Twelve Dimensions of Culture 1

Twelve Dimensions of Culture

Macy Charlton

8027526

HSF 1210

Debashis Dutta

February 13th, 2018

Twelve Dimensions of Culture 2

In todays society, especially my generation, different aspects of life tend to get

overlooked. Culture is something I believe people do not pay attention to because it is

not something taught in schools so naturally, we disregard it or write it off as something

that is apart of everyday life. Throughout this paper I will be discussing the twelve

dimensions of culture and how they apply to my life, where I came from, and who I am

today. I will then relate five areas of the diversity wheel to my life and how I am

privileged over others. Those areas will include my sexual orientation, race, age,

geographic location and my educational opportunities. Finally, I will conclude this paper

by discussing the impacts and insights this paper has provided me. I will talk about how

looking into my culture and relating it to my life at this moment has helped me prepare

and made me aware of the privileges I have over others, although it may not always

seem that way.

Twelve Dimensions of Culture

Social Status

Social status has never been a defining factor for me, although I realize it plays a

large part in my day to day life, it is not always recognized but taken for granted.

Growing up I believed I was among a lower income home than everyone else around

me. While in school I realized my friends not only had more materialistic items than me

but they had a higher chance of getting what they wanted, whenever they wanted it. But

because my parents were not buying my siblings and I everything we wanted I believe

we all felt a bit excluded from those around us. However, now that I am older I

genuinely appreciate all the sacrifices my parents had to make for my siblings and I. I

realize that it had nothing to do with the amount of money they made, but more so how
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they wanted us to perceive life. Unlike my friends growing up they did not want me to

feel entitled to everything in life. Working hard for what we wanted was, and still is, one

of the biggest lessons I have learned in life. Regardless of the social status someone

has they deserve the same respect and treatment as someone on opposite ends of the

spectrum.

History

The history of groups of people has varied throughout time. Oppression has been

a major part of history for many groups of people. Being a mix of German and Irish I

myself recognize the oppression people have been put through as a result of my

cultural background. However, because of this I have faced repercussions now,

although I had nothing to do with the Holocaust. This is most prominent when people

ask me what my background is and I respond telling them I am “German and Irish” they

tend to disregard the Irish portion and only follow through with comments on how I am

German. This has never been a problem until recently. More and more friends of friends

have been making a point to bring it up and discuss it negatively instead of letting it be

the way it is supposed to be, a neutral fact. Although the history of those around me is

always intriguing, the reaction to hearing a persons history should never be judgement.

Values

The people you surround yourself with have a huge impact on the way you view

the world, and how the world views you, regardless if you recognize it or not. While I

was growing up my parents tried their hardest to be the leading example of what I

should value over others. I believed that the most important and most valuable thing to
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have in this life is family. To never take advantage or take for granted how lucky we are

to have a caring and loving family, because others may not. So naturally, choosing

friends in elementary school, high school and eventually college I gravitated towards

those that valued their family and friends like I did. The way a person talks about their

family is a big indication of who they are as a person. The person I owe everything to

would be my mom. I know that a lot of people credit their moms for doing incredible and

selfless acts for them, and my mom is one of those women. Despite what was

happening in our family in terms of small arguments or huge fights that led to some of

us not speaking to others, my mom always tried her best to keep the peace and find a

middle ground. I truly credit my mom for giving me the tools and the foundation to

become the women I am today. Despite what is going on in my life, having a great

friend that values the same things I do, has always kept me grounded.

Religion

Growing up in British Columbia, religion was never a huge part of my life. So,

when my family and I moved to Ontario my parents put my siblings and I in a Catholic

elementary school. My thinking still is because it was the closest school to us. But

because of this my brother and sister got involved in the church becoming an alter boy

and girl. We started attending church regularly and it had become part of our lives.

Once we had been going for a while I really started to believe and trust in the Catholic

religion, even though I did not know all that much about it. However, as I got older that

belief and trust had started to fade because my family was no longer going to church

and it was not something I had reassurance of. Then all of a sudden it was time for me

to go to high school and my parents left that decision up to me. I decided to go to a

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Catholic high school because that was where all my friends were going. By this time in

my life I really did not have any faith in any religion, let alone one that I believed in for

most of my life. As a result, I started rebelling against having religion as a compulsory

course every year, I did not believe in it so why should I try or care about it? However,

since I have matured more and have come to find my way, kind of, I realized I should

not be so closed off to religion. Once I open up to the idea more I believe it will find a

place in my life again.

