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How does culture affect individuals?
How does culture influence individuals? Read our GP Tuition Notes on Culture to develop a better understanding of its distinctive impacts. For example, culture shapes our individual identities, such that the way we think, speak and behave, are extensions of our cultural beliefs.
“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots” – Marcus Garvey
Culture is important for the development of personal identities as it enriches our personal lives extensively. This is due to culture being what surrounds us all the time, what we immerse ourselves in.
Why must we have a cultural identity?
Cultural identity is important because it cultivates a sense of belonging. Being part of a larger community, social cohesion should be fostered through a common identity as it enriches our lives. Cultural identities shape our beliefs which are reflective of who we are and how we live our lives. An example would be how because Singapore is made up of people of all different races and religion, we have developed a common language, Singlish, which is a mix of all the different languages.
How our culture affects our values and behaviours?
Culture shapes our moral values such that we can discern right and wrong which in turn affects our behaviour. Culture serves as an important feature to impart moral values through traditions and ritualistic practices that have been passed down from generations to generations. Although culture may be viewed upon by some, especially by the youths as archaic and outdated, it is important to retain and preserve culture given its longstanding role of moral education. One such example would be how in Asian countries, respecting the elderly is heavily emphasised, hence we always do try to do what we can for them.