Introduction
Culture is a multifaceted concept that has different meanings in different contexts. Despite the controversy revolving on the definition of this term, culture refers to the cumulative way of life and learned behavior of a particular group that forms part of a given community traditions. In essence, community members have the moral obligation and responsibility of conveying and disseminating the traditions, values, moral codes, and customs from one generation to the other through the process of socialization. Scholars assert that culture is a broad concept that differs from one community to the other. This aspect remains evident in the contemporary society where different communities living in different parts of the world have cultural practices, which distinct them from the other communities. Despite this variance, culture encompasses behavior, knowledge, experience, language, religion, rituals, values, moral codes, norms, customs, traditions, musical, cuisine, and artistic work, culinary, literary, social, and political elements, which defines the general way of life of a particular community or group (Vance, 2009). Every community strives to disseminate, conserve, and preserve its culture by urging parents to educate their children on the importance of observing, valuing, and treasuring their cultural practices to maintain the community’s cultural identity. Children learn their culture, customs, and traditions through the process of socialization where they associate and interact with other members of the community and their environment. The move enables the children become responsible and respectable members of the family.
Discussion
Throughout history, culture has evolved and formed part of national agenda and national culture. Today, every country has its own culture, and Canada is no exemption. Its culture encompasses music, literary, artistic works, values, customs, and political and social constructs, which defines and represents Canadians’ way of life. As a developed nation with a complex cultural composition, Canada does not only represent the Canadian way of life, but also the global cultural perspective (Yang, 2008). In the words, Canada represents developed nations such as American, England, and Japan, whose cultural practices have been influenced by western civilization coupled with diffusion of European culture. Although some countries in the region have managed to establish their unique and distinctive cultural characteristics, Canadian culture does not portray this aspect. Those countries, which have managed to maintain their cultural identity and manifest their unique cultural practices, show high level of unity, cohesion, and integration among their communities than those countries influenced by western ideologies and cultural diffusion (Vance, 2009).
Notably, Canadian culture does not portray distinctive characteristics from the culture predisposed by other citizens in developed nations including America, England, and Japan. Although independent communities in the country may show unique cultural practices, their impact in the society is not felt because of cultural diffusion.
Like other citizens in developed nations, Canadians embrace the use of formal greetings when addressing strangers and elderly persons. Canadians have learnt that respect, dignity, and kindness should prevail when addressing, interacting, and associating with strangers, and they should remain hospitable. In essence, it customary and acceptable in Canadian culture to shake hands when introducing a friend or a stranger (Jianguo, 2006). In the same breath, American, England, and Japanese cultures encourage the use of formal greetings when addressing strangers.
Canadian culture embraces the use of body language and expression; an aspect that exists in Japanese and American cultures. For instance, a kiss, hug, and shaking of hands are used as forms of greeting in various contexts. This form of greetings differs based on gender, age, and status of the individual in the society, but they all exhibit similarities of culture practiced in most developed nations. Canadians are social and value other people culture; an aspect that is also embodied in Japanese, England, and American cultures. Americans, Canadians, and people from England form rapport easily with people from other cultures because their cultures encourage formation of mutual and cordial friendships. In the same vein, Japanese form relationships with people from other cultures because their culture encourages high level of cohesion and integration among the communities. Based on these assertions, it is clear that Canadians share many cultural aspects with Americans, Japanese, and people from other developed nations as illustrated through the use formal greetings, body language, and other cultural constructs.
It is evident that Canadian culture does not have distinguishable characteristics from American, England, and Japanese cultures, but the question that we need to ask is: what factors influence this fact? First, cultural diffusion has influenced Canadian culture largely (Braford, 2007). Canada remains one of the countries in the region with the highest number of immigrants. According to Braford (2007), Canada has complex culture composition that entails multinational immigrants from America, England, Japan, and other developed nations in the region. Canadian culture has blended with immigrants’ cultures to form a new form of culture that is portrayed through music, art, literacy, and social and political elements. The same trend and pattern is evident in most developed nations today. Secondly, globalization, international integration, and technology advancement have fuelled diffusion of European and American cultures in Canada, especially through migration. Indigenous cultures in Canada have been influenced by western culture that has spread to other parts of the whole. Most developed nations including Canada have adopted western culture thus losing its cultural identity as a nation. Based on this fact, globalization, international integration, and technology advancement have fuelled cultural diffusion that has influenced Canadian culture.
References
Braford, H. (2007). The cultural rights in the context of globalization. New York: McGraw-Hill Custom Publishing.
Jianguo. G. (2006). Canadian culture and modernization. Beijing: Liaohai Press.
Vance, J. F. (2009). A history of Canadian culture. Don Mills, Ont.: Oxford University Press.
Yang, Y. (2008). Observing the World from the Perspective of Multi-culture in Canada. Journal of Politics and Law, 1(3), 79-82.
