Psychological Observations
In School
View of the world
The Asian’s worldview is not founded from a single aspect of society. It is influenced by numerous aspects of society including foreign relations, religion, and geography. The cultural and ideological view of the world of the Asians is very unique in that it is eclectic, not excluding separate religious aspects from each other and human lives but incorporating all the different beliefs to find a solution for life: to live a healthy and satisfying life. For example, it is common to see a Japanese person celebrating Shinto rituals, having a wedding ceremony in a Christian Church, and holding funerals at Buddhist temples. Furthermore, the Asian’s view of the world emphasizes more on the natural existence of spirits. Historically, with the continuous bombardment of natural disasters, deities representing the supernatural forces were created and subsequently worshipped, establishing the basis of Asians thought about the relationship between human beings and nature.
Cultural differences
Culture represents a particular group of people’s beliefs, their practices as well as their artifacts. A comparison between two different cultures will reveal glaring differences and some similarities too. For example, I once listened to a conversation between two students of Asian origin in our school and I noted that although we differ a lot culturally, we share e few similarities. A classic example of universal belief zeros down to the family unit. Just like us, the Native Americans, the Asian community recognizes a formidable family structure that controls sexual reproduction and also takes good care of the young ones.
However, their definition of a family unit differs from ours. In almost all Asian cultures, all family members live in the same household regardless of one’s generation. Young Asian adults continue to live in their extended household structure until their marriage when they can leave home to their matrimonial homes. In contrast, our culture expects young adults to leave their homes and start their own lives independently for some time before they can start their own families.
Psychological issues
The majority of Asians rarely seek psychological health services. According to the two Asian students, the most common sources of mental health issues arises from parental pressure to succeed in academics. Also, in most Asian cultures, discussing mental health issues is considered a taboo. As a result, many mentally ill Asians tend to deny, dismiss, or even neglect the symptoms. Moreover, some Asian Americans develop mental health concerns due to racial and cultural background discrimination. At the same time, some Asian Americans find themselves under the pressure of integrating themselves into the mainstream American culture without failing to meet their family obligations that are usually based on strong cultural and traditional values. On the contrary, if I was in their position I would put my mental health state ahead of the traditional beliefs. As a result, I would not hesitate to seek psychological help if and when the need arises.
In Church
African American view of the world
Among many other things, in order to make the spread of the word of God easier the Christian church should first understand the traditional believes and practices of its congregation. The church should also understand the world view that these beliefs and practices imply. It is equally important to acknowledge that the conduct of most church members of African origin is not only influenced by their traditional beliefs and practices but also by the traditional interpretation of the world. Notably, a new convert is usually sharply torn between two worlds. That is, the traditional believes of his or her culture and the new Christian believes. The church would become more effective if it understands the old traditions well.
Cultural Differences
Although there are many tribes with their own cultures and beliefs, some of these beliefs cut across almost all tribes in Africa. The African-centered worldview consists of numerous enduring and vital cultural issues. Some of these issues include openness to reasoning as well as unreasonable and spiritual categories of knowledge and being. They also include the belief of the existence of the Supreme Being before the arrival of Christianity. The majority of Africans also believe in the powers bestowed to their ancestors and witchcrafts. They also believe in the spiritual nature of a human being. Lastly, the majority of African Americans believe in culturally defined rites of passage.
Lessons learned
After listening, learning, and understanding their different cultures, I finally understood why Asians and Africans do the things they do. I also came to learn that culture is an important part of people’s lives. It influences different people’s views, their humor, their values, their loyalties, their hopes as well as their fears and worries. Besides, it is important to respect other cultures and religions because people who believe in a certain culture or a particular religion deserve the same amount of respect I would want for myself. Moreover, my new informed understanding of these cultures prepares me well for better interactions in a global society. Lastly, it is hard for me to go through a culture shock if I happen to visit Asia or Africa. Consequently, I will be able to engage those people in a better way.