What makes you part of a culture??

As we mentioned in class, it's difficult for us to really think of what it is that makes us part of culture. In my mind, you don't become part of a culture, you are born into it. The culture develops through the interaction between people and the infusion of common ideals and differing opinions, all people are born in some kind of community. Culture is something that all communities/civilization contain and rely on as a way of life and incorporate into their daily lives.

How did people living hundreds of years ago know if they were part of a culture? Well, considering that the geographical location of a "Civilization" was not as easy to know as it is now that we have maps, knowing exact limits of a civilization without some kind of mapping is difficult. Like I said before, if someone lives in a community, the community/ civilization is bound to have a set culture so they are born into it. It doesn't really matter if later in their lives, they decide that they disagree with the culture's ideology, but the point is they are born into it and grow up with the customs.

When not born into the culture, at what point do you know that you're part of it? I don't think that this is a question of time and how long you live in a place. You could spend you're whole life somewhere and not adopt the culture. How? Well, it could be that if the culture involves a different language from yours, you don't try to, or never learn the language, therefore setting a language barrier between you and those part of the culture and the culture itself. There are many ways to be excluded from a culture and the process of becoming part of one varies in circumstances and is different depending on the customs if it. So better, what are ways to become of one? It is a better question because while it still varies, it easier to explain. Assimilation and complacency are key factors. You mimic those around you and follow certain rules set by the society.

What process of acceptance can be the most closely related to that of a culture's? I think society. A civilization's society reflects and is built upon the culture, so why is there a difference? There isn't. To be part of a culture you have to be part of their society and abide by their rules, more often than not, to be accepted by society, you must know of their culture.

Basically, you must be willing to become part of a society and accept their traditions and customs and all that is part of it. Answering the initial question, how did people living hundreds of years ago know if they were part of a culture? The answer I have come to after all this thinking is that they don't. They don't really know when they do, they just feel comfortable with the people who they share the culture with or they realize that they were after they no longer are. Its something complicated to explain. If its a person who lives in the middle of two, they might just have their own sectional culture created by the merge of the ones surrounding.