Cultural Essay

When we started Chapter 1 I asked you to write a short description of your culture in
Chapter 1 discussion post. Take what you wrote and rewrite it based on what you have learned
over the semester. You must type up your original description-this should be the first thing I read
in your essay; i t does not count toward the 700 word minimum and 1000 word maximum. In
this essay you will
1)describe how your understanding of culture has grown and then
2) offer a revised description of what you wrote about your personal culture.
3)move beyond description to analysis. That is, in this essay, you will aim to answer
questions like these (though not necessarily in this order).
● What are the various functions of my cultural traits?
● What do my cultural traits indicate about things such as gender and social roles?
● How do my cultural traits mesh with local and national norms?
● How do my cultural traits influence my perception of other cultures?
Reread you initial description of your personal culture and free write about how your thinking
about culture in general and your personal culture in particular has changed.
Reflect on your culture in relation to the topics we covered in class, e.g., religion, identity,
kinship, etc. Identify (in writing) the changes in awareness, trait(s) that you want to develop in
this essay.
choose one or two points to discuss
Once you have decided which change in awareness, trait(s) to focus on, discuss the way that
your knowledge of that trait helps you think differently about your own personal culture. Use
anthropological terms whenever possible.
develop a short discussion of how your personal culture impacts your interpretation of or
reaction to other cultures.
Conclude your essay by reflecting on the implications of the awareness of culture that you
developed.