...American Culture: A Medley of Food, Language, and Religion Bre McCauley COM/156 June 30, 2013 Sheri Jens American Culture: A Medley of Food, Language, and Religion I believe it was Marcus Garvey who said, and I quote, “a people without the knowledge of their past history, is like a tree with no roots.” You have to know where it is you came from, befriend that knowledge, and use what you know to move forward, to progress throughout life and make history based on your heritage. How many of us embrace our history? Never mind the pigmentation of our skin, or our style of dress, nor the way we wear our hair; keep in mind that being an American means that we are all influenced if not molded, by several other races who speak life into the way we communicate, the foods we eat, our interest in the arts, and even our beliefs of a higher power. As a child we are taught a variety of motor skills. The skills may include, but are not limited to, using our hands, crawling, walking, and of course speech. We are expected to mimic the sounds we hear from our moms, dads, siblings, teachers, and the world around us in order to communicate everything we see, hear and feel to whomever will listen. The power of language and communication is beyond words, in fact without language, how could we communicate? What is the value of communication without language? Well, according to martinfrost.ws “there are four major regional dialects ( A particular form of language that is peculiar to...
Words: 1511 - Pages: 7
...become more familiar with a culture, more attune to the implications that the culture has on the business conducted by the people group of the culture, and more aware of the attitudinal and behavioral implications a member of a different culture should expect when working with members of the people group. In exploring the varying cultural elements, one examines the role and perception of women, the role and influence of religion, and the role and perspective of time. The cultural elements have an impact on business that should be considered by a U.S. American seeking to conduct business with members of this people group. Global Business Cultural Analysis: Turkey Primary sources serve to provide a foundation for definitions when pursuing a research project. They are also beneficial for defining terms and establishing reasons behind why one might pursue a particular research topic. When beginning a global business cultural analysis, it is important to understand what is meant by the term culture. Hofstede defines culture as “the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another” (Hofstede, 2001, p. 9). The people group focus for this study is the members of the Republic of Turkey. Though the culture in Turkey differs from that of other people groups around the world, this study seeks to compare this culture with the culture of U.S. Americans. Cultural similarities and differences influence several aspects of interplay...
Words: 5536 - Pages: 23
...is a religion practiced by around 350 million people in the world. The practice of Buddhism is a journey that involves spiritual development, insight, and self-awareness. In fact, the word ‘Buddha’ means ‘one who is awake’. A Buddha is free from greed, hatred, and ignorance. The Buddhist religion teaches people to be fully responsible for their lives. Buddhists believe every action has a consequence, and change can be made. Buddhism differs from other religious groups in many ways. First, there is no almighty God in Buddhism. Buddhists do not believe in heaven and hell, or judgment day. The idea of sin does not exist in Buddhism. In addition, the relationship between a Buddha and his disciples is that of a teacher/student, not a God and his followers. Another difference between Buddhism and other religions is there is no savior concept. A Buddha does not have the ability to wash away impurities. They believe in cause and effect. There is an action, and a reaction. Also, the concept of “Hell” is different in the Buddhist religion. Buddhist does not believe that “Hell” is a consequence, or eternal damnation. Instead, it is one of the six realms of Samsara (the worst of three undesirable realms). Samsara is a fundamental concept of Buddhism. It is the ‘perpetual cycles of existence; or endless rounds of rebirth among the six realms of existence. Because Buddhists practice self-awareness, enlightenment, and responsibility they do not judge other religions. ...
Words: 1564 - Pages: 7
...lose some of the culture of their country. They have also taken some of their culture and integrated it into the American Culture. As the years have come and gone, there have been many different things happen to many different cultures. The cultures that started out dominating the world now are found to be one of the smallest cultures left in the world. They have been shut out by the rest of the world. How do you describe decentering of culture? Decenter is defined as: to cause to lose or shift from an established center or focus [ (Decenter, 2012) ]. I would take this meaning as the focus of an established culture is shifted due to different influences of globalization. There are so many changes that a culture goes through, and with all these changes the things that were important in the beginning tend to fade out of focus as other things become important. There are many things that can be an influence to the decentering of a culture. The practices, traditions, beliefs, and history of a certain culture can become disconnected in the present day from what was originally practiced in history by an individual or group. Immigrant children that come from a second generation are an example of this. They are a great example because the children and the parents may still practice the culture, but they may live in another country and have the influence of the culture of the country they are living in weigh down on them. This influence causes the culture being practiced to...
