‘What is Culture’
produced by Anne Phillips, provides an extensive understanding of the meaning
of culture and its contribution to the formation of an individual’s identity.
Here, Phillips denotes culture as an ordinary aspect of the cycle of life,
constantly undergoing a series of change resulting in the development and
reproduction of the cultural entity (2006, 1). Culture is also perceived as the
full range of learned behaviour patterns, encompassing the knowledge, belief,
law, morals and customs acquired by one as a member of society (Human Culture,
2006). It also constitutes of the transmission of information from one
generation to another, amended through the expression of the creativity and
critique of the human mind (Phillips, 2006, 1). Culture and identity coerce one
another, as they are comprised of the relations of power identified through
difference and inequality. As a result, majority and minority groups are
created with significant inequalities in the social, economic and political
wellbeing of the people.
Often, those whom are
culturally affiliated experience an innate connection with one another as a
result of their inherent geographical territory and their native tongue.
Phillips identifies that people connect and empathise more easily with those
with whom they have more in common with than those with whom they have less
(2006, 3). This is supported by their prescribed cultural knowledge, norms and
traditions (Phillips, 2006, 3). Furthermore culture is perceived to
significantly influence an individual’s sense of identity, more greatly than
their sex or social class (Phillips, 2006, 5). It is when one interacts with
others of distinct cultural heritage, that they become aware of the norms and
assumptions that provide meaning for ones actions. However, Mee argues that
there is no single culture in the world, only differing arrays of power that
organise society (International Encyclopaedia of Human Geography, Culture, 2009). Hegemony of a cultural
institution imposes diverse impacts upon the identity of a person, often
differentiated on the basis of age, gender, sexuality or class (Phillips, 2006,
5). It also results in the inequalities of the social, economic and political
wellbeing of the individual. Phillips argues that the experience of being in
the minority makes people more conscious of the distinctiveness of their
culture, while the sense of being pressured to conform to majority norms
sometimes makes people more committed to sustaining their distinctiveness
(2006, 6).
Culture and Identity
strongly coincide with my relations to an educational institution. As a
Lebanese Muslim living in a culturally exuberant nation, I have experienced
feelings of belonging thus not belonging during my educational pathway. They
were derived at a micro and macro basis, affecting the psychological and
physical environment that I inhibited. The Primary School in which I attended
was a strictly Islamic Private System, with majority of the students of Middle Eastern
background. During the seven years in attendance, we were taught the Arabic
Language, along with Islamic teachings. We participated in the reading of the
Holy Quran and communally prayed on a daily basis, with obligatory dress
requirements for both female and male students. Throughout my Primary Schooling
experience, there was a greater emphasis imposed upon abiding by the obligatory
Islamic rulings, rather than identifying with the wider Australian community. We
were not taught Australian History, nor were an understanding of Australian
traditions and norms exemplified. However academic excellence and intellectual
success was emphasised. The transition to a Public Educating High School sought
an evident shift in the educational environment, as the emphasis on educational
success was not exercised as much.
My High Schooling
experience shifted dramatically, as there was greater religious and cultural
diversity. Exclusivity of a common religious or cultural background was not
prevalent. People of all walks of life were welcome into the educational
institution. I was subjected to an exuberant cultural and religious phenomenon,
encompassing a change in my way of thinking shedding a light on distinctiveness
or being in the minority. I developed strong relationships with those of
diverse backgrounds and accepted the customs, values and rulings in which they
inherited. Although I initially experienced a culture shock this was overcome
with my acceptance and appreciation of the diverse way of life of many people.
Similarly, feelings of
displacement and uncertainty resonated when a Sudanese family arrived to
Australia in 2005 via refugee settling. They were provided a home in Tamworth,
in Northern New South Wales in hope of escaping their war torn homeland. Upon
arrival the mother of the six children exclaimed “I didn’t know if I could cope
here because I felt like a guest in this country (ABC, African Refugees in
Australia, 2013)”. The uncertainty was shortly overcome when they were provided
with the adequate housing and educational facilities, which they were denied of
in Sudan. They were astonished with the cultural and religious diversity when
they begun school, and the variety of languages they were exposed to. Receiving
an education in Australia symbolised liberation from fighting, mass murder and
hunger enhancing their appreciation of Australian society.
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