my family, I will most likely be baking chocolate chip cookies. This dessert is very common in the U. S., and is something that is enjoyable to make and eat alone or with others. It is how I learned to follow a recipe and what many moms make for their kids as a special treat after school or just for fun. It is easy to make friends when you offer food or share favorite recipes, especially deserts. At church gatherings, there are always refreshments and cookies are always acceptable and expected to be brought. Schools and organizations hold bake sales where they sell cookies or the dough in order to raise money since most people want to buy it and know how to make it.
17. United States Air Force- When I was toddler, my father joined the Air Force and has been an active duty member ever since. Being a part of this organization means that I have a military I. D. that lets me on any military base and that I have moved many times in my life. When I talk to other Air Force families, we understand what it means to have a parent deployed, what stations we could be sent to or what can be found at the Base Exchange. There are many words, terms and situations that are unique to this culture that have helped me form many connections and friendships in every place that I have lived.
18. Hiking- For most of my life, I have lived in places surrounded by or within driving distance of the mountains. I love to be outside and go hiking, and most of the people I like to spend time with do too. When we have a free weekend or it is a beautiful day, it is common that some of us well get together and drive to the mountains. It is cheap, beautiful, a form of exercise and a good time to talk to friends and catch up.
19. Germany- I went to High School on an Air Force Base in Ramstein Germany and now this country is very important part of my life. Since living there, my family is likely to sing certain german songs at Christmas, look for german chocolate as special candy stores, and take turns ordering our favorite dishes at German Restaurants. We can mention one city or castle we visited while living there and a flood of memories follow. Since living there, I have met other military families that have lived there or other German citizens and we are able to talk about the beautiful scenery and interesting tourist attractions that are there.
20. Argentina and Spanish- Since serving a mission in Argentina and learning Spanish there, so many doors have been opened to me. When I meet Spanish speakers in my community, I am always interested in meeting with them and talking to them. I am studying Dual Language Immersion and most of the students in my classes have also served in Spanish speaking countries and we are able to relate through our second language. Often our conversations are "Spanglish" as we use both English and Spanish words in order to say exactly what we want to, feeling more comfortable expressing ourselves with both sets of vocabulary.
2. Brigham young University- This university which I attend has always been an expectation of me to go to college and BYU is a big part of my mormon culture and of my family culture for its great academic programs and high moral standards. Because I go to BYU, I am able to connect to family members who have also gone here as well as form friendships with students who have similar goals and aspirations as I do. Just being a BYU student means I live a certain way, dress and talk modestly and am religious since there are certain rules that enforce these aspects of my life. As a BYU cougar, I know the acronyms of all on the buildings on campus, I know what to say at a sport event including the fight song and "whoosh, Kevin!" and so forth.
3. Missionary tag- Serving a mission is a very common part of life in my culture and one that I chose to make a part of my life as religion often plays a role in culture as a common belief and identity between people. Since being home, I instantly connect with other return missionaries as we talk about the people we taught, struggles we had, miracles we witnessed, I also am able to connect with my brother who is serving a mission now and can understand some of his experiences better because I have been in similar situations. In my family, we pray for missionaries and we write my brother every Sunday night so that he can get our emails Monday morning.
4. Scriptures- In my culture, scriptures are like the manual that explains the beliefs, morals and goals that I have been taught and choose to live. In my home growing up, we always set time aside to read the scriptures as a family and share our thoughts with each other as we studied them. We have become familiar with certain words and references that are found in the scriptures because that is what we talk about in church, or even when my parents are trying to give us advise or teach us a lesson.
5. Mini vans- I have always lived in places where privately own cars are the main source of transportation and, coming from a big family, we have always owned a big vehicle to take us all the places we need and want to go in a very convenient way. We have gone on many road trips to explore new places or visit friends and family since those are ways that we want to spend our free time as a family. Also, in a big family, everyone wants to participate in certain activities and has certain obligations that can only be accommodated through convenient transportation. Once teenagers in the U.S. reach a certain age, they are concerned about getting our driver's license and parents need to teach them the rules and skills for driving safely and see it as a necessary part of growing up and being self-reliant.
