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Culture and perception are intertwined, shaping how people see themselves, others, and events. Background, education, religion, politics, gender, race, and nationality all influence culture. Perception is colored by cultural beliefs, leading to differences in what is considered acceptable or offensive. For example, arranged marriages are accepted in some cultures but taboo in others.
Culture and perception are inextricably linked, because it is through their own culture that people see and perceive themselves and others in the world, as well as social and political events and happenings. Culture includes people’s background and education as well as their religious and political beliefs. It is also based on factors such as a person’s gender, race, ethnicity and nationality. While people can easily develop an appreciation and understanding of different cultures, their perception of people – as well as their perception of historical and social events – and their actions and beliefs are likely to be strongly colored or influenced by their own culture.
People analyze what they observe and experience through their cultural background, which means that culture and perception play a vital role in how people interpret and understand the world around them. Words or behaviors, such as hand gestures, that may be considered offensive or rude in one culture may be considered neutral and go unnoticed or be considered positive in another culture. While in some cultures it is considered polite to burp after eating a meal, for example, this is considered boorish and socially unacceptable behavior in other cultures. People’s perception of the world around them is often colored by their religious or political beliefs, so culture and perception are also linked in this way. Some people believe, for example, that the government should use the money raised by taxpayers to help those in need, while others perceive it as promoting dependence on government handouts and condoning laziness.
As an example of how culture and perception are related, some things that are deemed acceptable in one culture might be considered completely unacceptable in another culture. For example, some cultures tolerate and routinely practice arranged marriages, whereby a woman is told by her family who she will marry, usually a male from a family of similar social and economic standing. In fact, marriage can be arranged by the parents of both the male and the female, neither of whom has a choice in the matter.
If so, the parents think they are doing the right thing by planning a marriage that will contribute to their children’s future. In other cultures, the idea of arranged marriages is perceived as wrong, if not taboo, and can even be considered a repugnant idea that goes against the idea of human rights and freedom. It all boils down to a matter of culture and perception.
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