Introduction
It is usually challenging for most young people to understand what they want from their lives and find a way to correlate their own desires with the views of others. As a result, many individuals have to separate their private and public cultures. Most people believe that one has to change their purposes or behavior after getting an education. There are also individuals who, instead of following the lead of their families, decide to break away from them. It is possible to suggest that these are eternal issues with no correct answers, but this paper will attempt to find a universal truth and share a view.
Separation Between the Two Cultures
Many people simultaneously belong to several cultures – for example, if one is born in Spain and then moves to the U.S. According to Richard Rodriguez, these two cultures should always be separated – a person may speak Spanish at home with their relatives but use English in public (1806). There should be no intrusion of one world into the other because, as stated by the author, it may cause specific problems in character development (Rodriguez 1806). In my opinion, this is correct: public and private cultures are surely distinct because at the workplace, in the classroom, or in other public places, it is not always appropriate to use words or gestures unfamiliar to others. However, I believe one should decide for themselves if they would like to mix them to some extent. Whether it is a body or spoken language, a person may integrate some elements of their private culture into the public one, or vice versa, if it is more comfortable for them.
Education and the Search for More
Some persons believe that after getting an education, one needs to be searching for more than what they have at home. Similar to many other situations related to an individual’s choice, one may say that this statement is only true for those who want to search for more and achieve higher success. There are people who get disappointed with the field they have selected. Some suddenly realize that they want to have a peaceful village life, and their nursing degree was a waste of time. Others have no ambitions or financial need to search for more than what they have at home because the latter satisfies them. As a result, one may state that after-education development is not necessary and everyone should decide for themselves.
The Foundation Provided by Families
It may be interesting to discuss whether the foundation that one’s family provides can supersede that which society and peers expect of this person. Overall, the answer to this question depends on the particular case. For example, if an individual’s parents raised them positively and ethically, developed good qualities and guidelines for morality, and explained the difference between universal good and evil, this foundation can be enough. In other words, it does not matter where this person will live and what social ties he or she will create – basic expectations from peers and society are for everyone to be kind and avoid hurting others, and this individual can meet these expectations.
Dealing with Society’s Expectations
The crowd is usually inadequate in evaluating or judging people who, for some reason, do not fit into the framework and criteria established by society. One may say that many people are not armed with enough information or formation to deal with what the ‘public’ expects from them. The reason is the unequal distribution of resources – an issue discussed by Toni Cade Bambara in her short story. Many persons from minority groups cannot receive proper education or pay enough attention to gaining information in order to fit in the community: “poor people have to wake up and demand their share of the pie” (Cade Bambara 1351). However, this ‘share of pie’ is the minimum they need, which cannot allow them to meet society’s expectations.
Breaking Away
Finally, another interesting and controversial topic to discuss is the ability of individuals to break away from their families and the foundations provided by them. It is possible to say that all people should have such an opportunity, but not everyone needs to use it. When parents are adequate, teach good and essential things, and realize that their children are separate individuals who will eventually live their lives and pursue their own dreams, there will be no need for young men and women to break away. At the same time, some people have toxic parents who choose their kids’ futures or develop bad habits or immoral judgments in them. In these cases, individuals need to be able to run away from such families and become separated from the foundation they provided them with.
Conclusion
To draw a conclusion, one may say that the questions discussed in this paper are indeed challenging and controversial. They probably have no universal answers because each person can find their own truth when thinking about these topics. College education and family foundation are important concepts that generally provide people with additional opportunities and a basis to meet society’s expectations. However, it is always essential for a person to be able to evaluate the information they have and decide whether they need it or not.
Works Cited
Cade Bambara, Toni. “The Lesson.” Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers, edited by John Schilb and John Clifford, McMillan Learning, 2018.
Rodriguez, Richard. “Aria.” Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers, edited by John Schilb and John Clifford, McMillan Learning, 2018.