Discovering My Cultural Self

Before taking Cultural Psychology, I never really thought about how much culture shapes the way I see myself and interact with other people. I always understood culture as something connected to nationality or traditions, but I’m starting to realize it also affects everyday behaviours, values, and even the way we think about ourselves.

Growing up, I often felt like I existed between different cultural worlds. I am half Jamaican and half White, and I grew up in a very small town in Ontario where there was very little diversity. For most of my childhood and high school years, I was one of the only people of colour in my school. Because of that, I became very aware of how people notice differences, even when nobody directly talks about them.

At the same time, I also grew up on a farm, which came with its own cultural values and expectations. Hard work, independence, and helping family were treated as normal parts of everyday life. Looking back now, I can see how those values became part of my personality without me even realizing it. Cultural psychology talks about how culture shapes behaviour and identity, and I think my upbringing is a good example of that. The environment I grew up in influenced how I communicate, how I handle responsibility, and even how I approach school and work.

I also think being mixed race in a mostly White environment affected how aware I became of fitting in socially. There were times when I felt pressure to adapt to the people around me instead of fully expressing every part of my identity. I think this connects to ideas about dominant and minority social groups because people who are part of minority groups often become more conscious of how culture affects their experiences.

Another thing I’ve been reflecting on is how globalization and social media influenced me growing up. Even though my town was small, I was constantly exposed to other cultures online through music, fashion, TikTok, YouTube, and television. In some ways, I probably felt more connected to people online than to the culture of the town around me. That exposure shaped my interests, humour, style, and even my goals for the future.

So far, this course is making me realize that culture is not just something “other people” have. Everyone is shaped by culture, even in ways they don’t immediately notice. I think this blog will help me become more aware of the cultural influences that have shaped who I am today.