Professor John Ivers told the students, “A man and his son, they’re in a serious car accident. The father is killed, and the son is rushed to the emergency room. Upon arrival, the attending doctor looks at the child and gasps, “This child is my son!” Who’s the doctor?”
When we talk about culture, traditions, customs, and beliefs immediately come to mind. We rarely think of the consequences this may have on our daily lives. We are so complex, and culture can influence our decisions, about what we think about ourselves and others, and direct our behavior.
“Who is the doctor then? The mom is the doctor. But our culture teaches us that doctors have to be men.”
Ivers also said, “Culture has a way of shaming people in situations where they would not be shamed in other cultures. There is such a thing called culturally-created shame, which accounts for maybe the majority of shame out there.”
As we know, each culture has its own paradigms and determines how people see the same reality in different ways. In Argentina, we have an effusive way of saying hello. It does not matter if it is our best friend, a relative or a stranger. People from other countries stay frozen when we face them to kiss them on the cheek. If we do the same, for example, in the United States or Japan, we will surely feel embarrassed because it is not the way they greet each other.
One of the negative phenomena throughout the world is the conception of beauty that affects young people in Argentina. I read an article in a newspaper that says: “Being beautiful is comparable to the thinness, success, and happiness according to Argentine girls and adolescents. Only 3 percent of them feel that way”. This causes low self-esteem and an inferiority complex. And “Argentines are among the least likely to describe themselves as beautiful.” However, they see the future with enthusiasm and expectation of personal improvement. (Low self-esteem, Infobae.) If we compare our culture with African culture, for example, the parameters of beauty are totally opposite. They compare thinness with malnutrition.
Among other things, we have a culture of psychoanalysis. It´s very common in Argentina to go to therapy and talk with a psychologist about the problems of daily life. The psychologist Daniela Frankenberg says, “This is a culture that, compared to other places, consume much less alcohol and substances, there are far fewer children and people on medication, which is something that I personally think is really bad in other countries. In Buenos Aires, psychoanalysis is seen as a tool to overcome difficulties.”
In the Argentine culture, academic achievement is very important. In Argentina there are a total of 47 Public and Free Universities that depend on the Ministry of Education of the Nation. Unfortunately, there is also a high percentage of dropouts due to constant economic changes. It can cause frustration in a large part of society that cannot reach their expectations. As instructors of the TESOL classrooms, we must be aware of the differences between cultures. Students have expectations and paradigms according to their cultures, and it is necessary to guide them and accompany them on the path of personal achievement. They learn a foreign language because they may want to improve their job opportunities or simply because they feel that the more they learn, the more accepted they will be in society. We can be a very positive influence on their way.
References
- John Ivers, Culture and psychology video. https://video.byui.edu/media/06+Culture+and+Psychology/0_s4h3d6b
- https://www.infobae.com/2015/04/27/1724532-autoestima-baja-solo-el-3-las-jovenes-se-considera-hermosa/
- https://www.infobae.com/tendencias/2016/07/18/buenos-aires-al-divan-por-que-la-mayoria-de-los-portenos-va-a-terapia/
A
TESOL Certificate 
I think you have such a great point about how much influence the media can have on cultural perception and find it sad that we so often feed into it.
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I think that´s the poiint, REALITY what is for some good for others is wrong, what a different world in some places people are starving because there is no food in their communities and in other places because they don´t eat because they want to be thin and accepted. It would be wonderful if we can make our classroom a new world where things are accepted real things, and only disapproved the ones that will harm others. Good job,!
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Hi Yael!
Yes indeed, the cultural differences we face around the world are vast. In that was the world is a very big place. But as we prepare to be in classrooms that are potentially filled with students from across the globe, we have the opportunity to get to know each other better and learn about our differences, and then focus on our similarities. Those are the things that bond us together.
What a terrific post,
janet klappoth
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