Cultures are everywhere in the world. No individual can live without it. Everyone has their own cultural identity. Culture tells them the way of living. The traditions and practices keep people engaged. When people are a part of a particular group or culture, they get support and respect from their fellow mates. There are different cultural background examples and identities. Let’s see what exactly it is all about from the examples of cultural identity and also how to know your cultural identity.
1. How can you Know your Cultural Identity?
Your cultural identity can be identified by recognizing where you belong. When you share your thoughts and ideas with a group of people who also feel the same, you can say that you belong to that group and that is your cultural identity. These thoughts can be shaped when you share some similarities with the people from that group. It could be because of your birthplace, work, beliefs, practices, etc. The similarities can be because of the likes and dislikes that are common for that whole group. The choices in art, food, music, and other activities can lead to similarities in thoughts. These things shape the cultural identity of an individual.
Culture, overall, is a set of a wide range of unique customs and practices that a certain group follows to keep itself distinguished from other groups. You can know your cultural identity and start to accept and follow the practices of that group, it comes to being recognized as a culture. (See Which is an Example of Cultural Diffusion?)
2. What can you mean by Cultural Identity?
Cultural identity is your feeling of belongingness to a certain group or culture. When you belong to a particular group, you accept all the traditions, practices, and ideologies of that group. You respect the heritage and history of that group and follow all the practices. When you have your cultural identity, you start to have faith in that group. Your cultural identity can be about belonging to a religious group, ethnicity, or nationality. Cultural identity can shape your personality as well.
When people belong to a particular culture, they feel a sense of security. They share a sense of belonging to that group with their fellow mates, with whom they also share common goals and aspirations. They get support from that group. The people who share the same experience, share the same culture too. (What is Your Unique Identity?
3. What are Examples of Cultural Identity?
Examples of cultural identity are:
- Nationality: Nationality is the status and proof of belonging to a certain nation or country. The country or nation that you belong to shapes your ideas and beliefs. You become its citizen and are expected to follow the norms and support your nation. Every nation has its own practices that are different from others. What one nation accepts may not be acceptable in another.
- Ethnicity: Ethnicity is the regional or cultural group that you belong to. It has its own unique practices and traditions that you are supposed to follow. It is a wider term than race. The commonality in religion, culture, language, heritage, etc., can describe an individual’s ethnicity.
- Religion: Religion is a personal choice of worshipping any god or superhuman. A large number of people come together to offer their worship and faith. It is a kind of community that has its own practices and traditions and all the people of that community follow the same practice.
4. What are the Four Cultural Identities?
The four cultural identities that shape a person using the examples of cultural identity are:
- Race: Race is the distinguished physical attributes that a group has and is one of the major four cultural identities. All the members of that group share those attributes and hence, they feel a sense of belongingness. They can have their own customs and practices that are unique from the other groups. All the common attributes that group members possess make the members feel safe and valued within the group. They are able to form a community where members respect each other and support other in the times. The commonality of the practices allows the members to be valued and appreciated.
- Gender: Gender is the biological characteristics that a person possesses. The sense of being a male, female, or other is the gender possessed by that person. It can include the norms, behaviors, and practices that a person is supposed to abide by in society. They are expected to maintain decorum while being in public. These are some rules and practices that are not said openly but are expected to be followed by everyone. Within these societal norms, certain groups have their own practices that can be different from others. They form a small community where people are free to practice those things that are not allowed outside. They can have their own thoughts and beliefs without anyone opposing them.
- Sexuality: The sexuality of a person is the feelings and beliefs that the person holds. It can be about their own body or the genders to which they feel attracted. It can be their sexual preference too. Sexual preference varies from individual to individual and is a natural thing. If the sexuality of a person is different from the perceived notion, then it can become a debatable thing. Talking about sexuality is usually a debatable thing in our society as well as a taboo. Following sexuality that is other than accepted ones can be a thing of bravery!
- Ability: Ability is proficiency in a certain field. It is the skill that an individual possesses in a certain field that makes them stand out from others. Skill is a natural talent and can be polished further by practice. When there are many people who possess a particular quality, they form a group or culture with certain norms that are accepted by everyone. Ability is a natural quality in a specific field. When a person possesses some ability, with practice, they can become a prodigy in a specific field.
5. What are 5 Characteristics of your Culture?
The 5 characteristics of your culture are:
- You have learned your culture. The culture that a person belongs to is learned by them. It is not genetically learned. You learn a culture when you are surrounded by it. What you see your fellow mates doing is what you start doing. It is observational learning.
