Culture is a broad topic and can consist of many things like clothes, food, music, drama etc. Due to this culture influences people’s values and beliefs which they follow and practice in everyday life; therefore, culture is an important part of our personality and identity. In this essay I’ll be writing about how culture affects/influences our identity, likes, dislikes; I will be giving personal examples as well. I will also write about material, non-material and intangible culture.

Identity itself is a vast topic and to make it simple we can categorize it into personal, social and cultural identities. So, let’s start with personal identities or things which you are known for, for example your interests, hobbies etc. These identities keep changing as people experience new things after which they develop a new interest which eventually becomes their hobby. Culture plays a small role here because you are more likely to like things which people around you like; by people I mean people at home, friends etc. who are extremely close to you and influence you. If at home, your culture supports/likes a particular form of arts or a specific type of clothing or even a festive food, there is a high chance of you developing a liking towards the same things. This is how your culture can affect your personal likings or identities. The next is your social identity, which includes your friends, member of a society or basically things you are known for socially. These identities don’t keep changing as they take more time to develop. Culture affects your social choices because it is less likely that you be with people who don’t match your taste (which your culture helps in developing). Whereas there is a high chance of you joining a group full of people who share the same culture as you and have the same likings. This is how your culture plays a small yet powerful role in your social life. The last is your cultural identity, or your culture. These are least changeable of all three because these are a part of you since birth. These heavily influence everything in your life, right from thoughts and beliefs to your choice in food and clothing. This is because your culture is something that is with you since birth and it is what you see and practice daily. Your culture also influences the food you eat, for example someone from the Western culture would not like food from the Eastern culture and vice versa. Culture also plays an important role in clothing, for example the Islamic culture expects Woman to cover their head with a scarf/burkha in public places. Culture can influence us in wrong ways too, some beliefs might be wrong and will guide you in the wrong direction; therefore, one should not follow cultural beliefs blindly. My culture also has an influence on me, especially the kind of festive food I like. This is how cultures affect our identities and influences us; we cannot learn culture because in order to learn something we need to actively practice it! (Dombrowski)

Culture can also be expressed in the form of music, art, drama, ceremonies, games etc. these are also known as “traditional cultural expressions”. These are forms in which traditional culture is expressed, and are passed from generation to generation; therefore, these are very important parts of the identity and heritage of a traditional culture. There are a lot of categories falling under arts, and each culture has something unique and different. Every culture has a unique way of expressing their traditions and it’s the main feature that defines its ethnicity. Drama and theatre are a rich and traditional of expressing emotions and traditions for more than a thousand years and it’s an important aspect of culture and will always be.

There are also different types and forma of culture such as visible, organizational, material etc.; I will explain each individually. Let’s start with subculture; this is a group of people who differentiate themselves from the main/parent culture. They don’t completely differentiate themselves but maintain some of the founding principles of their parent culture. Subcultures often develop their own beliefs, values and norms regarding cultural, gender and political matters. Therefore, subcultures are cultural group within a large culture, often having their own interests, beliefs and norms (Allie.T). The next is material culture; this refers to physical object or resources people use to define their culture. Some examples of this are homes, schools, temples, plants, products etc. All these have different meaning and speak a lot about one’s culture (cliffsnotes). Another form of culture is multiculturism, this is a very common term, and it is used to describe a society where a variety of different cultures co-exist; this is usually on a huge/national level. A good example of multiculturism would be China, which is considered as culturally diverse has fifty-six officially recognized ethnic groups (Rodrigues). These were some of the types and forms of cultures, it is extremely difficult to study all because it is a very vast topic.

Cultures can also be affected by time, place and space (technical innovation), this is one of the most important factors affecting culture. Cultures change over time and so do its thoughts and beliefs. I am sure that the beliefs during the 19th century are not relevant to the 21st century, simply because humans evolve and so do their thoughts, ideas etc. Place also affects culture as the environment where people live in can shape culture. For example, in a place with an extremely cold environment, people will wear warm clothes, and their culture cannot expect them to wear light clothes (because it’s a basic necessity); this is how place affects culture. Technical innovation also plays a huge role when it comes to culture especially with the internet’s incredible increase in peoples’ ability to connect across the globe. With the internet it is was easier to spread culture using social media or any online platforms compared to the ancient nomads who used to travel across the globe to spread their culture (societes). The internet has played a vital role during this current pandemic also; it helped preachers and priests connect to thousands of people globally. This has also helped in safeguarding the cultural and cultural activities during the current pandemic.

Cultures are what make countries, monuments, tourist attractions, performances etc. beautiful. They should never be discriminated, and you should always feel proud of your culture.