culture benefits essay

Essays about Culture and Identity: 9 Examples And Prompts

Writing essays about culture and identity will help you explore your understanding of it. Here are examples that will give you inspiration for your next essay.

Culture can refer to customs, traditions, beliefs, lifestyles, laws, artistic expressions, and other elements that cultivate the collective identity. Different cultures are established across nations, regions, communities, and social groups. They are passed on from generation to generation while others evolve or are abolished to give way to modern beliefs and systems.

While our cultural identity begins at home, it changes as we involve ourselves with other groups (friends, educational institutions, social media communities, political groups, etc.) Culture is a very relatable subject as every person is part of a culture or at least can identify with one. Because it spans broad coverage, there are several interesting cultural subjects to write about.

Our culture and identity are dynamic. This is why you may find it challenging to write about it. To spark your inspiration, check out our picks of the best culture essays. 

1. Sweetness and Light by Matthew Arnolds

2. how auto-tune revolutionized the sound of popular music by simon reynolds, 3. how immigration changes language by john mcwhorter, 4. the comfort zone: growing up with charlie brown by jonathan franzen, 5. culture and identity definition by sandra graham, 6. how culture and surroundings influence identity by jeanette lucas, 7. how the food we eat reflects our culture and identity by sophia stephens, 8. identity and culture: my identity, culture, and identity by april casas, 9. how america hinders the cultural identity of their own citizens by seth luna, 1. answer the question, “who am i”, 2. causes of culture shock, 3. your thoughts on dystopia and utopia, 4. gender inequality from a global perspective, 5. the most interesting things you learned from other cultures, 6. the relationship between cultural identity and clothes, 7. describe your culture, 8. what is the importance of honoring your roots , 9. how can a person adapt to a new culture, 10. what artistic works best express your country’s culture, 11. how has social media influenced human interaction, 12. how do you protect the cultures of indigenous peoples, 13. are k-pop and k-drama sensations effectively promoting korea’s culture , 14. what is the importance of cultural diversity.

“… [A]nd when every man may say what he likes, our aspirations ought to be satisfied. But the aspirations of culture, which is the study of perfection, are not satisfied, unless what men say, when they may say what they like, is worth saying,—has good in it, and more good than bad.”

Arnolds compels a re-examination of values at a time when England is leading global industrialization and beginning to believe that greatness is founded on material progress. 

The author elaborates why culture, the strive for a standard of perfection, is not merely driven by scientific passions and, more so, by materialistic affluence. As he esteems religion as “that voice of the deepest human experience” to harmonize men in establishing that ideal society, Arnolds stresses that culture is the effort to “make reason and the will of God prevail” while humanizing gained knowledge to be society’s source of “sweetness and light.”

“Few innovations in sound production have been simultaneously so reviled and so revolutionary. Epoch-defining or epoch-defacing, Auto-Tune is indisputably the sound of the 21st century so far.”

Reynolds shows how Auto-Tune has shaped a pop music genre that has cut across cultures. The article maps out the music landscape Auto-Tune created and examines its impact on the culture of song productions and the modern taste for music. While the author debunks accusations that Auto-Tune destroyed the “natural” process of creating music, he also points out that the technology earned its reverence with big thanks to society’s current custom of using technology to hide blemishes and other imperfections.

Looking for more? Check out these essays about culture shock .

“… [T]he heavy immigration that countries like Italy are experiencing will almost certainly birth new kinds of Italian that are rich with slang, somewhat less elaborate than the standard, and… widely considered signs of linguistic deterioration, heralding a future where the “original” standard language no longer exists.”

American linguist McWhorter pacifies fears over the death of “standard” languages amid the wave of immigration to Europe. On the contrary, language is a vital expression of a culture, and for some, preserving is tantamount to upholding a cultural standard. 

However, instead of seeing the rise of new “multiethnolects” such as the Black English in America and Kiezdeutsch in Germany as threats to language and culture, McWhorter sees them as a new way to communicate and better understand the social groups that forayed these new languages.

“I wonder why “cartoonish” remains such a pejorative. It took me half my life to achieve seeing my parents as cartoons. And to become more perfectly a cartoon myself: what a victory that would be.”

This essay begins with a huge fight between Franzen’s brother and father to show how the cultural generation gap sweeping the 60s has hit closer to home. This generation gap, where young adults were rejecting the elders’ old ways in pursuit of a new and better culture, will also be the reason why his family ends up drifting apart. Throughout the essay, Franzen treads this difficult phase in his youth while narrating fondly how Peanuts, a pop culture icon at the time, was his source of escape. 

“…Culture is… your background… and Identity is formed where you belong to… Leopold Sedar Senghor and Shirley Geok-Lin Lim both talks about how culture and identity can impact… society…”

In this essay, Graham uses “To New York” by Senghor and “Learning To Love America” by Lim as two pieces of literature that effectively describe the role of culture and identity to traveling individuals. 

The author refers to Sengho’s reminder that people can adapt but must not forget their culture even if they go to a different place or country. On the other hand, Lim discusses immigrants’ struggle to have double identities.

“Culture is something that surrounds all of us and progress to shape our lives every day… Identity is illustrated as the state of mind in which someone or something distinguishes their own character traits that lead to determining who they really are, what they represent.”

Lucas is keen on giving examples of how his culture and surroundings influence an individual’s identity. She refers to Kothari’s “If you are what you eat, then what am I?” which discusses Kothari’s search for her identity depending on what food she eats. Food defines a person’s culture and identity, so Kothari believes that eating food from different countries will change his identity.

Lucas also refers to “Down These Mean Streets” by Piri Thomas, which argues how different cultural and environmental factors affect us. Because of what we encounter, there is a possibility that we will become someone who we are not. 

“What we grow is who we are. What we buy is who we are. What we eat is who we are.”

Stephens’ essay teaches its readers that the food we grow and eat defines us as a person. She explains that growing a crop and harvesting it takes a lot of effort, dedication, and patience, which mirrors our identity. 

Another metaphor she used is planting rice: it takes skills and knowledge to make it grow. Cooking rice is more accessible than cultivating it – you can quickly cook rice by boiling it in water. This reflects people rich in culture and tradition but who lives simpler life. 

“Every single one has their own unique identity and culture. Culture plays a big role in shaping your identity. Culture is what made me the person I am today and determines who or what I choose to associate myself with.”

Casas starts her piece by questioning who she is. In trying to learn and define who she is, she writes down and describes herself and her personality throughout the essay. Finally, she concludes that her culture is a big part of her identity, and she must understand it to understand herself.

“When it comes to these stereotypes we place on each other, a lot of the time, we succumb to the stereotypes given to us. And our cultural identity is shaped by these expectations and labels others give us. That is why negative stereotypes sometimes become true for a whole group or community.”

In this essay, Luna talks about how negative stereotyping in the United States led to moral distortion. For example, Americans are assumed to be ignorant of other countries’ cultures, making it difficult to understand other people’s cultures and lifestyles. 

She believes that stereotyping can significantly affect an individual or group’s identity. She suggests Americans should improve their intellectual competence by being sensitive to other people’s cultures.

14 Prompts on Essays about Culture and Identity

You can discuss many things on the subject of culture and identity. To give you a starting point, here are some prompts to help you write an exciting essay about culture. 

If you are interested in learning more, check out our essay writing tips and our round-up of the best essay checkers .

Understanding your personality is vital since continuous interaction with others can affect your personality. Write about your culture and identity; what is your personality? How do you define yourself? Everyone is unique, so by writing an essay about who you are, you’ll be able to understand why you act a certain way and connect with readers who have the same values. 

Here’s a guide on writing a descriptive essay to effectively relay your experience to your readers.

Sometimes, people need to get out of their comfort zone and interact with other individuals with different cultures, beliefs, or traditions. This is to broaden one’s perspective about the world. Aside from discussing what you’ve learned in that journey, you can also focus on the bits that shocked you. 

You can talk about a tradition or value that you found so bizarre because it differs from your culture. Then add how you processed it and finally adapted to it.

Dystopia and Utopia are both imagined worlds. Dystopia is a world where people live in the worst or most unfavorable conditions, while Utopia is the opposite. 

You can write an essay about what you think a Dystopian or Utopian world may look like, how these societies will affect their citizens, etc. Then, consider what personality citizens of each world may have to depend on the two worlds’ cultures.

Today, more and more people are fighting for others to accept or at least respect the LGBTQ+ community. However, countries, territories, and religions still question their rights.

In your essay, you can talk about why these institutions react the way they do and how culture dictates someone’s identity in the wrong way. Before creating your own, feel free to read other essays and articles to learn more about the global gender inequality issue. 

The world has diverse cultures, traditions, and values. When you travel to a new place, learning and writing about your firsthand experiences with unique cultures and rituals will always be an interesting read.

In this prompt, you’ll research other cultures and how they shaped their group’s identity. Then, write about the most exciting aspects you’ve learned, why you found them fascinating, and how they differ from your culture.

Those proud of their culture will wear clothes inspired by them. Some wear the same clothes even if they aren’t from the same culture. The debate over cultural appropriation and culture appreciation is still a hot topic. 

In this essay, you may start with the traditions of your community or observances your family celebrates and gathers for. Then, elaborate on their origins and describe how your community or family is preserving these practices. 

Learning about your roots, ancestors, and family cultures can help strengthen your understanding of your identity and foster respect for other cultures. Explore this topic and offer examples of what others have learned. Has the journey always been a positive experience? Delve into this question for an engaging and interesting essay.

When a person moves country, it can be challenging to adapt to a new culture. If there are new people at work or school, you can interview them and ask how they are coping with their new environment. How different is this from what they have been used to, and what unique traditions do they find interesting?

Focus on an art piece that is a source of pride and identity to your country’s culture, much like the Tinikling of the Philippines or the Matryoshka dolls of Russia. Explore its origins and evolution up to its current manifestation and highlight efforts that are striving to protect and promote these artistic works.

The older generation did not have computers in their teen years. Ask about how they dated in their younger years and how they made friends. Contrast how the younger generation is building their social networks today. Write what culture of socialization works better for you and explain why.

Take in-depth navigation of existing policies that protect indigenous peoples. Are they sufficient to serve these communities needs, and are they being implemented effectively? There is also the challenge of balancing the protection of these traditions against the need to protect the environment, as some indigenous practices add to the carbon footprint. How is your government dealing with this challenge?

A large population is now riding the Hallyu or the Korean pop culture, with many falling in love with the artists and Korea’s food, language, and traditional events. Research how certain Korean films, TV series, or music have effectively attracted fans to experience Korea’s culture. Write about what countries can learn from Korea in promoting their own cultures.

Environments that embrace cultural diversity are productive and innovative. To start your essay, assess how diverse your workplace or school is. Then, write your personal experiences where working with co-workers or classmates from different cultures led to new and innovative ideas and projects. Combine this with the personal experiences of your boss or the principal to see how your environment benefits from hosting a melting pot of cultures.

If you aim for your article to effectively change readers’ perspectives and align with your opinion, read our guide to achieving persuasive writing . 

Aisling is an Irish journalist and content creator with a BA in Journalism & New Media. She has bylines in OK! Magazine, Metro, The Inquistr, and the Irish Examiner. She loves to read horror and YA. Find Aisling on LinkedIn .

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Cultural Identity Essay

27 August, 2020

12 minutes read

Author:  Elizabeth Brown

No matter where you study, composing essays of any type and complexity is a critical component in any studying program. Most likely, you have already been assigned the task to write a cultural identity essay, which is an essay that has to do a lot with your personality and cultural background. In essence, writing a cultural identity essay is fundamental for providing the reader with an understanding of who you are and which outlook you have. This may include the topics of religion, traditions, ethnicity, race, and so on. So, what shall you do to compose a winning cultural identity essay?

Cultural Identity Paper: Definitions, Goals & Topics 

Before starting off with a cultural identity essay, it is fundamental to uncover what is particular about this type of paper. First and foremost, it will be rather logical to begin with giving a general and straightforward definition of a cultural identity essay. In essence, cultural identity essay implies outlining the role of the culture in defining your outlook, shaping your personality, points of view regarding a multitude of matters, and forming your qualities and beliefs. Given a simpler definition, a cultural identity essay requires you to write about how culture has influenced your personality and yourself in general. So in this kind of essay you as a narrator need to give an understanding of who you are, which strengths you have, and what your solid life position is.

Yet, the goal of a cultural identity essay is not strictly limited to describing who you are and merely outlining your biography. Instead, this type of essay pursues specific objectives, achieving which is a perfect indicator of how high-quality your essay is. Initially, the primary goal implies outlining your cultural focus and why it makes you peculiar. For instance, if you are a french adolescent living in Canada, you may describe what is so special about it: traditions of the community, beliefs, opinions, approaches. Basically, you may talk about the principles of the society as well as its beliefs that made you become the person you are today.

So far, cultural identity is a rather broad topic, so you will likely have a multitude of fascinating ideas for your paper. For instance, some of the most attention-grabbing topics for a personal cultural identity essay are:

• Memorable traditions of your community
• A cultural event that has influenced your personality 
• Influential people in your community
• Locations and places that tell a lot about your culture and identity

Cultural Identity Essay Structure

As you might have already guessed, composing an essay on cultural identity might turn out to be fascinating but somewhat challenging. Even though the spectrum of topics is rather broad, the question of how to create the most appropriate and appealing structure remains open.

Like any other kind of an academic essay, a cultural identity essay must compose of three parts: introduction, body, and concluding remarks. Let’s take a more detailed look at each of the components:

Introduction 

Starting to write an essay is most likely one of the most time-consuming and mind-challenging procedures. Therefore, you can postpone writing your introduction and approach it right after you finish body paragraphs. Nevertheless, you should think of a suitable topic as well as come up with an explicit thesis. At the beginning of the introduction section, give some hints regarding the matter you are going to discuss. You have to mention your thesis statement after you have briefly guided the reader through the topic. You can also think of indicating some vital information about yourself, which is, of course, relevant to the topic you selected.