6. Dining room table- Although the dinner table can be a place of much noise and debate, it has always been a special place for my family to share ideas and thoughts and to spend time together. This is a place where we share different parts of our day and we know that this is a safe place and time to learn about each other and talk about what is important to us.
7. Weekly planner- Time is something that in my culture has a great value and needs to be used wisely to allow a balanced life style of fun and responsibility, I have been taught to try to manage my time the best I can to be productive and achieve my goals and therefore I always keep a planner. If I forget a certain event or activity it can be offensive to the people that I made plans with and so I have learned how to avoid those situations that make me feel bad and instead make sure that I can be honest and fully devoted when I make plans and promises.
8. Backpack- School has always been a part of my life and my culture places a great emphasis in always learning and achieving well in academics in order to have a brighter and more successful future of job opportunities and needs being met. I have grown up in a home and in communities where women are not only allowed to but they are highly encouraged to get an education and because of those expectations and support, I have never imagined myself not taking advantage of opportunities to learn and to go to a University and pursue my academic goals to be a teacher.
9. Temple- this building has always been a symbol of my goals and principles in this life and gives me perspective of why I am here and what I need to be accomplishing to gain true success and happiness which is one role of a culture. A temple is a place with much symbolism and order and is something that is seen as a blessing for those who want to be there and have prepared to enter. Going to the temple means that I have made and am always striving to keep certain covenants with God that I have been taught about in my family and at church my whole life.
10. laptop- Especially in college culture, life would be much more difficult and nearly impossible with out daily and even hourly access to the internet that a laptop provides in order to complete assignments and do other tasks. I feel a "need" to be on my laptop constantly as I use it to do homework, read online articles, check emails and be productive according the expectations that society has of me as a young adult and university student.
11. United States flag- Patriotism is a big part of my culture especially coming from an Air Force family and is something that has united me to my family and many communities that I have lived in which have a similar cultural tie to honoring our country. Being an American citizen means that I have certain rights that make me free to act, make choices, speak, write and worship as I please. I also have responsibilities to vote for government representatives and to be a law- abiding citizen. Therefore, I need to be aware of laws, policy and news on a regular basis. This also means that I participate in certain holidays and know that on July 4th I celebrate my country's independence by spending time with friends, eating hot dogs and launching fireworks. I also know that when I see a flag at a big event or at school that I will put my hand over my heart and say the pledge of Allegiance that I memorized when I was in Kindergarten.
12. Facebook- I have friends and family members all over the world and staying connected to them is a big part of my millennial culture where there seems to be a need to communicate with people many times a day in order to notify others about our lives and to know what is going on in theirs no matter the significance of the event. I know what it means to "facebook stalk" in order to learn about a person I am interested in or want to learn more about. I know that conclusions are drawn based on how people look in pictures, how much they post, what they say, what pages they like and who their friends are.
13. Airplane- I have been able to travel to many places and countries and have therefore learned to appreciate, learn about and apply aspects of other cultures to mine. Since I have been able to travel to many places, I feel like I am more likely to make connections with people about certain countries or cities. When I am in an airport, I can easily navigate to certain gates or terminals and I know how to find my flight and what to do when I go through security. These are examples of some of the norms and expectations of people in public places all over the world no matter the city you are in.
14. iphone- I always have my phone, it allows me to have access to the internet, take pictures, call, text, look up the weather, check social media, use all of the applications that I feel a need to have to help my life run smoothly which exemplifies a need in my culture to have accessible information at my fingertips at all times. When I am with a group of friends at a certain event or activity, one of us is likely to say . something like "let's take a selfie" in order to document our time together and someone pulls out their smartphone since we all have one.
15. Movie tickets- Movies are a big part of modern American culture and something that conveys our culture in many ways and provides a type of language between people as they watch and quote them with each other. Most of the humor in my life comes from movie quotes or scenes that are referenced when I am with friends or family members. There are certain "classics" that I am expected to have at least heard of and know the storyline of to be able to engage in certain conversations. Movies reflect what a society values or finds to be interesting, funny, scary or informative.
