An Interpersonal Experience
Culture Shock
Q.&A- Interview With: Kunwar Kaur
Q.What is your defintion of culture?
A.My defintion of culture is the values and traditions I was brought up with. Fulfling these traditions and upholding the values instilled in me by my family - that's culture.
Q.What do you love most about your culture?
A.What I love most about my culture is the sense of togetherness it brings. My family and I are like two pieces of cloth woven together and although there's always room for more, we never separate and are always there for each other. For example, there's not a damn thing my parents wouldn't do for me. And vice versa. I also love Indian foo, which is a big part of my culture as well.
Q.Do you have any eating habits/rituals that are specific to your culture?
A.Well the only eating habit we adopt is the one where we eat a heck of a lot. Punjabis are known for their appetites and I'm not ashamed to say I fit that stereotype perfectly.
Q.In your opinion, what is considered most respectful in your culture? Most disrespectful?
A.A blind respect for my elders, no matter what and no matter where I am, is the epitome of respect in my culture. As for those younger to me, my culture teaches me to be friendly and to treat others as I would like to be treated. The opposite of that, disrespecting my elders, is frowned upon. There are other minor things that are considered disrespectful, such as not finishing the food on your plate, or not acknowledging someone when entering a room, which I wouldn't really say are specific to my culture. We're big on respecting our elders. And adhering to the rules set by them.
Q.What is your favorite Indian song and what memory is associated with it?
A.Oh this is a hard one. I love Indian music and would never be able to pick a favorite. But my favorite genre of Indian music is definitely Punjabi music. The memory, or memories I should say, I associate with Punjabi music is dancing the night away with my cousins and my uncle at any damn party we're invited to! We're always the life of the dance floor and I wouldn't have it any other way.
The Seven Elements of Culture
Social Organization: Sikhs don't have a caste system of any sort and look for equality among all people. Our culture emphasizes the importance of family. Even after turning 18, we stay as a unit in one house. The only reasons why we would not stay in the same house is because of college or a job. Money is also something that is shared completely. It doesn’t matter which family member brings in the income, as long as everyone contributes. Another interesting point is that according to the Sikh religion, women and men are equals but personally I don’t always see it that way in my family. The women usually do the cooking and cleaning while the men provide for the family.
Customs and Traditions: There are many customs and traditions and many involve the temple. The “rules of behavior” for Sikhs lies mostly on respect. Respecting elders as well as yourself is the key. When entering the temple for example, Sikhs show their respect by taking off their shoes and bowing down to the holy book Marriage is also associated with the temple. The marriage occurs at the temple and a prayer is read in the process. The prayer is separated into four parts and the couple circles around the holy book each time one part of the prayer is read. One interesting component of Sikhism is that most males have the last name Singh, meaning lion and most females have the last name Kaur, meaning princess.
Language: The punjabi language is mainly spoken in East Punjab in India and west Punjab in Pakistan. The punjabi language is close to Hindi which is a little “softer” than punjabi. Punjabi is written with the Gurmukhi alphabet and was developed by Guru Angad Dev Ji (second guru). The language itself is essential to the punjabi culture. Everyday communication among the Sikh people, requires knowing how to speak punjabi. Also, punjabi is incorporated in the music which is also an important part of the Punjabi culture.
Arts and Literature:Bhangra is a type of dance that originates from the Punjab region in India. This form of dance is very upbeat and usually done at different festivities like weddings. Music is also another form of art that is a central part of the punjabi culture. The prayers that are recited at the holy temple are actually sung and many instruments like the tabla are included in the prayer. Music outside of the temple is very upbeat and full of rhythm. Dance and music are utilized to bring the Sikh culture to every event.
Punjabi Music
Bollywood Music
Religion: The basic goal of Sikhism is to form a union with God. As Sikhs, we believe in one god (Monotheism) but we have ten gurus we also look up to. From a young age, I was taught to be honest, kind, and good. For Sikhs to follow Sikhism is to have their moral compass pointing north. Sikhs basically try to form a union with God by following the teachings in the Guru Granth Sahib ( the holy book). By praying and remaining “good”, Sikhs go through their life trying to connect to God.
Economic Systems:The economic system in India is primarily a market economy. However, The Sikh belief on economy is that it should be far from government regulation and capitalism. Additionally, numerous Sikh temples donate to charity and try to stay away from capitalism. The Sikh teachings focus on sharing and contributing to the community.
Forms of Government: Sikhism promotes democracy because its belief lies strongly in equality. If there is one leader then that may lead to wrong judgement because there is only one view being used. If there are more people, a decision based on what the people want will result in more peace and unity. The core beliefs of Sikhism lie on peace and equality and in order to accomplish that, there must be a democracy.