How Culture is Learned

Two contexts in which culture is learned are education and social systems. An example of an educational context, is that of formal schooling when the curriculum may include content covering historical events, as well as cultural awareness.

The other context in which culture may be learned is within social systems such as the family and local community affairs. Community affairs may include gaining an awareness of the appropriate protocols in communicating with specific persons within the community as well as when to communicate, how to communicate and what to communicate, as well as the learning taking place through observation.

Furthermore, when it is being learned, there may be aspects when the content being learned socially, may not be in the best interest of the individual or community and may sometimes lead to offensive behaviour.

 

How Culture Affects Behaviour

When a person gains knowledge and skills in cultural protocols and processes, there may sometimes be an obvious change in their behaviour as well as in their attitude to various issues.

There have been initiatives whereby community organisations and governments have funded and delivered programs directed at reducing criminal activity carried out by youth.

These programs may include participation in sporting programs such as the Clontarf Foundation. The Foundation exists to improve the education, discipline, life skills, self-esteem and employment prospects of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men. In doing so, it equips them to participate more meaningfully in society.

 

How Culture is Passed Down

Whilst culture may be learned, as expressed earlier in this manual, there is also a process aligned with learning whereby culture is said to be passed down. In this instance, one difference with that of learning, is that on this occasion there may be a deliberate effort to ensure that specific characteristics of the culture are to be maintained in accordance with traditional lore or specific protocols.

Church groups play a prominent role in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia from the very remote and isolated to those established in the major centres. Spirituality plays a major role in both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities as it is in some cases the glue that keeps some groups and families together.

The 1^st July is a very important date on the Torres Strait Islander calendar as it commemorates the arrival of the London Missionary Society to preach the gospel in 1871.

In 2023, the Archbishop of Canterbury visited Yarrabah in North Queensland to ordain an Aboriginal woman as an ordained priest and two other women as Church deacons.

 

How Culture is Shared

In contemporary Australia, there are instances when, due to issues such as climate change, ecosystems are adversely affected. Therefore, the sharing of traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land and waterway maintenance processes may be beneficial to all Australians in order to safeguard the environment.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the term “country” is of great importance and means so much more than land, earth, sea, or sky. Country does not just refer to the physical land and open waters where communities are located, but includes the collection of animals, plants, and people that live there. These connections include seasons, creation spirits, and heritage; country is a belief system and a home for First Nations people.

Because of the importance of country and its associated systems, it is critical that effective environmental practices be shared for the good of all Australians. In a world where sustainability, environmental awareness, and global warming are high on government agendas, there is much to learn from the ways Indigenous cultures are connected to Country.

 

Culture and Identity

Culture refers to the beliefs, norms, behaviours and values that a given group of people deem acceptable. Whereas identity is about knowing what is acceptable and true for yourself. We form a cultural identity when we subconsciously interpret and incorporate signals from the world around us into our own identity so we can belong.

Your cultural identity is a critical piece of your personal identity and a worldview that develops as you absorb, interpret, and adopt or reject the beliefs, values, behaviours, and norms of the communities in your life.

Our cultural identity can evolve, as culture is ever evolving and dynamic. And while there are people who progress through life without ever thinking about their cultural heritage, it is something people tend to become aware of when it is challenged. This typically happens when people find themselves in parts of the world or among groups with different cultural norms. Cultural identity is important because it influences how we interpret and react to situations, which can affect how successful we are in life.

Sourced on 14/12/22: https://www.exceptionalfutures.com/cultural-identity/

 

Aboriginal Cultural Identity

Every five years, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) conducts a survey of the population to gain a picture of the economic, social and cultural make-up of Australia. There has been a significant increase in the number of people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.

It is very interesting to research ABS statistics on Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population as carried out in the five yearly census.  Data from the 1991 Census conducted on 6 August, states 265,459 people identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander which represented 1.6% of the country’s total population. That number showed an increase of 37,814 or 16.6% over the 227,645 people counted in the 1986 Census.  A link to a catalogue of 1991 data is below.

https://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/0/9E7C82E87FE099DFCA2574BF00164E9F/$File/27400_1991_10_Australias_Aboriginal_and_Torres_Strait_Islander_Population.pdf

 

Pause for thought How does culture affect your behaviour as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person?