Which Side Growing up, I struggled to define what culture truly meant to me because of the two culturally different backgrounds my father and mother grew up in. When raising my sister and I, both put different emphasis on traditions, morals, education, and generally every aspect one thinks of when the word “culture” comes to mind. How they got married is puzzling to me, but I guess these differences were what made them interested in one another. Whether I decided to follow my dad’s western American culture or mom’s Chinese culture, I elected to take a cultural relative approach in deciding; meaning, to best understand both cultures, I had to suspend my pre-existing thoughts and biases I had on both cultures. By stepping back and thinking …show more content…
Sahlins compares western modern culture - which has technology, money, and medicine - compared to hunters and gathers which only had spears, bows, and other basics. Even though hunters and gathers only had the basics for survival, Sahlins argues their ability to easily satisfy their needs is what makes them affluent. Going out to have fun versus going out and spending money relates to the hunters and gathers and western culture because one cannot simply define what having fun is and what makes a society affluent. The tribes did not have technology nor did they work 40 hour-plus weeks; however, people considered them to be inferior or less advanced. Likewise when people look down on Asians for being cheap, we are still having fun in our way because we have a different interpretation of fun. Therefore, how wealthy a country is or one's ability to go out every day to eat is not a good measure of happiness. This creates a stigma that rich people have more fun than poorer people. However, this is not necessarily true, because different cultures have a different way to spend leisure time like my Asian friends in the kitchen. Of course, this is assuming money is not a restraining …show more content…
Through different experiences at restaurants with my mom’s side of the family versus dad’s, I notice two distinct ways both cultures ask for the check after a meal. Based on observation, Asians tend to usually wave or whistle while Americans usually wait for the waiter to deliver the check. From an American viewpoint, whistling or waiving one’s hand is considered rude, but since Asians deem different situations or manners to be rude, one cannot simply criticize Asians for their actions. Conversely, Americans may act or speak in situations where Asians find the moment to be culturally rude. Therefore, by having a multicultural background, allows one to understand the different situations cultures practice certain manners. A similar situation is analyzed in a Keith Basso anthropology article: “To Give up on words’: Silence In Western Apache Culture”, where Basso examines how the same actions are interpreted differently by different cultures. He compares the western American culture versus the Apache and how the Apache deem certain situations appropriate to practice silence. He depicts when there is a death, Americans respond differently compared to the Apache. In simpler terms, Americans often ask how the affected family is for reassurance, but the Apache believe it would be better