Perform a self-study of the culture(s) shared by you, your family, and your social groups. Examine aspects of the cultures you belong to, and identify sources and reasons for the behaviors and beliefs.
Assignment:
Provide a list of the different cultural/sub-cultural groups you reference in your answers with a description of them.
Then answer the questions from Parts 1-5. Each question should take a minimum of 3 sentences to answer, in order to provide full detail on the information being collected. Each Part should be a minimum of 1 full page, and will likely be more than that in order to answer all of the questions completely. Provide information from the question, how it functions in the culture(s) you identify as being linked to the concept. How does the concept function, is it the same across groups, how completely is it accepted/rejected/altered by groups? (Go beyond simply your family life situation and/or Religion as only cultural markers; look beyond simple, quick)
Use APA formatting: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format (Typed, double spaced, 12pt font, Times New Roman, no cover page, answer each question separately in Q&A format)
Part 1:
1. In examining your background and heritage, what traditions or rituals do you practice regularly? To what extent are traditional cultural group beliefs still held by individuals within the community?
4. What is the hierarchy of authority in your family?
6. What do you think are the rights and responsibilities of each family member? For example, do children have an obligation to work and help the family?
8. What behaviors are appropriate or unacceptable for children of various ages? How might these conflict with behaviors taught or encouraged in school, work, or by other social groups?
Part 2:
1. Considering your cultural heritage, what roles within a group are available to whom, and how are they acquired?
2. Are there class or status differences in the expectations of roles within your culture?
6. How is deference or respect shown? [Who is it shown to?]
8. Who may disagree with whom in the cultural group? Under what circumstances? Are mitigating forms used?
12. What counts as a discipline in terms of your culture, and what doesn’t? What are its importance and value?
Part 3:
1. What is considered sacred (religious) and what is secular (non-religious)?
4. Are there any external signs of participation in religious rituals (e.g., ashes, dress, marking)?
8. Who or what is believed to cause illness or death (e.g., biological vs. supernatural or other causes)?
9. Who or what is responsible for treating or curing illness?
17. How does dress differ for age, sex, and social class? What restrictions are imposed for modesty (e.g., can girls wear pants, wear shorts, or shower in the gym)?
20. Does the color of the dress have symbolic significance (e.g., black or white for mourning, celebrations, etc.)?
Part 4:
2. How is knowledge of the group’s history preserved; in what ways is it passed on to new generations (e.g., writings, aphorisms or opinions, proverbs, or sayings)?
4. Among your cultural group, what holidays and celebrations are observed? What is their purpose?
7. What methods for teaching and learning are used at home (e.g., modeling and imitation, didactic stories and proverbs, direct verbal instruction)?
10. Are there different expectations with respect to different groups (e.g., boys vs. girls)? In different subjects?
11. Considering your culture, what kinds of work are prestigious and why?
Part 5:
1. How and to what extent may approval or disapproval be expressed in your culture?
5. What significance does adherence to traditional culture [before the 1900s] have for individual success or achievement?
10. Are particular behavioral prescriptions or taboos associated with the seasons?
20. What forms of art and music are most highly valued?
22. Are there any behavioral prescriptions or taboos related to art and music (e.g., both sexes sing, play a particular instrument, paint or photograph nude images, etc.)?
[Original: Beyond Race, pg 56-58]
A Ghanaian background, for me, please. Thank you!
