Belizean Cultures

Culture refers to the way of life for members of a society or a group with in the society. This includes how they dress, their language, their religion and leisure pursuits(Giddens and Sutton, 2019). Culture refers to the way of life of a social group, it includes the teams total artificial environment incorporating all the non material and material product of a gaggle life that is passed on from one generation to consequent. Consistent with Alfred Kroeber “The accord of most social scientists is that culture consists of patterns, explicit and implicit of behavior non heritable and transmitted by symbols constituting the distinctive achievements of human teams as well as their embodiment's in artifacts; the essential core of culture consists of ancient concepts and particularly their hooked up values.” Some sociologists preclude material objects from their means of culture. Instead they incorporate the technical data regarding the artifacts. Culture incorporates the behaviors, beliefs, objects and different characteristics common to the people in an exceedingly explicit cluster or society. Individuals and other groups define themselves, conform to society's shared values, and contribute to society through culture.

Culture is known as one of the most important concepts within sociology because sociologists had observed that it plays an imperative role in our lives. It is known for the importance of shaping our social relationships, maintaining and challenging order, determining how we make sense of the world and our role in it, and lastly in shaping our daily actions experiences in society. 

Sociologists define the non- material aspects of culture as the beliefs and values, communication, language and traditions that are shared in common by a group of individuals. Culture is made up of knowledge, assumptions, expectations and common sense. It is additionally the foundations, norms, laws, and morals that govern society; the words we tend to use as however we tend to speak and write them (what sociologists call "discourse"); and the symbols we use to express meaning, concepts, and ideas (like traffic signs and emojis, for example). Culture also has to deal with what we do and how we behave and perform, for example, theater and dance. It informs and is encapsulated in how we walk, sit, carry our bodies, and interact with others; how we behave depending on the place, time, and "audience;" and how we express identities of race, class, gender, and sexuality, among others. Culture also includes the type of events or practices we participate in, for example religious ceremonies, the celebration of spectacular holidays, and attending sporting events.

An example of non- material aspects would be the Garifuna culture beliefs and traditions. The Garifuna religion is a product of a cultural syncretism. Their religious system is a mixture of African and Amerindian traditions in addition to Catholic elements. The Garifuna practice a version of Catholicism that incorporates many aspects of their traditional religion, mingling a belief in saints with reverence toward gubida, the spirits of their ancestors, and faith in shamans or "spirit helpers" (called buwiyes). Their religious practices—which encompass dancing, singing, drumming, and alcohol—have long been considered suspect by established churches and surrounding communities, which have accused them of paganism and devil worship. Among the most important traditional religious practices is the dugu, a ritual feast held to appease the gubida when they are thought to be angry at a living relative. There are three healing celebrations and rituals in the Garifuna tradition: chugú, lemesi, and dugu. The chugú is the offering of food to the dead. Regarding the lemesi, there are two types of ceremonies: one is the official taking of the mourning clothes after one year and the second consists of a memorial in church as requested by the ancestors that passed away. However, the most serious of the healing rites is the dugu. According to the tradition, every time that there is a problem in the Garifuna family, the effects produced by tension and family struggles are felt among the living and the dead. If the living had been incapable of fixing the problem, then the death ancestors will intervene to solve it. The dugu lasts for six or nine days and takes over a year to plan it. The ceremony consists of drumming, singing, dancing, eating, and drinking. Major life transitions (such as birth, puberty, and death) are marked by religious ceremonies that combine Catholic traditions with ancestral rites.(Encyclopedia.com, 2019) Here is a short video which talks about the Garifuna culture, their society, an the different traditions and beliefs they have. 

Material Culture on the other hand is composed of the different things that people manufacture and use. This aspect of culture is comprised of wide variety of things, from buildings, technological gadgets, and clothing, to film, music, literature, and art, among others. Aspects of material culture are more commonly referred to as cultural products.

An example of material aspect would be the Maya ruins, It is a legacy of outstanding palaces and temples Building on the inherited inventions and ideas of earlier civilizations such as the Olmec. Another material aspect would the Maya astronomy, calendrical systems and hieroglyphic writing. The Mayas also made highly decorated ceremonial architecture, including temple-pyramids, palaces and observatories, all built without metal tools. And one of the most famous Maya material aspect is the jade head, it is the Crown jewel of Belize and it was found in one of the Mayan sites known as Altun Ha, this jewel is the legacy of the Mayas. 

