What Role Does Culture Play In Our Lives

The main idea discussed throughout the reading was the important role that culture plays in our lives. The first few pages include varying definitions of culture, yet the one I found to be most relevant was that, “culture is casually used shorthand for many things, ranging in meaning from innate biological tendencies to social institutions, and everything in between” (75). I found this to be most accurate because culture really does encapsulate so many aspects of our life. It is such a key role in our existence that it “is always relative. We cannot talk about culture without reference to the global world” (75). This could be similar to the relationship between society and the individual in the sense that one is related and connected to the other. Within the culture, there are various norms, which …show more content…
We are raised a certain way and are to a point where there is no compromise with our beliefs; we stand by them and our culture. There are many aspects within our culture that have specific meanings but only within the context of our culture. This is the working of meanings and symbols. A symbol or meaning that is widely accepted and understood in our culture, may be completely inappropriate or unrecognizable in another. The reading seems to be broken up into sections as the first half deals with introducing culture in general, where the second half dives into the effects of media on culture and vice versa. In discussion of media and race, most of the data gathered seemed to take stereotypes to the next level, especially white and African American individuals. There does not seem to be a purpose in emphasizing race other than to cause “uproar” among citizens. Another issue that has come along with the media includes sexism. Women are portrayed in extremely negative ways that largely affect women both young and old. It is an issue that has been around for many years and is finally getting the attention it needs to stop exploiting and presenting