What does it mean to have a cultural identity? 09/10/07

Cultural Identity is such a hard definition for someone to answer as it covers such a broad aspect of what the two words mean. When defining culture, the Oregon State Educational website http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/anth370/gloss.html states that culture is "The learned patterns of behavior and thought that help a group adapt to it's surroundings." In general it is what we have grown to understand and accept as the norm to where we live.

Now, Identity is used to describe something according to similar aspect and attributes. It is what makes us the same in certain respects or different in others. Cultural Identity then, accoding to these definitions must be the collective identity in the behavioural patterns of a society, or groups of persons.

Cultural identity is not, however based solely upon rules and regulation of law. These cultural identities are also seen in medical practises, governments, politics and other such aspects of a society. Below is the link to a youtube video that shows the understanding of cultural identity when dealing with medical practises by Culturally Competent Care. Cultural differences should not affect everyday life, political standings, rights and justice or medical care.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=XF8yZRgcSkg