                                                                       

Altun Ha Jade Head

Xunantunich Maya Ruin

      Stated within the theory of classical French social scientist Emile Durkheim, each non material and material aspects of culture are valuable in this they hold society together. The values, beliefs, morals, communication, and practices that we tend to share in common provide us with a shared sense of purpose and a valuable collective identity. Durkheim discovered through his analysis that once individuals come together to participate in rituals, they affirm the culture they hold in common, and in doing this, strengthen the social ties that bind them together. Today, sociologists see this important social process happening not solely in rituals and celebrations like weddings and Indian competition of Holi however also in secular ones like high school dances and widely-attended, televised sporting events (for example, the Super Bowl and March Madness).  

       Famous Prussian social theorist and activist Karl Marx established the critical approach to culture in the social sciences. According to Marx, it is in the realm of non-material culture that a minority is able to maintain unjust power over the majority. He reasoned that subscribing to mainstream values, norms, and beliefs keep people invested in unequal social systems that do not work in their best interests, but rather, benefit the powerful minority. Sociologists today see Marx's theory in action in the way that most people in capitalist societies buy into the belief that success comes from hard work and dedication, and that anyone can live a good life if they do these things — despite the reality that a job which pays a living wage is increasingly hard to come by. (Cole, 2019)

      Both theorists were right regarding the role that culture plays in society, however neither was exclusively right. Culture will be a force for oppression and domination, however it may be a force for creativeness, resistance, and liberation. it's conjointly a deeply vital side of human social life and social organization. Without it, we might not have relationships or society.

    Our culture is like a lens whereby we experience the world and reinforce shared meanings. It follows that the language we use is created in response to cultural needs. Therefore, there is a relationship between the way in which we talk and how we identify the world. One important question that many intellectuals have asked is how the language that our society uses influences its culture.

Anthropologist and linguist Edward Sapir and his student Benjamin Whorf were interested in answering this question. Together, they came up with the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, which says that how we look at the world is largely determined by our thought processes, and our language limits our thought processes. It follows that our language shapes our reality. In other words, the language that we use shapes the way we think and how we see the world. Since the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis theorizes that our language use shapes our perspective of the world, it follows that people who speak different languages have different world views. (Williams, 2019)

     Belize is usually referred to as a “melting pot” of cultures, however this might be a bit of a misnomer. Belize culture is better described  as a sublime fretwork of different peoples weaving around and between one another. The term melting pot is inaccurate as a result of Belizeans don’t meld into one uniform individuals, however stand out with pride, displaying their quality and sharing their culture. Of course, not melting into one doesn't guarantee segregation, the dynamic of Belize culture effortlessly reflects aspects from every group’s influences and food. Here is a short video talking about the Belizean culture and their different beliefs and traditions.

     

All the different ethnic groups traditions and beliefs are respected in Belize, a perfect example would be the Annual Japan Day which is a cultural festival, that was held in Belize under the theme “Cultural Harmony.” While the Japanese community in Belize is less than 20 persons, the festival has attracted visitors that have even come from outside the Belize district to learn about Japanese food, language , cultural clothes and customs. The event also features two popular competitions: tulhe cosplay competition, where participants dress up as their favorite characters from Japanese anime and video games; as well as the manga competition, where participants create their own comic script using Japanese style art. Culture awareness is portrayed in the video, the Belizeans are becoming familiar with the Japanese culture and even participating and enjoying the different materials and non materials aspects of the culture. This could be an example of subculture because these two different cultures have interest in some of the same things such as the cosplay and art.

In conclusion the people of Belize are diverse, Our small country isn’t outlined by one culture, however a unique mix of influences from all over the world. It is this blend that gives the individuals of Belize the distinct ability to make anyone feel welcome.  From cuisine to language to dancing, the different cultures and traditions make Belize so unique. All cultures are respected in Belize including their traditions and beliefs. 

                         

REFERENCE:

Giddens, A., & Sutton, P. W. (1970, January 1). Sociology: Giddens, Anthony: Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/Sociology_6_edition

Garifuna. (2019, November 24). Retrieved from https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/latin-america-and-caribbean/mesoamerican-indigenous-peoples/garifuna

Cole, N. L. (2019, August 2). Defining Culture and Why It Matters to Sociologists. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/culture-definition-4135409

  Williams, Y. (n.d.). Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis: Examples and Definition. Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/sapir-whorf-hypothesis-examples-and-definition.html.  TopshamTV. (2014, March 24). The Garifuna People in Belize. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NubllRazJ_o&feature=youtu.be

Bestdestination.(2019, June 28). Belize Melting Pot of Cultures. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q1ZiRdJ9LM&feature=youtu.be Love FM Belize (2019, October 15). Japan Day 1.[Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMbTPzqmG8U&feature=youtu.be