Ashley Mowery

Film and Culture: Monday class

July 12
th
2014





What are the five most important aspects of culture you have learned while taking this class?
Discuss them and why they are important to you in detail.







Religion is an important aspect of culture. Religion helps to define who we are and how
we act. Having religion in your life can bring a person love, joy, happiness, compassion, hope,
inspiration, and service. Religion gives people hope in times of sadness and darkness, and
guidance in times of confusion. There are many different types of religions and every religion
has its own beliefs and ways of teaching those beliefs. In an article Ajay Bhatt said religion can
help the youth generation to become moral, disciplined, and socialized citizens of society. I
agree with this statement because I think kids that have religion in their life tend to stay out of
trouble because most religions have youth groups for the youth to gather together and socialize.
Religion has been an important part of my life ever since I was a little kid. My mom was raised
Catholic, so my parents have raised me as a Catholic. Therefore, when I was a baby, I was
baptized into the Catholic Church and continued my religious education to make my First Holy
Communion and Confirmation. I also joined a youth group, which included going on Mission
trips and to religious conferences. For the past two years, I have volunteered at our church as an
assistant catechism teacher for our second grade class. Being religious is part of who I am and
believing in a higher power has helped me through a few hard times in my life. When I was
eleven years old, my dad got sick with what he thought was just the stomach flu. However, it
turned out my dad had Peritonitis, an inflammation of the abdomens lining that was secreting
bodily waste into his body. We took him to the hospital and he was immediately admitted and we
were told he would need emergency surgery to keep the waste from reaching his heart and killing
him. Only being eleven years old, I didnt completely understand the dangerous situation my dad
was in until they had a catholic priest come to his bedside to bless him and my family, that was
when I knew things were terribly serious. After they took my dad back into surgery, I just
remember lying on the cot praying for my dad to be okay. The surgery took 5 hours and the
surgeon told us that they had gotten him open at the right time because the toxic waste was only
two fingers away from his heart. I truly believe that my prayers were answered and that God
watched over my dad during his surgery and helped him pull though. Religion is a very personal
thing and not everyone believes in it, but for me, it is one of the most important aspects of my
life (youthvoices.net).
Family is an important aspect of culture because they influence each member so much.
Family finds the little things about you that you should change to become a better person but
they also find the unique qualities about you. Family is important because it gives people a sense
of security. Family will always stand by your side no matter what, so you never have to fight
alone. Humans also have many different psychological needs that are needed for mental and
physical well being. A family relationship provides people with affection, appreciation,
belonging, and unconditional love. People receive all these things from their family members
and are never asked for anything in return. Family can also enhance someones confidence or
self-esteem. Family teaches people morals and the basic concepts of society. Everyone needs a
sense of companionship because people cannot live alone happily forever. I have a small family,
and I think that is why my family is so important to me. I am an only child of two amazing
parents. Both of my parents support me in everything I do whether it be it school, skating, or
anything else. Since Im an only child, my parents and I are extremely close. I tell my parents
everything because they are always there for me when I need someone to talk to. My dad and I
are really close, we like to pick on each other a lot and make fun of each other because we have
no one else to bother since my mom wont deal with it. I am the youngest grandchild on both
sides of the family, so everyone wants me to go on to do great things. My parents have really
helped shape me into the person I am today because they raised me to be well rounded and
always have an open and positive mind. My dad always tells me that friends will come and go,
but family is forever. I really believe that because in the end you only really have your family
(buzzle.com).
The word government is described as a group of people that have the power to rule and
enforce laws. The Government is needed to protect, manage, and oversee people living in a
country or society. The United States has three different branches of government: executive,
legislative, and judicial. The Executive branch makes sure that the laws are obeyed by the people
of the country. The Legislative branch makes and passes laws through the House of
Representatives and the Senate. The Judicial branch deals with the issues that arise when laws
are broken. The government protects citizens from harm by punishing those who break the law.
The government protects people rights to certain freedoms. There is a direct correlation between
the government and its people because the people are who elect government officials into office.
The government also supports its citizens through programs like Medicare, Medicade, and Social
Security (knowswhy.com). The Federal Government is important to me because they keep order
in the Country and the local government keeps order in my community. If people were able to
get away with crimes, I would probably live in fear. However, since there are laws that punish
criminals, I am able to live in a fairly safe environment and I dont have to live in fear. The
Government also protects my freedoms and rights from being taken away. It is also important to
me because they are in charge of the military. I greatly appreciate all the soldiers in the military
because they are the ones who are actively fighting to protect my rights and keep me safe from
other people who want to harm the Country. Both of my Grandfathers and my Father were in the
military and I am glad there are people who are willing to risk their lives for my safety.
Education is another important aspect of culture because that is how we expand our
knowledge. Education gives us information about the world around us and how we can change it
to make it better. Learning can help us develop different perspectives of how to look at life and
issues that affect our lives. Education and knowledge are the best ways to fight against prejudice,
stereotypes, mob mentality, and ignorance. Learning encourages curiosity, abilities to question,
and abilities to reason. Lessons are not taught just from textbooks; lessons are also taught by real
life situations. Education teaches us acceptable behaviors and manners that people need to have
in order to function in society. Education is very important in preparing for a career. An
education and a degree are very important in getting a good job. As the years go on, more and
more jobs require more schooling beyond a high school diploma. According to Georgetown
Universitys state-level analysis by the year 2018 in Utah, 66 percent of all jobs in the state will
require postsecondary training and schooling (edlab.tc.columbia.edu, Oak). Education is
important to me because I have always taken my schooling very seriously. Unlike most kids, I
enjoy learning because I feel like it makes me a better person since I have more information
about different topics. Education is important to me because after researching about prejudice
and other issues, I have found that learning is the best way to end unfair judgments about
individuals or groups of individuals. Education is also what will take me far in my career path. I
want to become a Sports Medicine Physician, so I am going to have to go to school for many
years. Even once I am out of school, I will continue to learn everyday from my patients. Since I
value my education, when I was a sophomore in high school I decided I wanted to try and get my
Associates Degree from Salt Lake Community College by the time I graduate from Copper Hills
High School. This decision has worked out well, I am about to enter my senior year of high
school and currently have 40 college credits; by next June I will have enough credits to graduate
with a high school diploma as well as an Associates Degree.
Finally, language is another important aspect of culture. Language is necessary to interact
which people do every day. We use language to express our feelings, what we want, ask
questions, and to understand things that are going on around us. Language refers to more than
just words that are spoken; it also refers to gestures, tone, and volume of your voice. The article
Importance of Language-Why Learning a Second Language is important states, if you study
other languages you will find that most of them are pretty similar; mainly the differences are in
the alphabet, pronunciation, and grammar. It is also important to learn more than one language
because it helps people gain insight to other cultures (importanceoflangauges.com). Language is
important to me because it is how I communicate with everyone I come into contact with.
Without language people would not be able to communicate and there wouldnt be any progress
in our society. I also think it is important to learn a second language because everyone needs to
be able to communicate with people from different countries. My grandparents speak Spanish,
just like many other people in the county, so I started talking Spanish in the eighth grade so I can
become fluent. People who are bilingual also are more qualified for certain jobs. Language is the
key to success in every aspect of life and culture.