Recreation

Until recently I never had friends that I valued enough to want to be with all the

time. Having Tamara as a friend has really changed my outlook on most aspects of life.

For me, having fun can be anything from driving around, laying on the beach or riding

horses. To me it all depends on the people you surround yourself with and the energy

and enthusiasm they bring to the situation. With past and current friends, it was never

an issue of finding something fun to do and that has changed my opinion on how others

need certain things to have fun. I have never been big on needing drugs or alcohol to

have fun, just good company. In my opinion, because of the way I look, white and

female, it tends to be easier for me to have an easier time going out and having fun with

friends, without the fear of ridicule. Unfortunately, and fortunately, this has given me the

opportunity to do as I please without worry.

Healing, Beliefs and Rituals

Living in Canada my whole life, the need to worry about my health has never

really been and issue. I know that if I feel unwell or need immediate care and attention I
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can go to the nearest hospital, clinic or make an appointment with my doctor. With all of

these options available to me it has allowed me to feel secure in my health and wellness

because I do not have to worry about being able to afford it. This has become even

more stress free for people my age because now most prescriptions are free if you are

under the age of 25. This allows people in my age range to be able to take a necessary

medication without being scared of the price. However, the first person I turn to for help

with anything, but specifically healthcare, is my mom. She truly is the smartest person I

know, she normally has an answer for whatever “symptom” I am experiencing. One of

the biggest reasons I am so grateful we have the health care system that we do is

because of the emergency surgery my mom needed a few years ago and without that

care she was given she may not be alive now.

Small Group Interactions

Having a large group of friends has never been something that has interested

me, as an introverted individual, I would much rather have a small group of friends that I

can connect with. Within my own friend group, I am outgoing and talkative because I do

not fear being judged by those close to me and feel free to speak my mind. Being

around others, excluding my friends and family, I tend to be more reserved because I

am afraid of being judged. I believe my sense of humour is something that not a lot of

people understand therefore I try to hold back in fear of the awkwardness and

uncomfortability that comes from not being understood. I also equate larger groups with

not fitting in or not knowing my place. Another reason I have trouble in larger groups is

because of my family. On both my moms side and my dads side we have quite a few

people and I am the youngest, aside from all the children, so the only people I was, and
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still am, comfortable around is my immediate family. My siblings and I all have relatively

the same sense of humour and timing in our jokes so it makes times at family functions

less stressful. We all rely on each other to be there for one another and help others get

through awkward situations.

Diet and Food

When I was younger my diet was great, I had the time to eat and I was constantly

eating healthily. More recently however, my diet has consisted of pizza and Doritos.

Although being a vegetarian everyone expects your diet to be perfect and because I do

not eat meat I must be pretty healthy, not so much the case for myself. Being a

vegetarian has made me appreciate all the little things that my mom does for me and

takes the time to think about me. While I am not a picky eater, my food can not have

meat in it. My mom has since made sure I always have something to eat. Regardless if I

have to take what I will be eating before she adds the meat or makes a complete

different dish just for myself, my mom always puts the extra step in. In grade five I

made the decision to stop eating meat entirely on a whim and on the basis of my friend

living on a farm and us bringing half of their cow home with us the one time we went to

visit them. After that day I never looked back. Having this happen so suddenly and so

young was a big shock for most of my family. A lot of my family members believed I was

doing it for attention or because I enjoyed being difficult and then I would eventually get

over this phase of my life. The ones who believed that this is what I really wanted for my

life just decided it would be best to tease me about it. All in all, being the only vegetarian

in your whole family is nothing compared to what others may face on a day to day basis,

but it is unbelievably irritating.

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Clothing

Being the youngest sibling has given me a lot of advantages over my brother and

sister. Being that I am the youngest daughter and my sister is seven years older than

me, my parents put a lot more effort into trying to control what she wore and how she

wore it. When it came to me my parents never really had a problem with what I was

wearing because they had exhausted their efforts on my sister, this happened for most

of my life experiences growing up. I knew that I would be able to do more activities than

my sister because times changed and they trusted me more than they did her. I believe

my parents also realized over time that kids will wear something regardless of if their

parents say yes or no. Either they wear it and you are accepting right off bat or just wear

it when you are not around. Instead of exasperating all their effort into what I was

wearing my parents would often care about what I was not wearing. More times than not

I was asked “do you have a coat?” over “what are you wearing?”. Another part of my life

that influenced my clothing choices was the school I went to. Because it was a Catholic

school we had to wear a school uniform everyday. This led to me not being as invested

in how I looked because everyone else at my school would be wearing the same thing

or something similar. Going forward in my life I kept the same attitude towards what I

wear now, as long as I am comfortable and satisfied by what I look like, others opinions

do not matter.

