Cross-cultural psychologists study how different cultural factors influence individual behavior. The new research paints a much richer picture of diversity in cultural models of selfhood. Thus, culture has a major role in shaping our identity; however, can we conclude that the individuals sharing the same culture end up having the same identities? Culture can shape our view of the world. Society shapes us in many ways, possibly more than we realise – from our interactions, to our personal development through to others’ perception of our bodies as a reflection of self worth. One way that society influences people is through laws and rules that determine how they should behave. The Impact of Western Culture. For example, parents establish rules for their families that show the children proper behavior. This view was laid down mainly by Margaret Mead, Kardiner and others who maintained that society’s culture affects personality (individual) and, in turn, personality helps in the formation of society’s culture. The Individual. These anthropologists have studied how society shapes or controls individuals and how, in turn, individuals create and change society. Depending on the culture and overall emphasis of traditions involved, a person may find their surroundings either conducive to or resistant to the building of a healthy body image and self-esteem. But our choices can also influence others and ultimately help shape our society. Such an assumption is quite traumatic, for it reduces us to robots and denies us our “being” and “self- awareness”. Many studies have shown that people from different cultures see and perceive things differently and that is probably due to how their culture shaped the way … Culture introduces the shared values, including, beliefs, and how others may think, feel, or even act. It sounds way to obvious to even be an argument. This is how the society we live in influences our choices. And this has consequences for society, the workplace, family, even relationships. 5 Cultural Differences between East and West 1. The effect that culture has on individual behavior is a major topic of interest in the field of cross-cultural psychology. In Western society, the individual rules. That primal connection makes our interactions physiologically and psychologically important. Does culture shape our identity? Moreover, our environment, which has cultural influences, shapes our behavior. It shows that Western cultures tend to emphasize certain ways of being independent (e.g., being different from others, self-directed, and self-expressive), but not others (e.g., being self-interested, self-reliant, and consistent across contexts). Thus, the culture we belong to, has a direct impact on our behavior. Our culture shapes the way we work and play, and it makes a difference in how we view ourselves and others. How Does Culture Shape Other Stuff When groups of people have the same uniform, value systems, and other sorts of things, they may share common personality traits. In a society where boys are discouraged from crying, men think of it as an odd gesture. Here are five cultural differences in thinking and perception between the East and West. It affects our values—what we consider right and wrong. The Western culture in general, for example, is one that tends to hyper-focus on dieting and body appearance. 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