Words: 1229 - Pages: 5
...For the longest time, religion has played a big role in society. Religion’s main role today is to guide the followers through life influencing their world views, but there is some problems when it comes to religion and politics. The problem has carried on through the ages. Should they coexist or should they each stand individually in society today. When defining religion, people think of traditions and rituals that had impressed beyond them by their family and their older generations. Politics isn’t something that an individual is taught or learned, its experience that they have got through either having hands on issues or through experiences they have encountered. People tend to lean towards the form of government that best suites them or benefits their life style in which they are living or want to live. If an individual lived a life of poverty, that individual may lean more towards a society of equality and shared wealth where class lines are more consolidated to the people in need. A staggering 82 percent of the American population identifies with one religion or another. A religious sentiment is so ingrained in society that its effects cannot help but be seen in the political arena. A religious belief is either worn as a proud demarcation of their personal moral standing and virtuous character. Due to the American party system of election, certain polarities of religious and moral tendencies between democrats and republicans have risen out of the people’s...
Words: 896 - Pages: 4
...great and wonderful area that has been impacted and influenced by different people. An important group that helped contribute to the Spanish America were African slaves. These people brought literature, religion, culture, food, dancing and even family traditions to this wonderful country. They also helped to influence many famous dances and the food we eat today. It is amazing how African traditions and cultures are still alive and today used by people worldwide. In this article, I will talk about the wonderful influences and contributions of African Americans to make Latin America what it is today. It is clear that Latin America would not be what it is today without the contributions of Africans. Literature is heavily influenced by African American and can be seen in my famous writtings.Relatos Africanamericanos is a great book that gives extensive information about the contributions of Africans. The Boy King was forced to go to Brazil, but helped freedmen and creates unity and respect among other Africans. Assistant and also worked at the same veneration of Our Sonora del Rosario. (93) cases in Cuba many blacks were forced to become communist to even publish their books and had to spend a lot to get publicity. These stories written by African Americans represent many cultures tradition. They also talk about an important issue in the world, racism. One of my favorite stories is 'The African Granny' this story exposes how racism played a role. In this story, the grandmother...
Words: 809 - Pages: 4
...Trends in Popular American Culture Gwendolyn M. Riley University of Phoenix SOC / 105 Deciding what is popular seems easy enough. It is what everybody likes or has heard about, what people are currently doing, wearing, eating or feeling. Our word popular derives from a Latin word populous which means “the people” so what is popular is what is “of the people”, it is what is as the dictionary says in one meaning, “frequently encountered or widely accepted”. In today’s society, culture can be defined in many ways. It can refers to the following of life including but not limited to language, arts & sciences, thought, spirituality, social activity and interactions. We can understand that culture is everyone in a society. This is because everyone in a society influences individual through social, political, personal and religious aspect. In the social trend in American culture, we can see how cell phone has changed communication dramatically. This is because cell phone is now accessible. I believe in the olden days, cell phone was not a popular thing but now in the new generation, it has changed. It is also because cell phone use can do things like surfing the net, texting and so on. Another trend that has become another popular American trend in the social aspect is networking such as: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and these other entire dating website. It has become so popular that people are meeting other people through these sites. It is fascinating to see how...
Words: 535 - Pages: 3
...Comparing Major Religions With regards to religion, there are many different characteristics across various cultures. One major difference is how they interpret divine beings, or Gods. Some, like Christians, are monotheistic because they believe in a single God. Other religions are polytheistic, because they believe in many different Gods such as India where there are millions of Gods. This influences praying rituals and sub groups that may focus more on one single God rather than others. Rites of passage are also important. These are transitional periods from one social status to another. Within Judaism, the Bar Mitzvah transitions young boys into men where they have to take on other responsibilities and society views the, differently. Within African cultures, each village or tribe may have their own local religious rituals as well. Despite these sharp differences, there are also some similarities. One major similarity is that most religions have some sort of organizational structure. This means that it is an established institution that exists separately of the people involved. Leading these organizations are clerical members and priests. Priests join the ranks by either going through training programs or apprenticeships. While the exact rituals by which religious leaders are initiated or conduct their work may be different, the main element of having a core infrastructure with designated leaders is still present throughout various cultures. Another major set of commonalities...
