Are All Cultures Valid?

Are all cultures equally valid? That’s the million-dollar question now isn’t it? Since the beginning of time different or opposing cultures have clashed which had led to years of hatred, prejudice, and oftentimes war. But what is culture exactly? And why does it play such a big role in society?

In simplified terms, culture is the set of values, attitudes, goals, practices, behavior, and patterns of human knowledge that a group of people share. It’s how you think and believe and then how you choose to act based on those beliefs. Now I want you to think about your own culture for a minute and those who may share that same culture. As you think, I want you to keep in mind that culture is not necessarily defined or restrained by the color of your skin, the language you speak, or where in the world you live. In fact, every family has its own culture which can be influenced by many of those factors. What factors do you think influence your family culture? Religious values? Traditions? The values of your grandparents? The community your family resides in?

If every family has its own culture, does that then mean all cultures are valid? I would encourage you to think long and hard before you begin to answer. My answer would be no. And before you start to chew me out, let me explain. First, what does “valid” mean? Valid is well founded, sound, reasonable, rational, logical, justifiable, defensible, viable, effective, and legally authorized. In other words, do all family cultures meet the same purposes with the same effectiveness? Well before we can begin to answer that question, we must address what the purpose of families are. In my readings for school I have found that the two main purposes for families in a nonreligious understanding, are to satisfy intimacy needs and to bear and socialize children. If those are the main purposes, does every family effectively and legally accomplish those goals? No, not every family does. Many families have violence and abuse worked into their family culture and dynamic. We can say for certain this family culture does not satisfy intimacy needs in any way and children who grow up in this family culture tend to have more behavioral problems and trust issues. So, with this example alone we can say with a surety that not all cultures are valid.

With all of this in mind, is it then appropriate to say in a public or political setting that some forms of family are more legitimate than others? Is it okay to advocate for one family culture over another? I believe it is, so long as research supports the argument, and you advocate with tolerance. With all the heated debate about the legalization and acceptance of different kinds of marriage, the tolerance for those who oppose this view has decreased immensely. Many who still advocate for traditional family cultures are receiving hostility and judgements from those who do not agree with their views. But is this the right way to disagree about a subject? No! We all have the agency to choose what we believe, but we do not have the right to be hostile towards people who don’t share our beliefs. We should not and cannot impose our beliefs on others. We have the right to advocate our beliefs and seek after absolute truth, but we MUST do so with tolerance, having a friendly and fair attitude toward unfamiliar opinions and practices or toward persons who hold or practice them. Tolerance is key. So, while all cultures may not be valid, our job isn’t to enforce change on the cultures that may not be valid. Our job is to be tolerant and focus on improving our own family culture.