Fall II 2013
Introduction
The culture that I have selected to study is Colombian culture. The culture in Colombia is influenced by many other cultures and this is the reason why it is so diverse and exceptionally colorful. It can be said that the culture represented in the Colombian society is an amalgamation of Spanish and African cultures. The Spanish influences can be found because of the colonization by the Spanish in the historical times. The African cultural representation in Colombian culture is found because of the slave trading. Slavery was a common practice in the past when Colombia was not a separate country but a part of the South American land. The different traits is Colombian culture are also due to the regional differences in the land i.e. interior culture, coastal culture and countryside culture. The mixture of culture is mirrored in the lifestyle, religious practices, eating habits, language (accents) etc. of Colombia.
- Selection of Cultural Group
I have always been fascinated with the Colombian culture because of its richness and this made me want to learn more about its various aspects. I interviewed a Colombian native as I was really interested to know about the cultural values, issues and practices of Colombian people. Thus, I asked many questions regarding the different Colombian festivals, family system, issues like abortion, justice system etc and the gender roles in the Colombian society.
The summary of the interview and the information I acquired from the interviewee is as follows. The Colombian people celebrate Christmas in a different way. Their traditional Catholic celebration is called “Novenas” and it begins nine days before Christmas day. Families gather and sing Christmas carols or Spanish “Villancicos”. The children who participate in this tradition get presents as a reward for all their nine days’ hard work. Another traditional Colombian celebration is known as “Dia de las velitas” that is celebrated on December 7th. On this day, families light candles outside their houses and spend the night outside whereby adults keep themselves busy in talking and kids play while taking care of the candles. Although Christmas is one of the most favorite celebration for Colombian kids but New Year’s Eve is celebrated more enthusiastically in Colombia. Neighbors meet each other and exchange food and treats as a token of wishing New Year. A majority of the families go to the beach to see the sunrise of the New Year.
Colombian people also celebrate Easter but rather differently than Americans. Instead of having Eastern Bunny or Eggs Look-Out, Colombian people celebrate Easter in a religious fashion. As far as matrimonial bonds and traditions are concerned, Colombians believe in getting married by the church as compared to the civil marriage. Divorce is not considered as the ultimate solution when a couple has problems in their marriage. Colombian people believe in the strength of marital bond and still today, divorce is seen as a big deal. A majority of the divorce cases are settled by the involvement of elders and divorce is usually the last resort.
In Colombia, large families are not rare to find. In metropolitan families, having five kids is normal whereas the rural families may have eight or more kids. The gender roles in the family are very distinctive and defined. Whereas a wife is expected to take care of the family and the kids by staying at home, the Colombian culture does not restrict women within the four walls of her home. In simple words, the contemporary Colombian society allows women to go outside and work just like the male members of the family (Garcés, 2008). The Colombian culture favors patriarchal family where a husband is the ultimate decision-maker and provider of his family. Colombian men take pride in the fact that they are the supporters of their family. Even if the female members work to support the family, it is still considered the responsibility of the husband/father to take care of the kids and other members of the family who are dependent on him (Kittler, Sucher & Nahikian-Nelms, 2012). Failure in doing so makes Colombian men shameful and dishonorable.
Children are regarded as very special but when they act bad, Colombian families do not find it incorrect to correct them by giving physical punishments. However, people in Colombia make sure that verbal correction is given firstly. The overall discussion made me realize that the Colombian culture holds family as the most sacred unit. The children are raised with love but they are also taught to be obedient to their elders. The people are not only concerned about their immediate family members but show equal concern for the members of extended family such as cousins, uncles, aunts etc.
As far as the Colombian women are concerned, their role is primarily determined by the male members of the family. In some families, women are allowed to acquire education and go out to do work. On the other hand, the families where males still have the conventional mentality that the home is the actual place for a woman; females are not allowed to get any employment. They think so because if a woman starts to work, her monetary contribution gives her an equal status in the family. However, the contemporary Colombian urban society is against the traditional roles of women. A majority of urban families allow their women to go out, get education and pursue the careers of their choice. Thus, different societal classes have different approaches towards the status and role of women in Colombian society (Garcés, 2008).
The people living in large cities believe in using the judicial when a crime has been committed. However, the judicial system in the country does not work fast. This is the reason why people sometimes make justice by their own hands and thus, also believe in the notion of an eye for an eye. As far as abortion is concerned, it is considered a sin and an inhuman act in the Colombian society. This is because like in every other South American country, the Catholic Church plays a huge role in the governmental matters. Abortion is only allowed in some special cases.
- Experience
The overall experience that I had at this interview was really pleasant. I came to know a lot about Colombia in just a short span of time. The interview was very friendly and listened to my questions with full interest and answered them enthusiastically. It was surprising for me that the Colombian culture was very different as compared to the American culture in a lot of ways. Before this exposure, I always thought that Colombians were modern people like Americans. However, I found it astonishing that the male members in the family are really serious about their roles in the family. Also, the practice of abortion is considered a sin in Colombia which is not the case in United States of America where people are so open-minded about this issue and consider it a personal right.
I also learnt that Colombian children are taken care of very well by the adults but they are given physical punishments if they do not obey their elders. This is not the case in American society as children report about their parents’ physical punishments to the police. Also, the judicial system in Colombia is a very slow one as compared to the one in the United States which is very fast. There are a number of other differences that I found between the cultures of America and Colombia. The people in America are taught to live and work independently. They are answerable for their conduct and manners. However, I came to know in the interview that Colombians put behind their individualism and consider their families as their highest responsibility and asset. Colombians put their personal matters behind and try to make their families secure and safe as their major duty.
Unlike a majority of the American families, families in Colombia are more connected and feel free to share their emotions and opinions with the other family members. This is because they are used to of spending a significant amount of time with their near and dear ones. I think it an attractive aspect of the Colombian culture that the people are taught to put their relatives first and consider the problems of their relatives as their own. One of the best examples in this scenario is that parents in Colombia support their children during their school and college lives. The Colombian youngsters don’t have to work part-time like Americans to support their living and studies simultaneously. In Colombia, children are supported by their parents till the moment they receive their first pay-check (Weil, Black, Martindale, McMorris, Munson, & Parachini, 1970).
Another aspect that fascinated me regarding Colombian culture was that they celebrate festivals with their family members which represent their love for their families. I was told that Colombians have the highest respect for the elders and parents. In most of the families, when people are not able to support themselves, their children support them with open hearts. Unlike America where people are sent to old houses once they get old, the people in Colombia find it a privilege to live under the same roof with their elderly and parents. Even if a couple does not live with the elders, they make sure to have strong bonds with them. This is all due to the basic lesson that is given to the Colombian people since their childhood i.e. to maintain unity and respect for all the members of the family till the end of time. This culture of unity, mutual dependence and trust make it possible for the families to extend their business and political relations as well (Weil, Black, Martindale, McMorris, Munson, & Parachini, 1970).
In my opinion, the knowledge that I got regarding the Colombian culture helped me to understand the cultural differences between Americans and Colombians. This information would be definitely helpful for me to understand the differences between two cultures. I believe that knowledge is power and it helps people to not only grow individually but as a civilized society.
References
Garcés, E. (2008). Colombian Women: The Struggle Out of Silence. Lanham: Lexington Books. Print.
Kittler, P. G., Sucher, K., & Nahikian-Nelms, M. (2012). Food and Culture. Belmont, CA.: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning. Print.
Weil, T. E., Black, J. K., Martindale, K. W., McMorris, D. S., Munson, F. P., & Parachini, K. E. (1970). Area Handbook for Colombia. Washington, DC.: U.S. Govt. Print. Off.. Print.
