Essay on Cultural Exploration

Essay on Cultural Exploration

Culture and Psychology

Introduction

Culture is the origins of a group and its traditions or heritage that define the group’s organization. Culture is, therefore, the general characteristics of a group such as clothing, food, housing, family and individual activities, religion, welfare, economy and transportation, sex and the life cycle, science, government and community, and technology (Matsumoto & Juang, 2017). To better understand psychology from a cultural perspective, one must appreciate what culture is. People use culture, ethnicity, nationality, and race interchangeably as if they all mean the same. However, these terms are neither the same nor do they have the same concepts. People use culture in various ways and concepts, such as explaining various behaviors, activities, structures, and events in life (Matsumoto & Juang, 2017). Additionally, people use culture to describe norms, problem-solving, rules, and the learning processes. The concept of culture has diverse meanings in other cultures. For instance, culture refers to food, history, or art in France, in Japan, it refers to tea ceremony or flower arranging. On the other hand, culture may mean religious rituals and traditions in the United Arab Emirates (Matsumoto & Juang, 2017). The concept of culture is, therefore, culture-bound in itself.

The Origins of Culture

Culture originates from four main cultural sources: evolved human mind, resources, environment, and group life. Under group life, human beings are classified as social animals that live in groups. Living in groups is far much better than living alone. Some advantages of living in groups are the increased rate of survival through division of labor and completion of many tasks compared to an individual (Matsumoto & Juang, 2017). However, living in groups has negative impacts, especially social conflicts that come when people live together. Another source of culture is the environment. Groups exist in particular surroundings. The ecologies of the specific surroundings where groups live determine how they live. One ecological aspect that determines culture is the climate (Matsumoto & Juang, 2017). Different parts of the world experience different climate conditions. For instance, South Korea’s Seoul and New York in the United States experience miserable hot summers and harsh winters. The ecological differences of different parts of the world influence how people live, resulting in cultural practices (Matsumoto & Juang, 2017). These cultural differences manifest in ritual practices, dress styles, walking styles, architecture, and traditions.

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The third source of cultural origins is resources. Natural resources play a big role in influencing the culture of people. For instance, a land with no natural resources will promote community spirit and teamwork among people who live in the area who establish interrelationships with people from areas with abundant natural resources for their survival (Matsumoto & Juang, 2017). The relationships and varied needs help promote psychological attributes and characteristics of interdependence, community spirit, and teamwork. On the contrary, people living in areas with abundant natural resources will not value the attributes of interdependence, community spirit, and teamwork in their culture (Matsumoto & Juang, 2017). Money is perhaps the major resource that influences culture today.

Lastly, evolved human minds also influence the cultural practices of people. People are not born with complete blank slates. People are born well equipped with minds that can adapt and deal with problems posed by their surroundings. The degree of survival depends on how people adapt to their surroundings (Matsumoto & Juang, 2017). Additionally, people must also understand the context they live in for their survival. To do so, people are born with specific motives and needs. They are also born with specific psychological toolkits that enable them to adapt and survive within their environment.

Culture of New York City

New York City is the cultural capital of the world. New York culture is reflected in its ethnic diversity and size. Most of the cultural movements in America were initiated in New York City. The large influx of migrants from Italy, Ireland, Jewish, Hispanic Americans, and Asians in the 20th century had a significant influence on the cultural practices and image of New York City (Matsumoto & Juang, 2017). This influx of emigrants made New York City the center of stand-up comedy and modern dance. New York City became home of jazz music in the 1940s, the top venue for beat generation, punk rock and hi