Deep Structure of Culture by

How did you learn about religious matters?

u1522731 — 2025-02-13 22:50:56 UTC

My family raised me as a Catholic with strong belief systems that led to consistent behaviors based on those beliefs. From a very young age I was given a very strong foundation in learning about the Church and our faith. The rituals like Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation were my opportunities to learn about the Catholic faith in practice. Both the formal the classes and informal lessons allowed me to evolve and learn about the religious matters. Being my mothers strongest value, she has always done everything to pass on the virtue of Catholic faith. It has so far shaped my perception of the world, my actions, and relationships.

if you had siblings of the opposite sex, did you notice different child-rearing practices being followed?

u1522731 — 2025-02-13 23:18:30 UTC

I think most of my expectations are influenced by the traditional gender roles often emphasized in our culture. Being Mexican-American, I didn't grow up with my siblings, but I definitely still noticed the differences of how my mother expected me to treat the males in my family. In our culture, there tends to be a protective and a more lenient attitude toward sons, while daughters are expected to take on more nurturing and domestic roles. This doesn't have to do with child-rearing practices, but for a different example of how gender roles are played in my family, I always noticed how caring my mother is towards my dad. She would always make sure there is a warm home-cooked meal ready for when he arrives home from work, a clean home, and clean ironed laundry. I understand this can be controversial in other cultures, but this is just a demonstration of how much we value their hard work.

How do you think you learned your perceptions on the elderly?

u1522731 — 2025-02-13 23:42:46 UTC

The values instilled to me by my parents, and other extended family members have taught me to hold deep respect for the elderly. In our family, the idea of sending an elderly family member to a nursing or retirement home was never considered an option. Instead, it was understood that we would take care of them at home, in the same way they had taken care of us when we were young. Just like the reading pointed out, elders are seen with more wisdom, which is something I have learned to seek. When I was younger my great grandparents immigrated to the U.S from Mexico, where all of their kids were, so that they could all take care of them in their homes. We would make adjustments, set a schedule of where they would stay in order to always have them under our care. I learned it was never something that was expected but purely out of love, and to show them that we value their life-experiences.

In general would your family be classified as formal or informal?

u1522731 — 2025-02-14 00:26:53 UTC

I think my family is a blend of both formal and informal. Formal because of the traditions we strongly adhere to such as the gender roles, authority, and respect for the elderly. I think religious traditions also has a big part in the formality because our values and beliefs shape how we treat others, how we represent ourselves, and we clearly show what we value the most. There is also that layer of informality in my family. I have never had something held against me just because of something I said, or did. So we still hold open communication and have the freedom to make our own decisions.