Research How Does Culture Shape Our Thinking?

My Name: JINYI GU
Paper #1 Rough Draft
Professor Elizabeth Shaheen
Due: 09/21/2017
Social situations and experiences that is unique in their cultures. While the role of genetics does explain man’s behavior, even culture is equally important in shaping people’s thinking. In Ethan Watters essay “Being WEIRD: How Culture Shape the Mind”, he argues that human cognition is shaped by cultural ideas and behavior. He claimed that the way we are raised influences our perceptions of the world around us. In the case of culture, it is clear that people have divergent practices, beliefs and attitudes that determine what is considered the norm and most people act according to what is expected of them. Far from being universal, the human psyche is formed by education, religion and surrounding environment.
One of the most important factors in cognition is education. Our choices are influenced by education since one is exposed to diverse subject matter and more likely to be informed by attaining more knowledge. While the level of education may depend on the income levels, those who get higher education are more likely to meet people who are different from them. On the other hand, those with limited education tend to hold onto what they have been exposed and more likely to oppose those views that vary from what they believe, even when presented with evidence. As such, education influences peoples’ choices and their behavior and when placed in similar circumstances with those with lower levels of education they may make different choices.
“A modern liberal arts education gives lots of lip service to the idea of cultural diversity,” (494). Watters opined that while people are different, the institutions of higher learning claim to support cultural diversity, but actually assume that people are alike. He stated this to highlight how the liberal arts education largely focused on the western world to study human behavior and cognition while failing to consider the impact of cultural differences. Education exposes people to diverse sources of knowledge, and relying on Western research to understand human nature ignores how education and culture in different societies influence thinking. Cross cultural studies highlight the differences between Western and non-Western education and culture in shaping thinking. Education configures consciousness and now there is recognition that Western societies cannot be used as thee basis to judge human nature.
In addition to education, religion also affects human psyche. Religious belief is one aspect of cultural difference that influences people’s worldview yet few researches have focused on how religion influences thinking, behavior and attitudes. The notion that human nature is universal is simplistic as cross cultural research shows that there are differences with the way people in diverse societies think and yet this is not the result of genetic differences. Religion is one of the factors that influence behavior and even the way issues are framed depend on religion. For instance, adopting policies thoughts on morality based on religious beliefs and culture influence choices made. The author mentions in the essay the researchers, “became interest...