Your main body should reveal your ideas and arguments. Most likely, it will consist of 3-5 paragraphs that are more or less equal in size. What you have to keep in mind to compose a sound ‘my cultural identity essay’ is the argumentation. In particular, always remember to reveal an argument and back it up with evidence in each body paragraph. And, of course, try to stick to the topic and make sure that you answer the overall question that you stated in your topic. Besides, always keep your thesis statement in mind: make sure that none of its components is left without your attention and argumentation.

Conclusion 

Finally, after you are all finished with body paragraphs and introduction, briefly summarize all the points in your final remarks section. Paraphrase what you have already revealed in the main body, and make sure you logically lead the reader to the overall argument. Indicate your cultural identity once again and draw a bottom line regarding how your culture has influenced your personality.

Best Tips For Writing Cultural Identity Essay

Writing a ‘cultural identity essay about myself’ might be somewhat challenging at first. However, you will no longer struggle if you take a couple of plain tips into consideration. Following the tips below will give you some sound and reasonable cultural identity essay ideas as well as make the writing process much more pleasant:

• Start off by creating an outline. The reason why most students struggle with creating a cultural identity essay lies behind a weak structure. The best way to organize your ideas and let them flow logically is to come up with a helpful outline. Having a reference to build on is incredibly useful, and it allows your essay to look polished.
• Remember to write about yourself. The task of a cultural identity essay implies not focusing on your culture per se, but to talk about how it shaped your personality. So, switch your focus to describing who you are and what your attitudes and positions are. 
• Think of the most fundamental cultural aspects. Needless to say, you first need to come up with a couple of ideas to be based upon in your paper. So, brainstorm all the possible ideas and try to decide which of them deserve the most attention. In essence, try to determine which of the aspects affected your personality the most.
• Edit and proofread before submitting your paper. Of course, the content and the coherence of your essay’s structure play a crucial role. But the grammatical correctness matters a lot too. Even if you are a native speaker, you may still make accidental errors in the text. To avoid the situation when unintentional mistakes spoil the impression from your essay, always double check your cultural identity essay. 

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Importance of Cultural Diversity Essay

Cultural diversity refers to inclusion of individuals of varying age, gender, race, ethnicity, relationship status, educational achievement, income, and sexual orientation, among other dimensions. The practice is important in development because engaging children in culturally responsive learning experiences help them build critical skills such as self-confidence. Such children become more aware of themselves, learn how to appreciate and respect diverse beliefs and cultures. Approximately 96% of major employers favor employees who can work effectively with colleagues and clients from diverse cultures (Wells et al., 2016). Furthermore, fostering cultural diversity can improve children’s cognitive skills. Wells et al. (2016) reported that exposure to people who are from different cultures helps promote critical and problem-solving skills due to the diversity of ideas and perspectives.

Moreover, it is imperative to be competent when working with children and families of diverse/exceptional backgrounds to design outreach and communication strategies that respond to their unique needs (socioeconomic, cultural, and linguistic). Understanding the values and beliefs of these groups can also foster inclusion and sense of belonging. Cultural competence can help avoid imposing values on others. Racial prejudice occurs in schools partly because people have preexisting notions about people from different backgrounds. Promoting inclusivity in the school setting helps discourage racial discrimination by eliminating the preexisting assumptions and celebrating personal differences. Campaigns such as the Black Lives Matter may be attributed to lack of inclusion and appreciation of different cultures.

Cultural diversity has evolved significantly from what was perceived to be acceptance and belonging in the year 1970. For instance, the discussion of inclusivity in the 1970s focused on primary (race, ethnicity, gender, and disability status) and secondary (.e.g., sexual orientation, educational background, first language, family status, income level, and communication style) dimensions of cultural diversity. Consequently, some of the challenges parents would face addressing an issue of “diversity, acceptance and belonging” with the school administrators that impacted your child’s schooling during this period include racial discrimination, gender bias, prejudice based on sexual orientation, ethnic inequality in access to educational resources and opportunities, and intolerance to different cultures. Today, such a conversation would depict an expanded scope which goes beyond simple demographic variables to include tertiary dimensions such as individual values, beliefs, assumptions, perceptions, attitudes, and feelings.

Wells, A. S., Fox, L., & Cordova-Cobo, D. (2016). How racially diverse schools and classrooms can benefit all students . The Century Foundation. Web.

• Pre-Existing Health Conditions
• Practicing Racial Inclusivity Strategies in Organization
• Types of Secondary and Tertiary Packaging
• Elements in Cross-Cultural Communication Competence
• The Concept of Expectancy Violations Theory
• “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by David Covey
• Leadership: Communication as Important Aspects of Leadership
• The Role of Media in Multicultural Communication
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Cultural Diversity Essay & Community Essay Examples

If you’ve started to research college application requirements for the schools on your list, you might have come across the “cultural diversity essay.” In this guide, we’ll explore the cultural diversity essay in depth. We will compare the cultural diversity essay to the community essay and discuss how to approach these kinds of supplements. We’ll also provide examples of diversity essays and community essay examples. But first, let’s discuss exactly what a cultural diversity essay is. 

The purpose of the cultural diversity essay in college applications is to show the admissions committee what makes you unique. The cultural diversity essay also lets you describe what type of “ diversity ” you would bring to campus.

We’ll also highlight a diversity essay sample for three college applications. These include the Georgetown application essay , Rice application essay , and Williams application essay . We’ll provide examples of diversity essays for each college. Then, for each of these college essays that worked, we will analyze their strengths to help you craft your own essays. 

Finally, we’ll give you some tips on how to write a cultural diversity essay that will make your applications shine. 

But first, let’s explore the types of college essays you might encounter on your college applications. 

Types of College Essays

College application requirements will differ among schools. However, you’ll submit one piece of writing to nearly every school on your list—the personal statement . A strong personal statement can help you stand out in the admissions process. 

So, how do you know what to write about? That depends on the type of college essay included in your college application requirements. 

There are a few main types of college essays that you might encounter in the college admissions process. Theese include the “Why School ” essay, the “Why Major ” essay, and the extracurricular activity essay. This also includes the type of essay we will focus on in this guide—the cultural diversity essay. 

“Why School” essay

The “Why School ” essay is exactly what it sounds like. For this type of college essay, you’ll need to underscore why you want to go to this particular school. 

However, don’t make the mistake of just listing off what you like about the school. Additionally, don’t just reiterate information you can find on their admissions website. Instead, you’ll want to make connections between what the school offers and how you are a great fit for that college community. 

“Why Major” essay

The idea behind the “Why Major ” essay is similar to that of the “Why School ” essay above. However, instead of writing about the school at large, this essay should highlight why you plan to study your chosen major.

There are plenty of directions you could take with this type of essay. For instance, you might describe how you chose this major, what career you plan to pursue upon graduation, or other details.

Extracurricular Activity essay

The extracurricular activity essay asks you to elaborate on one of the activities that you participated in outside of the classroom. 

For this type of college essay, you’ll need to select an extracurricular activity that you pursued while you were in high school. Bonus points if you can tie your extracurricular activity into your future major, career goals, or other extracurricular activities for college. Overall, your extracurricular activity essay should go beyond your activities list. In doing so, it should highlight why your chosen activity matters to you.

Cultural Diversity essay

The cultural diversity essay is your chance to expound upon diversity in all its forms. Before you write your cultural diversity essay, you should ask yourself some key questions. These questions can include: How will you bring diversity to your future college campus? What unique perspective do you bring to the table? 

Another sub-category of the cultural diversity essay is the gender diversity essay. As its name suggests, this essay would center around the author’s gender. This essay would highlight how gender shapes the way the writer understands the world around them. 

Later, we’ll look at examples of diversity essays and other college essays that worked. But before we do, let’s figure out how to identify a cultural diversity essay in the first place. 

How to identify a ‘cultural diversity’ essay

So, you’re wondering how you’ll be able to identify a cultural diversity essay as you review your college application requirements. 

Aside from the major giveaway of having the word “diversity” in the prompt, a cultural diversity essay will ask you to describe what makes you different from other applicants. In other words, what aspects of your unique culture(s) have influenced your perspective and shaped you into who you are today?

Diversity can refer to race, ethnicity, first-generation status, gender, or anything in between. You can write about a myriad of things in a cultural diversity essay. For instance, you might discuss your personal background, identity, values, experiences, or how you’ve overcome challenges in your life. 

However, don’t feel limited in what you can address in a cultural diversity essay. The words “culture” and “diversity” mean different things to different people. Above all, you’ll want your diversity essays for college to be personal and sincere. 

How is a ‘community’ essay different? 

A community essay can also be considered a cultural diversity essay. In fact, you can think of the community essay as a subcategory of the cultural diversity essay. However, there is a key difference between a community essay and a cultural diversity essay, which we will illustrate below. 

You might have already seen some community essay examples while you were researching college application requirements. But how exactly is a community essay different from a cultural diversity essay?

One way to tell the difference between community essay examples and cultural diversity essay examples is by the prompt. A community essay will highlight, well, community . This means it will focus on how your identity will shape your interactions on campus—not just how it informs your own experiences.

Two common forms to look out for

Community essay examples can take two forms. First, you’ll find community essay examples about your past experiences. These let you show the admissions team how you have positively influenced your own community. 

Other community essay examples, however, will focus on the future. These community essay examples will ask you to detail how you will contribute to your future college community. We refer to these as college community essay examples.

In college community essay examples, you’ll see applicants detail how they might interact with their fellow students. These essays may also discuss how students plan to positively contribute to the campus community. 

As we mentioned above, the community essay, along with community essay examples and college community essay examples, fit into the larger category of the cultural diversity essay. Although we do not have specific community essay examples or college community essay examples in this guide, we will continue to highlight the subtle differences between the two. 

Before we continue the discussion of community essay examples and college community essay examples, let’s start with some examples of cultural diversity essay prompts. For each of the cultural diversity essay prompts, we’ll name the institutions that include these diversity essays for college as part of their college application requirements. 

What are some examples of ‘cultural diversity’ essays? 

Now, you have a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the cultural diversity essay and the community essay. So, next, let’s look at some examples of cultural diversity essay prompts.

The prompts below are from the Georgetown application, Rice application, and Williams application, respectively. As we discuss the similarities and differences between prompts, remember the framework we provided above for what constitutes a cultural diversity essay and a community essay. 

Later in this guide, we’ll provide real examples of diversity essays, including Georgetown essay examples, Rice University essay examples, and Williams supplemental essays examples. These are all considered college essays that worked—meaning that the author was accepted into that particular institution. 

Georgetown Supplementals Essays

Later, we’ll look at Georgetown supplemental essay examples. Diversity essays for Georgetown are a product of this prompt: 

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you. 

You might have noticed two keywords in this prompt right away: “diverse” and “community.” These buzzwords indicate that this prompt is a cultural diversity essay. You could even argue that responses to this prompt would result in college community essay examples. After all, the prompt refers to the Georgetown community. 

For this prompt, you’ll want to produce a diversity essay sample that highlights who you are. In order to do that successfully, you’ll need to self-reflect before putting pen to paper. What aspects of your background, personality, or values best describe who you are? How might your presence at Georgetown influence or contribute to their diverse community? 

Additionally, this cultural diversity essay can be personal or creative. So, you have more flexibility with the Georgetown supplemental essays than with other similar diversity essay prompts. Depending on the direction you go, your response to this prompt could be considered a cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or a college community essay. 

Rice University Essays

The current Rice acceptance rate is just 9% , making it a highly selective school. Because the Rice acceptance rate is so low, your personal statement and supplemental essays can make a huge difference. 

The Rice University essay examples we’ll provide below are based on this prompt: 

The quality of Rice’s academic life and the Residential College System are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What personal perspective would you contribute to life at Rice? 

Breaking down the prompt.

Like the prompt above, this cultural diversity essay asks about your “life experiences,” “cultural traditions,” and personal “perspectives.” These phrases indicate a cultural diversity essay. Keep in mind this may not be the exact prompt you’ll have to answer in your own Rice application. However, future Rice prompts will likely follow a similar framework as this diversity essay sample.

Although this prompt is not as flexible as the Georgetown prompt, it does let you discuss aspects of Rice’s academic life and Residential College System that appeal to you. You can also highlight how your experiences have influenced your personal perspective. 

The prompt also asks about how you would contribute to life at Rice. So, your response could also fall in line with college community essay examples. Remember, college community essay examples are another sub-category of community essay examples. Successful college community essay examples will illustrate the ways in which students would contribute to their future campus community. 

Williams Supplemental Essays

Like the Rice acceptance rate, the Williams acceptance rate is also 9% . Because the Williams acceptance rate is so low, you’ll want to pay close attention to the Williams supplemental essays examples as you begin the writing process. 

The Williams supplemental essays examples below are based on this prompt: 

Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entry – a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives, and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the 19 other first-year students in an Entry? What perspective would you add to the conversation with your peer(s)?

Reflecting on the prompt.

Immediately, words like “diverse,” “backgrounds,” “perspectives,” “interests,” and “differentiate” should stand out to you. These keywords highlight the fact that this is a cultural diversity essay. Similar to the Rice essay, this may not be the exact prompt you’ll face on your Williams application. However, we can still learn from it.

Like the Georgetown essay, this prompt requires you to put in some self-reflection before you start writing. What aspects of your background differentiate you from other people? How would these differences impact your interactions with peers? 

This prompt also touches on the “student community” and how you would “add to the conversation with your peer(s).” By extension, any strong responses to this prompt could also be considered as college community essay examples. 

Community Essays

All of the prompts above mention campus community. So, you could argue that they are also examples of community essays. 

Like we mentioned above, you can think of community essays as a subcategory of the cultural diversity essay. If the prompt alludes to the campus community, or if your response is centered on how you would interact within that community, your essay likely falls into the world of college community essay examples. 

