Culture is the set of beliefs, customs, and traditions that a group of people share. There are sub-cultures within larger cultures, and it is possible for someone to identify with multiple sub-cultures at the same time. There are many values, behaviors, and traditions from my identified culture. Some basic values include generosity, kindness, individuality, and openness. Being on time, professionalism, and a polite attitude are some of the behaviors of my culture. I celebrate the traditional American holidays, such as Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and the Fourth of July.
I believe that the Ecuadorian culture has some similarities to the American culture as well as some differences. I think that there are some general values that the cultures share, such as kindness, generosity, and openness. I think that the Ecuadorian culture is less concerned with being on time. I also think that there are generally more family values, and family time, especially meal time, is very important in the Ecuadorian culture. These assumptions stem from both my past experience in traveling in Central/South America, (I have been to Costa Rica, the Galápagos’, and have spent a brief amount of time in Guayaquil) as well as discussing cultural differences with friends I have made at school who are from Ecuador.
The education system, as well as the literacy rates of students in Ecuador has improved dramatically in the past years. The main problems today in the education system are lack of funding and educating the rural populations. It is difficult to keep accredited teachers in rural areas, and there is some push to create more bilingual schools in languages other than Spanish. There are colleges and universities in Ecuador, but many students cannot afford a higher education. The dropout rate at younger ages is also very high.
