The value of culture

Hello!

I have always been passionate about families. I love my family more than anything in the world, I'll openly tell anyone who asks...and apparently anyone who doesn't ask (as seen here in this post).  I have recently realized that I want to go into family therapy to help those who are having any struggles in their families. In addition to that, you probably also need to know that I am a college student. I am working on my Bachelors degree in Marriage and Family Relations right now out at Brigham Young University - Idaho.

I love all all that I am studying at this point. I feel like I walk away everyday with some new insight or idea to mull over in my mind. That's one reason I have decided to start a blog. I am hoping this has multiple benefits. As I have been learning in some of my psychology courses, the more you recall and share what you are learning, the more likely you are to remember it. So that is one reason I am doing this, but another is that I have found as I work through understanding ideas, they become much more clear when I write it out. There is something about making yourself put an idea into your own words that really helps solidify your understanding of that idea. Lastly, I am hoping that people will comment and share their views and ideas as well. Something that was said in a class the other day was that we see things through our own experiences - meaning that we may all have different perspectives on the same point because we have all had different experiences in our lives.

With all that being said, I would like to talk about culture here. I heard it defined the other day as: Human achievement that collectively maintains a condition for growth. In my mind, I always associated the word culture with traditions that are specific for a county or region. I like how it was broken down into something even more specific though. What I have realized I really like about this definition is how it is a positive idea, to keep growing. That could apply to population size, the economy, or even personal growth - just to list a few. Isn't that something that we all want? To become better versions than ourselves? If we were to be in a "culture" of growth, imagine all the good that could come out of it. I don't know, maybe I sound like a naive college student, but that sounds like it would be a pretty great place to live. But then, why can't we make our own world -  the part that we have control over (ourselves) - like that? This is why people set goals.

Anyway, I just wanted to share that idea and maybe start a conversation about it. If you have any comments or thoughts you want to share, feel free! I'd love to learn what you want to share.

Rebecca Anderson