Essay 1: Culture and Identity (Rough Draft)
Imagine a life without writing, and without art; it’s pretty grim isn’t it? Without these essential cultural components, life would be a sad place to live in, because no other cultural aspect would survive. The most essential cultural elements are Art and Literature, because art and literature lead into the other cultural aspects.
Without arts and literature, you couldn’t have the rest of the cultural elements. Culture manifested itself with the aid of art and literature, without the help of writing or art, cultural unity would be impossible. A good example of a culture without writing and art would be the early humans; their culture did not carry along, and one tribe would be completely different than the other, and they couldn’t even speak to express their ideas. It wasn’t until early humans began to draw cave art that ideas could be expressed, and then culture grew and evolved and spread into government’s and civilizations and certain ways of doing things, as well as religion and any of the other cultural elements. That’s why art and literature are prerequisite to the development of all the other elements of culture. Art and literature are necessary to communicate and spread the rest of the cultural elements. Civilization is the backbone of culture, and you need art and literature to connect a civilization.
Art is important to culture and our society. Society is culture, or more accurately, society is the people who make up a
He describes it as "... An affirmation of supposedly stable and timeless cultural values inscribed in verbal memory..." Adding on, literacy incorporates "... An awareness of cultural heritage, capacity for higher order thinking. " He illustrates the idea that "citizens must learn to speak and write decorously... and must also read great books, where the culture is enshrined.
My cultural ancestry comes from a Cuban and Mexican decent. I have chosen to write about my Cuban side because I can relate to them more than I could with my Mexican side. I was raised around my Cuban family and would occasionally see my Mexican side due to them living so far away. I have spent a lot more time associating with Cubans and have adapted to more of their habits.
In growing up in the position of the ‘other’ in society, Smith provides an empowered stance of identity exclusively through the demonstration of cultural hybridity, as evidenced by Millat and his gangster crew, the Raggastani’s. As Millat becomes increasingly connected to a swaggering identity highlighted by Western popular culture, his sense of belonging becomes established with the multicultural mix of South Asian and Caribbean teens he hangs out with: “It was a new breed, just recently joining the ranks of the other street crews. Becks, B-boys, Nation Brothers, Raggas, and Pakis; manifesting itself as a kind of cultural mongrel of the last three categories. Their ethos, their manifesto, if it could be called that, was equally a hybrid thing” (193). Here, Smith uses the Raggastani’s as a symbol representing the emerging identity of a multicultural London transformed by the migration of formerly colonized populations from South Asia and the Caribbean. Their mission, to put the “invincible back in Indian, the Bad-aaaass back in Bengali, the P-Funk back in Pakistani” (193), is about taking their identities which have been devalued in Western society and linking them together through a collective sense of approval. As a productive example of cultural hybridity taking place, they are a direct contrast with the forms of difference and racial purity that the Chalfen`s represent, and the resistance of letting go of traditions that their parents uphold. The group tries on a series
Art is something that be more influential than words, it let's one express themselves in way that words don’t. Art has heavily impacted the society we live in, beyond paintings and 2-D images. For example the musical, West Side Story had an enormous impact on the world around it. It challenged people’s ideas on immigration and racism while capturing one's heart with a tragic love story. One a smaller scale, a mural in Morrison, IL, remines any viewer the importance of art. Art has transformed the social environment in America by questioning some of our fundamental values and thoughts; however, art has also inspired Americans to live their best life and strive for success.
The following paper will discuss two of the major dimensions of my cultural identity, and analyze the way in which my identity holds privileges, or has exposed me to oppression. Being that I am white, I have lived a life of privilege simply because of the color of my skin. I have been afforded opportunities, and lived a life free from persecution due to my skin color. I have also lived a life that has been impacted by oppression because of my female identity. This unique position between privilege and oppression is where I live my life.
Prior to people writing off art, every person needs to sit down educated themselves about the culture. The information is extensive to learned about but very informative. Though art is considered to be an expression of creativity, it holds certain qualities that will benefit society. Art is more than express the creativity, it is a source of stress reliever, a channel of communication, and it deescalates the racial tension. Art has played a significant role in the gilded era, social justice movements and diversity. Art ideology brought unity among people and it also gave the world visual representation of time. That representation is being discussed in today society allowing people to have peaked at the times back then. Finally, as society
and values are shared among everyone. The overall conclusion of art and culture is that without
Art it is often vague and subjective, however it is constantly present in society and unknowingly influences our cultural identity. Some of the most common examples are as obvious as paintings or obscure as graphic logos. Art plays a major role in society; it connects people in communities to cultivate the culture of our society and generation. It truly embodies the people in a time period in a distinct and unique way. Its abilities extend beyond mere looks, art is able to provide society with a sense of familiarity with common graphics, a connection with others that share similar interests, and a way to spark movements through activism.
Cultural identity refers to the feeling belonging to a certain culture that is attributed to the upbringing of an individual in the given culture. Cultural identity gives a person the sense of belonging and belonging towards their culture. Modern cultural studies show that cultural identification has taken a new face. Various cultural identifiers can be used to identify the culture of an individual. These identifiers include nationality, language, location, gender, religious beliefs, history, and ethnicity. Culture is important in shaping the identity of an individual. The efforts of people trying to preserve their cultural identities can bring about hatred and division in the society. This is likely to happen especially in large cities
Artistic expression is needed so that can cultures and democratic societies can function properly. It is crucial for humans in a collective manner to be exposed to the cultural diversity, and in this way also help maintain it. Arts education such as in the subjects of music, dance, theatre, and visual arts are essential to society and are a part of this cultural heritage and cultural awareness that is needed.
Art and culture is a unique element that is present in every society and nation. It expresses the ideas, feelings and values of a society. It can justifiably be said that the richness of a society is determined by its art and culture. According to Theodor Adorno, culture is described as “that which goes beyond the system of self-preservation of the species,” which seems to contradict its essentiality to society. Even with rapid changes in the world through wars and civilization, arts and culture has remained a substantial facet of society throughout time. Despite its apparent appreciation in most societies, survival of the arts has without a doubt been challenging.
Art has been a way to communicate beliefs and express ideas about the human experience throughout all stages of civilizations and every part of the world. If the principles for living is culture, art is its manifestation. It is also the method through which cultural knowledge is collective. Through art we continue to recreate a dynamic continuance of life. Works of art have provided us important knowledge of the past and present cultures, helping us understand our history and how others have lived. During festivals, cultures regain this vitality through art. Every culture has its own cultural practices and artistic expressions which leads to the diversity of cultures. Each culture generates their own unique and creative forms of human creativity that provides specifically to the integrity, background, and beauty of human social development.
Besides being able to integrate one’s mind with one’s body, an exposure to art is important simply to have knowledge outside one’s immediate field. This allows the person to become more well-rounded in their every day life, and to achieve different perspectives and solutions when faced with certain situations or problems. Being knowledgeable about more than one thing helps people to think differently, and by thinking differently they can come up with solutions that did not previously exist. It is this
From the first society that we have been able to penetrate, no society has lived without some form of art. Art can be thought of as a symbol of what it means to be human, displayed in physical form for others to see and interpret. “There are as many ways to define art as there are people in the universe, and each definition is influenced by the unique perspective of that person, as well as by their own personality and character” (Marder). Art has many functions and roles in both past and present civilizations.
Art has been around since the start of time. It is a way of expressing oneself and making a personal connection to the world. Art is much more than a brush stroking against a canvas—it is a part of our imagination come to life in the form a film, drawing, music, and literature. Because of how much art can impact society, we must have a social responsibility as a community to enforce the learning and practice of the arts.