Words: 1699 - Pages: 7
...Traditional and Nontraditional Culture Paper Culture is a daily influence and important to values, beliefs, and behaviors. There are two types of cultural influences. Those cultural influences are labeled as a traditional culture or nontraditional. A traditional culture is influenced by traditions, rules, symbols, and principles. Such influences in a traditional culture are rooted in past influences. Nontraditional cultures are often referred to as modern and are often influential through principles, ideas, and practices (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). To understand the difference between a traditional and nontraditional this paper examines a culture in each classification. The Amish culture consists of values, beliefs, and behaviors that are traditional whereas the American culture is influenced by values, beliefs, and behaviors that are nontraditional. Cultural influences are important to perception and actions taken on a daily basis. Differences Between Values of the Amish and American Culture The main difference between the Amish culture and American culture is individualism. America is steeped in an individualist society. Americans take pride in our churches, our children, and our jobs. Whenever there is an achievement, we are taught to seek pride in that achievement. The Amish work together as a community, and are mainly agricultural. Even in dress the Amish are communal. The status is shown through dress, such as marital status and church commitment (O’Neil, 1997). While American’s...
Words: 1221 - Pages: 5
...and Ethnic Groups: Buddhism and Asians The world is a melting pot of people from different religious and ethnic backgrounds. The religious and ethnic groups I have chosen to focus on, are Buddhism and Asians. I selected these groups, because of my curiosity and intrigue for the ancient traditions and mystique surrounding these two groups. The Asian culture is very colorful, fascinating, and dynamic. Buddhism is a religion based on spiritualism and the development of one's spiritual growth toward enlightenment. Even though my culture is not Asian, and Buddhism is not my chosen religion, I do find the discipline, art, and the adherence to traditional values kindred to my own. I also find the Buddhist practice of meditation relaxing and very effective at calming one's mind and in refocusing your energy. Over the course of this paper, I will offer a brief insight into the religious and cultural similarities and differences between the Buddhist religion, the Asian culture, and the rest of the world, as well as the discrimination endured by both. Buddhism: Similarities, Differences, and Discrimination The Buddhist religion is unique because they do not worship a deity, as other faiths do. Buddhist followers believe that each being shall reach enlightenment without the guidance of a God or Gods (BBC Online Services, 2014). Contrary to what most people think or believe, Buddha was not a "god", but a teacher. The teachings of Buddha were merely the path toward Nirvana. ...
Words: 1657 - Pages: 7
...group’s people, lifestyle, or | | | | | |society? | |Native Americans |Native Americans were already residing in |The 2010 census reported 2.9 million |Native Americans are known because of |Throughout history, Native Americans | | |what is known today as the United States |people with Native American heritage. |their humble background. Although the |were slain, abused, and now | | |when America was discovered. They also |This number represents an increase of |majority of them do not share |outnumbered. Despite of these facts, | | |remained present at the time of the European|26.7% of Native Americans in the United |Christianity as the common religion they |the Native American culture remains | | |migration. The needs of early |States in comparison to the 2000 U.S. |believe a Highly Spiritual life though |mostly pure and has vast influence...
Words: 1995 - Pages: 8
...States, some factors influence the business practices in different cultures. As the culture, values and norms, social structure and diversity of individual all might affect the business practices. Culture is a complex factor that includes beliefs, knowledge, arts, morals, law, customs, and other capabilities obtained by people as members of society (Hill, 2011). Values and norms are the cores of the components for culture, values are general ideals about a society’s good, correct and desirable fact. Norms are the social rules and guidelines that suggest appropriate behavior in specific circumstances (Hill, 2011). I don’t know much about Islamic country, but the American culture is different from Islamic culture. Due to the religion, social structure and much diversity in the two different worlds, the business practices would affect by these differences. International business is different from national business due to the culture and society. The ethics in Islamic world, governs almost all aspects of people’s life. Ethical norms and moral codes discernable from some verses of the Quran, and the teachings of the Prophet are far reaching and comprehensive (Azim, n.d.). Islamic teachings extremely influence the observance of the religion and ethical and moral code in Islam society. The biggest dangers a company would confront in overseas is being ill information. International businesses are ill informed about the business practices of different culture are likely to fail...
