Culture is a broad subject that represents a person’s way of life and is influenced by several factors. It is composed of beliefs, values, language, traditions, and customs, to mention just a few. Major groups and divisions of culture are inclusive but not limited to high culture, popular culture, and personal culture (Valsiner, 2000). The later stands out among other divisions since it is found in all groups.
Unique culture generally refers to a set of beliefs, values, or generally the way of life of an individual irrespective of the way of life of people in the larger society. Although people influence each other greatly, each person has got his or her unique way of life. Nonetheless, it is important to mention that personal culture is influence by the family a person comes from, geographical location, and mainly the people that a person interacts with daily. People are able to develop a personal culture by selecting a variety of beliefs, values, and attitudes that suits them best. Personal culture is also determined by sexual orientation, age, and ethnicity.
For instance, the personal culture of heterosexuals is different from the personal culture of homosexuals. Similarly, the personal culture of the youth is different from the personal culture of the old members of the community. There is much about personal culture since, as mentioned earlier, culture is a broad topic. Bent on that, this essay shall compare and contrast my personal culture as a heterosexual with the personal culture of a homosexual.
The issue of homosexuals has remained to be the subject of discussion for quite some time now. Nevertheless, as much as they have been stigmatized, various researches indicate that they are normal people just like heterosexuals, and that is why the American Psychiatric Association does not classify them as people suffering from various mental disorders (American Psychological Association, 2010).
Personally, I have been curious about the life of homosexuals, and as a result, I had to interview one person by the name of John in order to search for some of their attributes. My main focus was to understand more about their personal culture. John is a young man of twenty-eight years and works as a civil servant. He went through normal schooling and graduated from university as a social scientist.
Contrary to what I had thought initially, John proved to be a man of sound mind and had chosen his way of life freely without being forced by anyone. He is a normal person, and no one would think he is a homosexual before talking to him. Economically, he is trying like other Americans, to improve the economy of America through working hard. He believes that every individual has a role to play economically, and that is the reason why he works hard not only to earn his living but also to improve the well being of others. In economic terms, there is no difference between him and a person like me who believes that every citizen has a right to give back to the economy instead of depending on it entirely.
The issue about religious beliefs is one area I was so eager to discuss with him only to realize that he believes in the existence of a supernatural being and more so, he was a catholic. Initially, I had maintained that homosexuals are people who do not recognize the existence of a supernatural being. Nevertheless, it is important to mention that the act is highly condemned in church and has even led to major disagreements, especially in some religions like Christian.
John informed me that he has decided to keep his faith in God since he believes that despite the fact that Christians condemn the act, God still loves people of all sex orientations since he is the creator of all humanity. Despite the stereotype and discrimination, John, like other heterosexuals, has decided to keep his faith in God. Similarly, I believe that God is our creator and our ultimate judge. Moreover, views of people and their opinions should not be a determining factor when it comes to religious beliefs.
However, as much as there similarities between John’s and my own personal culture, there is a wide range of differences. Traditionally, same-sex marriages were not only allowed, but it was also a taboo. John does not take such traditions seriously and does not even believe that there are any implications of going against the tradition.
On the contrary, as much as I am learned, I hold dearly to such traditions and strongly believe in the importance of preserving them and passing them from one generation to another. Still, on the same note, it amazed me that John would allow his children to choose and belong to any sexual orientation. As a matter of fact, like many other parents, I would do all in my power to ensure that my children are able to follow the traditions and the already present cultural patterns.
I hold a strong belief that sexual orientation is not inborn, and it is learned like any other behavior. John disputes that as he believes that some people are born heterosexuals while others are born homosexuals. In addition, I believe that it is the role of society as a socializing agent to ensure that children learn the right societal norms and values. On the other hand, John believes that society is only supposed to provide the right environment and let individuals develop their own personal identity.
I strongly believe that social norms, values, and more are supposed to maintain order in society, and that is why they are present in each and every society. In addition, I also believe that they should be adopted by every member of society. However, that does not mean that change should not be embraced as it brings development. John believes that any value, more or norm that does not allow individuals to exercise their personal rights, should be done away with. That is the main reason why he does not embrace all values in society, especially those that affect his sexual orientation.
As much as many gay activists are fighting to have homosexuals and lesbians incorporated in the society and accorded their rights, it is not possible due to the fact that their behavior interferes with the present family and cultural patterns. For instance, although John is not legally married, he had been living with another man in the same house, and his intention was to marry the man. I find that very strange since I strongly believe in a family pattern of a man, a woman, and children. If John goes ahead and marries his friend, his family will be composed of two men and maybe children. In addition, the sexual orientation of a person like John is bound to break the already present cultural patterns.
Interviewing John illustrated that members of society have their own personal culture, although the same is highly influenced by peer pressure and other factors. I learned that John realized that he was a homosexual at age fourteen while he was still in high school, and by then, most of his friends were also homosexuals. Although a person’s l culture may bring conflict since John was disowned by his parents, it is very important because it helps individuals face major challenges in life and achieve their life goals.
References
American Psychological Association. (2010). Sexual orientation and homosexuality. Web.
Valsiner, J. (2000). Culture and human development: an introduction. Thousand Oaks: SAGE.