Week Three Module

What is culture?  How can it be defined?

No one should assume an understanding of any culture without years of contact, observation, and learning.  I really liked this statement from part C of Module III.  It is easy to make assumptions about cultures.  When I went to college and people would ask me where I am from, as soon as I would say WY, I would get asked if I rode horses to school.  I did not ride a horse to school.  I have also experienced assumptions of how people view Alaska.  Friends in the lower 48 are always asking me how I deal with it being pitch black and below freezing outside all the time!!  It is not always dark and “below freezing” cold.

Culture is also defined by values a group of people have.  Alaska Natives respect the land and utilize the nature around them as way of life.  For example the Gwich'in Tribe wanted to protect the Porcupine caribou herd from proposed oil drillers in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.  The caribou calving ground is a sacred place to the Gwich’in tribe.  The tribe didn’t know who to contact first to voice their concerns.  They did the needed research and found the resources and contacts to help protect this sacred place because it was important to them. 

"Gwich'in Tribe Protects Caribou and Culture." Teachers' Domain. 13 Jan. 2009. Web. 26 Feb. 2012. <http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/ean08.sci.life.eco.gwichin/>

In the beginning of Part A of Module III, I read what I think is a wonderful definition of culture.  Culture can be defined in the simplest and broadest of terms, as all the life-ways a group of people identify themselves.  An example of the simplest terms of culture would be how the Inupiaq tribe still hunts whales a certain way.  To the broadest of terms which would be looking at all the specific native values that all have respect in their definitions. 

I didn’t realize how large of a scope it was to define culture and list specific details defending my definition until I started this essential question.  I can say I was caught up in the stereotypes and the easy definitions of culture.  I am interested to look further into how I define my own cultural identity now.

How do you explain your own cultural identity?

The first thing that comes to my mind when I look at the definition of my own cultural identity is The Irish Blessing.  Which is, May the road rise up to meet you.  May the wind always be at your back.  May the sun shine warm upon your face, and rains fall soft upon your fields.  And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.  Each time I would open a new chapter in my life my mom would always make sure I had a copy of this blessing.  Heritage is part of my definition.

I grew up in a very small town in Wyoming.  I didn’t grow up with shopping malls and freeways.  When Wal-Mart came to my town my friends and I would go walk around the store when we were bored.  It was also cool to drive down Main Street and see how else was driving the same road!!  I love a simple life.  Knowing what makes me happy is a big part of describing who I am.

downtownsheridan.org

Another part of cultural identity is how others view you.  I have always been a giver.  I thrive on making other people happy.  In college when I was deciding on my major I knew I wanted to help others.  I think that the majority of society views teachers as givers.  Being able to work with students with emotional/behavioral needs is very rewarding and allows me to give. 

Evaluation

I took a lot of good information away from this module.  Really dissecting culture and what defines it is a big job and overwhelming.  When I was reflecting on my answers to the questions that I choose to I could have gone on for much more than I did, I wanted to take different avenues and it was challenging to pick one path.  I am interested to read others definitions of culture.