Culture and societies

Aadesh has invited Lina to his cousin Priya's wedding. Lina is surprised to see the bride wearing red! This... doesn't look like a wedding Lina has ever been to before. She is used to white dresses!

Why is Priya's wedding so different? Aadesh, Lina and Priya have a lot in common — they all live in the same country and the same city. They watch the same shows on TV, support the same sports teams, and wear similar fashion. These practices are determined by where they live and who they meet. But Aadesh and Priya are different from Lina in other ways — and not just in how they celebrate weddings.

Their families are from India, and are Hindu. They celebrate holidays like Diwali and Holi and their family eats Indian cuisine at home. There are many other people in the world who have the same traditions as they do. Aadesh and his family belong to a bigger group of people who share the same beliefs and practices. Groups like these are based on how we eat, what we wear for special occasions, as well as things that are less easy to see, like what we believe about god, or how we raise children.

The practices and beliefs of a particular country, people, or other social group make up culture. Aadesh and Lina share the local culture of the city they live in. But Aadesh has other cultural traditions that Lina isn’t familiar with. A society can have one dominant culture, but groups of people within that country may also have their own, unique culture. So many cultures can coexist in one society.

Is it better to be early, late, or exactly on time? How do you greet someone? Do you feel comfortable being honest and direct with people? Your answers to these questions are probably shaped, in part, by the culture you grew up in. People from the same culture often have the same perceptions of what is right and wrong and how to behave in different situations.

We learn our culture’s way of doing things as we grow up, usually from our parents, grandparents, or other adult figures. Because of this, people in a culture usually grow up sharing a broad set of beliefs, perceptions, and behaviors, along with similar ideas and values. These are called cultural norms. Cultural norms exist, but they will rarely be true for every person in a certain culture or society. You, like everyone else, are an individual, with your own thoughts and opinions.

You belong to many groups that may or may not be closely tied to a culture you identify with. There can be groups of people that have norms and values that are different from the main, dominant culture of a society. These cultures within other cultures are called subcultures. Subcultures often come about due to shared hobbies or interests. Punks, skaters, and hipsters are some subcultures you may have heard of.

Some subcultures have been around so long, and have grown so large, that their traits have been adopted by the dominant culture. Ripped jeans for example, used to be associated with Punks, but now they are considered a normal part of teen fashion in many parts of the world. As you meet people from various cultural backgrounds, you’ll probably encounter similarities and differences you weren’t expecting. It might be interesting, surprising, or even a little confusing at first! Aadesh is happy to answer all of Lina’s questions about a Hindu wedding.

She’s learning a lot, and having fun too!