16. Chocolate Chip cookies- When new neighbors move in, or their is a potluck where I need to bring a dessert, when I am feeling sad and want some comfort food or when I spend a Saturday at home with my family, I will most likely be baking chocolate chip cookies. This dessert is very common in the U. S., and is something that is enjoyable to make and eat alone or with others. It is how I learned to follow a recipe and what many moms make for their kids as a special treat after school or just for fun. It is easy to make friends when you offer food or share favorite recipes, especially deserts. At church gatherings, there are always refreshments and cookies are always acceptable and expected to be brought. Schools and organizations hold bake sales where they sell cookies or the dough in order to raise money since most people want to buy it and know how to make it.
17. United States Air Force- When I was toddler, my father joined the Air Force and has been an active duty member ever since. Being a part of this organization means that I have a military I. D. that lets me on any military base and that I have moved many times in my life. When I talk to other Air Force families, we understand what it means to have a parent deployed, what stations we could be sent to or what can be found at the Base Exchange. There are many words, terms and situations that are unique to this culture that have helped me form many connections and friendships in every place that I have lived.
18. Hiking- For most of my life, I have lived in places surrounded by or within driving distance of the mountains. I love to be outside and go hiking, and most of the people I like to spend time with do too. When we have a free weekend or it is a beautiful day, it is common that some of us well get together and drive to the mountains. It is cheap, beautiful, a form of exercise and a good time to talk to friends and catch up.
19. Germany- I went to High School on an Air Force Base in Ramstein Germany and now this country is very important part of my life. Since living there, my family is likely to sing certain german songs at Christmas, look for german chocolate as special candy stores, and take turns ordering our favorite dishes at German Restaurants. We can mention one city or castle we visited while living there and a flood of memories follow. Since living there, I have met other military families that have lived there or other German citizens and we are able to talk about the beautiful scenery and interesting tourist attractions that are there.
20. Argentina and Spanish- Since serving a mission in Argentina and learning Spanish there, so many doors have been opened to me. When I meet Spanish speakers in my community, I am always interested in meeting with them and talking to them. I am studying Dual Language Immersion and most of the students in my classes have also served in Spanish speaking countries and we are able to relate through our second language. Often our conversations are "Spanglish" as we use both English and Spanish words in order to say exactly what we want to, feeling more comfortable expressing ourselves with both sets of vocabulary.
My Culture
As I have contemplated and found artifacts that exemplify my culture, I have observed some common themes. My culture includes the values of family, religion, patriotism, connection, and convenience. People are important to me and I care about what people are in my life, how often I interact with them and what we have in common. My religious beliefs tie me to certain groups of people and therefore distance me from others at times. Patriotism has caused my family to make certain decisions and has also taken some decisions for us as we have been assigned places to live and have been placed in cultures all over the USA and Europe with people that we originally did not thing we identified with. Connection and convenience are what cause a dependence of technology and a measure of laziness in a world where I don't have to work hard to look up information, travel to different places, talk to certain people and many other things.
My culture can and will either help or hinder the students I teach in a variety of ways. It will be easy for me to enforce my thoughts and morals with my students and just focus on my perspective. This can hinder them from understanding a variety of perspectives and not just those of a white, middle-class mormon woman that may see the world in a more privileged and optimistic way than most. It may be easy to assume that many others have been raised in happy, complete homes where needs have been met and therefore it will be more difficult to empathize and understand children who have not grown up in these circumstances. In my opinion, there could be a positive influence as I share my culture that has the values of being kind, honest, accepting of others and never ceasing to learn and improve which are ways of thinking that all people can benefit from.
My culture can and will either help or hinder the students I teach in a variety of ways. It will be easy for me to enforce my thoughts and morals with my students and just focus on my perspective. This can hinder them from understanding a variety of perspectives and not just those of a white, middle-class mormon woman that may see the world in a more privileged and optimistic way than most. It may be easy to assume that many others have been raised in happy, complete homes where needs have been met and therefore it will be more difficult to empathize and understand children who have not grown up in these circumstances. In my opinion, there could be a positive influence as I share my culture that has the values of being kind, honest, accepting of others and never ceasing to learn and improve which are ways of thinking that all people can benefit from.