Natesha C. Robinson
SCO/100
May 5th, 2010
Leslie Hart
University of Phoenix
Cultural Background
Culture is the totality of learned, socially transmitted customs, knowledge, material objects, and behavior. It includes ideas, values, and artifacts of groups of people (Schaefer, 2006). Understanding culture can be tricky, ever ask “why do people act the way they do?”, “what made me do that”, “what was I thinking?” Physical abilities, educational background, and social background of how I was raised are important aspects of my life. The environment in which I was raised is very important aspect of my life.
I am an African American (black) female. I was brought up with both parents in the household. My father is African American and my mother is African American but also has Cherokee Indian in her as well. Our great-grandmother was a full blooded Cherokee Indian. Our mother used to tell us that is where we receive our high cheek bones from (Indian culture). Both of our parents were raised in a generation of drugs and alcohol. I believe my parents tried to protect us from the violence, drugs, and alcohol as much as they could. I am the middle child of three, two brothers, one older, and the other is younger. My older brother and I are 11 months apart and inseparable from each other. At the age of five or six our parents moved us from the eastside of Oklahoma City to the south side. I believe if we were not moved from the eastside of Oklahoma City, we would have failed victim to poverty, drugs, and other harmful aspects of life back during the time they moved us. As a child we saw violence away from home and in the home as well. Moving to the south side of Oklahoma City, was “supposed” to be a new beginning for us. The neighborhood we moved to was predominantly of Caucasian decent. We were opened minded on other parts of society, which at our age at the time it was not a problem for us to meet and get to know other