Regardless of what you would classify the essay as, all successful essays will be thoughtful, personal, and rich with details. We’ll show you examples of this in our “college essays that worked” section below. 

Which schools require a cultural diversity or community essay? 

Besides Georgetown, Rice, and Williams, many other college applications require a cultural diversity essay or community essay. In fact, from the Ivy League to HBCUs and state schools, the cultural diversity essay is a staple across college applications. 

Although we will not provide a diversity essay sample for each of the colleges below, it is helpful to read the prompts. This will build your familiarity with other college applications that require a cultural diversity essay or community essay. Some schools that require a cultural diversity essay or community essay include New York University , Duke University , Harvard University , Johns Hopkins University , and University of Michigan . 

New York University

NYU listed a cultural diversity essay as part of its 2022-2023 college application requirements. Here is the prompt:

NYU was founded on the belief that a student’s identity should not dictate the ability for them to access higher education. That sense of opportunity for all students, of all backgrounds, remains a part of who we are today and a critical part of what makes us a world class university. Our community embraces diversity, in all its forms, as a cornerstone of the NYU experience. We would like to better understand how your experiences would help us to shape and grow our diverse community.

Duke university.

Duke is well-known for its community essay: 

What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there’s something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well.

A top-ranked Ivy League institution, Harvard University also has a cultural diversity essay as part of its college application requirements: 

Harvard has long recognized the importance of student body diversity of all kinds. We welcome you to write about distinctive aspects of your background, personal development, or the intellectual interests you might bring to your Harvard classmates.

Johns hopkins university.

The Johns Hopkins supplement is another example of a cultural diversity essay: 

Founded in the spirit of exploration and discovery, Johns Hopkins University encourages students to share their perspectives, develop their interests, and pursue new experiences. Use this space to share something you’d like the admissions committee to know about you (your interests, your background, your identity, or your community), and how it has shaped what you want to get out of your college experience at Hopkins. 

University of michigan.

The University of Michigan requires a community essay for its application: 

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong and describe that community and your place within it. 

Community essay examples.

The Duke and Michigan prompts are perfect illustrations of community essay examples. However, they have some critical differences. So, if you apply to both of these schools, you’ll have to change the way you approach either of these community essays. 

The Duke prompt asks you to highlight why you are a good match for the Duke community. You’ll also see this prompt in other community essay examples. To write a successful response to this prompt, you’ll need to reference offerings specific to Duke (or whichever college requires this essay). In order to know what to reference, you’ll need to do your research before you start writing. 

Consider the following questions as you write your diversity essay sample if the prompt is similar to Duke University’s

• What values does this college community have? 
• How do these tie in with what you value? 
• Is there something that this college offers that matches your interests, personality, or background?  

On the other hand, the Michigan essay prompt asks you to describe a community that you belong to as well as your place within that community. This is another variation of the prompt for community essay examples. 

To write a successful response to this prompt, you’ll need to identify a community that you belong to. Then, you’ll need to think critically about how you interact with that community. 

Below are some questions to consider as you write your diversity essay sample for colleges like Michigan: 

• Out of all the communities you belong to, which can you highlight in your response? 
• How have you impacted this community? 
• How has this community impacted you?

Now, in the next few sections, we’ll dive into the Georgetown supplemental essay examples, the Rice university essay examples, and the Williams supplemental essays examples. After each diversity essay sample, we’ll include a breakdown of why these are considered college essays that worked. 

Georgetown Essay Examples

As a reminder, the Georgetown essay examples respond to this prompt: 

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.

Here is the excerpt of the diversity essay sample from our Georgetown essay examples: 

Georgetown University Essay Example

The best thing I ever did was skip eight days of school in a row. Despite the protests of teachers over missed class time, I told them that the world is my classroom. The lessons I remember most are those that took place during my annual family vacation to coastal Maine. That rural world is the most authentic and incredible classroom where learning simply happens and becomes exponential. 

Years ago, as I hunted through the rocks and seaweed for seaglass and mussels, I befriended a Maine local hauling her battered kayak on the shore. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I had found a kindred spirit in Jeanne. Jeanne is a year-round resident who is more than the hard working, rugged Mainer that meets the eye; reserved and humble in nature, she is a wealth of knowledge and is self-taught through necessity. With thoughtful attention to detail, I engineered a primitive ramp made of driftwood and a pulley system to haul her kayak up the cliff. We diligently figured out complex problems and developed solutions through trial and error.

After running out of conventional materials, I recycled and reimagined items that had washed ashore. We expected to succeed, but were not afraid to fail. Working with Jeanne has been the best classroom in the world; without textbooks or technology, she has made a difference in my life. Whether building a basic irrigation system for her organic garden or installing solar panels to harness the sun’s energy, every project has shown me the value of taking action and making an impact. Each year brings a different project with new excitement and unique challenges. My resourcefulness, problem solving ability, and innovative thinking have advanced under her tutelage. 

While exploring the rocky coast of Maine, I embrace every experience as an unparalleled educational opportunity that transcends any classroom environment. I discovered that firsthand experience and real-world application of science are my best teachers. In school, applications of complex calculations and abstract theories are sometimes obscured by grades and structure. In Maine, I expand my love of science and renourish my curious spirit. I am a highly independent, frugal, resilient Mainer living as a southern girl in NC. 

Why this essay worked

This is one of the Georgetown supplemental essay examples that works, and here’s why. The author starts the essay with an interesting hook, which makes the reader want to learn more about this person and their perspective. 

Throughout the essay, the author illustrates their intellectual curiosity. From befriending Jeanne and creating a pulley system to engineering other projects on the rocky coast of Maine, the author demonstrates how they welcome challenges and work to solve problems. 

Further, the author mentions values that matter to them—taking action and making an impact. Both facets are also part of Georgetown’s core values . By making these connections in their essay, the author shows the admissions committee exactly how they would be a great fit for the Georgetown community. 

Finally, the author uses their experience in Maine to showcase their love of science, which is likely the field they will study at Georgetown. Like this writer, you should try to include most important parts of your identity into your essay. This includes things like life experiences, passions, majors, extracurricular activities for college, and more. 

Rice University Essay Examples

The Rice University essay examples are from this prompt: 

The quality of Rice’s academic life and the Residential College System are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What personal perspective would you contribute to life at Rice? (500-word limit)

Rice university essay example.

Like every applicant, I also have a story to share. A story that makes me who I am and consists of chapters about my life experiences and adventures. Having been born in a different country, my journey to America was one of the most difficult things I had ever experienced. Everything felt different. The atmosphere, the places, the food, and especially the people. Everywhere I looked, I saw something new. Although it was a bit overwhelming, one thing had not changed.

The caring nature of the people was still prevalent in everyday interactions. I was overwhelmed by how supportive and understanding people were of one another. Whether it is race, religion, or culture, everyone was accepted and appreciated. I knew that I could be whoever I wanted to be and that the only limitation was my imagination. Through hard work and persistence I put my all in everything that I did. I get this work ethic from my father since he is living proof that anything can be accomplished with continued determination. Listening to the childhood stories he told me, my dad would reminisce about how he was born in an impoverished area in a third world country during a turbulent and unpredictable time.

Even with a passion for learning, he had to work a laborious job in an attempt to help his parents make ends meet. He talked about how he would study under the street lights when the power went out at home. His parents wanted something better for him, as did he. Not living in America changed nothing about their work ethic. His parents continued to work hard daily, in an attempt to provide for their son. My dad worked and studied countless hours, paying his way through school with jobs and scholarships. His efforts paid off when he finally moved to America and opened his own business. None of it would have been possible without tremendous effort and dedication needed for a better life, values that are instilled within me as well, and this is the perspective that I wish to bring to Rice. 

This diversity essay sample references the author’s unique life experiences and personal perspective, which makes it one example of college essays that worked. The author begins the essay by alluding to their unique story—they were born in a different country and then came to America. Instead of facing this change as a challenge, the author shows how this new experience helped them to feel comfortable with all kinds of people. They also highlight how their diversity was accepted and appreciated. 

Additionally, the author incorporates information about their father’s story, which helps to frame their own values and where those values came from. The values that they chose to highlight also fall in line with the values of the Rice community. 

Williams Supplemental Essay Examples

Let’s read the prompt that inspired so many strong Williams supplemental essays examples again: 

Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entry—a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the 19 other first-year students in an entry? What perspective(s) would you add to the conversation with your peers?

Williams college essay example.

Through the flow in my head

See you clad in red

But not just the clothes

It’s your whole being

Covering in this sickening blanket

Of heat and pain

Are you in agony, I wonder?

Is this the hell they told me about?

Have we been condemned?

Reduced to nothing but pain

At least we have each other

In our envelopes of crimson

I try in vain

“Take my hands” I shriek

“Let’s protect each other, 

You and me, through this hell”

My body contorts

And deforms into nothingness

You remain the same

Clad in red

With faraway eyes

You, like a statue

Your eyes fixed somewhere else

You never see me

Just the red briefcase in your heart

We aren’t together

It’s always been me alone

While you stand there, aloof, with the briefcase in your heart.

I wrote this poem the day my prayer request for the Uighur Muslims got denied at school. At the time, I was stunned. I was taught to have empathy for those around me. Yet, that empathy disappears when told to extend it to someone different. I can’t comprehend this contradiction and I refuse to. 

At Williams, I hope to become a Community Engagement Fellow at the Davis Center. I hope to use Williams’ support for social justice and advocacy to educate my fellow classmates on social issues around the world. Williams students are not just scholars but also leaders and changemakers. Together, we can strive to better the world through advocacy.

Human’s capability for love is endless. We just need to open our hearts to everyone. 

It’s time to let the briefcase go and look at those around us with our real human eyes.

We see you now. Please forgive us.

As we mentioned above, the Williams acceptance rate is incredibly low. This makes the supplemental essay that much more important. 

This diversity essay sample works because it is personal and memorable. The author chooses to start the essay off with a poem. Which, if done right, will immediately grab the reader’s attention. 

Further, the author contextualizes the poem by explaining the circumstances surrounding it—they wrote it in response to a prayer request that was denied at school. In doing so, they also highlight their own values of empathy and embracing diversity. 

Finally, the author ends their cultural diversity essay by describing what excites them about Williams. They also discuss how they see themselves interacting within the Williams community. This is a key piece of the essay, as it helps the reader understand how the author would be a good fit for Williams. 

The examples provided within this essay also touch on issues that are important to the author, which provides a glimpse into the type of student the author would be on campus. Additionally, this response shows what potential extracurricular activities for college the author might be interested in pursuing while at Williams. 

How to Write a Cultural Diversity Essay

You want your diversity essay to stand out from any other diversity essay sample. But how do you write a successful cultural diversity essay? 

First, consider what pieces of your identity you want to highlight in your essay. Of course, race and ethnicity are important facets of diversity. However, there are plenty of other factors to consider. 

As you brainstorm, think outside the box to figure out what aspects of your identity help make up who you are. Because identity and diversity fall on a spectrum, there is no right or wrong answer here. 

Fit your ideas to the specific school

Once you’ve decided on what you want to represent in your cultural diversity essay, think about how that fits into the college of your choice. Use your cultural diversity essay to make connections to the school. If your college has specific values or programs that align with your identity, then include them in your cultural diversity essay! 

Above all, you should write about something that is important to you. Your cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or community essay will succeed if you are passionate about your topic and willing to get personal. 

Additional Tips for Community & Cultural Diversity Essays

1. start early.

In order to create the strongest diversity essay possible, you’ll want to start early. Filling out college applications is already a time-consuming process. So, you can cut back on additional stress and anxiety by writing your cultural diversity essay as early as possible. 

2. Brainstorm

Writing a cultural diversity essay or community essay is a personal process. To set yourself up for success, take time to brainstorm and reflect on your topic. Overall, you want your cultural diversity essay to be a good indication of who you are and what makes you a unique applicant. 

3. Proofread

We can’t stress this final tip enough. Be sure to proofread your cultural diversity essay before you hit the submit button. Additionally, you can read your essay aloud to hear how it flows. You can also can ask someone you trust, like your college advisor or a teacher, to help proofread your essay as well.

Other CollegeAdvisor Essay Resources to Explore

Looking for additional resources on supplemental essays for the colleges we mentioned above? Do you need help with incorporating extracurricular activities for college into your essays or crafting a strong diversity essay sample? We’ve got you covered. 

Our how to get into Georgetown guide covers additional tips on how to approach the supplemental diversity essay. If you’re wondering how to write about community in your essay, check out our campus community article for an insider’s perspective on Williams College.

Want to learn strategies for writing compelling cultural diversity essays? Check out this Q&A webinar, featuring a former Georgetown admissions officer. And, if you’re still unsure of what to highlight in your community essay, try getting inspiration from a virtual college tour . 

Cultural Diversity Essay & Community Essay Examples – Final Thoughts

Your supplemental essays are an important piece of the college application puzzle. With colleges becoming more competitive than ever, you’ll want to do everything you can to create a strong candidate profile. This includes writing well-crafted responses for a cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or community essay. 

We hope our cultural diversity essay guide helped you learn more about this common type of supplemental essay. As you are writing your own cultural diversity essay or community essay, use the essay examples from Georgetown, Rice, and Williams above as your guide. 

Getting into top schools takes a lot more than a strong resume. Writing specific, thoughtful, and personal responses for a cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or community essay will put you one step closer to maximizing your chances of admission. Good luck!

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How Does Culture Affect Our Happiness?

Happiness and its many tastes..

Posted May 24, 2016 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence. — Aristotle

Within the framework of psychological research on happiness, a happy person is characterized as someone who “has pleasant feelings most of the time and feels satisfied with his/her life overall” (Oishi & Gilbert, 2016, p. 54). One of the gifts of cross-cultural travel is the glimpse into other ways of happiness. We all want to be happy. Yet, with a deepened intimacy with a culture comes the recognition that happiness — an emotion that many theorists consider the most universal of emotions — has its own distinct connotations and circumstances when observed through a different cultural lens.

