Awareness of one’s culture is an important aspect of establishing one’s identity, which facilitates the development of intercultural competency. Establishing one’s identity through their culture is made possible by reflecting on some of the common practices and values, which are associated with an individual’s way of life. Culture facilitates the establishment of one’s identity by showing how different factors such as race, gender, religion, as well as social class influence one’s identity. Culture has a way of impacting one’s identity, as well as how that influences one’s ability to learn and be taught, thus culture’s impact on learning and teaching. Culture, owing to the fact that it is basically the way of living of people including their norms, beliefs, ideas, and social behavior, impacts individual identity, thus the ability of an individual to interact with people from other cultures. The aim of this essay, therefore, is to describe how culture and cultural identities influence one’s identity.
My identity has been influenced greatly by my culture since there are various norms and practices that I adhere to, which have shaped the manner in which I live my life. Among the cultural identities that have greatly influenced my identity is my religion. I have been brought up in a strong Christian family, which has also contributed to me being a strong believer, thus a staunch Christian. Religion has taught me the values of being a good Christian and the rewards of the same, which have led me to practice my Christian faith religiously. However, religion has also taught me that I am not perfect and that I am a human being who can make mistakes. This contributes greatly to who I identify with as I see myself as an imperfect human being who is a Christian that believes in doing what my religion teaches including patience, love, humility, as well as being my brother’s keeper. Certain experiences such as a retreat I once attended where we were taught the importance of giving has taught me how to sympathize with the less fortunate, thus contributing to me becoming a generous person. Being a Christian has made me open to learning and receiving teachings from many people owing to the fact that am not biased. If I belonged to another religion, I still would be a generous and kind person because all religions teach respect, love, and appreciation.
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Social class, as a cultural identity has also influenced my personal identity as it influences some of my experiences. For instance, the fact that I come from a middle-class family has shaped the way I live my life and my ability to interact with others from different social classes. I have learned to appreciate where I come from and as a result, I have developed a strong and positive attitude, which characterizes my identity. I have also learned to appreciate the efforts of those in a higher social class than me, as well as respect those that belong to a lower social class than me. Therefore, based on my interaction with people from different social classes, I have been able to establish my identity as being characterized by patience, tolerance, appreciation, respect, as well as a lack of prejudice. Certain experiences have also contributed to my personality and identity, with regards to social class. For instance, one day a friend of mine, who belongs to the upper class made a bad joke about how I could not afford some of the things he has. Instead of becoming bitter and angry, I chose to understand why he said that and I showed great patience in dealing with the situation. This also showed me that I have control over my emotions, which is why I did not get angry over what someone else says to me.
Race and privilege as cultural identities have also influenced my identity as would be expected since I identify with a particular race and observe some of the practices and traditions of that race. Belonging to the white race has shaped my identity positively and to some extent negatively. With regards to the positive implication of being white, I enjoy certain privileges that come to me as a white person, which has made my life easier. As a result, I have learned to become an easy going person, which greatly characterizes my personality and identity. However, at times I have let the idea of being white go to my head and I have found myself being discriminatory even when I did not really mean it. Being raised in a white family with most of my neighbors being white, I never really knew how to interact with children from other races since I barely ever got to play with them or even see them.
Therefore, growing up, I have had experiences such as going to a private school, where I have felt entitled and privileged, which is among the poor qualities of my identity. However, I once met an African American student who was very intelligent, well-spoken and well-mannered, which changed my view of people from other races. This taught me to accept people for whom they are now that I am older, more experienced, and wiser, which constitutes my identity. Initially, when I was feeling privileged owing t my racial affiliation, I could not really learn from people of other races, but now I am open to learning and teachings from people of all races. Race and privilege negatively impacted my ability to learn and interact with others since I felt more superior at a certain age. An example is when once the janitor tried to teach me the importance of keeping the environment clean, but since he was from another race and I felt privileged to go to a private school, I did not really listen. However, now that I am older, I benefit much from learning about different races and their experiences, which has positively contributed to my identity as simply a human being.
