2021/10/28 week07 Culture and Psychology.

 Culture and Psychology.

    The impact of culture on psychology can be vast. For some people it provides a huge boost to their self-worth and self-esteem, for others it completely tears them down and leaves them feeling worthless. This  all depends on if you fit in or not with what is culturally expected for you to do.

    I am lucky to live in a city that is very open in its mindset. It is acceptable for us to express ourselves and be unique individuals, this can be through the way we choose to dress, hobbies and sports that we do, or what type of work we want to do. The only condition is that we don't do anything that harms those around us. At school you would find friends who were vastly different, some were sporty, others academic or more focused on the arts and cultures. This differences created talking points and sharing points instead of divisions. There was no silly idea of the rugby players cant be friends with the drama kids, or any one cool or popular group. 

    When I was in school I had a big range of interests, I loved history and geography, belonged to a hiking group, played tennis, did track and field events for athletics, surfed, played volleyball and did Brazilian Ju-Jitsu, I also really enjoyed building model soldiers, playing board games and reading. My interests were all over the place, but that was fine, because I was being true to myself. I easily fit in with my group of friends and they enjoyed joining me for activities I liked doing, just as I enjoyed doing what interested them.

    When I moved inland to Johannesburg in grade 11 things changed drastically! There they had this idea of what a "real guy" should do, and many of my interests weren't on that list. At school I struggled to fit in, as they were all really different to me, outside of school though, I made amazing friends with guys in their early 20s who were more open minded and who shared some of my hobbies. 

    I came to realize that many teenagers in Joburg felt alone and that they had no friends, this was due to no one willing to socialize with people who did not have the same limited interests as them. I had never met so many depressed and miserable teenagers in my life before, I also hated my time spent at school there.

    Luckily as South Africans become older they do loose some of these ideas and they become a bit more open with their circle of friends no matter where they live, also it is common to see every gender well represented in all fields of work, so we are lucky that we can follow our dreams and passions in adulthood and find acceptance.

    Acceptance is vital for our mental well being, if we feel accepted and that we belong we also believe that we can do a great job at what we love doing. If however we feel that we do not belong, either in our culture group or a small circle of friends, then we suffer accordingly, this can have devastating results on the individuals who feel ostracized by society.

    As a teacher, I try to show all of my students that they are valued, no matter their perceived level of intelligence, interests or hobbies. This acceptance has helped them to have amazing growth and development. It has also led to great opportunities to teach life lessons. I remember one of the boys in my class being mocked for liking pink, which to the other grade 2 boys was a girls color. So I made sure I wore a bright pink shirt the next few times I taught them. The lesson was soon learnt that men and boys can like or wear any color that they wish. Many opportunities have arisen like this, where through example I have taught them to be accepting and open to each other, and where needed to get rid of negative cultural paradigms. This will benefit them and those they will come into contact with throughout their lives.

    May we all find it in ourselves to be accepting of other people, even those in our own culture who differ from what they should be. We are all unique individuals just trying to make it in a crazy world. Spreading love and kindness will go a long way in healing many of the hurts that life deals out to those who feel they have no place that they belong.

Comments

  1. Yeira CervantesOctober 28, 2021 at 11:33 PM

    Donovan, what a beautiful post. Thanks for sharing your experiece living in two different countries. I agree with you, feeling accepted is key!

    Also, your experience wearing the pink shirt was great! Haha.

    Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  2. La pizarra de AngelicaOctober 29, 2021 at 3:40 AM

    Hello Donovan, thank you for sharing, I've felt identified with some of your experiences.
    Angélica Conde

    ReplyDelete
  3. David FontesOctober 29, 2021 at 5:20 AM

    I really know what you mean Donovan, thanks for sharing your experience.

    ReplyDelete

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