Some Culture

I have been doing research for my dissertation about culture and how it shapes our behavior, ideas, our notions of right and wrong, the material things we produce and accumulate, our way of solving problems, our way of thinking, our feelings and emotions; our habits, the way we interact with others, and our social constructs, among many other things. All individuals are born into some kind of cultural set that will dictate much of the norms and codes of conduct that he or she will follow throughout life. There is a lot to culture, and this is certainly not a dissertation about culture (who wants to read that in a blog?), but researching and writing about this interesting topic I find myself realizing how much of our way of thinking, reacting towards situations, dealing with the everyday life and new challenges, and our relationships with others is shaped by our upbringing and the socialization process we have been immersed in. Our whole perception of the world is based on what has been programmed into us, dictated by the general culture in which we were socialized. And although it is necessary for individuals, groups, and institutions to be based on a cultural system, I see how limiting that can be in many instances.

The focus of my study is to determine how cultural socialization in a traditional Hispanic upbringing affects the corporate success of Hispanic women, however, I can see how many times the notion of the world as we know it can be an obstacle to appreciate and understand a bigger world than the one we previously knew beyond the professional aspect. Culture is wonderful, but it can also put us in a small box, blocking our senses to see the other realities that surround us. I embrace culture, but I also want to be open to see and understand that my world is not absolute, that my mindset is just mine and not necessarily other’s, and that what I know is not necessarily “the way” for everyone. Of course this is easier said than done, as we find ourselves adhering to our known system everyday, passing it onto our children and everyone who would listen at times, and that is OK. What we need to understand is that, although it might make us feel uneasy, sometimes we have to relax, see beyond our margins, recognize and respect the validity of what we cannot understand: challenging indeed, but it could be quite interesting and rewarding.

In a more close and personal note, it is very interesting to share culture. One can grow a lot by appreciating the world of others. Hopefully we could add willingness and openness to our definition of culture and pass it on, and that way our little world will become bigger and far more interesting and fun.