Family Life Process

Although I have never believed or been a fan of the stereotypical roles given in a

family, wife cooks and cleans and the husband acts like a handyman, it is hard to deny

that most families succumb to this or something like this eventually. Ever since I can
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remember my mom has been the one to cook all of our meals no matter what.

Regardless if she worked all day and barely slept, there was always something to eat

for dinner. Until recently however, I always thought that she did that because she knew

my dad would never do it. Now I know she does it because she genuinely enjoys

cooking and it relieves her stress. While my mom is cooking her heart out, my dad is

normally catching up on all the interesting Donald Trump news he missed while at work.

Within my siblings my brother and I tend to have the most freedom and my parents

know we can take care of ourselves. However, whenever my sister is involved in

something my parents become increasingly more nervous and concerned for all of our

wellbeing. This has a lot to do with the fact that she has trouble being honest when she

needs to be and asking for help when she needs it. She also lives farther away so my

parents are not kept as up to date as they would like to be. All in all, the stereotypes of a

typical family are written in all of our lives, regardless if we are aware of it or not.

Art and Expression

Although I have never consistently played an instrument, I find that I can express

myself through many different outlets. One of which being my humour. I enjoy making

those around me laugh and keeping the energy high. Making a joke out of situations is

my main way of coping with life. Seeing the joy and happiness laughter brings others

makes me feel better and brings me happiness as well. Another way I express myself is

by riding horses. I have been riding since I was ten and it truly is my biggest passion in

life. When riding all my stress is alleviated and I am at peace. Expressing myself

through riding also comes from the happiness I know it brings my mom. Not only

because she enjoys watching it but because she knows how happy it makes me. I
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believe everyone deserves to have an outlet that allows them the self expression that

humour and riding give me.

Language and Communication

In this generation we rely on technology more than ever. In my opinion this gives

us a distorted sense of reality because there are so many different media platforms

where you can create a new persona and no one will know you are faking a different

personality. Communication itself is difficult enough because everyone expects you to

contact them through your phone that having a face to face conversation is no longer

the norm. It is an even bigger problem now because everyone has become over

sensitive to every word someone says, we always have to be careful not to say

something that is going to offend anyone. In a maybe unpopular opinion, I believe that if

the smallest irrelevant statement that someone says offends you, it should be your own

responsibility to fix it, not the person that said it.

Diversity Wheel- Privilege and Dominance

Sexual Orientation

Although it may not be as prominent as it used to be, being homosexual in

todays society opens you up for rejection and ridicule. Therefore, being heterosexual

gives me dominance over those who are not because I will not be judged for walking

down the street and holding a mans hand whereas others may be. I will not have to fear

being physically hurt because of my sexual orientation. Being heterosexual gives me

privilege over those who are not because I will never have to face the fear and anxiety

about disclosing my sexual orientation to someone. Being discriminatory towards those

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who are homosexual can only lead to chaos. Those who we label as different or other

from us will always have the same protection as everyone else under the law. (Anzovino

& Boutilier, 2015) Equality is considered before the law, in the ways the law is applied to

you, the protection of the law, and the benefits the law provides you (p. 29).

Race

As saddening as it is to still be able to say this in 2018, being white is in and of

itself, a huge privilege. This gives me the opportunity to apply to different jobs and not

be scared that I will not get hired because of the colour of my skin. Another reason my

race gives me dominance over those who are part of minority groups is because of

police brutality. In the media you see how violent and out of control these situations

have gotten and how detrimental they can be to those involved and the families of the

victims of this brutality. Because of the colour of my skin, the same fear these victims

experience when they get pulled over or stopped by police will never apply to me.

Although not everyone believes race matters a lot of influence comes from who I decide

to surround myself with. This is most referred to as the Social Construction of Reality

(Anzovino & Boutilier, 2015, p. 25), the ways I see certain situations because of the

other interactions I have had with others in similar circumstances.

