Social Class & Cultural Diversity

 Welcome back to my blog everyone!

This week, our class explored the intriguing topics of Social Class and cultural diversity. Today, I want to focus on a thought-provoking question: What are two aspects of your own culture you'd like to perpetuate and two you would like to set aside or improve? How can you do that? Before I answer this question, it's important to understand the concepts of culture and social class.

What is Social Class?

Social class refers to a division of society based on social and economic status. It's a way to categorize people into groups that have similar levels of wealth, income, education, occupation, and social influence. These categories can influence a person's opportunities, lifestyle, and even interactions with others.

What is Culture?

Culture is the collective sum of a society's values, beliefs, customs, arts, social institutions, and other products of human work and thought. It encompasses the practices and ideas that shape the way a group of people live and interact with the world around them.

These topics made me reflect on the way I was raised and how I want to approach things differently when I eventually get married and start my own family. I grew up in a home where my parents were starting a business around the time I was born. During my childhood, I could tell that our family was on a budget. Looking back now, I see a stark contrast between my own upbringing and that of my younger siblings, who were not raised on such a strict budget. Instead, my parents made smarter financial decisions as their business grew. A personal opinion that might be controversial is that money only changes the way you raise your kids if you let it. There are lots of studies that disagree with this statement and argue the opposite. In my experience, I felt that money did not significantly alter the way I was raised. I have always cherished the simple joys and small moments in life.

I have always admired the way my parents chose to raise me and my siblings. Instead of making decisions for us, they allowed us to figure out what is right and wrong. Two cultural aspects that I was raised on and want to pass on to my future family are keeping traditions alive and instilling social values.

Some of my fondest memories are of family gatherings, which became a tradition on my dad's side of the family. Every July 1st, we would celebrate with all of my cousins, attend the parade, and help my younger cousins collect candy. These experiences created cherished memories that I hope to replicate for my own children.

Another cultural value I will teach my kids is the importance of having a good work ethic and respecting their elders. These qualities are essential for gaining the respect of future employers and impressing peers with their ability to communicate effectively with adults. My dad always emphasized the importance of a strong work ethic, especially during my time landscaping. I have always had a competitive spark when it comes to working, and my goal was always to outwork my peers. By maintaining a strong work ethic, I earned recognition from employers who wanted to hire me back for the following summer. This is a value I am determined to instill in my future family.

Two cultural values that I want to teach my future family are understanding the appropriate times for fun and the importance of manners. When I think of manners, I not only consider table manners but also the way we present ourselves to our peers. The second cultural value I want to impart is the significance of belief and religion, and the knowledge that God is always there for us.

I had an experience while playing rugby for the competitive BYU-Idaho intramural team. Our coach emphasized that we should never harbor hatred towards other teams or our own teammates. Instead, we should love and respect everyone, even while playing on the field. I found that playing in college, compared to high school, was a better experience when we applied our beliefs to something we loved. We would also pray before each game, and I felt that this made my experience on the field different and allowed me to play to the best of my ability.

These cultural values will help me raise my future family to love the Lord and always cherish the small, meaningful experiences in life.