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Culture and Identity

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Professor’s Name

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Culture and Identity

Globally they are different cultures, some seem alike while other differ. Culture can be

said to give a sense of belonging to an individual or a group of people.1 An Individual may

belong to several kinds of culture basing from the national level, age, religion, gender, region

and even socioeconomic status. Cultural diversity has led to embracement of different cultures

and also respecting other cultures other than your own. This paper focuses on various cultures

and how it influences a person’s identity. People living within a specific type of culture are most

likely to have same identities. Identity can be termed as the uniqueness of a person.

Basing on the music culture and dressing culture, we find that both attributes affect how a

person develops.2 Different people listen to different music. There is the hip hop culture in music

mostly prevalent around the youths, the jazz music culture and even soul and country music

culture. Focusing on the hip hop culture, basing on the message and the way it is portrayed. We

find that to some extent the culture promotes toughness and even a specific way of dressing

judging from the wearing of bling and also the types of clothes and shoes worn bringing out an

identity that at times is associated with perseverance and toughness. At times it may influence

people to associate with gangs and violence.

In the dressing culture, the age gap and also how people are raised and the environment

plays an important role in shaping a person’s way of life or identity. A combination of listening

1
Souhir Jerbi, "Does Culture Shape Our Identity?", WYA, Last modified 2019,
https://www.wya.net/op-ed/does-culture-shape-our-identity/.
2
Jacqueline Nguyen and Gail M. Ferguson, "A Global Cypher: The Role Of Hip Hop In
Cultural Identity Construction And Navigation For Southeast Asian American Youth", New
Directions For Child And Adolescent Development 2019, no. 164 (2019): 99-115,
doi:10.1002/cad.20279.
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or following the hip hop music culture influences how a person dresses as early stated.3 The

wearing of cargo pants in a low-slung manner, bling, sport shoes and also caps in a specific way.

Judging from the two cultures, the music culture and the fashion and dressing culture, the

two seem to influence the identity of an individual towards acting in a certain manner. A manner

that portrays one as being tough and also dress in a particular manner that may suggest affluence

through wearing of bling or even may seem as gangster like having your trouser worn in a low-

slung manner. Culture and identity are majorly influenced by a person’s surroundings, values

and attitudes prevalent at home and also the up bringing of a person from birth. Personal

experiences also contribute to our identities and also the choices that we make shape who we

become.

Bibliography
3
Nguyen and Ferguson, A Global Cypher, 99-115.
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Jerbi, Souhir. "Does Culture Shape Our Identity?". WYA, Last modified 2019.
https://www.wya.net/op-ed/does-culture-shape-our-identity/.
Nguyen, Jacqueline, and Gail M. Ferguson. "A Global Cypher: The Role Of Hip Hop In Cultural
Identity Construction And Navigation For Southeast Asian American Youth". New
Directions For Child And Adolescent Development 2019, no. 164 (2019): 99-115.
doi:10.1002/cad.20279.