The differences may be subtle. After all, we all, as Maya Angelou writes, need joy as we need air. But those nuances are what give happiness its own culturally refined taste, whether tinged with the melancholy of passing seasons in one corner of the world or exuberance of familial gatherings in another. So, how are we, as a human family, all alike in our happiness and how is our interpretation of happiness dependent on our cultural contexts?

Culture's influence on happiness

In the past few decades, scores of studies have explored the influence of culture on happiness or Subjective Well Being (SWB). There is a lot that we share when it comes to our experience of happiness. Research spanning four decades, 182 countries, 97 studies, for instance, has shown that out of seven discrete emotions ( anger , contempt, disgust, fear , happiness, sadness, surprise), happiness is the most accurately recognized expression across cultures. Cross-cultural convergence has also been reported in appraisal mechanisms , with similar circumstances around the world appearing to make us joyful, including situations and events that are pleasant, conducive to our goals , needs, and desires, and those that elicit our internal attributions . We also express similar physiological behavior when we are happy (e.g., smiling/laughing , engaging in approach behavior ). People across cultures consider happiness as one of their most cherished personal goals . Even national campaigns and movements are being launched for building happier societies (e.g., Action for Happiness ).

Meaning of happiness across cultures

What, then, is happiness to people around the world and how does culture shape our experience of it? To most Americans, happiness is an unalienable human right and is commonly associated with positive experiences as well as personal achievements . When asked to describe features of happiness, the Japanese, on the other hand, alluded to social harmony , the transient nature of happiness, along with its socially disruptive consequences. Cross-cultural studies on ideal affect have revealed that while Americans associate happiness with high arousal positive states such as elation, enthusiasm, and excitement, Hong Kong Chinese define happiness through more low arousal positive states (e.g., calm and relaxation).

There are also differences in the meaning that the term happiness holds across cultures. For instance, researchers have observed that in certain languages, including Polish, Russian, German, and French, happiness conjures up states and conditions that are more rare compared to English. In fact, a meta-analysis of the definition of happiness among 30 nations revealed that elements of luck and fortune are at least partially included among 80% of the nations’ understanding of happiness, just as they were in ancient China and Greece, where happiness was considered a fatalistic concept, a divine gift that had to do with luck and fortune . (In the US, the definition of happiness no longer includes the notion of good luck and fortune, as it once did in the 1800s .)

In some cultural contexts, the perspectives on happiness are more ambivalent. For instance, Confucian beliefs about the common roots of happiness and unhappiness encourage a less obligating attitude towards being happy among many East Asian cultures. Thus, the Chinese think less often about how happy and satisfying their lives are compared to Americans, while the Japanese traditionally hold a hesitant attitude towards happiness. Still, in other cultures, individuals are averse or fearful of happiness, based on their convictions that misfortune often lurks behind joy. (This dialectic view of happiness is frequently encountered in literature. “Live with a steady superiority over life,” writes Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, “don't be afraid of misfortune, and do not yearn for happiness; it is, after all, all the same: the bitter doesn't last forever, and the sweet never fills the cup to overflowing.")

The pursuit of happiness across cultures

Cross-cultural differences also emerge in the effects that the pursuit of happiness has on well-being. Recent studies have revealed that the conscious pursuit of happiness is associated with negative consequences on well-being for Americans, leaving them with feelings of loneliness and disappointment . On the other hand, the pursuit of happiness did not predict well-being outcomes among German participants and was associated with increased well-being levels in Russia, Japan, and Taiwan. A possible explanation for these cross-cultural variations has been attributed to differences in self-construals (independent vs. interdependent), as well as the culture’s degree of collectivism . Namely, in collectivistic cultures where relationship harmony predicts SWB, happiness is pursued in more socially engaging ways, compared to individualistic cultures, where the focus on the self is stronger and self-esteem is an important predictor of life satisfaction.

In the end, there are as many (John Locke called them “ various and contrary ”) routes to happiness as there are interpretations of it around the world. Research has pointed a few road-signs towards its direction, including positive social engagement , self-acceptance , as well as focusing on other important contributors to well-being such as meaning and purpose . Still, the assortment of essentials for finding happiness for each one of us appears colored and diverse (the Dalai Lama suggests compassion; David Steindle-Rast encourages gratefulness; WB Yeats believed in growth; Antoine de Saint-Exupéry recommends creative action; and for Albert Einstein — happiness is a table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin). But as psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi writes, “the joy we get from living, ultimately depends directly on how the mind filters and interprets everyday experiences” (2002, p. 9), echoing the sentiments of the Greek philosopher Democritus, who over 2400 years before him deemed that a happy life is one that is not solely dependent on luck or external circumstances, but rather on individual’s “cast of mind” (in Kesebir & Diener, 2008, p. 117). Perhaps, then, while we court happiness like a capricious lover or wait for it (im)patiently to arrive like a fortuitous dinner guest, we could recognize the mediating role of the self between our cultures and our well-being, keeping in mind the saying: If you want to be happy, be .

Bastian, B., Kuppens, P., De Roover, K., & Diener, E. (2014). Is valuing positive emotion associated with life satisfaction? Emotion, 14 (4), 639-645.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2002). Flow: The classic work on how to achieve happiness . Random House.

Diener, E., & Diener, M. (1995). Cross-cultural correlates of life satisfaction and self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 68, 653-663.

Diener, E., Suh, E. M., Smith, H., & Shao, L. (1995). National differences in reported subjective well-being: Why do they occur? Social Indicators Research, 34 (1), 7-32.

Elfenbein, H.A., & Ambady, N. (2002). On the universality and cultural specificity of emotion recognition: a meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 128 (2), 203-235.

Ford, B.Q., Dmitrieva, J.O., Heller, D., Chentsova-Dutton, Y., Grossmann, I., Tamir, M., Uchida, Y., Koopmann-Holm, B., Floerke, V.A., Uhrig, M., Bokhan, T., & Mauss, I.B. (2015). Culture shapes whether the pursuit of happiness predicts higher or lower well-being. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 144 (6), 1053-1062.

Joshanloo, M., & Weijers, D. (2014). Aversion to happiness across cultures: A review of where and why people are averse to happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 15 (3), 717-735.

Kesebir, P., & Diener, E. (2008). In pursuit of happiness: Empirical answers to philosophical questions. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3 (2), 117-125.

Locke, J. (1894). An essay concerning human understanding. London: George Routledge and Sons.

Mauss, I.B., Savino, N.S., Anderson, C.L., Weisbuch, M., Tamir, M., & Laudenslager, M.L. (2012). The pursuit of happiness can be lonely. Emotion, 12, 908-912.

Mauss, I.B., Tamir, M., Anderson, C.L., & Savino, N.S. (2011). Can seeking happiness make people unhappy? Paradoxical effects of valuing happiness. Emotion, 11 (4), 807.

Oishi, S., Diener, E., & Lucas, R.E. (2007). The optimum level of well-being: Can people be too happy? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2 (4), 346-360.

Oishi, S., Graham, J., Kesebir, S., & Galinha, I.C. (2013). Concepts of happiness across time and cultures. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 39 (5), 559-577.

Oishi, S., & Gilbert, E.A. (2016). Current and future directions in culture and happiness research. Current Opinion in Psychology, 8 , 54-58.

Ryff, C.D. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57 (6), 1069.

Scherer, K.R. (1997). The role of culture in emotion-antecedent appraisal. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73 (5), 902-922.

Scherer, K.R., & Wallbott, H.G. (1994). Evidence for universality and cultural variation of differential emotion response patterning. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66 (2), 310-328.

Solzhenitsyn, A. (2002). Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956: An Experiment in Literary Investigation, Abridged by E. Erikson Jr, Trans. Thomas P. Whitney and Harry Willets. Perennial Classics. New York: Harper Collins.

Suh, E. (2000). Self, the hyphen between culture and subjective well-being. In Diener, E., & Suh, E.M. (Eds.) Culture and subjective well-being . MIT Press. 63-86.

Tolstoy, L. (1998). Anna Karenina . Oxford Paperbacks.

Tsai, J.L. & Park, B.K. (2014). The cultural shaping of happiness: The role of ideal affect. In J. Moskowitz & J. Gruber (Eds.). The light and dark sides of positive emotion (pp. 345-362). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Uchida, Y., & Kitayama, S. (2009). Happiness and unhappiness in east and west: themes and variations. Emotion, 9 (4), 441-456.

Wierzbicka, A. (2004). ‘Happiness’ in cross-linguistic & cross-cultural perspective. Daedalus, 133 (2), 34-43.

Marianna Pogosyan, Ph.D. , is a lecturer in Cultural Psychology and a consultant specialising in cross-cultural transitions.

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At any moment, someone’s aggravating behavior or our own bad luck can set us off on an emotional spiral that threatens to derail our entire day. Here’s how we can face our triggers with less reactivity so that we can get on with our lives.

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How to Write an Essay about Your Culture

Do you need to write an essay about your culture but don’t know where to start? You’ve come to the right place! I’m Constance, and I’ll show you how to write an essay about your culture. I’ll guide you step by step, and we’ll write a sample essay together. Let’s dive in. 

Writing an essay about your culture includes 5 steps:

Step 1. Plan how many words you want in each paragraph.

When you know the exact number of words you need for an essay, planning the word count for each paragraph will be much easier. 

For example, a 300-word essay typically consists of five paragraphs and three key elements:

• The introductory paragraph.
• Three body paragraphs.
• The conclusion, or the concluding paragraph.

Here’s a simple way to distribute 300 words across the five paragraphs in your essay:

You’ll get 300 when you add up these numbers. 

Step 2. Decide on what your main and supporting points will be.

First, you must take a stand, meaning you must decide on your main point. What do you really want to say about your culture? Whatever you want to say, that becomes your thesis. 

For example, “My culture is very rich.” That is enough to get started. You’ll get a better idea of how to expand or tweak your thesis after the next step.

Next, divide your topic using the Power of Three to prove the point that your culture is rich using three supporting ideas.

The Power of Three effectively divides an essay’s main idea into its supporting points. It means your main idea is true because of the three reasons you will provide in the body. So, it is a three-part structure that helps produce your body paragraphs .

Let’s try it for an essay about Filipino culture!

For example, here are three supporting ideas explaining the richness of Filipino culture:

• The Philippines has incredible food .
• Traditional Filipino clothing reflects the country’s heritage.
• Family values in the Philippines are essential.

Great! Now we have everything we need to write an essay about Filipino culture. We’re all set for the next step!

Step 3. Write your introductory paragraph.

Here are the key components of an introductory paragraph you need to remember in writing your essay:

Our first sentence is the introduction, which should pull our reader into the world we want to portray in our essay.

And the rest of the introductory paragraph is our thesis statement. It includes our main idea and three supporting points.

Example of an introductory paragraph about culture

“Having been colonized for centuries, the Philippines boasts a vast heritage. It has a rich culture characterized by food, clothing, and family values. Filipino culture has delicious food inherited from diverse parts of the world and periods of conquest. Traditional Filipino clothing reflects the country’s history, as well. And Filipinos prize their family values probably above all else.”

Look at how the introductory paragraph goes from a general statement to specific ideas that support our main idea.

Our introductory sentence is a general statement that serves as the opening in our essay. It briefly sets the essay’s context. Next comes the thesis statement — our main idea. Finally, we have three supporting ideas for our thesis.

Step 4. Write your essay’s body paragraphs.

Again, a 300-word essay typically has three body paragraphs containing your three supporting ideas. Here’s how to structure a body paragraph:

Looking back at our word count plan, we know that our body paragraphs should have roughly 70 words each. Remember your word plan as you write.

Body Paragraph 1

“The Philippines boasts a diverse food culture. It reflects indigenous flavors and foreign influences, such as American, Spanish, Indian, and Chinese. Whether it’s a typical or special day, Filipinos love eating these various dishes with rice, a staple. For example, rice goes well with curry, noodles, and adobo. It is also common to see various foods like pizza, pancit, lumpia, paella, (Filipino-style) sweet spaghetti, cakes, and ice cream at parties.”

As you can see, the first sentence in this body paragraph is a topic sentence . It gives context to the paragraph and briefly summarizes it.

The second sentence explains why the Philippine food culture is considered diverse. 

The remaining sentences illustrate your main point (topic sentence) by providing examples, starting with rice in sentence 3.

Body Paragraph 2

“Traditional Filipino clothing reflects Philippine cultural heritage. Although Filipinos now conform to current fashion trends in their everyday lives, the traditional clothing style is often used during celebrations. The traditional fashion sense exhibits influences from indigenous tribes, Chinese immigration waves, the Spaniards, and Americans, portraying the chronology of Philippine historical events. For example, the Philippines’ national costume, the baro’t saya, is an elegant blend of Spanish and Filipino clothing styles. Even some modernized forms of clothing also display other global influences.”

Just like Body Paragraph 1, this paragraph follows the same structure outlined in the diagram. It proceeds from a general statement to more specific points :

• The topic sentence.
• An explanation.

Body Paragraph 3

“Family values are vital in the Philippines. The daily lives of most Filipinos revolve around close and extended family, making them known for their family-oriented lifestyle even when they’re overseas. It’s common for children to live with their parents after reaching legal age; some even stay after getting married or obtaining a job. Filipinos also cherish their extended families (aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins) and hanging out or celebrating significant events together.”

Once again, this paragraph follows the body paragraph structure. Now, we’re all set for the final step — the conclusion.

Step 5. Write the conclusion.

The easiest way to write a concluding paragraph for your essay on your culture is to restate your main idea and its supporting points using different words. You can even paraphrase your introduction — a time-proven method!

Let’s write the conclusion for our essay.

“Because of its history, the Philippines has a rich, diverse culture rooted in a vast heritage. Filipino cuisine is a blend of indigenous and foreign flavors. The nation’s history is reflected in its traditional clothing. And family values display a distinct Filipino trait.”

