Introduction
It was only recently, during a pot-luck dinner among international students at a university, that this writer realized there were so many ways (and implements for) to eat a meal. At least four ways were seen in that event: the knife and spoon (of Americans like me), a spoon and fork, chopsticks, and of course the use of the fingers. If the diversity of the attendees was unclear at the start, it was definitely obvious when they started taking in their food and conversing with each other. This dinner represents a wider cultural truth. The particular food dishes, specific type of music, similar clothing choices, and a common language make societies distinct from each other. These elements of culture influence the perceptions of individuals resulting in a shared worldview of the members of a group. The succeeding sections discuss these elements and focus on how each shape the individual.
Influence of food
You are what you eat. This is a common expression which indeed holds some truth in the context of food shaping an individual’s worldview. The kind of food that a person takes in does not only depend on his/her financial capacity to acquire such resource but would also be dictated by his/her beliefs. Muslims consider pork not fit for eating, thus they do not have pork dishes. The Hindus hold the cow sacred thus they would not consider eating a hamburger or other beef dishes. Vegetarians believe that animals should not be harmed therefore they do not eat meat and fish. There are also certain dishes that cannot be eaten by members of a certain group unless they are married, such as boiled chicken feet among the Chinese-Malaysians. The absence of food or fasting for certain periods is an important religious tradition that is practiced by both Christians and Muslims. On these occasions food, both its presence and absence, becomes an instrument of cultural expression. The beliefs of certain individuals are manifested through their food choices. According to public health expert Dr. Derrick B. Jellife (as cited in Psilaki, 2012), there are five food categories. The cultural-super foods are the staples in the communities and these are often present in mythology and rituals; bread is an example. The prestige foods are those that are reserved for important occasions and would be expensive. This means that acquiring such foods accompany a certain status symbol. The body-image foods are those that can affect the body’s condition. Ginseng for example is believed to be good for virility, thus men would regard this item positively. Some communities believe in taking in magic foods, especially when they are sick or indisposed. Traditional healers would have knowledge about such food and when persons get well after taking in the suggested food they would start to believe in the effectiveness of the food and also about the cause of their illnesses. The physiologic foods are those that cannot be eaten by particular groups such as those enumerated in the previous section.
The role of music in shaping memory
Songs evoke memories of childhood. A study about songs and memory showed that it does not really matter whether the song came out when a person was seven or seventeen, what was observed was that at both times, such song would evoke certain memories (Munger, 2008, n.p.). If the memories were pleasant, then a person would also feel positively towards that song. According to Froehlich (2002 as cited in ), music “becomes what it is through our relationship with it, both psychologically and physiologically” (p.173). Thus, music becomes meaningful in societies when there is meaning associated with it beyond the melody and lyrics of the song.
Clothing as a means of social control
Dress appropriately. This advice is a common directive in schools, churches, and business establishments. In today’s society, the way a person dresses is considered an extension of his/her principles. The value given to a person’s appearance, mostly of his attire, has increased tremendously that the global clothing industry is worth billions of dollars. The moment the baby is born to the world, he/she immediately becomes a consumer of the ever-expanding clothing industry. The decision of what clothes to give to the newborn baby reflects the parents’ beliefs and values. These parental beliefs as well as the current values of society are considered by clothing companies. This was the decision of the British garment company called Pasolds. According to O’Conner (2011), the company known for its Ladybird trademark both contributed and reflected social changes in childhood. “Pasolds took advantage of existing values and social practices to commercialise their children’s wear, but their clothes, dressing gowns and Ladybird people also helped to create the popular culture of childhood” (p.45).
Language transmits values
Language is a human facility that makes homo sapiens distinct from animals. Each person, the moment he/she is born possesses the capacity to learn the language of his/her society. Thus, children all over the world, no matter where they are located learn to use their mother tongue at approximately the same age. Language is a sign system that individuals learn as part of the process of growing up. In the process of identifying objects and labeling their experiences, members of the group using the same language would transmit to the younger generations their society’s beliefs and world views. Contained in every language are idioms which are only meaningful when expressed in particular context. Thus, to be able to fully grasp the meaning of verbal communications, speakers of the same language convey with each other the meanings of words that have been handed down from one generation to another. According to Danesi (2012), as long as languages are preserved, human civilization will continue to survive.
Besides transmitting values, language shapes individuals by influencing cognition. Not only does “the way we think influences the way we speak,” the way we speak also has an influence on the way we think (Boroditsky, 2011, n.p.). Studies on bilinguals have shown that a person’s response to the same question would vary depending on the language that he was asked. After reviewing numerous related studies, Boroditsky (2011) is convinced that a person’s native language definitely shapes the way by which he/she perceive the many different aspects of the world.
Conclusions
Culture shapes individuals through its various elements—food, music, clothing, and music. The particular food dishes, specific type of music, similar clothing choices, and a common language make societies distinct from each other. These elements influence the perceptions of individuals resulting in a shared worldview of the members of a group. Food defines a person’s identity. We are what we eat, as the expression goes. Music becomes meaningful especially when it as associated with memory, especially childhood memories. Clothing is a form of social control perpetuated by parents’ decisions and investments made by companies on these decisions. Finally, language ensures that culture perpetuates through generation.
References
Danesi, M. (2008). Linguistic Anthropology. Toronto: Canadian Scholars Pres Inc.
O’Connor, K. (2011). The Ladybird, the dressing gown and Pasolds: Cultural icons of the golden age of the British childhood. Textile History, 42 (1), pp.22-49
Psilaki, E. (2012). Sharing cultures through food. Transformations: The Journal of Inclusive Scholarship and Pedagogy, 23 (2), pp. 130-140.
Skelton, K. D. (2004). Should we study music and/or as culture? Music Education Research, 6 (2), pp. 169-177.
