What's Culturally Unacceptable about YOU?

Culturally Altering Standards to Fit Norms

What gets Lost in Between.

I read the article on the Simpsons being changed to fit other cultural standards and it got me really thinking about what is socially accepted. There was a theory back in my sociology classes that was called the Saphir Whorf hypothesis that dealt a great deal with cultural significance and language. The gist of it was that our culture defines the inherent meaning of our language, and in many cases words that would be uttered in one language, don’t have the same distinct meaning in another. This was the idea that hung in my mind as I thought about the television companies editing storylines or character structure in the Simpsons in order to make it socially accepted in other communities. Making Lisa’s intellect a focal point and downgrading Bart’s rebellious nature was just one way the Simpsons were made softer for other audiences.

But what really got me thinking was when I took that same lens and looked inwardly. What’s culturally unacceptable about my own life? What norms do I break according to my own culture, but also to the standards of others? I came up with a list of a few things that broke both.

I work 2 jobs and attend school, which U.S culture is normative, but by others is unhealthy.

I don’t see my family more than five times a year, which is pretty much considered abnormal by everyone.

What about you guys? I’m sure there are other ways where I may not match up with either societal norms, but these seemed like the most glaring. If we understand what makes apart of any culture, it will mean that we have a better grip on our lifestyle and ideology.