Note that this conclusion uses different words to restate the points we’ve already made, including those in the body paragraphs. 

Hope this was helpful. Now go ahead and write an essay about your culture!

Tutor Phil is an e-learning professional who helps adult learners finish their degrees by teaching them academic writing skills.

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What Are the Benefits of Understanding Different Cultures?

With the world becoming more multicultural than ever before, nothing should stop you from understanding different cultures . Being culturally aware allows you to have more relevant interactions with people around you.

Besides making you more respectful and empathetic of others, cultural awareness helps you celebrate your similarities and differences. This means that you’ll hardly treat people differently simply because they aren’t from the same ethnicity or culture as you. There are numerous benefits of understanding cultural diversity , as you’ll learn in this article.

Table of Contents Toggle What is Culture? Importance of Understanding Different Cultures Why Should You Learn About Different Cultures? What is the Relationship Between Language and Culture? · Impacting the Thinking Process · The Homologous Relationship Between Language and Culture · Inter-Cultural Interactions · Assimilation and Social Communication · Transmission Does Understanding Different Cultures Promote Growth? What are the Benefits of Learning About Different Cultures? · Increased Cultural Awareness · Improved Communication Skills · Overcoming language barriers · Cultural nuances and nonverbal communication · Building strong relationships · Enhanced Career Opportunities · Personal Growth and Development Conclusion

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What is Culture?

Culture is the knowledge and traits of a specific group of people that defines their religion, language, social habits, arts, music, and cuisine. According to the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, culture is a shared standard of interactions, behaviors, understanding, and mental processes learned through socialization.

Cristina De Rossi, Barnet and Southgate College in London’s anthropologist, says, “Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we behave with loved ones and a million other things.”

Importance of Understanding Different Cultures

Promoting a culturally sensitive, accepting, and positive society allows you to adopt multiculturalism and reconsider old beliefs. You think about what you consider normal or abnormal and challenge yourself to view the world from a different mindset. So, why is it important to learn about different cultures?

Learning and understanding a different culture from your own is the first step towards eliminating judgment on someone or something you know nothing about. According to sociologists, understanding multiculturalism plays a significant role in helping you:

• Recognize that there are lots of different cultures and that they’re individually diverse
• Acknowledge that all cultural expressions and backgrounds are valid
• Respect the differences between you and people from other cultures
• Value everything that other cultures bring to the table
• Empower people to accomplish their ultimate potential by criticizing their own biases
• Celebrate each other instead of condoning our differences

Why Should You Learn About Different Cultures?

Understanding a different culture gives you cultural sensitivity, and this helps you avoid embarrassment and misunderstanding. Of course, this is an invaluable skill in daily life. When you learn about other cultures, you widen your horizons, and this is a great way of consuming new information and viewing things differently.

And, knowing about other cultures makes you open-minded. You’ll have an easy time respecting and accepting their differences. Why is it important to respect other cultures? Being culturally aware is essential in today’s evolving world. So, you should accept every opportunity to learn and understand other cultures.

What is the Relationship Between Language and Culture?

Language and culture are closely connected. For starters, both terms describe a person, their habits, traditions, views, and nearly everything about their lives. While here, it’s important to understand that paralanguage is the nonlexical element of communication specific to different cultures. It’s a broad approach that includes the pitch and tone of your voice and body language. Paralanguage varies depending on your roots.

Did you know that you learn some intonations, expressions, and gestures from the people around you? Again, body language can be interpreted differently from one country to the other. For example, what’s interpreted as welcoming in one country can be seen as hostility in another.

As a result, paralanguage can trigger communication misunderstandings in various ethnic groups. Paralanguage impacts the language you speak and this explains the habits, gestures, and even voice changes for bilingual people.

· Impacting the Thinking Process

Linguistic relativity states the language you use in your discussions influences your perception of the world. For example, if you think and speak in Dutch, your view of the world will be different from the person who speaks Spanish. Bilingual people who use two languages daily may think in both languages, and this makes them more capable of viewing the world differently.

And they’re likely to understand it better from different sides. The culture you grew up in impacts your perception of the world. Your morals, values, logic, and mindset will be different from that of other people.

· The Homologous Relationship Between Language and Culture

There’s an imminent homologous relationship between culture and language. They both emerged and evolved together before humans could write. According to experts, “language is culture and culture is language.” There are numerous interconnections and history between language and culture.

The two have a huge influence on people’s lives. According to Elisa Abbott, translator and writer for PickWriters, to understand language you must understand culture, and vice versa. Language evolution had a direct impact on culture development and vice versa. The more cultured you are, the more advanced your language is.

· Inter-Cultural Interactions

Today, interacting with other cultures is more common than ever before. What with the accessibility of travel and opportunities that encourage people to relocate to other countries? But what is the relationship between intercultural interactions and language?

Some language theories are not present in other languages, and the culture related to the language can impact this situation. Of course, when people from different cultures try to communicate, there’s likely to be a language barrier. Body language and habits people develop while growing influence inter-cultural relations.

· Assimilation and Social Communication

Before numerous languages engulfed the world, large groups of people spoke core primary languages. Later the people evolved, and so did their language and culture. This they did because they needed to assimilate and adapt to new situations. Different dialects have developed following the influence of some cultures on others. An example of this would be that of Tome and Ancient Greece.

After the Romans captured Greece, the Greek language, culture, and religion highly influenced them. They ended up adopting the Greek pantheon of gods. Think about England and France. When the English people began speaking French with the English language adopting part of French’s vocabulary.

Today, 30% or English words come from French. Some tribes changed their language to become better than others or gain acceptance in a new land, and adopting the traditions and customs of the local people made this even easier.

· Transmission

One of the easiest ways to learn a language is via oral communication and not writing. Children understand the basic theory of grammar and language way before they start schooling while relying on parents as their core sources.

When they begin preschool, they learn the basic components of their first language before learning the complex concepts and structures of their first or even second language in school. But the foundation is already there before school. Just like language, children, somehow inherit culture from their surroundings.

The family, the country, its citizens, traditions, and customs are responsible for this inheritance. A child incorporates everything they hear and see, even unconsciously. When they grow, children encounter written linguistic and cultural learning. Their minds correspond based on the books and the language they read.

If you’re bilingual, you’re likely to remember learning the languages because you use them in your daily life and process the information you get from written materials.

The linguistic differences of language can be classified into functional, social, and geographical. Geographical differences occur when a section of the language is commonly used in some areas of a community.

For instance, a language spoken in the western part of a country may be different from what the Easterners speak. On the other hand, occupation, age, and gender impact social differences. For instance, an office worker talks differently from a politician or even a professor.

Functional differences come from the function and circumstance the language is used in. Despite these differences, culture unites people speaking different forms of the same or even different languages.

Culture and language play a critical role in human life. We share numerous differences due to our varying individualities and identities. Still, there are many similarities that we have as a result of the connection between our language and culture.

Does Understanding Different Cultures Promote Growth?

What is the importance of understanding cultural differences in business, and what can we learn from other cultures? When interacting with people from a different cultures, you learn about their community customs. And not only that, but you also understand their challenges.

Doing so allows you to rethink any stereotypes you may have had about these people. This knowledge promotes cultural competence and individual growth. And it encourages you to extract as much information as you can about your own culture. But how can you learn about different cultures?

Besides research, you can engage your friends on social media to discuss their cultural standards. Camping and traveling are some of the most practical and effective strategies you can use to learn about multiple cultures.

What are the Benefits of Learning About Different Cultures?

If you are still asking yourself why is it important to interact with different cultures, here are the benefits.

· Increased Cultural Awareness

Being culturally aware teaches you how other cultures can help you based on collaboration or communication. Cultural consciousness is the idea of being aware and respecting the influences and roles of other cultures. This concept positively impacts every individual’s responsibilities and roles.

Again, it also helps you stop misjudging individuals from other cultural backgrounds. But why is it important to understand your own culture? Doing so helps you understand that being different from others doesn’t make your culture more superior than others. It also allows you to relate better with others without disagreement. Being culturally aware can be beneficial in various ways, including:

· Exposure to different perspectives

What is the significance of studying the different cultures of the country? It helps you recognize new outlooks that can result in innovative ideas. For instance, you may discover that some cultures have unique problem-solving approaches, which can inspire your way of thinking in various ways. Further, learning about a new culture helps you understand how people from other backgrounds view the world. Of course, this realization can help you think creatively and critically.

· Understanding Cultural differences

Learning about other cultures promotes respect and tolerance. When you learn from another culture apart from your own, you learn about their beliefs and different perspectives. This can transform you into an empathetic and open-minded person. Eventually, you’ll have fewer disagreements and more valuable relationships. When you become culturally aware, you start supporting cultural differences and adopt new ways of coping in society. You’ll break all cultural barriers and connect respectfully with different communities.

·  Appreciation for Diversity

Schools, workplaces, and countries, in general, comprise different ethnic, racial, and cultural groups. This diversity is an opportunity for people to learn from one another. When you learn from other people, your perspective on the world changes.

Besides dispelling personal biases, you also reconsider negative stereotypes you may have about people from a different cultural background. Being culturally diverse means, you can identify and respect practices that are different from yours.

As you interact with others, you can develop trust, knowledge, and respect across cultures. Dn’t you think such diversity makes the world a better place to live in? Of course, it does.

· Improved Communication Skills

While language is crucial for human communication, other factors contribute to effective communication. These include presentation, speed, and figurative language. Also, culture influences how people express their body language and gestures.

You can enhance your communication skills by learning about different cultures. But how does effective communication help you connect with people from other cultures?

· Overcoming language barriers

One of the core obstacles you’re likely to face when communicating with people from other cultures has to be language barrier. As the world becomes more connected, you’re likely to find yourself in a different country with a different culture than yours. In this case, it’s important to learn core words and phrases of that culture to ease communication.

Be open to learning and seeking clarification when you feel lost. Learning a new language is not easy, especially as an adult. But with patience, you can learn core words and communicate effectively.

· Cultural nuances and nonverbal communication

Non-verbal communication is critical in intercultural interactions. Every culture has a different interpretation of gestures, eye contact, and body language. For instance, direct eye contact is a sign of respect in some cultures. But other cultures see it as a sign of disrespect or aggressiveness. When you learn the basics of other cultures’ non-verbal cues, you edge closer to achieving effective communication.

· Building strong relationships

You can meet people in different ways, like attending camp, participating in events, and attending special day celebrations. This way, you can meet and interact with people from diverse cultures, expand your social circle, and learn about another culture.

· Enhanced Career Opportunities

Part of understanding other cultures, as seen above, often involves moving to a new country and learning a different language. These factors increase your chances of landing career opportunities in different countries whenever they arise. More career opportunities result in:

· Globalization and multicultural work environments

When you start exploring the world, you begin relating with and understanding people from other cultures. And this strengthens the cultural connection while limiting the risk of cultural conflicts. When you’re culturally aware you can understand what can be unsuitable to people with diverse backgrounds.

This facilitates globalization and reduces potential barriers. Remember, your culture influences how you view the world. Different perspectives, as well as different professional and personal experience of an international team, can provide varying viewpoints that inspire staff to view the world, and especially their workplace, differently.

Besides driving innovation, diversity of ideas breeds creativity, facilitating problem-solving and meeting customer needs in different ways. Creating a diverse yet inclusive workforce can help companies generate new ideas.

· Ability to work with diverse teams

A Glassdoor survey revealed that two-thirds of job applicants mentioned diversity as a crucial aspect to consider when analyzing job and company offers.

In today’s overly competitive job market, showing that your business is committed to fostering an inclusive and multicultural environment helps you attract the right candidates. Further, prioritizing diversity during the recruiting process widens your talent pool of potential employees.

If your workplace is diverse, your employees have a higher chance of remaining loyal, especially if they feel valued and respected for their contribution. Colleagues who understand the impact of the diverse culture, experiences, and perspectives of team members will be more respectful of one another. An all-inclusive multicultural environment is a great way to connect with teams and colleagues.

· Competitiveness in the job market

A culturally diverse workforce gives companies an advantage when expanding to new markets. Usually, the service or product should be adapted to succeed in international markets. Being conversant with local regulations, laws, competitive landscape, and customs can help companies thrive.

What’s more, native language skills, local connections, and cultural knowledge can enhance international business development. Plus, when a company is more competitive, it has a high chance of becoming more profitable.

According to recent research from McKinsey, diversity is great for a company’s success. The research also discovered that ethnically diverse organizations had a 35% likelihood of getting above the national industry average financial returns.

· Personal Growth and Development

When you’re culturally aware, you’ll have better and more meaningful interactions with people around you. You develop empathy and respect for others and appreciate the similarities and differences. Understanding other cultures is critical in:

· Learning from Different Cultures

The world today is filled with people from different cultures. When you’re exposed to these cultures, you discover and learn about the differences in each culture. Eventually, you start appreciating and embracing the people who are different from you.

If you have children teach them the importance of interacting with and valuing people from other cultures. Such lessons are crucial in helping them value and respect them. Attending summer camps is one of the best ways of exposing children to diverse practices and cultures. The entire experience is a learning process, and the children take away lifetime lessons.

· Challenging Personal Biases and Stereotypes

Teaching your children about different cultures from an early age prevents them from classifying others based on stereotypes and personal biases. Everybody is different. And the actions of one individual shouldn’t define the entire community.

You should know that racial and ethnic divisions can harm society. For example, it may trigger misunderstandings, lack of opportunities, and sometimes violence. Communities that experience racial and ethnic rivalry usually suffer from financial and human resources.

Exposure to multicultural experiences helps you become more aware of your actions, the clothes you wear, and what you say. Further, it enables you to reconsider your cultural biases and makes you establish where they emanate.

Knowing that you can change your opinion and admitting personal biases helps you begin recognizing others for who they are.

