Cultural Differences Paper

Many people throughout the world indentify themselves by their cultural background. It is common knowledge that there are many different cultures throughout the world. Each culture has its similarities and differences. Every individual has multiple identities Race, ethnic, gender, national, regional, organizational, personal, cyber/fantasy—that act in concert. The importance of any single identity is a result of the situation. As the context varies, you may choose to emphasize one or more of your identities.

A conceptual inquiry into race or gender would seek an articulation of our concepts of race or gender (Riley 1988). For outside a rather narrow segment of the academic world, the term ‘gender’ has come to function as the police way to talk about the sexes. And one thing people feel pretty confident about is their knowledge of the difference between males and females. The situation is similar, if not worse, with respect to race. The self-evidence of racial distinctions in everyday American life is at striking odds with the uncertainty about the category of race.

Is it useful to begin by reflecting on the questions: “What is gender? ”, “What is race? ” and related questions such as: “What is it to be a man or a woman? “What is it to be White? African American, or Latino? In this paper, we analyze the multicultural concepts of racial identity and gender identity and point out their significance in understanding cultural differences. Gender Identity Gender is a set of characteristics distinguishing between male and female, particularly in the cases of men and women.

Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity. Gender being male or female is a basic element that helps make up and individual’s personality and sense o self. Gender identity disorder is a condition in which a male or female feels a strong identification with the opposite sex (Bussey K, Braunda 1999). A person with this disorder often experiences great discomfort regarding his or her actual anatomic gender.

People with gender identity disorder may act and present themselves as members of the opposite sex and may express a desire to alter their bodies. The disorder affects an individual’s self-image, and can impact the person’s mannerisms, behavior, and dress. Individuals who are committed to altering their physical appearance through cosmetics, hormones and, in some cases, surgery are known as transsexuals A person with a gender identity is a person who strongly identifies with the other sex.

The individual may identify with the opposite sex to the point of believing that he/she is, in fact, a member of the other sex who is trapped in the wrong body. This causes that person to experience serious discomfort with his/her own biological sex orientation. The gender identity disorder causes problems for this person in school, work or social settings. This disorder is different from transvestism or transvestic fetishism where cross-dressing occurs for sexual pleasure, but the transvestite does not identify with the other sex (Ruble DN 1994)

Racial Identity Racial identity is which racial society a person mostly identifies with. However, in today’s world many people have two or more racial identities that make it more difficult for them to grasp and understand the cultural traditions and beliefs. On of the most prominent influences in America is President Barack Obama. As the Unites States first black president has taken office, a new report about race suggests it is a changeable marker of social status rather that a fixed characteristic of one’s birth. Jayson, 2008) Although this presidency will change history forever, President Obama will not be remember for the works that he does in office but for his ethical identity which has been in question since he has taken office. Multicultural, race and society have tremendous ethical influences on our lives, values and experiences. These can also provide a guideline for how we interact with one another on a daily bases. A person can account for suspicion and hatred among people of the same race when it comes to loyalty, affiliation and rigid adherence to stereotypical behavior as well as being the source of comradery and lasting unions.

Through racial socialization, individuals are imbued with messages that determine the appropriateness and inappropriateness of their roles as racial being. (Carter, 1995) Racial identity can be one of the most important factors of a human life because it can determine how they live, love, and survive. Conclusion Begin your paper here. Double space the entire document. Be sure to indent the first line of each paragraph between five and seven spaces by pressing the Tab key one time on the keyboard. Happy writing!