Family Culture And Traditions

Often times when we hear the word culture, we think of the differences of different countries. That statement may be true; however, there are different cultures within the same country, even within the same city. No matter what culture we call our own, there are distinct differences between that of other cultures around us. One of the major differences occurs in the realm of family; family affection to be more specific. When talking about family affection, we should consider many different aspects. It was my task and privilege to explore these aspects.

I consider myself having a strong American culture. My family has been here.for many years and has adopted the “American Way”. After being born and raised in Wisconsin, I now spend my…show more content…

Teresa, however, does show a little affection towards her family “by teasing or making fun of them…the stupid things. By laughing together, that’s how my family shows our affection toward each other.” My family does tease each other too, however, we more of consider that having fun than showing affection. The simple act of showing affection is very different throughout different cultures.Another aspect of our different cultures is our reactions to the affection that is shown to us. As my family members show affection to me, I feel good about it. To me there is nothing better than to know that my family cares about me. I usually show affection back to them after they have shown some affection towards me. However, this is not the case with Teresa. “If a family member did show affection I would probably just shrug it off and think they lost their mind for a moment or something,” explains Teresa. Affection is very important in my culture, so if we showed affection toward a family member and that person just shrugged it off, we would think they are being rude or that something is wrong. A lot of how we treat each other as a family member depends upon reactions to affection and caring.Family and Culture I traveled to Germany last summer to visit my friend Janine I noticed many different behaviors in family life that differed from the culture home and family life.The family I stayed with seemed so connected compared to my own. The ways the families in Germany treat their guest is very different and far more hospitable than here in America. I was also surprised by how welcoming everyone I met from Janine 's family. The biggest cultural shock that surprised me to learn was that small talk is not common place in Germany. This trip was definitely a big difference from being anywhere in the United States. When I first arrived, my heart was thumping hard in my chest, nervous to meet the family as I walk toward the massive chromed door. I smiled happily as I felt her warm embrace on my chest as she hugged me her father came over and shook my hand with an iron grip and offered to take my luggage. I was Family culture is a unique way that a family forms itself in terms of rules, roles, habits, activities, beliefs, and other areas” (“What is family culture?”, 2002). The perception of family is an aspect of family culture; this includes the interactions within the family and with others. Some of these perceptions can be defined as myths. A myth is a belief about someone or something that is believed to be true, but it is false, made-up, or exaggerated (S. Yu, Lecture). There are both positive and negative aspects of believing myths. Believing myths could be very dysfunctional; they can result in negative consequences that disrupt a family and they may also divert our attention away from widespread social problems that affect families.