Family Culture Paper Rachel Campbell

ECE 252

Write on how your culture (family culture not ethnicity) is manifested in your life and how you see this
affecting the way you believe and interact with others. Choose at least three topics (at least a
paragraph each) from Chapter 2 Lecture notes to write on.

Values that underlies culture (unseen): Notions of modesty; conception of beauty; ideals governing child
raising; relationships to animals; tempo of work; ideas of leadership; importance in group vs. individual
issues; ideas of status, roles in relationship to gender, age, class, occupation; conversational patterns;
nature of family and friend relationships; social interaction rate; body language; patterns of handling
emotions; facial expressions; arrangement of space; notions of adolescence; etc.

Relationships to animals is my first choice. In my family we did not get my dog until all three of us (my
siblings) were old enough to take care of it. My mother grew up on a farm and was exposed to death
and life early on. Not only did she have pets but she had to take care of working animals as well. She
knew the discipline we would need to have an animal. So, when my sister was finally in elementary
school we got a dog. I am the oldest, I was a freshman, my brother was in middle school. Buddy went
through everything imaginable in his first five years with us. Puppy parvo, three separate times eating
chicken bones and finally getting run over. But he survived everything! He is like a small child still. Even
though we have all left the nest, he is one huge reason we continue to come home and check on him
and my mother.

In my family, I was raised by a strong single mother. Growing up with out the typical father figure, you
would think I lack discipline. But growing up my siblings and I never tried to break the rules, fight the
system or even got spanked. Now we had our occasional fights over chores but we knew that when our
mother said something we followed it. As the oldest, I was in charge when my mom wasn’t around and
that gave me a sense of responsibly. Growing up my mother said and still believes since it just us so she
didn’t have time for us to act up. Even today in my classroom with two-year old’s I learned that setting
the tone early on that I mean business goes a long way. I don’t have to yell as much I just say a catch
phase and they shout it back. Even though I didn’t grow up with father to discipline me, I learned to
respect the authority of the one who loves me the most.

Ideas of leadership is huge in my house hold. I grew up with a few strong examples in my life. My
grandmother is living alone on a five-acre home in northern Wisconsin and still refuses to move out. My
mother is a national ranked coach and continues to run a program of over three hundred students in
high school. I grew up learning to take responsibility, work hard for what you want and don’t let road
blocks stop you. Nothing in my life comes easy, and watching my mom go through struggles with my
father, helped me. I learned that not everyone will have the best life skills to help you, so you better
learn what it takes. I have to set the example for my life. Taking reasonability is a hard thing to do when
you’re an adult but it makes you grow into a stronger person. When you can learn from your mistakes.