Culture is what defines and unites a group of people. It involves traditions, language, and a sense of community. Social norms also play a role in defining culture. Culture can be seen everywhere and in many different groups of people. Cultures can be separated geographically from each other. An example of this is the western culture which is usually associated with the Unites States and Europe. The Latin culture is linked with Spanish-speaking countries and includes central and south America.
I identify with the Western/American culture. Although I am Mexican, I grew up in America and the Western culture dominated its influence in my life. The primary language in this culture is English. The dominant values in America are respect and wealth. The people within this culture believe that money brings power and respect to you and your family. Although everyone works for a better life for themselves and their family, the value is not placed on the family. The behavior in America can be described as cold and unfriendly. There is always respect for one another, but people do not smile nor greet those that they do not know. There is a high amount of stress within this culture because of the emphasis on the need to be successful. Some typical traditions are found in holidays. Fireworks for Fourth of July, turkey for Thanksgiving, and a holiday break during the month of December.
After reading many of the documents sent to me to prepare for my trip to Ecuador and incorporating my own knowledge of Latin cultures, I have developed a few assumptions. I assume that my experience there will consist of many friendly smiles and spending a lot of time with my host family. I also assume that the work environment will not be as stressful as it is in the United States because of the long breaks taken to eat and spend time with the family.
Of the options given, I would like to focus my brief research on the environment in Ecuador. I have learned that there are four ecological regions in Ecuador. There are the highlands, rainforest, coast, and Galapagos Islands. The highlands are in the Andeas Mountains and are home to Quito which is 9,200 ft above sea level. The main crops that are grown in the highlands are rice, corn, soybeans and potatoes. Next we have the Coast, home to Quayaquil which is the largest city in Ecuador. Many crops are grown on the coastal region including bananas which is one of the larget exports of Ecuador. also along hte coast, occurs fishing. The rainforest is the third region of Ecuador, and along with this region comes many issues. These problems include deforestation, habitat destruction, oil mining, and hunting. As time passes, more destruction is being done to the rainforest and unfortunately, little is being done to stop it. The galapagos islands are famous for having species that can only be found there and no where else. The animals that have inhabited this region have been well preserved because the islands are 600 miles away from Ecuador and people. Recently though, more people have been moving to the islands.Along with people comes damage to the environment such as waste, and polution from vehicles of transportation.
