How Culture Is Transmitted From Generation to Generation

Generation Transmission of Culture

There are a number of ways that a culture may be transmitted to the next generation such as influences from family and parents, religion, and community. This works intends to explore the generation transmission of cultural elements through the methodology of informational research.

One of my earliest memories is the sound of the drums coming down Main Street while the smells of popcorn and coffee drifted through the summer air. That was the 4th of July many years ago as I sat atop my father's shoulders watching the Independence Day parade. Forever, red, white and blue will be associated with drums, popcorn and festivity. This is one example of cultural transmission.

Family & Parents

Cultural Transmission Starts at an Early Age:

In view of the fact that many Americans through generation after generation will ever relate lemonade to summer and hot chocolate naturally is only consumed in winter. This makes sense as I consider that Christmas without sweet potato casserole could not be Christmas at all in our family for at least four generations. The following was stated that helps understand transmission of culture:

Nation-ness is "natural" in the sense that it contains something that is unchosen (much like gender, skin color, and parentage). It has an aura of fatality embedded in history" (Grieder, Brett nd)

Behavioral Model by Parents:

can remember that my grandmother would not go to town without a hat and gloves as that was how she was modeled behaviorally by the older women in her family. Through cultural mores' cultural elements become almost considered law that should be obeyed. Consider the following:

Variations in our individualistic ideal can be found in our cultural tradition - something often overlooked in our forward-facing, future-oriented society. By cultural tradition the authors mean the symbols, ideals, and ways of life of a people that express the meaning of the destiny its members share. The themes of success, freedom, and justice are all present (although take different meanings) in the three central strands of our cultural heritage - biblical, republican, and modern individualistic ideals.'

How the Food is Cooked

Different cultures feel differently about food. For instance, there are peoples who would not dare to eat any type of meat without it being fully and completely cooked. However, the Germans are said to have eaten "blood pies" and the Eskimos and other Indian cultures eat raw fish or what is called "sushi."

How the Food is Prepared

Cultures, such as the Jewish Orthodox, have certain "kosher" preparation methods for food that are strictly and religiously adhered to. For example, the orthodox Jewish family will have two separate refrigerators and dishwashers and plenty of pots and pans because meat cannot be put in the same container as milk.

Closeness to family and family friends

The term "birds of a feather flock together" is quite true when referring to individuals and their choice of friends and interactions in society.

The closer to family the closer to culture

The individual who is very close to their family, generally tends to adhere closer to cultural standards as well as having the same political, religious and standards beliefs as the family from which they come.

The stories, legends, myths and parables about significant people and events.

Deeply ingrained into the culture of many generations throughout the world are the stories/legends/myths of "Old Saint Nicholas," "Santa Claus," "Christopher Crinkle," a man who wears red and flies through the night delivering toys to good girls and boys. The Christian religion is culturally influenced by the parable of "Jesus," God's son who walked upon the earth.

Religion

Many of as well as much of the basis for religion is based on cultural transmission of religion. Brett Geider Ph.D. states the following in his work:

Tracing the social and psychological role of religion is a matter of understanding how it is that men's notions of the "real" induce in them and color their sense of the practical and the moral."

Discipline

How their church is designed and structure

There is a culture within religious architecture. This has been true throughout history as demonstrated in this excerpt concerning the Mayans reclaiming of their cultural religion the following was said of the Mayans:

Due to the importance of historical Maya the third section of the Accord on Identity and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples addresses the concern over conservation of temples, ceremonial centers and archaeological sites." (Grieder, nd)

Different Saints they worship

Different religions have different aspects within the deities they worship. This is due to differences in experiential knowledge as well as cultural and heritage influences.

Another general (and early) characteristic of the process of civilization is the tendency to create ideal conceptions of omnipotence and omniscience which are embodied as gods. These gods are cultural ideals in the sense that peoples attribute to them everything that seemed unattainable to their wishes, or that were forbidden to them. "

Personal lives - "hangouts" "chills" "friends" (Friends in the same ethnicity hangout)

It is probably an intelligent assumption to believe that location has much to do with who an individual spends their leisure time in the company of. Generally, children within a neighborhood are playmates; individuals that work together tend to, over a period of time, socialize together also.

Cultural spots in the community (Celebrates a festival from ones culture in the U.S.)

The U.S. culture is one that is religiously dedicated to the sports. Naturally one would expect, and not be disappointed, that the hangout in summertime in the U.S. is the baseball field, in autumn it is the football stadium and so forth. In each culture there will be some type of common gathering place that has been so generation after generation.