Culture entails a system of norms and values that exist and is shared by a group of people. In most cases, this group of individuals shares values that later develop to moral attitudes as time pass. With the help of these values, people are in a position of making ethical decisions that are seen to take control of the individuals within the society. Ideas are also shared within the community that helps in establishing a bar for differentiating right from wrong. Depending on where one comes from, the culture varies from place to place. The principle objective of this paper if to offer a comprehensive discussion about the Russian and American cultures keeping in mind how it has changed and evolved over the years bringing about diversity.
Russia
Culture exists and grows in a place where a large group of people resides, and Russia is among the most populated countries in the world. Many historians have argued that Russia culture is diverse considering it has gained traditions and influences from the East and West due to its geographical position. The east is commonly characterized by family social orders, religion and diverse traditions while individualism and rationality mark the west. One Russian historian by the name of Vladimir Lamanskii argues that Russia is a different Eurasiatic continent that came into being after three worlds namely Greek-Slavic, Romano-Germanic, and Asia confronted one another. From these worlds, Russia was able to attain and gain heritage and customs that govern the state till now (Singleton, 2013). For one to understand the Russian culture and how it has evolved over the years, it is paramount to go to the country’s antiquity since the ninth century. The 9th century was the duration when some of the Russian cultures was deeply rooted in the nation’s social psyche.
Religion
One of the most prominent cultures that were adopted was the Orthodox Christianity. It represented an element of legacy from the Eastern traits and Western Roman Empire. The result of this integration was the establishment of a healthy relationship between Rus and Byzantium and the belief of a higher divine unity. The public belief in the existence of a divine power offered support to the autocratic rule which was an unchecked system. It is believed that the Russian Orthodoxy originated from Byzantium. The Russian religion is often expressed through architecture a good example is the St. Basil cathedral. The cathedral has a decorative and structural structure that has no connection with the Byzantine and Muscovite architecture.
However, Russia has always been a Christian community for quite a while as most of the Russians follow the Christian religion and its doctrine. There exist two theories that have tried to understand how religion came into being in Russia. One theory argues that Russia began as an Orthodox community while the other believes Russia began as a Catholic community. The conflict between these two groups has been present for quite some time, but the Orthodox community has dominated most of Russia.
Russian Culture perception regarding Home
When it comes to homes, the Russian people view their homes as a holy dwelling as their opinion is in a spiritual aspect. According to the Russian culture, a home should be respected and shouldn’t be constructed in places where tragic events happened, near cemeteries or in wet areas. Russians also put decorations in homes as symbols in accordance to spiritual decorum. They believe a table act as a metaphor of favor and thus should be covered with a white cloth. They trust that people should not eat on a table that has not been covered as it is unholy. The Russian culture allows people to relax and bond with family members at home as this is the place for doing so.
The Effects of Western Culture.
After the post-war, the youth were isolated, and this affected the pace by which young people of the West lifestyle and their culture spread in Russia (Singleton, 2013). The Russian lifestyle began to change under the leadership of Khrushchev, and the western style was adopted. As time went by, the Russian youth had adopted the culture as they followed the culture of the west and this diminished the Russian culture. The imitation of the western culture had a lot of change to the Russian culture. Initially, the Russian culture allowed people to relax during leisure and nothing else but the culture of the west brought about combining learning and recreation activity. The type of music that came with the western culture was different from the Soviet way entirely. This is because the Russian culture regarded music as an element of the soul while the culture of the West perceived it as an element of the body.
America
America is history’s exception. It started as a nation founded by European migrants. Similar to homogenous citizens of most of other countries, they were seemingly on a trajectory in the assimilation of racial sameness as the affirmation of citizenship. However, the ultimate logic of the United State’s unique Constitution was varying and different. Therefore, America steadily evolved and changes to fit the definition of Americans according to their shared values and ethics rather than their superficial appearance. Eventually, every person was permitted to become an American so long as they agreed to shed off their earlier identities and embrace the newly developed American persona. The “melting pot” ethos of e Pluribus Unum has always been cherished and adopted in the United States as it mainly involves the blending of a variety of people and cultures into a single entity through integration, assimilation, and intermarriages (SCHOEMAKER, 2015).
America thrived as a result of specific approached and methods coupled with controlled and measured immigration. The diverse ethnic communities enriched and significantly impacted America with a variety of food, art, music, and literature while at the same time accepting an ordinary and necessary culture and ethics of America values, attributes, and institutions. Challenges sprung only after immigration was often illegalized, in mass, without making any emphasis on assimilation. At times towards the end of the 20th century, the United States primarily gave up and disregarded multiracialism under one primary ethnicity but instead opted for multiculturalism. Multiculturalism allowed each specific group or community to retain and observe their tribal norms and chauvinism always viewed itself as a separate from the whole entity (SCHOEMAKER, 2015).
There was a sudden popularity in the hyphenated names and words. Americans under constant track down by the government often complicate the ethnic lineage and structure. Racial quotas and pedigrees were at the time used in an entry in jobs and college admissions. The present discrimination was permitted by the courts as compensation for the prior perceptions. Difference and diversity were featured and taught in the schools’ syllabus in preference to unity and sameness. Langston Hughes and Edgar Allan Poe were categorized and grouped as “black” or “white male” rather than the “American” authors (SCHOEMAKER, 2015).
The current objection against homogenizing the various divergent races can be linked to the history of partiality and injustice. Even when it was not perfect, America’s unrealizable high ideals led to it being judged as subordinate. Nevertheless, history will be cruel to those who imagine America having different tribes and racial groups who are healthily competitive. The characteristics of the history of state multiculturalism are disagreement, breakdown, brutality, and disarray. What has made America the most high-powered country in the world is its ability to remain multiracial instead of multicultural? We must learn to accept that heterogeneity is an accessory, but the union is a strength.
References
SCHOEMAKER, CASPER. (2015): “A Critical Appraisal Of The Anorexia Statistics Inthe Beauty Myth: Introducing Wolf’s Overdo And Lie Factor (WOLF).” Eating Disorders 12.2: 97-102. Web.
Singleton, Amy C. Noplace Like Home. (2013): The Literary Artist And Russia’s Search For Cultural Identity (No Place Like Home). State University of New York Press. Print.
