Exploring the Unknown

Yes, I do agree with Ruth Benedict when she says that we are "creatures of our culture" and that our habits, beliefs, and impossibilities are shaped by our culture.

There is some evidence that a fetus will learn inside and outside a mother's womb. Hearing is a major factor in the fetus' learning in the womb. Researchers have also concluded that "in the weeks before birth, fetuses are sensitive to small differences in musical notes and prefer the sounds of their native language, even though it will be many months before they begin to speak it (The Development of Children, 5th ed. p82).

To me culture is formed naturally because we are "hard wired" to categorize things. For instance our language, speech patterns and the color of our skin, to say the least, are things we use to categorize. Studies have shown that we are able to categorize things, as early as three-months-old (The Development of Children, 5th ed. p188).

Upon categorizing these various things about ourselves, we begin to set ourselves a part from everyone else. We start to ask our group (those that we place in a category "like us") who are we? What is our purpose here and how are we to live our lives? These questions require the group to work together to form answers to these questions (Trenholm 343). This is the foundation of culture.

According to me, culture is basically a routine that a certain group of people follow (for their reasons) and the routine is understood by the people of that particular culture. The everyday practice of a routine becomes automatic, thus allowing for culture to be passed on for generations.

Although habits, beliefs, and impossibilities are shaped by our culture, we can break through the limits that are placed on us. In order to break through these limits, we must be willing to put effort into learning about people, places, and things outside of our categorical limits. We must be willing to step outside of our comfort zone and familiarize ourselves with the unfamiliar.