· Broadening one’s worldview

Being culturally aware helps you acknowledge your heritage and worldviews. Further, you understand the differences in other people’s beliefs and customs. Learning about different cultures is one of the best ways to realize the connection between cultural awareness and self-awareness.

Understanding other cultures helps you understand the diversity in human creation. And it’s important in dispelling miscommunication as well as misinterpretation. Besides creating meaningful and valuable relationships with others, you learn to respect and appreciate their differences. In today’s interconnected world, you’re highly likely to encounter people from diverse cultures everywhere.

Learning about other cultures helps you cope in diverse situations. Whether you’re a student or an employee in a multicultural environment, interacting with others helps you become a better person. Learn about a different culture today and prepare yourself for hassle-free interactions in the future.

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The importance of preserving cultural and traditional values

22 Dec The importance of preserving cultural and traditional values

In recent years there has been a lot of talk about the urgency and importance of preserving our environment. Pollution and careless exploitation are certainly undermining the ecosystems ‘ chances of natural recovery. However, globalization has brought with it strong cultural pressures that threaten to eradicate ancient cultures and, customs and traditions.

Table of Contents

The importance of preserving cultural

Those cultures are as important and valuable as our environment. The different ways in which human beings have established relationships with the natural and social environment require our attention and are worthy of being cared for and preserved.

The cultural, patrimonial, and historical heritage that we have allows us to understand ourselves better. But it is not just a matter of privileging the indigenous and rejecting the foreign. Understanding and enjoying our historical and cultural baggage will also allow us to better adapt to foreign cultural influences, making them enrich us instead of simply copying them without adding value.

Culture includes the way we express ourselves, language, the way we see and respond to things, our myths and beliefs, our knowledge about our natural and social environment, our gastronomy, tastes, and customs. Giving up would leave us orphans of identity and we would lose an important part of our value as individuals.

More than protecting our cultural characteristics, the ideal is to reinforce and enhance them, to make them stronger in the face of external factors. This, again, does not mean that we should renounce different cultural influences, for we can do so without losing the essence of our culture.

In short, just as it is important to preserve our tangible cultural heritage, it is equally important to preserve and promote our intangible cultural heritage. This will allow us to understand where we are in the world, where we are, and how we can contribute to enriching world culture and economy in the age of globalization.

The importance of preserving our traditions

Throughout each year in our country, various traditions are celebrated, a sample of them is exhibited during December and January, in which in each home we can notice the way in which families end a year and give it the welcome to another.

Regardless of the nature of each celebration, that is, if it addresses cultural and/or religious issues, it is important to highlight that this freedom that we enjoy to believe and live our preferences is born from the recognition and protection of our fundamental rights, such as the right to freedom of expression, thought and freedom of worship and religion.

Likewise, the exercise of such rights in relation to our traditions, in turn, means the enrichment of our identity, and with it, as the Guiding Norm itself points out, of the multicultural composition that Mexico enjoys, and under which Respect for the identity of the other is a fundamental pillar that contributes to preserving this range of colors, flavors, and thoughts that allows us as Mexicans to express our particular perspective on life.

In this sense, I invite you to embrace and make your own the traditions with which you identify, to transmit them to those who have an interest in them and of course, to respect the customs of those who prefer something different, since respect for our differences and the freedoms of others, is the basis of any democratic system.

May the year that now begins, lead us to be proud of our Nation and of the freedoms that we enjoy under its protection, and that each goal that we have set, contribute to exalt Mexico and to spread and preserve the wonder of our traditions.

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The benefits of cancel culture

Cancel culture sparks discourse across social media over its toxic reputation, though its benefits are becoming clearer. Public figures are finally being held accountable for their problematic actions after years of seeming untouchable.

Grace Price , Managing Editor January 14, 2021

Cancel culture is a beneficial and necessary part of modern media. Unfortunately though, it is often met with contention as it is regarded as a way to publicly shame people for mistakes. It is considered toxic in how it focuses simply on ending a person’s career rather than fixing the mistake they were called out for. However, cancel culture serves a greater purpose in modern media as it encourages the public to voice their distaste with celebrities and influencers who often feel untouchable. Thus, those people who have gone unaccountable have a new opportunity to address their mistakes.

While the precise origin of cancel culture is unknown, an era of addressing public figure’s wrongdoings has been prevalent through social media for many years. For example, the #MeToo movement went viral in 2017, with assault survivors coming forward and exposing their abusers in order to show a sense of support and unity with other abuse survivors. Many survivors said they had been afraid to tell their stories as they believed people would not believe them or would blame them. However, with this movement allowing so many victims to come forward, it gave them a feeling of safety in knowing they were not alone.

This is the same for cancel culture. It allows for large groups to voice their concerns about a person’s behavior without being targeted individually. This is beneficial as it encourages people to be unafraid to point out when a person with great influence has made a mistake or is continuously causing problems. People with power and influence should be held accountable, regardless of their status and shouldn’t be able to punish those who are urging them to change.

Cancel culture encourages accountability and growth for the people who are called out. It normalizes bringing offensive behavior to the attention of many, thus promoting the person who has done the wrongdoing to take accountability and educate themselves for the future. The goal in bringing up someone’s mistakes or offensive behavior should not be to condemn them or ruin their career, but rather to demonstrate the person’s true nature.

Whereas they cannot take back their behavior, they can take responsibility and grow. This serves as a good model for their followers as it shows a mistake does not make someone evil, but their lack of empathy for their mistakes can. This same principle can be applied to cancel culture itself. It has flaws in how it has become synonymous with ostracizing people and promoting toxicity. However, it should be allowed to reform as well. Hopefully, it can evolve to become a way for people to feel comfortable calling out public figures when they have done wrong, and stray away from simply shaming to promoting growth. 

As it stands currently, cancel culture is a great starting point for allowing fans of public figures to encourage growth and diminishes the premise of celebrities’ actions being excusable simply because they have power. The current major issue with cancel culture is how it perpetuates ending a person’s career over a mistake and makes it seem impossible for a person to change. It gives too much leeway for hatefulness, though this is a problem with all of social media and the internet in general, not the fault of cancel culture. 

Overall, cancel culture is a beneficial part of modern media as it reduces the stigma around taking accountability and provides people a platform to voice their critiques on a public figure’s transgressions. As time goes on, cancel culture will continue to improve as more people on social media realize the power and voice it gives them and the opportunity it gives to those who have made mistakes.

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Comments (14)

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Zimasa • Oct 17, 2023 at 2:36 pm

This was very helpful as I’m doing research on the impact of cancel culture.

Joe Patterson • Oct 16, 2023 at 4:05 pm

Whether or not I support celebrities getting cancelled depends on if they learn from their shortcomings, and if they grow and mature. We all make mistakes. I make mistakes. You make mistakes. We all do. I try to assume the best in people. If a celebrity gets cancelled for a foot in mouth incident, I think that is excessive. At the same time, if a celebrity refuses to learn from their mistakes (if they know better, but profusely refuse to do better), I wouldn’t feel bad for them if they got cancelled.

Actualfreedom • Mar 23, 2023 at 12:55 pm

so if I accuse say the writer of this article for sexual misconduct they would be treated like say Johnny depp or more recently justin roiland? would every person you know disown you and all your employers get rid of you? even if its not true wouldn’t the media go with it until you are proven innocent? even if you are, would the damage to your reputation and the hurt done to you by those around you be undone? Shamelessly accusing someone out of spite or some other groundless emotion is now negatively impacting the good cancel culture was doing. its essentially lost its meaning thanks to the alphabet people and their supporters making baseless accusations. You women sure are equal now. just as corrupt as you claim men to be. Congratulations!

fives • May 2, 2023 at 10:41 am

There are always going to be downsides to everything. Obviously, this is a heavier downfall, yet I still don’t understand how women have a role in this. Where in the article did it say anything about women? LOL you’re dumb asl. Everyone has a part to play whether you like it or not. Men are still a significant problem. (I’m not saying women can’t be, but obviously, you want to pin this on women…) get a life! Congrats on being dumb:(((

Emma • Aug 2, 2023 at 10:27 am

You have a point about being able to falsely accuse someone but bringing the role of women into your arguement was completely pointless. What do women have to do with cancel culture? That last sentence proves you are one arrogant hell of a man.

Joseph Cartagena • Jan 2, 2023 at 8:42 pm

Interesting, I find this vary helpful in the research I am doing. I am glad I found this, helps me at least have an idea of what I should be looking for. Good work Mr. Price.

joe • Sep 17, 2022 at 1:08 am

omg so cool oppar uwu ;-;

Jordan • May 10, 2022 at 3:52 pm

Yall mfs canceled paw patrol

Davante • Nov 30, 2022 at 7:17 pm

bru ong istg wtf is wrong with ppl, like i fw paw patrol

Bill • Dec 20, 2021 at 9:42 am

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Essay on Indian Culture for Students and Children

500+ words essay on indian culture.

India is a country that boasts of a rich culture. The culture of India refers to a collection of minor unique cultures. The culture of India comprises of clothing, festivals, languages, religions, music, dance, architecture, food, and art in India. Most noteworthy, Indian culture has been influenced by several foreign cultures throughout its history. Also, the history of India’s culture is several millennia old.

Components of Indian Culture

First of all, Indian origin religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism . All of these religions are based on karma and dharma. Furthermore, these four are called as Indian religions. Indian religions are a major category of world religions along with Abrahamic religions.

Also, many foreign religions are present in India as well. These foreign religions include Abrahamic religions. The Abrahamic religions in India certainly are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Besides Abrahamic religions, Zoroastrianism and Bahá’í Faith are the other foreign religions which exist in India. Consequently, the presence of so many diverse religions has given rise to tolerance and secularism in Indian culture.

The Joint family system is the prevailing system of Indian culture . Most noteworthy, the family members consist of parents, children, children’s spouses, and offspring. All of these family members live together. Furthermore, the eldest male member is the head of the family.

Arranged marriages are the norm in Indian culture. Probably most Indians have their marriages planned by their parents. In almost all Indian marriages, the bride’s family gives dowry to bridegroom. Weddings are certainly festive occasions in Indian culture. There is involvement of striking decorations, clothing, music, dance, rituals in Indian weddings. Most noteworthy, the divorce rates in India are very low.

India celebrates a huge number of festivals. These festivals are very diverse due to multi-religious and multi-cultural Indian society. Indians greatly value festive occasions. Above all, the whole country joins in the celebrations irrespective of the differences.

Traditional Indian food, arts, music, sports, clothing, and architecture vary significantly across different regions. These components are influenced by various factors. Above all, these factors are geography, climate, culture, and rural/urban setting.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Perceptions of Indian Culture

Indian culture has been an inspiration to many writers. India is certainly a symbol of unity around the world. Indian culture is certainly very complex. Furthermore, the conception of Indian identity poses certain difficulties. However, despite this, a typical Indian culture does exist. The creation of this typical Indian culture results from some internal forces. Above all, these forces are a robust Constitution, universal adult franchise, secular policy , flexible federal structure, etc.

Indian culture is characterized by a strict social hierarchy. Furthermore, Indian children are taught their roles and place in society from an early age. Probably, many Indians believe that gods and spirits have a role in determining their life. Earlier, traditional Hindus were divided into polluting and non-polluting occupations. Now, this difference is declining.

Indian culture is certainly very diverse. Also, Indian children learn and assimilate in the differences. In recent decades, huge changes have taken place in Indian culture. Above all, these changes are female empowerment , westernization, a decline of superstition, higher literacy , improved education, etc.

To sum it up, the culture of India is one of the oldest cultures in the World. Above all, many Indians till stick to the traditional Indian culture in spite of rapid westernization. Indians have demonstrated strong unity irrespective of the diversity among them. Unity in Diversity is the ultimate mantra of Indian culture.

FAQs on Indian Culture

Q1 What are the Indian religions?

A1 Indian religions refer to a major category of religion. Most noteworthy, these religions have their origin in India. Furthermore, the major Indian religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.

Q2 What are changes that have taken place in Indian culture in recent decades?

A2 Certainly, many changes have taken place in Indian culture in recent decades. Above all, these changes are female empowerment, westernization, a decline of superstition, higher literacy, improved education, etc.

