It is really a fact that cultural norms shape characters of individual. In the fast-pace changing society, cultural norms are patterned to the changes, and so the behavior is affected. How people response to things or situations varies from how cultural norms nailed to their minds. According to Ting-Toomey and Chung (2005:28), culture has a powerful unseen force on individual’s behavior.
It is part of what makes up our self-identity and unconsciously helps the person interpret events and make decisions without much effort. Cultural norms are influenced by traditions, beliefs and values of a culture. A value that helps dictates the wrong and right, and what is good or bad and more (Stephen B Bryan 2007).
For example practicing pre-marital sex, people in open-culture countries would be favor to it and are practicing it compare to those living in close-culture countries; they perceive pre-marital sex as something immoral. Somehow, how we see facts is anchored on the medium introduced to us. Television, internets, radios, magazines and other easy-access technology; and the cultural norms are shaped by these means. What is immoral before are redefine moral today, though not all means.
Further, culture drives in behavior and in the reactionary response of those of a different culture and lifestyle. Like for example in the United States, where so many diverse people of the world come to seek opportunities not afforded in their own countries of birth, in our towns and cities the different is played out in close proximity to other customs and behavior. Hence, different cultures and different lifestyles have been forced upon its older population and have affected the behavior of those hard nose critics, of anything that is new and different. Then, it becomes more complex. (Gynnie Ann De Jesus, 2009)
Cited Works
- Understanding Intercultural Communication. Ting_Toomey and Chung Los Angeles, CA: Roxburry Publishing Co.
- Culture and Lifestyle. Gynnie Ann De Jesus.2009. <www.helium.com/items/290449-how-much-does-culture-and-lifestyle-affect-behavior>
- Recognizing Deep Culture’s Influence on Communicative Behavior. Stephen B Bryan. 2007. < http://repo.lib.yamagata-u.ac.jp/archive/kiyou/kiyouh/kiyouh-16-3>
