Answer to Question #242607 in Sociology for boitumelo ngobeni

Question

Based on your review and experience in the community, compare and discuss the difference between ideal behaviours (what people are expected to do) and real behaviour (what people actually do) in the context of a community that you will consider as an example in this assignment. Consult as an example a Cultural -Specific Disorder section of your SAGX 022 module that is discussed mainly in page 73 of your notes. Consider any region, province, or community in South Africa that you have experience with and identify the ideal behaviours and the real behaviours you have been observing in terms of cultural norms in the recent times and while you also discuss behavioural chooses. Moreover, conclude and recommend on how cultural values can influence and leads to functional and dysfunctional behaviours

Answer 1

Ideal behavior is what we think we should be doing and what we want others to believe we are doing. Actual behavior is what real goes on, how people react in reality. South Africa has been famously referred to as the rainbow nation because it is made up of so many diverse cultures and religions. Contained within South Africa's borders are Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi, Tswana, Ndebele, Khoisan, Hindu, Muslim, and Afrikaner people. The Zulu culture has a wide tradition, given how varied and dynamic the Zulu population is. While it is a stretch of the imagination to state that culture simply does not exist, as has been claimed by certain postmodern intellectuals, it remains difficult to reach a consensus about what the term really denotes.

The Zulu culture is centered on the preservation of life through the maintenance of healthy social relationships. Individuals in the Zulu culture apply impression management tactics to some extent to maintain healthy relationships. The Zulu culture highlights some behavior patterns and attitudes that people display to impress others. In an informal setting or social environment of the Zulu culture, it is unacceptable for females to enter a room first or to walk in front of a male, whereas males walk in front of females as a sign of authority and leadership. The ideal behavior of the Zulu people is to believe in spirits, conducting religious rights and living in harmony in their communities. however the real behavior of the Zulu people has changed due to modernization by the Europeans existing.

The existence of numerous races has compromised their behaviors and characters as per their traditions. Currently, the Zulu people have intermarried and are modernized from their dress code and their characters. unlike before the Zulu women have a voice and can make decisions in the community. Culture also reinforces certain religious beliefs. Some countries are predominantly Catholic while others may be Protestant, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu or Buddhist. Each religion carries its own set of standards for personal conduct. For example, consider how these cultures limit the choices people have in choosing a profession, a spouse, women’s roles and the garments they wear and behave.

Some cultures encourage close physical proximity when in conversation, while others foster loud, even argumentative verbal exchanges, and some may prize soft-spoken, polite conversation.

Emotional well-being is generally more evidenced in cultures that promote belief in facts and not theories because there is more emotional security in reality. Greater emotional well-being was noted in immigrants whose personality characteristics were more congruent with the cultural norms of the new country to which they migrated. There are fewer adjustments to be made in similar cultures.

Some cultural values can influence and leads to functional and dysfunctional behaviors. For instance for the cultures that are loose they contribute to dysfunctional behavior. In the Western countries mostly do not believe in traditions rather believe in bill of rights and people's freedoms which compromise most of the functional behaviors.