The everyday actions of humans
The everyday actions of humans tend to be more transparently visible than anything else. In reality, most of us spend our days doing the same things over and over again. As a result, a vegan food festival, a Scottish dancing troupe performing the Ceilidh dance, and a group of teenagers going to the movies were among the events observed during this study. Surprisingly, despite their banality, such practices form the foundation of human interaction and are critical in shaping cultures all over the world. As a result, the presence of social institutions encourages the formation of concepts, beliefs, and norms. As a result, society behaves as a multifaceted body that must coexist and require cultures that inform daily activities. As such, culture inevitably becomes a shared way of life that enhances collaboration and human interaction to serve societal needs.
Observation of a vegan food festival
During the research, the most outstanding observation was made on a vegan food festival involving a faith-based organization promoting healthy living through the consumption of wholesome organic foods. It soon became apparent to me that the group thrived on a form of seclusion and had recently imposed an abeyance on meat consumption. I later learned that members who broke the strict dietary program set by the organization were subsequently recommended for excommunication. The group consisted of indigenous Americans such as Latinos and some few Asians whose bond in their shared objective was evident. According to the vegan group, the killing of animals for meat is the worst kind of travesty pursued by humans. The group also does not allow their members to wear clothes made of animal products because of perceived impurities.
Cultural variations in life choices
Since culture is never innate but a learned behavior, the life choices made by individuals tend to vary from one society to another. Those sharing a common purpose eventually practice the same culture as evidenced by the vegan group highlighted in this research. Just as in the case of the vegan group, it is imperative to suggest that there are other several cultures around the world with diverse cultural practices. Conversely, there exists a high likelihood that the other cultures around the globe promote consumption of flesh and related products without much fuss. Consequently, what is weird and frowned upon in one culture can as well be appreciated and glorified in another. Different cultures, therefore, succeed in meeting universal human needs differently.
Conclusion
Social interactions through the mundane activities we conduct on a daily basis enable people to foster societal norms and values that are shaped by culture. In most instances, cultural interaction is often at play in our social environments yet people remain oblivious to the impact it has on our perception of ordinary things. Through embracing cultural diversity, we learn to appreciate the differences in our cultures and explore the uniqueness in other people’s way of life. Shunning ethnocentrism and promoting peaceful coexistence through cultural integration is the key understanding and appreciating the uniqueness inherent to different cultures.
