Culture, Beliefs, and Attitudes

Generally, culture means the way of life of people from different backgrounds, depending on their communities, societies, environments, beliefs, norms, arts, food, clothing, and customs. Culture is highly important to community cohesion and belonging. The Government of Ontario (2023) elaborated, “Culture is also a means of expressing creativity, forging an individual identity, and enhancing or preserving a community’s sense of place […] cultural experiences are opportunities for leisure, entertainment, learning, and sharing experiences with others” (paras. 4–5). The Government of Ontario (2023) added that culture is the lifeblood of a vibrant society, expressed in the many ways we tell our stories, celebrate, remember the past, entertain ourselves, and imagine the future. Our creative expression helps define who we are, and helps us see the world through the eyes of others (para. 1).

Biswas-Diener and Thin (2024) explained that culture encompasses social examples of shared importance and a collective understanding of the world. Various aspects of life are shaped by culture as it is passed down through generations. Culture is dynamic, and individuals have multiple identities depending on the situation.

Sharing plays a crucial role in culture, as people exchange knowledge and skills. Cultural wisdom grows over time and spreads across generations. By adapting, sharing, and preserving cultural information, patterns emerge that can be both similar and different among various societies. Recognizing the influential nature of culture is essential to appreciate its advantages. Cultural intelligence involves understanding the reasons behind people’s behaviours in different cultures, and enables individuals to respect others’ differences, even when they do not follow their practices.

Culture can be subjective, and is understood differently by different people. Canada is a very diverse and multicultural country, therefore it is common to work with a diverse clientele. Understanding some features and theories of culture will be beneficial to have as a framework to reflect on one’s own culture and belief system and to understand and learn more about others’.

Biswas-Diener and Thin (2024) identified the following three ways of thinking about culture: Progressive cultivation, ways of life, and enculturation. Progressive cultivation refines culture intentionally; ways of life centre on shared beliefs and behaviours; and enculturation, a modern method, highlights how individuals acquire cultural understanding to embrace various cultural patterns. In explaining culture as a learned concept, Biswas-Diener and Thin noted that individuals excel in cultural behaviours by learning from their upbringing. They acquire cultural skills through explicit teaching, implicit learning, and observation. Parents and caregivers play a crucial role in influencing young children by educating them about behaviour, dress, religious beliefs, ways of knowing, and emotional expressions. Additionally, culture impacts the use of gestures.

Biswas-Diener and Thin affirmed that cultural relativism requires refraining from quick judgments by respecting and understanding practices from the viewpoint of a culture; this increases awareness of cultural diversity, but can present challenges. Cultural relativism allows for the examination of various societies, regardless of whether specific practices are negative or harmful. For example, Biswas-Diener and Thin observed that holding hands might have different meanings for same-sex partners in India and affectionate couples in Britain. Cultural awareness is very important when working with clients in multicultural environments.

References

Biswas-Diener, R., & Thin, N. (2024). Culture. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds.), Noba textbook series: Psychology. DEF. http://noba.to/y9xcptqw

Government of Ontario. (2023, December 15). Archived – The importance of culture. Ontario.ca. https://www.ontario.ca/document/environmental-scan-culture-sector-ontario-culture-strategy-background-document/importance-culture#