Culture

I have thought a lot about the concept of culture lately – not so much of culture in the more global sense which may include one’s race, ethnicity, religion, orientation, language, etc. but more of one’s individual culture. The culture that really no one else but he or she shares. Is it possible that each person has his or her own unique culture or is that simply a person’s perspective? After all, most dictionaries indicate that the true definition of a culture is the passing of a particular aspect of society from one generation to another.

I am currently working on developing a course in abnormal psychology. One concept that seems difficult for students to grasp is the idea of abnormality as a continuum. Most students tend to assume that a person is either ‘normal’ or not. If a person does not meet the criteria of ‘normal’, then he or she certainly must be ‘abnormal’. I personally do not think that ‘normal’ exists. I think it is a figment of our imaginations. I would argue that the idea of normalcy, much like the concept of control, is something we desperately cling to in an effort to reduce anxieties and to have something to which we may strive. The truth is that we’re all fucked up to some extent (although not all of us may be as brash in our description of this status) – just some of us are more functional despite this fact compared to others. Those who disagree are likely in denial. It is possible, however, that I am simply jaded in my perspective (or insightful).

When considering the best way in which to present the idea of an abnormal continuum to my students, I thought about body modification. Once upon a time in American culture, the true rebels of society were tattooed and pierced whereas the more traditional and perhaps even upper-crust citizens would never consider such a taboo idea. To modify one’s body in such a matter was not considered necessary. It was not rite of passage. In fact, it was viewed as ‘abnormal’. Yet, the idea of modifying one’s body is no longer considered counter-cultural. In fact, in most places, it is the norm. Those who get tattoos are no longer considered to be rebels. Their behavior is not viewed as out of place or extraordinary. Their acts certainly do not qualify them as ‘abnormal’. In fact, at the risk of upsetting a few of my readers, such modifications are considered quite trendy. Thus, one may conclude that one’s current culture, as with the case of body modification, directly affects one’s perception of normalcy (or the lack thereof).

The example of body modification as a barometer of cultural understanding certainly is nothing original, but it seems to work for students. I tried to carry forth the idea of personal culture in my own life. How does my combination of beliefs, experiences, and exposure to society impact my daily behavior? How does it affect my understanding of the world and normalcy? Should this vary from my sister’s understandings? My friend’s? Why?

In general, I do not know that I am particularly unique. I do not know that I am ‘abnormal’ either. Clearly there are things that make me a bit ‘special’ in my own way – my essence, if you will. As I reflect on my life, I can only think of a handful of events that severely impacted my overall perceptions of the world. I guarantee they are different events than you would name. Yet, I am not sure that these events would drastically affect any variations in which you and I perceive a situation. Instead, I suspect that a series of events that seem rather benign would likely make a bigger impact on my perception of something. For example, I suspect graduating from college had less of an impact on my perception of the world than watching my parents get ready for work each day. You see my parents are both workaholics (to their detriment I suspect). My mother sees value in a person based on her perception of that person’s work ethic. If she perceives that the person does not work in a traditional manner, than I suspect she would question that person’s value (this, of course, is simply my suspicion). Thus, last year when I quit my job, my anxiety was high. Although I did not realize it at the time, I did not know how to be unemployed. I defined myself by my work, much as each of my parents tends to do. I unconsciously thought that if not working 2 or 7 jobs, I had no value. It did not occur to me to consider my other contributions to the world. It seems that my personal culture overrode our society’s understanding of what is acceptable verses what is not.

It is amazing to me how big of an influence we have over one another. It is frightening to me to consider how much power we yield (whether it be intentional or not). As I proceed through life, I hope that I may remain cognizant of my influences and aware of my motivations. Even more importantly, I hope I keep in mind the impact I have on others.