Aspects of Cultural Experience Essay

Introduction

Variations between individuals within any culture remain a significant defining factor across the world. Koppelman (2011) defines culture as a learned system of behaviors, values, beliefs, and norms that are practiced by a given group of individuals. A belief system, social status, education, gender, religion and rituals, family, and eating habits are the most prominent factors that distinguish cultures. Creating attention to beliefs and cultural variations can provide a stranger in a certain culture a smooth opportunity to assimilate. There are values, traditions, folkways, beliefs, and norms that constitute a certain culture, and it is important to build an understanding concerning these cultural concepts. This paper provides a case study whereby I had an opportunity to visit a Spanish speaking family in Florida. The family under study is Juan’s; whom I realized is an immigrant from Puerto Rico. I had been tutored before my visit that Hispanic communities are often polite. In the course of my two-day visit and experience with a different culture, I learned several things regarding value and belief system of Hispanics. These findings will be compared to the mainstream American culture to provide a clear picture about the uniqueness of the Hispanic culture.

The cultural concepts

The main cultural concepts that are reflected in this discussion include tradition, beliefs, folkways, norms, and values. Tradition refers to the customs, rituals, and habits in a particular society. For instance, the eating habits, family customs, and etiquette among the Hispanic society are different from the mainstream American culture. During my visit, I established that Hispanics believe that visitors must be offered something to eat. Folkways involve some specific behavior followed by a certain ethnic group. For example, I established that visitors are normally accorded a high level of respect and privacy. Beliefs are defined as attitudes and ideologies of a certain ethnic group (Noble, Lacasa, & Noble, 1991). Hispanics believe that formal greetings are a sign of respect. Values entail the ethical measures that define civility. The Hispanics have various approved set of rules to guide them and the failure to adhere to these guidelines may lead to sanctioning.

The Hispanic culture

Hispanic is a term coined by the U.S government during the mid-20^th Century to provide a general reference to a large, but diverse, population linked to Spanish origin. The Hispanic culture has many key features that distinguish them from the mainstream American culture. These features include the concept of family, social organization, communication, greetings, etiquette, and eating habits. In most cases, observations regarding values and beliefs are established on scientific observations. According to Lichter, Brown, Qian, and Carmalt (2007), Hispanics tend to maintain firm eye contact and make more body conduct. Contrary, based on my experience during the visit, I did not establish frequent body contact. The frequent conduct was only observed in exceptional cases based on certain social contexts involving married couples. Most of the differences between Hispanics and the mainstream American people revolve around the eating, habits, family organization, music, and what every culture considers respectful.

The family

In the Hispanic communities, the family is highly prioritized unlike the case with the mainstream American societies. During my visit, I realized that family members are ever concerned about each other. Extended families live together or near each other and perform most of the activities as a clan. Firm bonds and frequent visits are very common during the day and early in the night. Besides, they keep close contact with their relatives in the motherland through telephone contacts. For instance, in the evening, I realized that there was a session to make phone calls to family members around and out of the United States. I also learned that Hispanics share roles based on gender with men being providers and women taking care of the family.

Ideally, one strong assumption that developed during my observation was that Hispanics prioritize family issues ahead of personal matters. This perception about the Hispanic culture has propagated an erroneous belief that the spirit of communism prevents personal growth. Based on my observations, there is a need to differentiate between being collaborative and caring from being inactive and dependent. Even though Hispanics regard independence as being disloyal, they do not intend to promote reliance on others, but rather they call for cooperation. On the contrary, the mainstream American culture emphasizes individualism, independence, and personal fulfillment (Kanellos, 1994). Family members are encouraged to act independently. Children are trained to act independently early in life, and only members of the nuclear family are encouraged to stay around each other.

Moreover, the patriarchal nature of the family I visited presented a platform for the children to learn to respect others by showing respect for the extended family members. The young children manifested the ability to learn to be responsible and cooperative. Even though there is a growing perception that the male’s authority is relaxing as the women’s role is strengthening, I realized that Hispanic culture continues to recognize male dominance. For instance, Juan seemed to enjoy prestige and authority, and his son manifested more independence than his elder sister did. Hispanic families invite companion parents or other adults to provide advice for the children and should be responsive to the child’s requirements when necessary (Parvis, 2013). This aspect manifests the trust that Hispanics accord to other adults.

Etiquette

Hispanics act in a formal manner when they interact with each other. As Juan introduced me to his family, I realized that a firm handshake was appreciated as a greeting. I also realized that a hug and a light kiss on the cheek are acceptable greetings between men and women. Communication involves gestures and body language to ensure the message is conveyed effectively (Kanellos, 1994). Hispanics value limited verbal expressions when conversing with elderly people or authority figures. Besides, I learned that Hispanics avoid eye contact when speaking or listening to the elderly and authority figures. The type of dressing and appearance matters a lot since they create a feeling of honor, respect, and pride. Hispanics are relatively flexible concerning punctuality compared to the mainstream Americans. For example, in Juan’s house, guests invited for 7 P.M. dinner did not show up until 9 P.M. This aspect suggested that being late for an event or invitation is a socially acceptable behavior.

Eating habits

In Hispanic families, three main meals are served daily. A light meal is served for breakfast, the main meal during lunchtime and supper concludes the day’s meals in the evening. Mid-day and evening meals are vital moments for the family to come together. When guests are present, I realized that after meals are a time to talk and share about experiences. When food is served to guests or extra servings are provided such as drinks, Hispanics tend to accept when the offer is presented for a second or third time.

However, when I visited Juan’s family, I realized that I was guilty of wide generalizations I had about the Hispanics. I realized that most of the conclusions about cultural differences are normally based on the people’s inability to link with that culture. For example, Hispanics often welcome other cultures with a few exceptions and politeness (Muñoz‐García & Saroglou, 2008). This deferential approach should not be mistaken for weakness or inferiority. Understanding other cultures can take time and effort, but it is necessary to avoid cultural and ethnic stereotypes when interacting with other cultures (Koppelman, 2011). For instance, during my two-day visit I established that the tendency to avoid eye conduct was only common when addressing authority figures. Across peers or in the family, eye conduct is an important aspect since it is viewed as a measure of attentiveness.

Conclusion

When interacting with other cultures, appropriate observation skills, and proper questions are necessary. Sufficient insight may be gained by observing how individuals of a common culture socialize with one another. Besides, it is wise to ask questions since most people are willing to shed light on their culture. These insights create unbiased view concerning a certain culture. In this case, I established that learning a few courteous expressions in Hispanic has positive implications. Similarly, acknowledging for the food and reception from Hispanics means a lot to them and lead to positive view about other cultures. However, my argument is not that there is no cultural diversity. Cultural differences exist and can be essential to the fabric of life. My observation is that people in different cultures share many aspects. When the cultural stereotypes are eliminated, there are no many differences as they are similarities.

References

Kanellos, N. (1994). Handbook of Hispanic cultures in the United States. Houston, TX: Arte Público Press.

Koppelman, K. (2011). Perspectives on human differences. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Lichter, D., Brown, J., Qian, Z., & Carmalt, J. (2007). Marital assimilation among Hispanics: evidence of declining cultural and economic incorporation? Social Science Quarterly, 88(3), 745-765.

Muñoz‐García, A., & Saroglou, V. (2008). Believing literally versus symbolically: values and personality correlates among Spanish students. Journal of Beliefs & Values, 29(3), 233-241.

Noble, J., Lacasa, J., & Noble, J. (1991). The Hispanic way. Lincolnwood, IL: Passport Books.

Parvis, L. (2013). Understanding cultural diversity in today’s complex world. Lexington, MA: Embrace Publications.