Topic > Culture can shape how you interpret the world

Imagine two different people who went to the Vancouver parade at the same time. They went to the same places, participated in the same activities and observed the same spectacle. However, their understanding and interpretation of the fashion show should not be the same because their understanding of the event is shaped and influenced by their own culture and traditions. Culture can be thought of as a shared system of meanings and values, usually variable, that influences and shapes our interpretations of the world. (Yoshimizu, 2014, p.1). During my fieldwork at the Vancouver Fashion Show, I found that it is sometimes difficult for me to fully position myself from an external perspective, questioning and analyzing my cultural values ​​and identities. Therefore, some of my interpretations and assumptions about research findings are shaped and influenced by dominant ideology. In this analysis, I will discuss how my stereotype about women's traditional character and identity, particularly conversational style, was greatly challenged during my research process. My view of women's speaking style is influenced by my pre-existing schema of conventional expectations of women's speech. , which is defined as “reserved”, “soft”, “tolerant” and “appropriate”. “Curse” and “humor” are considered normal and appropriate behaviors for men but not for women. What struck me the most during the show was the sharp and sarcastic conversation style of two beautiful Chinese girls. Their conversational style not only involved “insulting and personal attacks,” but also used an excessive amount of profanity. They directly criticized the appearance and way of dressing of two young boys as "out of fashion" using a list of sharp and aggressive words. This made the other Chinese public... in the center of the paper... tense due to the rising social status of women. Many people no longer use stereotypical assessments of women's character and identity. Overall, modern society has greatly changed the standards that people typically use to evaluate women's conversational style. This change indicates that modern Chinese women are gaining the right to determine and create their own preferred ways of self-expression. (Almeida, 2002, p.249). Although culture is viewed as a shared system of meaning and value that influences and shapes our interpretations of the world, it is constantly variable. Our understanding of the world is not only shaped by our previous cultural patterns and traditions, but is also influenced by the new experiences we encounter, the people we meet, and the knowledge we learn from these experiences, and the phenomena we perceive and observe. (Yoshimizu, 2014).