- Culture is adaptive. Culture helps us in adapting to the changes in the environment. Adaptation leads to safe and comfortable living. Different cultures have their own norms unique to them. What is common and easily accepted in one culture cannot be the same in the other one. Hence, the adaptations are different from culture to culture.
- Culture is shared with your fellow mates. You cannot be the only one following a culture. All the examples of cultural identity are a mutual thing that happens in a group. People who belong to a certain culture share common thoughts and ideologies, so there rarely happens any misunderstandings. The practices that are followed within are the same for everyone who belongs to that culture.
- Culture is a dynamic thing. It changes over time. It can be in the form of ideas, beliefs, and practices that are followed within it. Changes happen when people start disregarding the older beliefs and adapting to the newer ones that are much more relevant to the present times. Changes happen when two different cultures merge and they together shape a few practices and beliefs of each other which are later accepted by everyone in the culture.
- The culture is made up of many parts that are interrelated with each other. Hence, culture is always integrated. The different parts have their own workings but are related to each other. The different parts are education, marriage, infrastructure, government, technology, medicine, and so on. Changes in one thing led to changes in another.
6. What are 7 Examples of Culture?
Along with the examples of cultural identity, here, take a look at the 7 examples of culture:
- Norms: Norms are the unwritten rules of any culture. People who follow these norms become a part of that culture. These have been passed down from one generation to generation, and are learned by observation.
- Fashion: Fashion is another important factor that describes a culture. There are certain types of clothing that are unique to a culture and are supposed to be worn by the followers.
- Festival: Festivals are very important in any culture and have a particular significance. When there is a festival, people of that group come together and celebrate enthusiastically. Every culture has its own festivals and traditions that are celebrated accordingly.
- Craft: Craft defines cultural identity. Crafts have been in making for ages to show the uniqueness and characteristics of that culture. It allows people to merge art and culture together in a very beautiful manner. It shows the uniqueness of that culture.
- Food: Food practices vary widely from one culture to another. Food has been associated with customs and the practices are common to everyone belonging to that culture. Different food items are prepared with different practices that make a culture unique.
- Language: Language and signs are an important part of any culture. People use that language to communicate with one another. Languages from one culture may not be identifiable from another.
- Ritual: Rituals are a unique part of every culture. These are some activities that are specifically performed by some people in that group. These are considered necessary and vary widely across cultures.
7. What are the 6 Types of Culture?
The 6 types of culture which define the examples of cultural identity are:
- Material Culture: Material Culture involves the materials and products that people of a particular group use to perform activities. These objects are common to everyone that belongs to that culture. It can include religious places, offices, factories, and so on.
- Non-material culture: Non-material culture includes things that cannot be touched, seen, heard, or tasted. These include beliefs of that culture, languages spoken by its people, traditions followed by the culture, and rules that people abide by.
- Culture of diversity: This means a culture where people from many different cultures live together. Everyone has their own different practices and traditions and there is mutual respect for everyone. People are free to celebrate festivals and conduct events.
- Corporate culture: Corporate culture can be described as the culture that follows in the office. It includes the dress code, rules, working environment, and infrastructure of the office.
- Popular culture: Popular culture is one of the examples of cultural identity of a specific time which includes the popular song, movie, or book of that period. It becomes a part of society where everyone starts following the trend.
- Foreign culture: Foreign Culture is when a person visits a foreign country and encounters different things like the dress code, language, food, and interaction of people which is usually different from the person’s native place.
8. What is your Personal Culture?
You know your cultural identity as a state of belonging to a particular culture or group. You feel better when you are in that group, following its practices and traditions. The customs of that group suit you and you feel attached to them. You share mutual values with the people in your group. They support you and respect your values. The examples of cultural identity show a sense of personal belongingness. You feel safe and sound when you are with that cultural group. You feel secure when there are people around you who share the same beliefs and customs. (See How can You preserve Culture in Today’s Living?)
9. What are your Cultural Background Examples?
The cultural background examples are:
- Languages
- Race
- Gender
- Religion
- Education
- Marriage
- Ancestry
- Sexuality
- Ethnicity
10. What are Cultural Examples?
Examples of culture which in a way transforms into examples of cultural identity are:
- Dress
- Customs
- Architecture
- Laws
- Religious beliefs
- Traditions
- Social standards
Now we know how vast and unique any culture can be. Cultures in themselves are great communities that guide and support people. It is an interesting part of everyone’s life. Without culture, one cannot live easily. They are a huge part of everyone’s life. I hope you got to know what are the examples of cultural identity and its features. (See How is Culture Transmitted from One Generation to Another?)
