Table of Contents
Introduction
People express their cultures naturally through their daily activities. Culture influences the way people dress, eat, worship and relate to each other in society. As such, attire, cuisine, entertainment worship and family structures among other features of life readily communicate cultural values (Kleymeyer, 1993). I, for example, express my culture in numerous ways. One can easily tell a few cultural aspects of my life by observing my daily operations. The three items that influence my life include an autograph by Justine Bieber, a photo of an American football and a photo of a typical bugger. The three items can reveal my favorite sports, food, and music, which are three fundamental elements of culture.
I love Pop and R&B music. I enjoy live performances of various artists in both genres. The love led to the development of my first expression, an autograph by Justin Bieber. The two genre are an important part of my life since I grew up listening to them. They serve as my primary sources of entertainment, and they address some of the most important social and cultural issues that appeal to me. I obtained the autograph when I attended a concert by the Canadian musician in New York City last December. I decided to keep the signature since it reminds me of how close I came to the source of the music. The music has been part of my life. Keeping the autograph, therefore, is a way of connecting with my heritage.
The second item is a photo of a burger I took at Burger King in one of my frequent lunch visits to the store. Fast foods have been part of family menus, especially during lunch hours. During vacations and on weekends, we would always drive to a local Burger King store for an assortment of meals, which included fried chicken, burger, fries and soda. The meals were convenient given the busy nature of my family. As such, I appreciate the roles the foods have played in my upbringing and development into an energetic and productive young man. I took and had kept the photo because I do not understand the recipe of the meal but has enjoyed it all my life. Furthermore, I believe the meal is a fundamental part of American culture given the large number of fast food stores in the country.
The final object in my list is yet another photo. The last picture is of American football. I am a proud athlete who has played American football as a quarterback both in high school and in college. I have loved American football since time immemorial. We would watch the sport at home as a family and cheer local teams in the various domestic competition. My father, who also loved the sport introduced me to the sport and helped train through my pre-school years. The sport has had immense benefits in my life key among which is maintaining a lean and muscular body frame despite being a lover of fast foods. I took the photo from my smartphone and had kept it since then because it demonstrates my relationship with the sport and the effort I have put in uplifting the image of my society. The photo thus typifies my love for the game and recognition of the sport as part of my life and primary source of entertainment.
The three items discussed above have helped define me. They show my love for music and sport. They also show my favorite food. The three have been part of my life and influence my personal values. I believe in engaging in physical exercise to maintain a desirable body weight and to remain healthy. Furthermore, I am a disciplined individual who embraces teamwork in various capacities. Someone who sees the list for the first time may conclude that I am a young overweight man who loves sports and the contemporary rap music. The person may also conclude that I am rowdy and probably loves violence. Some aspects of the conclusions could be accurate (Anheier & Isar, 2010). Key among such include my young age and love of both music and football. However, football has taught me the value of discipline, peaceful resolution of conflicts and being a team player.
In retrospect, cultural expression is a natural process that arises from our daily activities. In most cases, people express their cultures subconsciously by just acting naturally. The three items listed above represent my culture and personal values. The music, food and sport have been part of my life and have contributed to developing a precise personal definition. I come out as a typical American young man who strives to avoid other detrimental effects of cultural groupings and the inherent stigmatizations such as radicalization among others.
- Anheier, H. K., & Isar, Y. (2010). Cultures and Globalization: Cultural Expression, Creativity and Innovation. London: Sage Publications.
- Kleymeyer, C. D. (1993). Cultural expression and grassroots development: Cases from Latin America and the Caribbean. Boulder, Colo: L. Rienner Publishers.