Does anybody “enjoy” their own Culture?

Growing up, it was ingrained in me through family, society and culture that I was proud to be an American. When I was 5, 6, 7, even 8 years old, we said the pledge of allegiance everyday in school. After 9/11, there was an indescribable sense of pride and community. Mind you, this was in California, a traditionally liberal state.

As I went into middle school and then high school, I felt a shift in the mindset of my classmates, the general public, and especially the media. It’s what interested me so much in journalism. From a young age, around 14, I was engulfed in news outlets. (Of course many of those were sports outlets) Now as a senior in college, I think we’ve shifted completely. Very few people, even myself, are proud Americans. And obviously there is evidence why; our education, healthcare and other social programs rank very low on the world scale. So as I read Eckersley’s argument on Western culture and the affect it has on health potential, I once again began to wonder if *any* country truly admires their own culture. We used to hear about the healthcare success of Sweden, and yet their people now overwhelmingly disapprove of the system. The country once thought of as a strong model for social democracy is now favoring the country’s most far-right leaning political party advocating for major immigration reform. Of course every culture has real problems, like Eckersley points out; materialism and individualism obviously can cause people more stress, less happiness, less sense of community, and less overall happiness. But where I think Eckersley goes wrong is in his broad generalisation of “West vs Rest” culture. Although never directly states, he implies that non-Western cultures have a stronger sense of community, and therefore have better health outcomes. What Eckersley fails to point out, and what Dressler does in his response, is that our society is made of up of so many different cultures. It’s what at least used to make the U.S. the greatest country in the world. By implying that every individual is materialistic and every individual struggles due to personal responsibility leaves out a large portion if not a majority of our nation.

I must realize that I was raised (in my view) by a strong family that gave me every opportunity necessary to succeed. Not everybody is given that opportunity, and I must reflect on that. But I think the idea of personal responsibility is what can lead to the American Dream. People in horrible situations, with the odds completely against them, can still succeed in our country.

The idea of culture continued in our final reading, “A Cutting Tradition.” Having read this piece before, I was again struck by how different other cultures are, and even if science suggests against them, their culture influences their decisions. Again, I’m thinking, does anybody appreciate their own culture?

There is no doubt that cultural influences play a major role in our health outcomes. But our culture plays a role in every part of our life, and maybe, just maybe, our culture has some positives? Eckersley argues that cultures that value the “commonwealth and cooperative” live with less stress and have healthier lives, but doesn’t point out the serious historical issues that “commonwealth and cooperative” nations have had. To me, this comes down to a simple question: do we want to become more like Europe? I’m sure many would like that-- as is seen by Bernie Sanders rising poll numbers. But first, maybe we should listen to the people in Europe about their own thoughts on their social systems. Because, even if they are statistically successful, the people(and especially the media) will find a way to criticize their nation and their culture.

And maybe that’s where none of us will really know. Because everybody views our culture differently, and our country is not made up solely by intellectuals. I feel we forget so often how different people and cultures are, even in our country, even in our own state.

#Culture #healthcare #Pride #America #Western