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• Essay on Olympics

Cultural Benefits Of The Olympics Essay Examples

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Olympics , World , Ethics , Civil Rights , Games , Democracy , Sports , Culture

Words: 3500

Published: 01/18/2020

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In the popular culture of the 21st century, the word ‘Olympics’ generates an image of something grand, big and very flashy. It symbolizes festivity; it signifies something grander. The Olympics are perhaps the greatest and the most vital sports extravaganza that happens every four years. They have been sustained and have continued for over a century. The usefulness of the Olympics, apart from the showcase of sporting talents, is about different cultures coming together (Claim). The Olympics demonstrate the true sporting spirit. The essay thus aims to prove the relevance of Olympics despite all the claims that the Olympics have failed or they might just crumble under their own weight. A demonstration of the usefulness of the Olympics can help people analyze and indeed realize how the Olympics, over time, have helped human beings come closer despite various differences, how they have helped in demonstrations and understanding of cultures and how they have imbibed brotherhood and peace (Grounds). Unless too much politics and economics are applied to the Olympics, they are very useful and relevant (Qualifier). Garcia succinctly addresses the Olympics and their cultural importance when she states, “As well as a sports event, the Olympics are a cultural phenomenon, with a history spanning more than 100 years and supported by a global network of organizations with an educational and intercultural remit that defines itself as a Movement and aspires to promote Olympism as a ‘philosophy of life’ headed by the International Olympic Committee” (1). Since their beginning to the present day, the Olympics have focused on elements of culture such as unity, human values, sportsmanship spirit, culture, ethics, equality and competition. The Olympics have contributed to our world and have made it a better and much more equal place to live in. For example, the Olympics fought for gender equality in earlier days, when some countries sent only male teams to compete. The Olympics were used as a platform to push for equal opportunities for women athletes, signaling that women could be as competitive as men and deserved equal opportunity to showcase their athletic prowess. It helped the world understand racism better, as well. Most people are familiar with the stories of the Olympic Games that were held in Berlin prior to World War II, at which Adolf Hitler proclaimed that Aryan athletes would triumph over other, supposedly inferior, ethnic groups. And yet an African-American athlete had a major triumph at those games, making Hitler’s claim appear ridiculous. The Olympics have also helped many new and unexpected quarters of the world make their achievements known. Since its inception, the Olympics have served as a potential stage for developing and underdeveloped countries to compete with the best in the world and to showcase their own talents. Thus, the Olympics have acted as an ambassador for a much more equal and understanding world. Because of their nature, the Olympics are in true sense an amalgamation of sports and culture. The Olympics have been a boon to every aspect of the host as well as participating countries, from their cultures, economies, tourism, and development to the discovery of the hidden potentials of individual athletes. The Olympics have emphasized fairness with their strong and strict anti-doping norms. The creation and use of these regulations point to the intent exercised through the Olympics. As noted by one commentator, “The implementation of anti-doping requires strong moral justification, a clear definition of doping and methods of control which are deemed to be reliable, objective and valid” (Reinold 2012). As the Olympics have evolved, they have strongly promoted sports ethics that address critical issues in sports. For example, Hsu states, “Sports ethics has been one of the most important research topics in sports philosophy in recent decades, including such substantive issues as cheating, sportsmanship, drug taking, violence, fair play, coaching, gender and child protection issues” (2002). Without the Olympics, one could easily argue that sports ethics would vary from nation to nation, instead of there being an international consensus on what constitutes ethical and unethical behavior in sports. For example, during the recent doping scandal involving Lance Armstrong and the Tour de France, people from different countries agreed that performance-enhancing drugs should disqualify someone from winning. While individuals may disagree over what constitutes a performance-enhancing drug, the various athletic groups agree that there should be a level playing field when it comes to athletic competition. The overall benefits of the Olympics are diverse. While the economic benefits to the host city are important, on a global scale the most important benefits are somewhat intangible benefits. These benefits include cultural benefits, social benefits and ethical benefits, primarily. In terms of cultural benefits, the host country gets to showcase its local culture, traditions and values to the world. Olympics since the very starting have helped in mingling and gelling up of people from different cultures and countries. The world is exposed to the local art forms. The principle of holding an arts festival in parallel with the celebration of sporting competitions is embedded in the foundations of the Olympic Movement (Garcia 2008). In the days leading up to the opening of the Olympics, for example, it is quite common for sports and news shows to give detailed information, pictures, and videos of the host city and country. Doing this allows viewers to see what the country itself looks like and to get a sense of what it is like to live in that city and country. In addition to providing a glimpse of local culture, the Olympics also enable viewers around the globe to see many other cultures as well. As noted by James and Osborn, “Total aggregate audiences are said to reach up to 4.7 billion viewers” (410). This huge audience sees athletes from not just their own country, but many other countries as well. Viewers can become invested in a team in one sport or another, identifying with them even though the team is not from their own country. They hear the national anthems of other countries. They see the hard work and dedication these athletes have put into attaining their goals. People from another country are now seen as actual faces; they are no longer just nameless, faceless residents of a country that the individual viewer may not know much about. For example, even during the Cold War, American viewers could observe and admire the expertise of female gymnasts from the Soviet Union and other Communist countries. This process helps promote a more global cultural awareness and appreciation. Simply put, when we as humans stop thinking of people from another country as “other” and “foreign” and instead regard them as similar to ourselves but with somewhat different local cultural attributes, we can become less ethnocentric and more comfortable with global diversity. On a long-term basis, raising awareness of global diversity and portraying it in a positive light may lead to fewer conflicts based on cultural differences. The Olympics also lead to shared cultural moments. Few people who were adults then will forget the horror of the 1972 games in Munich, when a team of Israeli athletes was kidnapped and murdered by a terrorist group. On a more positive note, viewers can experience the thrill of seeing an athlete achieve greatness, such as watching Michael Phelps set Olympic records. Also, viewers can become aware of different aspects of culture, such as listening to classical music that is played during some ice skating competitions, or simply becoming aware of sports that were previously unknown to them. For example, a typical American viewer might well know what ice hockey is but have no idea of what curling is. Watching the Olympics affords viewers the opportunity not just to reinforce their own culture but to expand their cultural knowledge. In addition to the cultural benefits described above, the Olympics have many social benefits as they promote gender equality and equal opportunities for all participants. The Olympics eliminate disparity based on any irrelevant factors such as race, color, or creed. The Olympics have also contributed to the development of socially excluded groups in the host community and hence have done great service for not only those groups but mankind overall. One historical analyst describes this benefit by noting, “In Sydney Games (2000) it was an explicit aim to encourage the participation of indigenous peoples in the preparation and staging of the Games through artistic, ceremonial and sporting activities. Two organizations have played a role in the achievement of this aim: NSWALC: New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council; and NIAC: National Indigenous Advisory Committee” (Minnaert n.d.). The Olympics have often stood for environmental sustainability and have made the world much more aware about the environmental issues it faces. For example, promotional advertisements have addressed minimizing the effect on the local environment when the preparations for the games are being made. These social benefits obviously impact the culture as well, often serving as inspiration to achieve gender and ethnic parity. Finally, the Olympics also have considerable ethical benefits since they promote fair play, have zero tolerance toward doping, and stand for equal opportunities for all. It is critical for the Olympics to have the highest ethical standards because viewers want to feel that the competition is fair. If viewers feel that one or two countries have an unfair advantage because of judges being bribed or biased, or for other reasons, they will not respect the results. To avoid this problem, the Olympics have held themselves to very high standards of ethics so that scores area based on merit. For this same reason, the Olympics disallow performance-enhancing drugs and will disqualify contestants who test positive for those types of drugs. By promoting impartial judging and making sure contestants do not have unfair advantages through drug use, the Olympics serve as a model for international ethical behaviors and practices. Their way of conducting the games can inspire individual countries to do the same, encouraging ethical behavior among the population of many countries. For young viewers, the ethical benefits can be perceived as a sense of fair play, which can stay with them as they mature. Each part of the Olympics provides examples of benefits to culture. The Olympics has established steps and events that demonstrate the value of the Olympics to popular culture, beginning with the bidding process and ending with the closing ceremony. Examining these steps and events will provide a useful overview of how the games function and which benefits the various steps and events are involved. The bidding process for hosting the Olympics is very unique from bidding done for other sports events. It is a two-staged process which considers different parameters of the applicants before choosing a final host. The process is not just about choosing a country with maximum budget or the highest bid. Many factors such as a Cultural Quotient of the city and the country, economic development made in recent years and contribution of the country to sporting culture hold a very important position in the entire bidding process. That is the prime reason why in some cases in the past, countries that did not have the highest bids have won. Moreover, since hosting an Olympics results in greater and increased economic activities such as tourism, infrastructure development and greater foreign investments, countries with increased scope and potential are often given preference over the others. The example of China hosting the 2008 Olympics reaffirms these principles. More and more, developing countries are getting chances to showcase to the world their economic prowess, hospitality and culture, which shows how the Olympics stand for equality for all. The instance of Rio de Janeiro, a Brazilian city, getting to host the next Olympics in 2016 is another masterstroke and another feather in the cap of IOC in holding the values of Olympism and the spirit of Olympics to the highest order possible. This clearly demonstrates that the Olympics are not just about the richest and the developed countries, as many of the detractors of the games have pointed out in the past. The Olympics are about equal opportunities for all regardless of the continent which a country belongs to or solely its economic status. The bidding process completely explains why Olympics have been important and how they contribute to World Culture. They provide a huge audience the opportunity to see countries that have not always maintained high profiles, and thus the audience can come to appreciate the culture of the host country and learn more about it. Once the host city has been selected, work can begin on building the necessary housing. The Olympics Village is a specially designed and constructed place, where all the athletes participating in Olympics stay throughout the tenure of the games. Olympics villages hold a very important place in the entire Olympic movement and are responsible for truly upholding the values of Olympism such as brotherhood, equality and increased tolerance. Olympians or athletes from all the countries get to stay as a family for the entire duration of the games. Every Olympian regardless of his/her country of birth, color, race, creed, gender gets equal treatment in the Olympics Village; nobody has more extravagant quarters than anyone else. People from different faiths, countries, and religions get to interact with each other, understand each other and foster long-lasting bonds. The participants, after the games conclude, have often become more polite, tolerant and considerate toward people from other countries and different cultures. The practice again emphasizes the ‘Equality’ principle that the Olympics have cherished since the very inception. Athletes from the poorest of the countries get to share equal facilities and opportunities with the ones from the most prosperous nations. IOC and Olympic spirit have always maintained strong policies against any kind of discrimination based on race, color, country or virtually any factor. The athletes are treated just like sportspersons and all other factors are put on a back burner during the games. The practice of enforced equality has helped the sports fraternity and the world at large in numerous ways. It has taught many important lessons to the humanity. It has taught to the world that money, caste, color, and race do not differentiate people, but it is the abilities of the people which are most important and that should be accredited maximum value and weight. The practice, at the very heart of Olympics, shows why the Olympics are almost imperative and necessary, for every four years they teach these athletes the lessons which are much more essential than the economic factors often talked about while coming down on Olympics. These practices help our world evolve as a better place. After the construction of the Olympic Village and the other necessary buildings occurs, and after the athletes, other participants and visitors arrive, the opening ceremonies mark the beginning of the mega sports event. As a parallel to the opening ceremonies, the closing ceremonies mark the end of the games. These ceremonies are often defined as the reflection of the host country to the entire world. These are often the most cherished and celebrated parts of the games. The participants forget all their differences or the other factors that set them apart, come together and enjoy during these ceremonies. Marked with lots of music, colors, crackers and local culture, these ceremonies are akin to a festival but most importantly a festival sans boundaries. The boundaries, if any, disappear and it necessarily results in fruitful fraternal exchange. They put the richness and depth of the host country’s culture at display. The people of the country connect themselves to the world by the display of their culture through television cameras. It has been described this way: “Olympic Ceremonies follow on from each other without any resemblance because they are marked by the spirit of the place where they are held. Culture and folklore, Fine Arts and traditional arts join together to shape a spectacle which sets the tone for sixteen days of sporting exploits that follow” (MacAloon 11). The ceremonies serve multiple purposes. They act as a window of the host nation to the entire world and through the display of their culture and their traditions and in many cases some important chapters of their history, they establish themselves in the minds of the world audiences. The practice of ceremonies makes people, participants and the viewers much more informed about the values and culture of the host nation. It makes them understand and appreciate the differences in cultures in a respectable manner. It brings people closer and they tend to understand each other in a better manner. They highlight and display the hospitability and warmth of the locals. The Olympians enjoy and cherish these memories and everlasting bonds are often established between players and athletes, officials and visiting delegates which are quite visible in the ‘Thank You’ placards displayed by players and the usually tearful goodbyes by many. The ceremonies bring out many emotions and connect people across the world, not on the basis of any perceived commonalities, but on the basis of differences between them; something again very unique to Olympism. These things are imperative and vital for human co-existence despite the differences that might exist based on many diverse and disparate factors. Establishing this type of bond across varying cultures can in and of itself justify the existence of the Olympics and the value we as a people place on them. The play period, the days on which actual competitions or sporting events are held, also immensely justify the usefulness of Olympics. New records are made and human potentials are challenged every day. The actual events have indeed helped athletes improve immensely and pushed them toward betterment of their own records. Olympics help produce sense of competition coupled with sportsmanship spirit, which is very essential to ensure fair games. Olympics imbibe patriotism and evoke emotions. Throughout this period, new dimensions of human capability are explored and touched upon. The usefulness of the Olympics hence is even more significant as it has let sportspersons in particular and human beings in general realize their true worth and potentials. Viewers can see the value of both competition and cooperation, of pushing yourself to achieve your goals and helping your teammates. These values contribute to a shared global culture of both self-actualization and camaraderie. In conclusion, ample evidence establishes the importance and usefulness of the Olympics to popular culture. There have been many vocal and apparent critics of Olympics who have been critical about the money involved in the games and the so called ‘reckless’ spending, but they apparently fail to understand that the culture and values that the Olympics stand for cannot be weighed as profits and losses. The Olympics have helped humans achieve much more tolerance toward different cultures, better and coherent globalization, fairer and safer games and better sportspersons. Although the Olympics cannot be credited with sole responsibility for these achievements, the Olympics and the Olympic spirit have played a valuable role in attaining these goals. The Olympics, although regarded by many as just a sporting event, deserves to be applauded as a global cultural event that benefits human culture as a whole.

Works Cited

Garcia, Beatriz (2008), " The role Arts and Culture in the Olympic Games From Olympic Arts Competitions to Cultural Olympiads", pp. 1-13, University of Liverpool, Retrieved on 27 November 2012, _2008.pdf Hsu, Li-Hong (Leo), (2002), " Ethics and Sports Rules", The University of Leeds, School of Philosophy, Retrieved on 27 November 2012, Reinold, Marcel, (2012), " Arguing against doping: A discourse analytical study on Olympic anti-doping between the 1960s and the late 1980s", University of Munster (Germany), Retrieved on 27 November 2012, BE/ReinoldFinalReportIOC2011.pdf_attachment_.pdf Kasimati, Evangelia, (2006), " MACROECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF MEGA- EVENTS: EVIDENCE FROM GREECE", University of Bath , Retrieved on 27 November 2012, JF/KASIMATI.pdf Minnaert, Lynn, (n.d.), " The non-infrastructural impacts of the Olympic Games on socially excluded groups in the host community: A comparative scoping study from Atlanta 1996 to Beijing 2008", University of Westminster , Retrieved on 27 November 2012, _The_non-infrastructural_impacts_of_the_OG_-_MINNAERT_2C_L.pdf MacAloon, John, (1995), "Olympic Ceremonies: Historical Continuity and Cultural Exchange ", International Smposium on Olympic Ceremonies, Retrieved on 27 November 2012, TX/IOC_Symposium_1995.pdf James, Mark, and Guy Osborn. "London 2012 and the Impact of the UK's Olympic and Paralympic Legislation: Protecting Commerce Or Preserving Culture?." Modern Law Review 74.3 (2011): 410-429. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Dec. 2012.

