Puerto Rico - Culture
Culture has been defined by some social scientists as the way of life of a people. Among the most important component elements of a culture are specific behaviors such as the customs, language, religion, ideas, and values that are shared and learned by all members of that cultural group. Some of the behaviors become so widely practiced among the members of the group, so as to enable outside observers to generalize about an individual's background based on the cultural behavior they exhibit. Thus, Westerners typically use a fork, knife and spoon when eating, while many Orientals prefer the use of chop sticks when engaged in the same activity. The use of different eating utensils is a cultural trait that can be associated with different groups of people.
History has played an important part in the development of Puerto Rican culture. The nature of Puerto Rican society and its values were shaped by the island's past experience as a colony of Spain and a territorial possession of the United States. Those interested in understanding the Puerto Rican way of life must first study its history, and examine how the combination of various cultures have influenced how the people of Puerto Rico behave and think.
The extent to which some children have internalized the values of the traditional Puerto Rican culture vary with exposure to other cultures and lifestyles. Children of Puerto Rican parents residing on the mainland are not likely to have fully acquired some of the cultural traits evident in Puerto Rican children just newly arrived from the island. Also, mainland born Puerto Rican children may have adopted many of the values of the dominant English-speaking North American society, while those born and reared on the island will most likely exhibit behaviors and values much closer to those associated with traditional Puerto Rican culture. A Puerto Rican's socio-economic status or urban/rural residence also help determine the acquisition of particular cultural traits. Some of the values of a poor rural Puerto Rican are in many ways more similar to those of a poor black or Appalachian white person than to those of an upper class Puerto Rican living in the San Juan metropolitan area.
Another important element to consider when making broad statements concerning the nature of Puerto Rican culture is the process of cultural change. The traditional culture of Puerto Rico is under going change, as the island's relationship with the United States continues to grow. Puerto Rican society for all of the 20th century was closely interrelated with that of the United States. This proximity and this interchange with the mainland have brought about a number of changes. As a result, many of the values of a few generations ago are less prominent in the Puerto Rico of today and, in turn, some of the values of the mainland (such as wearing blue jeans and dancing to rock music) are much in evidence in Puerto Rico.
The concept of time is common to all people. Nearly all human activities are organized along some time framework. Differing notions of the importance of time, in particular the importance of "being on time" or punctual, is frequently the cause for cross-cultural misunderstanding or conflict. For most Puerto Ricans, punctuality is an important attribute in an individual, but it is only a virtue within the context of the situation. Puerto Ricans would not purposely be late for a job interview. Yet, this same individual would likely not be overly concerned if they arrived a few minutes late for a community or club meeting, or even later for a social rendezvous with a friend. The phenomenon (that some have labeled as "Puerto Rican Time") does not mean that everyone born in Puerto Rico has a genetic propensity for always being late. Puerto Ricans can be on time like everyone else, if they choose to be, but Puerto-Rican time is more flexible.
Socialization practices that encourage the development of specific social and human relations skills might be responsible for Puerto Ricans to wanting to talk and socialize with their peers. Puerto Rican mothers foster in their childrena desire to be with people. Skills including getting along with others and participating with others in common endeavors are important human relations skills that are emphasized by parents. Solitude, on the whole, should be avoided and children should need to associate with others and want to participate in group activities. A Puerto Rican who appears to be lonesome or feel lonely is said to be unhappy because they lack the companionship and suppor needed from others.
Puerto Rican females, no matter their age, feel very uncomfortable in situations that call for them to disrobe or reveal too much of their bodies in public. Traditional Puerto Rican culture teaches young women to be very modest. By mainland standards, some Puerto Rican females might even appear extremely inhibited.
For example, even though Puerto Rico boasts of a warm tropical climate, it is still relatively unusual to see many women walking down the street in shorts. Invariably, most of the bikini clad women seen on the public beaches in Puerto Rico are likely to be tourists, not natives, and, even in their modest one piece bathing suits, many women still prefer to wrap a towel around their waist while strolling on the beach.
Some Puerto Rican students do not like their Physical Education classes because they don't like to take showers. The Puerto Rican girls are not expressing a dislike for cleanliness, but, instead, discomfort with having to take their clothes off and showering naked in full view of other students.
Puerto Ricans are taught that politeness is next to godliness. Being polite to other people is very important, especially to persons in positions of authority, such as parents, teachers and other adults. So, for children, being polite is an important personal characteristic. This value is expressed in the language. One of the greatest compliments a parent can receive is for someone to say that their son or daughter is "un(una) joven bien educado(a)." A direct translation would be "your son (daughter) is well educated," but that is not really the correct meaning. What is meant is that the child is well behaved, that they have good manners, that they have been correctly taught how to act politely and show respect for elders. In the Puerto Rican Hispanic culture "to be well educated" implies more than mere book learning; it means knowledge of the rules of courtesy and good deportment.
Puerto Rican women are still very much the victims of a double standard that restricts them to an inferior position to men. Child-rearing patterns reflect this point of view of female inferiority. Young girls, for example, are more closely supervised than boys. They are carefully watched because they are thought to be naturally weak and more submissive than boys. Boys, on the other hand, are loosely supervised; they are given more independence and are expected to be more aggressive.
This double standard is illustrated by the expression "lo criaron como una nina," which means "he was raised like a girl" that might be applied to a son who was a top student.
The differing sexual expectations are also manifested in the Puerto Rican institution of el noviazco. El noviazco is a formal courtship period that usually precedes the young couple's marriage, and involves visits by the boy to the girl's home where they can be observed and watched by a chaperon. Although the chaperon is a tradition is growing weaker in Puerto Rico, the assumptions which gave rise to it are still strong. Chaperoning was primarily designed to limit the opportunities for the couple to engage in premarital sex. The lack of trust in the couple's ability to exercise self restraint stemmed from the expectation that the boy, guided by his natural desires, would seek sexual satisfaction while the weak-willed girl would be unable to resist the male's advances and would meekly acquiesce. Chaperoning was a tradition fostered by mistrust and stereotyping of the two sexes.
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