Age

Because of my age when people see me their automatic reaction is not to feel

bad for me, or to think I am not as capable as others. Sexism towards elders has

become a leading topic, because elders now dominate most of society. Although most

people are aware of this topic, some may use it everyday without noticing or taking into
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consideration how it may be hurtful. (Anzovino & Boutilier, 2015) It is not possible for

myself and those around me to behave fairly if we use these sorts of direct judgements

and allow certain groups of people to feel separated from society (p. 25). Being young

allows me to stand up for myself and others when I know someone is trying to take

advantage of them. This gives me an advantage over elders because people are less

likely to take advantage of me. Another area where my age gives me dominance and

privilege are in the work field. Most employers are more likely to higher someone who is

younger in order to be able to keep them for a longer amount of time. Employers are

also more likely to higher younger people because they may look at elders and assume

they are physically unable to complete tasks and may be unwilling to learn how to do

things a different way.

Geographic Location

Living in Canada gives me dominance over those born elsewhere because I was

born in a first world country. Being born here I am exposed to multiple different thoughts

and opinions on other places in the world. Some may believe it is their right to think they

are better than others. Defining another person based on their job or wellbeing would be

confined to classism. (Anzovino & Boutilier, 2015) Being classist allows you to believe

that just because you live in a better part of the world than others, it makes them less

qualified to be here or they do not have the money to come here because they can not

figure out how to save it (p. 33). Instead of believing those people may not be allowed

out of their own country and are physically uncapable of making it to a better life. My

rights and freedoms are followed by others, I have access to free and good quality

healthcare, and I also have access to an education and services. Having free
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healthcare gives me the opportunity to be able to go see a doctor or specialist and not

have to worry and stress over if I will be able to afford the visit. Although the healthcare

in Canada is free, the quality of the care is much better than other parts of the world

where they may not even have easily accessible hospitals. In Canada I also have

access to resources if I needed them. Many services are available to me if I were to

ever need them, foodbanks, family and children services, the police and organizations

like Lutherwood. These services provide me with a better life and give me the

confidence to leave difficult situations even when I feel like I have no choice.

Education

Living in Canada not only provides me with free healthcare but it also gives me

the opportunity to have a free education. In Ontario we have OSAP that provides us the

help to get an education if we can not afford it. Another reason having a good education

gives me dominance over others is because the higher education I have the higher

chance I have of getting a well-paying job in the field I studied in. This is a privilege

because in some places of the world they do not allow women to attend school let alone

challenge the men in their field. In Canada it is welcomed that women try their hardest

and reach their full potential in every aspect of their life. Regardless of the idea power

equals money and happiness, power can come from within ourselves or from the

energy others around us give (Anzovino & Boutiler, 2015, p. 36). No matter the

education or social status a person has, we all have the chance and opportunity to

make a difference in the world.

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Impact

Writing this paper has forced me to look at my life through a different lens.

Although I realized I lived a privileged life, I never considered the full effect it had on me

until now. Going forward throughout my life I will have to change or adjust multiple

things about the way I think, act, and speak towards others. This will especially be true

when I start working in my career field. I will need to develop an even broader sense of

respect for others, keep my opinions hidden inside myself and not let my expressions

show through, and make a mental note about the words I choose to use in

conversations with those I deal with.

I will begin by learning how to respect others and their own journeys and not

have an immediate negative thought. I will do this by being more open to the different

types of life experiences people have been put through other than my own. Becoming a

lawyer will require me to have an open mind concept and be willing to help clients

regardless of the situation.

Another way I will need to improve myself is by controlling my actions and

responses to the things others say. This will cause me to become less negative and

have a more positive outlook on life in general. Controlling my actions and reactions will

make me a better helper, friend, and eventually a better lawyer. Although I realize this

will take time I am confident that if I put my mind to it this goal will be accomplished.

Finally, this paper has made me realize that I need to become more self aware of

my word choice. I tend to say whatever is on my mind and that can cause me to get into

trouble with others. Being more self aware with the words I use will make me more
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acceptable to others and have them trust in me more. This will also make me more

respectable to others and allow me the confidence to respect others values, thoughts,

and ideas.

Until now I never gave any thought about what my culture was and how

irresponsible it is of me to not recognize that I do have a culture. Relating myself to the

twelve dimensions caused me to look deeper into myself and see who I truly am, what I

believe in, and what I stand for. Although I do not consider myself as privileged as

others, I realized that I am much more privileged than most people in this world. I should

consider myself very lucky I get to live the mostly stress-free life I do. Having dominance

over other groups of people gives me the opportunity to make a change for the better

and I plan to take advantage of this going forward.

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References

Anzovino, T., & Boutilier, D. (2015). Walk a Mile: Experiencing and Understanding

Diversity in Canada (1st ed.). Toronto, Canada: Nelson