Culture Awareness

            
             Human beings first (in a developmental sense) are members of families and communities .
             Distinguished by ethnic, class, and religious cultural perspectives. Ethnic, class, and religious communities shape human desire and self-understanding in accordance with some more or less coherent worldview or conception of the good life. As such, they introduce values and standards of conduct that establish a system of "preferences" -- i.e., differentials of rank, status, and relative worth. Human beings whose self-understanding is shaped by these standards identify themselves and one another in terms of particular community membership and local ranking systems. In short, the defining attribute of liberal citizenship -- free and equal individuality -- is alien to the perspectives that most immediately shape human life. Values are significantly relative to and vary across cultures. The Diversity Thesis acknowledges the fact that, "moral rules differ from society to society." To obtain these personal values and beliefs we must first know the cultural background we belong to and adapt and take on the values to the culture we belong. Values are an important component of culture because they help to explain and give an interpretation to their actions in the world. Culture is knowledge, beliefs, morals, rules/laws and behaviors of a society. Cultural values are relative: They can be different for different people, depending on the environment. Every person possesses this culture because he/she is a part/member of that society and takes on the role to which these actions are governed in that particular society. Culture is shared. People in the same society share common behaviors and ways of thinking through culture. Culture is learned. Culture is socially inherited. A person must learn culture from other people in a society. Culture is basically learned. For instance the Taliban believes in Allah from their teachings and culture is told do kill for there beliefs, whereas Americans condemn killing and consider this to be a terrorist act.