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A Model for Expanding Your Business into Foreign Markets

• Joshua Conrad Jackson

Four strategies leaders should adopt when taking their brand abroad.

It used to be thought that globalization would flatten out cultural differences among countries and regions of the world, making it easier than ever for companies to move into foreign markets. According to a new study by the author and a colleague, however, cultural differences are greater today than they were 40 years ago, which explains why some major corporations have failed in their recent efforts to establish a foothold in new countries. Companies need to adapt, the author argues, and to that end in this article he presents a general model for global leadership in the face of cultural divergence.

Walmart in the 1990s seemed on pace to become a global giant. After rapid growth in the U.S. domestic market throughout the 1980s, the company opened its first international store in Mexico City in 1991, followed by Canada in 1994. By 1998 it had expanded to Germany and South Korea, betting that its “always the low price” approach to business would be enough to outcompete foreign vendors.

• Joshua Conrad Jackson is a Neubauer Family Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

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How Generation Z is redefining the workforce and what workers and employers should expect

Gen z employees are flocking to nashville and requiring flexibility, personalized benefits, and social responsibility from their employees..

• Jenni Bedell is practice Leader – HR consulting with OneDigital Tennessee.

In the ever-evolving landscape of corporate America, one generation is already leaving an indelible mark on workplace standards: Generation Z.  

Tennessee businesses, in particular, need to prepare for the growing demands of this younger labor market. Recent rankings in  Forbes  and  CNBC , among other publications, point to an influx of young professionals to our state. Defined by their tech-savvy nature, progressive values and penchant for innovation, Gen Z is reshaping the fabric of how and where we work by challenging traditional norms and fostering a more inclusive, dynamic and purpose-driven workforce.  

By 2025, 25% of the workforce will be Gen Z. Organizations need to be agile in adapting to this generation’s demands for greater personalization, flexibility and benefit offerings for both the short term and long term. 

How companies can cater to the needs of younger workers

Gen Zers are radically different from every generation before them, and those differences are reflected in their career aspirations, working styles and behavior. They hold more space for human experience and social responsibility, and they want their employers and company culture to reflect their same values. Additionally, they want pay transparency, actionable commitment to civic and charitable work, and a clear vision within an organization.  

This all begs the question: How does a company craft a total rewards program that aligns with the values of younger workers? For organizations that want to benefit from the best of what Gen Z has to offer — technological know-how, fresh perspectives, impassioned ideas and thirst for innovation — giving them purpose by allowing them to be a part of the decision-making process is a great place to start. No matter the industry, there are ample opportunities for Tennessee organizations to promote a sense of purpose through a human-first approach. 

With Nashville landing itself on hot lists like  Best Place to Live for Young Professionals for 2023 - 2024  and  Top U.S. Cities to Launch a Career , my biggest recommendation to local employers for creating a comprehensive and competitive benefits package is to start with this simple task: ask your employees what  they  want rather than giving them what you  think  they want.

Include employees in conversations about the policies and programs that impact them, from retirement plans to day-to-day operations and office culture. Effective ways to do this include town hall meetings, engagement surveys and keeping an open-door communication policy.  

Remote and flexible work arrangements are no longer just 'nice to have'

Employers must also know how to show their employees what their future looks like with the company and show them the tangible steps to get there. Gen Z workers emphasize trust, engagement with leadership, and a sense of meaning in the workplace. The organizations that do best exhibit these qualities are effective communicators; they articulate the “why” behind the work; and they follow promises with actions.  

Additionally, previously fringe benefits such as remote and flexible work arrangements, mental health resources, and well-rounded wellness initiatives have transitioned from “nice to have” to non-negotiable requirements for the younger generation.  

Each generation brings its own strengths and challenges to the workforce, and Gen Z is radically changing the way we view careers and the workplace, serving as catalysts for a new set of standards and values. 

In a vibrant, melting-pot city like Nashville, it’s vital that companies avoid becoming complacent and keep listening, learning and growing. I urge employers to keep in mind that every individual’s wants, needs and working style can be drastically different, so it’s important to engage with employees when crafting their total rewards packages.  

In return, employers will reap the benefits of higher retention rates, increased employee engagement, more productivity and a positive work culture. When employers consider both organizational goals and employee wants and needs, everyone wins. 

Jenni Bedell is practice Leader – HR consulting with OneDigital Tennessee .

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Why writing by hand beats typing for thinking and learning

Jonathan Lambert

If you're like many digitally savvy Americans, it has likely been a while since you've spent much time writing by hand.

The laborious process of tracing out our thoughts, letter by letter, on the page is becoming a relic of the past in our screen-dominated world, where text messages and thumb-typed grocery lists have replaced handwritten letters and sticky notes. Electronic keyboards offer obvious efficiency benefits that have undoubtedly boosted our productivity — imagine having to write all your emails longhand.

To keep up, many schools are introducing computers as early as preschool, meaning some kids may learn the basics of typing before writing by hand.

But giving up this slower, more tactile way of expressing ourselves may come at a significant cost, according to a growing body of research that's uncovering the surprising cognitive benefits of taking pen to paper, or even stylus to iPad — for both children and adults.

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In kids, studies show that tracing out ABCs, as opposed to typing them, leads to better and longer-lasting recognition and understanding of letters. Writing by hand also improves memory and recall of words, laying down the foundations of literacy and learning. In adults, taking notes by hand during a lecture, instead of typing, can lead to better conceptual understanding of material.

"There's actually some very important things going on during the embodied experience of writing by hand," says Ramesh Balasubramaniam , a neuroscientist at the University of California, Merced. "It has important cognitive benefits."

While those benefits have long been recognized by some (for instance, many authors, including Jennifer Egan and Neil Gaiman , draft their stories by hand to stoke creativity), scientists have only recently started investigating why writing by hand has these effects.

A slew of recent brain imaging research suggests handwriting's power stems from the relative complexity of the process and how it forces different brain systems to work together to reproduce the shapes of letters in our heads onto the page.

Your brain on handwriting

Both handwriting and typing involve moving our hands and fingers to create words on a page. But handwriting, it turns out, requires a lot more fine-tuned coordination between the motor and visual systems. This seems to more deeply engage the brain in ways that support learning.

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"Handwriting is probably among the most complex motor skills that the brain is capable of," says Marieke Longcamp , a cognitive neuroscientist at Aix-Marseille Université.

Gripping a pen nimbly enough to write is a complicated task, as it requires your brain to continuously monitor the pressure that each finger exerts on the pen. Then, your motor system has to delicately modify that pressure to re-create each letter of the words in your head on the page.

"Your fingers have to each do something different to produce a recognizable letter," says Sophia Vinci-Booher , an educational neuroscientist at Vanderbilt University. Adding to the complexity, your visual system must continuously process that letter as it's formed. With each stroke, your brain compares the unfolding script with mental models of the letters and words, making adjustments to fingers in real time to create the letters' shapes, says Vinci-Booher.

That's not true for typing.

To type "tap" your fingers don't have to trace out the form of the letters — they just make three relatively simple and uniform movements. In comparison, it takes a lot more brainpower, as well as cross-talk between brain areas, to write than type.

Recent brain imaging studies bolster this idea. A study published in January found that when students write by hand, brain areas involved in motor and visual information processing " sync up " with areas crucial to memory formation, firing at frequencies associated with learning.

"We don't see that [synchronized activity] in typewriting at all," says Audrey van der Meer , a psychologist and study co-author at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. She suggests that writing by hand is a neurobiologically richer process and that this richness may confer some cognitive benefits.

Other experts agree. "There seems to be something fundamental about engaging your body to produce these shapes," says Robert Wiley , a cognitive psychologist at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. "It lets you make associations between your body and what you're seeing and hearing," he says, which might give the mind more footholds for accessing a given concept or idea.

Those extra footholds are especially important for learning in kids, but they may give adults a leg up too. Wiley and others worry that ditching handwriting for typing could have serious consequences for how we all learn and think.

What might be lost as handwriting wanes

The clearest consequence of screens and keyboards replacing pen and paper might be on kids' ability to learn the building blocks of literacy — letters.

"Letter recognition in early childhood is actually one of the best predictors of later reading and math attainment," says Vinci-Booher. Her work suggests the process of learning to write letters by hand is crucial for learning to read them.

"When kids write letters, they're just messy," she says. As kids practice writing "A," each iteration is different, and that variability helps solidify their conceptual understanding of the letter.

Research suggests kids learn to recognize letters better when seeing variable handwritten examples, compared with uniform typed examples.

This helps develop areas of the brain used during reading in older children and adults, Vinci-Booher found.

"This could be one of the ways that early experiences actually translate to long-term life outcomes," she says. "These visually demanding, fine motor actions bake in neural communication patterns that are really important for learning later on."

Ditching handwriting instruction could mean that those skills don't get developed as well, which could impair kids' ability to learn down the road.

"If young children are not receiving any handwriting training, which is very good brain stimulation, then their brains simply won't reach their full potential," says van der Meer. "It's scary to think of the potential consequences."

Many states are trying to avoid these risks by mandating cursive instruction. This year, California started requiring elementary school students to learn cursive , and similar bills are moving through state legislatures in several states, including Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina and Wisconsin. (So far, evidence suggests that it's the writing by hand that matters, not whether it's print or cursive.)

Slowing down and processing information

For adults, one of the main benefits of writing by hand is that it simply forces us to slow down.

During a meeting or lecture, it's possible to type what you're hearing verbatim. But often, "you're not actually processing that information — you're just typing in the blind," says van der Meer. "If you take notes by hand, you can't write everything down," she says.

The relative slowness of the medium forces you to process the information, writing key words or phrases and using drawing or arrows to work through ideas, she says. "You make the information your own," she says, which helps it stick in the brain.

Such connections and integration are still possible when typing, but they need to be made more intentionally. And sometimes, efficiency wins out. "When you're writing a long essay, it's obviously much more practical to use a keyboard," says van der Meer.

Still, given our long history of using our hands to mark meaning in the world, some scientists worry about the more diffuse consequences of offloading our thinking to computers.

"We're foisting a lot of our knowledge, extending our cognition, to other devices, so it's only natural that we've started using these other agents to do our writing for us," says Balasubramaniam.

It's possible that this might free up our minds to do other kinds of hard thinking, he says. Or we might be sacrificing a fundamental process that's crucial for the kinds of immersive cognitive experiences that enable us to learn and think at our full potential.

Balasubramaniam stresses, however, that we don't have to ditch digital tools to harness the power of handwriting. So far, research suggests that scribbling with a stylus on a screen activates the same brain pathways as etching ink on paper. It's the movement that counts, he says, not its final form.

Jonathan Lambert is a Washington, D.C.-based freelance journalist who covers science, health and policy.

• handwriting

Two decades of studies suggest health benefits associated with plant-based diets

But researchers caution against broad diet recommendations until remaining knowledge gaps are filled.

Vegetarian and vegan diets are generally associated with better status on various medical factors linked to cardiovascular health and cancer risk, as well as lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and death, according to a new review of 49 previously published papers. Angelo Capodici and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on May 15, 2024.

Prior studies have linked certain diets with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. A diet that is poor in plant products and rich in meat, refined grains, sugar, and salt is associated with higher risk of death. Reducing consumption of animal-based products in favor of plant-based products has been suggested to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. However, the overall benefits of such diets remain unclear.

To deepen understanding of the potential benefits of plant-based diets, Capodici and colleagues reviewed 48 papers published between January 2000 and June 2023 that themselves compiled evidence from multiple prior studies. Following an "umbrella" review approach, they extracted and analyzed data from the 48 papers on links between plant-based diets, cardiovascular health, and cancer risk.

Their analysis showed that, overall, vegetarian and vegan diets have a robust statistical association with better health status on a number of risk factors associated with cardiometabolic diseases, cancer, and mortality, such as blood pressure, management of blood sugar, and body mass index. Such diets are associated with reduced risk of ischemic heart disease, gastrointestinal and prostate cancer, and death from cardiovascular disease.

However, among pregnant women specifically, those with vegetarian diets faced no difference in their risk of gestational diabetes and hypertension compared to those on non-plant-based diets.

Overall, these findings suggest that plant-based diets are associated with significant health benefits. However, the researchers note, the statistical strength of this association is significantly limited by the many differences between past studies in terms of the specific diet regimens followed, patient demographics, study duration, and other factors. Moreover, some plant-based diets may introduce vitamin and mineral deficiencies for some people. Thus, the researchers caution against large-scale recommendation of plant-based diets until more research is completed.

The authors add: "Our study evaluates the different impacts of animal-free diets for cardiovascular health and cancer risk showing how a vegetarian diet can be beneficial to human health and be one of the effective preventive strategies for the two most impactful chronic diseases on human health in the 21st century."

• Diet and Weight Loss
• Diseases and Conditions
• Colon Cancer
• Endangered Plants
• Veterinary Medicine
• Colorectal cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Polyphenol antioxidant
• Stomach cancer
• Cervical cancer
• HPV vaccine
• Breast cancer

Story Source:

Materials provided by PLOS . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• Angelo Capodici, Gabriele Mocciaro, Davide Gori, Matthew J. Landry, Alice Masini, Francesco Sanmarchi, Matteo Fiore, Angela Andrea Coa, Gisele Castagna, Christopher D. Gardner, Federica Guaraldi. Cardiovascular health and cancer risk associated with plant based diets: An umbrella review . PLOS ONE , 2024; 19 (5): e0300711 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300711

Cite This Page :

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