Words: 582 - Pages: 3
...Religion and Politics and the effect of religion in America For a virtuous instance of how religion affects politics in our current world we need not look very distant but rather look around you. The influence of Catholicism on Latin American politics, and the role religion plays on Middle Eastern politics have had a profound affect in those related societies. After examining the effects of religion into the above mentioned societies it is clear that the introduction of religion into politics has proven to be suppressive and counterproductive to most third world countries, and various subcultures in first world countries. A very well known writer and scholar on the history of Egypt, Budge, E. A. Wallis, "Egyptian Religion and Society: Egyptian Ideas of the Future Life (Library of the Mystic Arts)". Citadel Press. August 1, 1991. Wrote, “Most scholars have concluded that, in later times at least, there was no close personal tie between the individual Egyptian and the gods, that the gods remained aloof, that their relationship to humans was indirect, communicated to him by means of the king”. We must remember that there was no established book or set of teachings, as the Bible or the Qur'an, and few prescribed conditions of behavior or conduct. Humans were guided essentially by human wisdom and trusted in their belief in the goodness of the gods and of their divine son, the king. An important concept in Egyptian life was the idea of justice. Although the Egyptian was entirely...
Words: 1835 - Pages: 8
...non-Jesuit assistant, Daniel, and a group of Algonquin Indians whom Champlain has assigned with guiding him to the Huron village. This group includes Chomina who is an older, experienced traveller who has dreams; his wife and Annuka their daughter. Daniel and Annuka fall in love, to the discomfort of the celibate LaForgue. The group met with a band of Montagnais Native Americans who have never met Frenchmen before. The Montagnais shaman is suspicious of LaForgue's influence over the Algonquins. He accuses him of being a devil. He encourages Chomina and the other Algonquins to abandon the two Frenchmen and travel instead to a winter hunting lodge. LaForgue accepts his fate, but Daniel is determined to stay with Annuka and follows the Indians. There was an attempt Daniel’s life by one of the Indians, Chomina is consumed by guilt at having betrayed Champlain's trust. He and a few other members of the Algonquin tribe return with Daniel to try to find LaForgue. As they recover LaForgue, a party of Native Americans attacks them, killing Chomina's wife and taking the rest captive. They are taken to an Native American fortress, where they are forced to run the gauntlet, to watch Chomina's young son killed. Annuka seduces their guard, allowing them to overpower him and escape. Chomina, dying of a wound from his capture, sees a small grove he has dreamed of many times before, and realizes it is the place he is destined to die. LaForgue tries,...
Words: 930 - Pages: 4
...caused discrimination and conflict throughout time. The same is true for Asians. They are people that were vary separated from the world, and when trade lines were opened so were their differences. What makes these groups different has caused pain, but their experience has been much like any other group through history. Buddhism has a unique set of beliefs and principles that are adhered to by its followers. The religion is nontheistic that is comprised of many practices, traditions, and beliefs based on Siddhartha Gautama, who is known as the Buddha (Buddhism, 2014). Buddha itself means the enlightened one. Gautama had a privileged upbringing and eventually grew tired of that life style. He searched for a greater meaning of life, and in that search he developed the four noble truths. They are the truth of suffering, the truth of the cause of suffering, the truth of the end of suffering, and the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering (Basics of Buddhism, 1999). Suffering and how to end that suffering are the center ideas of the religion. Buddhists meditate in search of nirvana, the higher state of understanding where suffering stops. They follow the Eight Fold Path to work through the understanding of the Four Noble Truths. The path consists of Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration (Buddhism, 2014). All things that oneself must overcome. Karma is part of their belief...
Words: 1173 - Pages: 5
