Benavides 1

Josue Benavides
English 113 B
Professor Beadle
24 February 2016

Welcome To My Culture

The majority of people sometime misunderstand what the term culture means. When it
gets brought up, they only think of religion or ethnicity. They dont take a step back and really
think what culture actually means. According to, Culture and Communication by Anastacia
Kurylo, culture means A culture is any group of people that share a way of life (3). This can
mean anything, for example sports, religion, race, gender, ethnicity, etc. Whatever way you
share your life, thats your culture. On the other hand, my culture is special to me. I am part of a
fitness culture and a motivational culture. A fitness culture is a sociocultural phenomenon which
refers to the culture surrounding physical activity. A motivational culture is someone who is
dedicated to obtaining their goals and dreams, without giving up, no matter how hard the
situation is. For me, that is not an extrinsic motivation, its an intrinsic motivation. These two
cultures are what make me.

I found a great definition in, The Social Science Encyclopedia by Adam and Jessica
Kuper. Culture is the way of life of a person. It consists of conventional patterns of thought and
behaviour, including values, beliefs, rules of conduct, political organization, economic activity,
and the like, which are passed on from one generation to the next by learning and not by
biological inheritance. The concept of culture is an idea of signal importance, for it provides a set

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of principles for explaining and understanding human behavior. It is one of the distinguishing
elements of modern social thought, and may be one of the most important achievements of
modern social science, and in particular of anthropology (Hatch, 1985, p. 178). This quote I
found online basically explains that culture is the way of life. The beliefs you choose to follow
are the beliefs that make you who you are. It is special because all that belief, values, and rules
of conduct are brought and passed down to your next generation of kids. And your kids will pass
it down to their kids. Its a cycle, and its a great feeling knowing when you leave this world
called earth, you left your culture with your kids, and that's something amazing because they
have and are your culture.

The fitness culture only operates when I am surrounded by people that share the same
beliefs or behavior as me. The majority of the time, that space is in the gym. The motivational
culture works in a unique way for me. The spaces include school, work, and in my own little
world. In my own little world, I mean in my head. In school, I try very hard to study, complete
my work in time and get good grades. I absolutely hate it, but the only thing that drives me to do
good in school is past family experience. About seven years ago, my parents lost everything. The
three houses my father owned,(as well as the one we lived in), lost his business, and his
motivation to get back up. Seeing the banker telling us to evacuate from our home was horrible. I
never want to go through that with my future family. That's how motivation plays a part for that
space in the school. Space in my head, however, is unique. It makes me view the world in a
whole different perspective. It makes me see the world differently than other people by seeing
the beauty of life. I believe we all have to struggle where we want to go. I also believe no matter
what you are going through, to smile through it because life is all about learning. I am a mentally
stronger person. My behavior is different because I am happy. I stay up all night listening and

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reading to motivational speeches and books. I believe if you get the mind right, the body will
follow regardless of what you are trying to do. I need this mentality because I want to become a
sports doctor and I need to truly believe in myself if I want to make it and be happy in life.

Every single person has their own culture and formation of space. Everyone was raised
differently. No one was raised the same. We were all introduced to many cultures and beliefs, but
it was our decision whether to live up to those cultures or not. I, on the other hand, found my
own beliefs. I belong to this identity because it feels like me. I honestly believe I would be lost
without my culture. What if I never took that first step to becoming a healthier and better me?
Would I still have that never giving up attitude like I do know or that motivated mentality? I
dont think so. The fitness and motivational cultures create my identity. I value these identities
because its what keep me from going into mainstream society and having to follow the socially
constructed norms. Not that you have to, but if you dont value what you value or follow and
pursue the cultures you want to be a part of youll fall right in with social norms. Following
what others do and dont. The majority of the people think having space in your head is unusual,
but to me, I think it is unique. In the article,Self-Identity and Culture by Ronald Jackson,
Cerise Glenn, and Kesha Williams, it says that While places are physical locations, spaces are
psychological locations that frame an understanding of preferences surrounding closeness and
distances (119). To me, the psychological space in my head is a location. The motivational
space in my mind is the most important space I have. Without this space in me, I would be lost
without it.
The combination of these factors and how are they used to create specific cultural spaces
which are unique and has an invisible boundary. But when I move from one place to another,
these invisible boundaries are interrupted and I face intercultural transitions. Whenever I am

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with some friends, I can act motivated by them because that not in their belief. I have to act and
believe in what they believe and if not, I will get marginalized from my friends. I basically have
to act and believe in what society believes in. I cant be that fitness or motivated person in front
of them because they do not believe in what I believe. The intercultural transitions are not
usually easy and they create misunderstanding, and cultural shocks and they require time to
adopt through intercultural communications and understanding. There is a way to use
intercultural transitions effectively.
An intercultural transition is essentially a process of change by means of which an
individual or a social system may bridge two different cultures (Intercultural Transitions In
Human Development and Education, Luis M. Laosa). Kurlyo states in her article that, You can
make any of your identities relevant at any moment by referencing the identity in your
conversation. For example, you can discuss your grades with your parents over dinner and, as
you answer a question in class, you can discuss your family life. Without always being aware of
it, you actively and seamlessly manage your identities by making only certain identities salient
at a given moment (4). This is an effective way of combining both cultures into a single
conversation with a friend or family member that does not share your values or beliefs. Believe
it or not, we do this every day in our lives without noticing it.
The fitness and motivational culture is my self-identity. Its what makes me who I am and
not followed by the socially constructed norms. I chose my culture by doing what I love and
that's the gym. Without my beliefs or norms in life, I honestly believe that youre not you without
them. Like if youre incomplete. So if you have a culture or belief that you look upon on and
truly believe in it share it with the people you love. Thats what culture is all about Finding
something you love and enjoy sharing it.

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Work Cited

Kurylo, Anastacia. Inter/Cultural Communication.Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2013.

Print.
Kurylo, Anastacia.Self- Identity and Culture .Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2013.
Print.
Young, Robert M. "Mental Space." CULTURAL SPACE.The Human Nature Review, 28
May 2005. Web. 24 Feb. 2016.
Laosa, Luis M. "Intercultural Transitions in Human Development and Education."
Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology20.3 (1999): 355406. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.