The Advantages and Disadvantages of Culture S Influence in Human Behavior

Appreciating Diverse Views on Abnormal Behavior

Experience and genetic inheritance influence human behavior. The manner in which individuals grow is driven by social circumstances and experiences within the setting of their inherited genetic potential (Walker, 2002). The scientific concern is just how the hereditary potential and experience interact to generate human behavior. The text illustrates that abnormal behavior is that behavior that deviates from the normal or what is expected. Most people avoid what they define for themselves as abnormal behavior. For instance, we will probably opt not to sit next to a person acting in an odd manner or dressed in weird clothes in a train or bus. People hate individuals who smell dirty, and if possible we try to stay away from them. Based on this, the abnormal behavior seems to be that which is outside the parameters of the norm in the society.

Every individual is born into a cultural and social context and later develop numerous social relationships. The features of a person's social environment affect how s/he learns to behave and think through rewards, example, punishment, and instruction. This setting entails school, home, religion, and neighborhood. Additionally, a child's information interactions with peers, friends, media, entertainment and relatives are also key drivers of behavior (Kleinman, & Lin, 2001). How a child responds to all these drivers or even which factor will be the most potent, is unpredictable. However, there is a considerable similarity in how people respond to the same influencers. This means being raised in the same culture. Moreover, culturally induced behaviors like body language, speech patterns and forms of humor are greatly ingrained in the human mind. As such, they tend to function without individuals being completely aware of them.

The culture to which an individual belongs to assumes a prominent part in how the person interacts with others. In fact, people can notice the difference when persons meet for the first time. Although a person's character assumes a prominent role in interaction, the place where the person has been brought up also influences a person's approach to others. For instance, during a party, a Norwegian will hardly approach another person spontaneously just to say "hi" unless s/he is drunk. Contrary, a Spaniard would invite another person to participate in the group.

Nevertheless, this is not a rule but it is the truth particularly when comparing a Mediterranean European to a northern one. The Mediterranean Europe will need much time to behave spontaneously than the other one. Another factor that can be looked at is the non-verbal communication. Based on an individual's culture, physical contact, gestures and space distance between two people varies greatly (Walker, 2002). For instance, it is normal to have physical contact when walking in the street close to strangers. For the Europeans, it is annoying and weird if a stranger walks close to them in the street. This is similar when it comes to free space surrounding a person, which is needed for two people. In the former China, people were forbidden from moving closer to the emperor. It was even worse when people gazed or had direct eye contact with him.

The field of abnormal behavior is called abnormal psychology. From this perspective, the perspectives on abnormal behavior have some advantages and disadvantages. First, abnormal behavior is extremely difficult to define. The definition varies widely both within and outside cultures. For instance, when British settlers entered America, they were acquainted with raising livestock and fencing land. They understood the difference between private and public land. Nevertheless, the American Indians saw land as a public property and did not appreciate the idea of fencing land. Moreover, they used the land for crop rearing, not livestock rearing. According to the Indians, the white man's behavior of keeping animals and the fencing of land was abnormal. Culture is not only about what took place in early America. In the U.S., a woman walking along the street without a top will be considered abnormal. On the other side, in a culture where bare-chested women are normal, a woman wearing a top would be considered abnormal (Plante, 2006).