The American Dream: How culture influences our bodies
Culture has a very powerful impact on us as individuals and our bodies. Culture largely dictates appropriate attire, personal space, hairstyles, what we consume, and so much more. Cultures within societies influence a person's state of mind, whether they are individualistic or socialistic. This is easily observed in the behavior of many American citizens.
The largely dominant schema of American culture is to be independent, the mindset of an individualist. This type of mindset began with the establishment of the colonial states which eventually lead to fighting for freedom and independence. Today people express this individuality in a plethora of manners, from the unique hairstyles one might consider, or the many clothing options, to the continued support of a capitalistic society.
American citizens tend to pick fashion styles which allow them to stand out from others when compared to other countries like South Korea where people tend to have quite similar styles of fashion. Americans are able to continually endorse their sense of independence through the many different choices they can make. Though this can largely differ depending upon the region of the country one is considering. For instance, the type of clothing that would be worn in a city like Portland would be wildly different from the type of clothing worn in a place like Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Another way that American culture influences our bodies is that we tend towards the continued support of capitalism.
This is another way that Americans further the idea of independence and freedom. The American market is (supposedly) a free-market which allows for individuals to develop new companies and thrive in the right circumstances. We rely on the gained currency to further support ourselves and our families while doing little (often nothing) to help others. Maintaining the capitalistic society of America further imbues the essence of individualism into the culture.
Culture also influences the things we are allowed to put in our bodies. Our laws dictate what is legally allowed to be sold as a medicine, what is barred from being sold, and what is controlled by the government. The way that we view these substances is heavily influenced and informed by these laws. In states where cannabis use is legalized we see that users are not looked at in a demeaning light, where in prohibition states these people are instantly criminalized.
The American culture is wide and diverse as the people which it represents.
We see a very strong presence of individuality and a desire for freedom, but this can be expressed in a variety of ways depending where in the country we decide to evaluate. We also see there is a strict adherence to bureaucracy and laws, though countercultures certainly cannot be dismissed. The affect of culture on our bodies is then made quite distinct. More succinctly, culture has some critical value of influence on every individual and their body in such a way that every decision we make is informed by culture, whether it be mainstream or counterculture.
LOVELAUGHTER&&XHAOS
High Priest, Loser of Found Souls, Temple of Appled Thought
Erisian Ataxia Troupe : Caste of the Pulleiaceus Sun
To listen to the audio version of this article click on the play image.
Brought to you by @tts. If you find it useful please consider upvoting this reply.
Congratulations @alchemage! You have completed the following achievement on the Steem blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
You can view your badges on your Steem Board and compare to others on the Steem Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPTo support your work, I also upvoted your post!
Vote for @Steemitboard as a witness to get one more award and increased upvotes!
Indeed. Yet people think we have free choice and live in a free society. Humph... the forces that work on us give lie to that.