Culture as Social Legacy in Mirror for Man :: Mirror for Man Essays

In Clyde Kluckhohns Mirror for Man, he explains the differences and similarities among the worlds wads by stating two big ideas 1) People be similar because they have the same biological equipment and suffer similar life experiences such as birth, helplessness, illness, old age, and death, but, 2) people are culturally different because of the way they were brought up and they may live in a different environment created by human beings, and acquire a distinct social legacy from their own people. Kluckhohn suggests that where a person lives is adept of the factors that determines ones culture. In China, people have a strong dislike for milk and milk products. In the United States, a person drinks milk from the clip of birth because American society has made a pattern for its people Americans make milk a integral part of their meals because they are told its the save way to remain healthy and develop strong bones and to subdue disease such as osteoporosis, a disease brought o n by the lack of calcium (which is found in milk). Therefore, the Chinese may not understand why Americans drink milk so often, and Americans may interview why the Chinese do not know the health benefits of milk. Kluckhohn implies that on that point are cultural misunderstandings between different sets of people because they are not aware that each specific culture constitutes a kind of pattern of all lifes activities. I do support Kluckhohns theory that culture is decided by a persons environment and their design for living. I have been raise in Los Angeles and I have friends of varying ethnic backgrounds, languages, birth places, and cultures. My stovepipe friend came from Korea nine years ago and has assimilated to the ways of American behavior. Yet, I do not understand why Sandy remains stoic when she has a serious problem or why her parents never pageant public affection to her or to themselves. I asked my mother if Sandys behavior was unknown and she replied no becau se she said Sandy is from Korea where she was brought up in a different environment, where her culture taught her ethical and moral values that differ from values taught in the United States. I came to realize that although Sandy will remain in the United States for the rest of her life, she may never give up her Korean values or her Korean upbringing.