Building Blocks of Culture
Culture is defined as a system of shared beliefs, values, and assumptions by a society which results in similar characteristic behaviour. Culture is also the way of life resulting from habits. Ideally, cultures within communities are passed down from one generation to the next using communication and imitation. With the advent of technology, many cultures are changing gradually, but some primary cultures cannot be changed due to their importance and long duration. Different societies have different cultures. At present, many communities have diverse cultures as people from different cultures interact and exchange ideas; thus, it is rare to find a monoculture nation. Therefore, it is essential to understand other cultures and embrace diversity to promote cohesion around the globe. One way of embracing other cultures is by understanding the different building blocks of society.
Abed is an Afghan national who I worked with briefly. During our brief interaction at work, I was keen to notice that Abed practiced deeply rooted Afghan culture. Despite Abed being young and in a foreign country, he practiced his culture as well as interacted with people from other cultures without discrimination. Afghanistan has a rich and diverse culture that continues to evolve. However, most Afghanistan cultures regarding religion and societal values have stood the test of time. Although diverse, the culture of Afghanistan is primarily influenced by the Islam religion.
Norms, language, values and beliefs are among the essential building blocks of culture. As stated earlier, the Afghanistan culture is primarily influenced by the Islam religion. Thus, the culture practiced by Abed was Islamic principally belief. The Afghanistan culture regards the family as the primary and most important social unit. Collectivist cultures are harmonious, and interdependence of family members is stressed and valued. I noticed that Abed preferred to associate more with Muslims who understood his culture better than other people. In so doing, Abed was placing importance to people he considered his family in a foreign country.
The concept of time is also an essential building block in Afghanistan culture. Abed believed that time is a commodity, and he did not like postponing events under any circumstances. In the Islam religion, Muslims are expected to pray five times a day while facing the holy city of Mecca. Abed adhered to the strict timeline, and he never missed prayer for any reason whatsoever. Also, Abed practiced the same punctuality in all work aspects, and he never missed a work deadline.
The building blocks of Afghanistan culture is different from my culture in several aspects. In my culture, the family is the most critical societal unit. Also, my culture views time as a commodity and punctuality is vital. However, my culture values relationships over time and plans and deadlines can be changed when family members are in need. Also, my culture is not influenced by religion. My culture harbours many faiths, with some people opting to refrain from associating with any religion.
During my interaction with Abed, I was impressed by his attitude towards punctuality. At first, I was shocked that a person could drop all activities to pray. However, when I noticed that Abed was also punctual in all other aspects of his life, I realized that his religion had shaped his personality. Also, I initially viewed Abed as a stereotype because of his preference to interact with Muslims socially. However, I later understood that a person is drawn to people with whom they share a culture, especially in a foreign country. Furthermore, Abed was very social, and he strived to adapt to my culture. Therefore, I also learnt to work with Abed and adapted to the values, norms and beliefs of his culture.