Summary

The web content discusses the multifaceted nature of cultural influences, emphasizing that memes, while impactful, are just one of many elements, including Supreme Court decisions, that shape societal norms and behaviors.

Abstract

The article on the undefined website delves into the complexities of cultural influences, noting that while memes are a significant and pervasive element of modern culture, they are not the sole factor in shaping societal norms. It explores the origins of memes as a concept introduced by Richard Dawkins in 1976 and their role in rapid communication of ideas and emotions. The piece also examines other cultural influences such as religious beliefs, family traditions, moral values, languages, learned behaviors, laws, attitudes, and the desire for convenience. The recent leak of the Supreme Court draft opinion on abortion rights is highlighted as a potent example of how legal and political actions can have profound cultural implications, potentially reigniting the culture wars in America. The article underscores the importance of understanding these diverse influences to navigate and contribute to cultural evolution constructively.

Opinions

Memes are acknowledged as a form of shorthand communication that can convey complex ideas quickly, but they are recognized as just one part of a larger cultural tapestry.
The author suggests that cultural understanding can be deepened not only through formal education but also through life experience and personal research.
The article implies that cultural influences are bidirectional, with culture shaping individual behaviors and individuals, in turn, influencing cultural norms.
The author expresses that the Supreme Court draft opinion leak on abortion rights is a significant event that could have far-reaching effects on societal attitudes and behaviors, particularly concerning women's rights and the integrity of the Supreme Court.
There is an opinion that the convenience-oriented behavior of "now, now, now" has become a notable aspect of American culture, reflecting and reinforcing the fast-paced nature of society.
The piece posits that religious beliefs and practices can have a protective effect on health, as seen in lower cancer rates among those who abstain from certain substances for religious reasons.
The author seems to advocate for a nuanced understanding of the interplay between culture and religion, acknowledging that while religion can shape culture, culture also informs religious practices and beliefs.
The article suggests that the Supreme Court leak may have political consequences, potentially affecting the court's reputation and sparking a new phase in the culture wars.
Overall, the author conveys that to influence cultural behaviors positively, one must be aware of and thoughtfully engage with the myriad factors that constitute culture.

Memes Are Not the Only Things That Influence Our Culture

Several aspects help shape culture including a leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion

While I took some courses associated with sociology and psychology in college, I did not major in those subjects. I research a lot and read a lot and share my observations and interesting knowledge that’s now in my braincase. Life experience can fill in the blanks too.

Understanding the behavior and influences behind cultures can be as complicated and deep as you want it to be.

Let’s start with what a meme is in case you don’t know what one is

For those who don’t have an understanding of what a meme is, here you go, without the philosophical or academic interpretations.

Memes are like shorthand communication. They imitate things or people and tend to evolve especially on social media. There are so many memes out there in the internet world, that you might not even understand all of them. Some are funnier to your friends than they might be to you. Some are even hateful. Some mock, and some are so sarcastic to the point that you know you shouldn’t laugh, but you do. Some even have a message worth chewing on.

In the same way emoji have been used to convey complex ideas of mood or emotion, a meme can impart a complex idea, state of mind, or shared understanding far quicker than typing out and reading a written explanation of an idea. (Source.)

Below is a published piece on Medium by Anthony Murphy that contains a lot of examples of memes, all interesting or humorous.

20 Product Management Memes to Brighten Your Day

Product is hard, sometimes you just need a good laugh 😂

productcoalition.com

In 1976, the term “meme” was introduced by British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his book entitled The Selfish Gene.

A meme can be funny even when they follow some disturbing event. It can also be beneficial or harmful. Memes are on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and all over the internet. If you’re into sarcasm, you’ll love them.

Memes are influential and they plant ideas and thoughts. They contribute to shaping our culture, but they aren’t the only forms of communication that do. They’re used in dark humor and they’re used to make fun of serious topics. And of course, there’s the usage in politics which is very persuasive.

A few days ago, the news came out with barrels of human remains found in Lake Mead in Nevada. There’s already a meme circulating about that. See below. The humor in the meme just might supersede the surprise of the actual contents of the barrels.

What else influences our culture?

Let’s look at some definitions of culture first. According to Merriam-Webster, culture (noun) is defined in part as the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group. Sometimes “culture” may be confused with “society.”

I like the way Wikipedia breaks it down: an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups. Culture is often originated from or attributed to a specific region or location.

**The Beatles influenced cultural behavior through their music, lifestyle, and fashion.** EMI., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

There are so many elements that shape and influence culture:

A belief system (choice of faith which would include marital customs) or other religious observances like Easter and Christmas.

One example of culture being influenced by religion is the civil rights movement which dramatically impacted American culture. The movement was born out of African American churches in the South, and this religious origin was critically important to MLK and other leaders. (Source.)

Family traditions like the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Thanksgiving meal, and a visit from Santa Claus have permeated western cultures. These have been passed down from one generation to the next.
Moral values (e.g., be honest, don’t cheat in school, don’t harshly judge others, and treat other people like you want to be treated). These values influence culture and adults conform to these values especially when is the norm for the culture they belong to.
Languages spoken. According to Telelanguage, a survey from the U.S. Census Bureau discovered over 350 different languages are spoken in the United States.

Babbel Magazine reports that the top six languages in the United States are English, Spanish, Chinese (“Cantonese, Mandarin, and other varieties”), Tagalong (Filipino), Vietnamese, and French and French Creole (including Cajun).

The United States has been viewed as a large melting pot. As such, being educated about cultural diversity is important. There are also various religious beliefs, traditions, and even customs based on the origin of some people. All these elements influence our culture.

Learned behavior.
Laws influence culture, but culture also influences laws.

Attitudes influence culture

An attitude displayed or depicted on a meme that gets shared is an influence. If you go to work in a bad mood, that mood affects those around you.

In organizational culture, you want to be exposed to people who lift you up instead of bringing you down. Then, you take that attitude home with you, to the grocery store, your church if you attend, and your attitude goes on like a cloud following you everywhere. Imagine the good if that attitude isn’t bad.

Can I have that to-go, please?

A big part of our culture wants as much as conveniently as possible. How fast can you get that hamburger made at the window? How soon can you pick up your online order for the dress you want? How quickly can you get your tailored suit?

It’s the behavior of now, now, now. I think that our culture has been affected by that behavior — it’s a yo-yo of fast here, fast there. Behavior and culture affect each other.

Associations between cultures vs. risks to health

Anthropoligists and epidemiologists have identified many associations between culture, customs, and risks to health. Those who, for religious reasons, abstain from tea, coffee, alcohol, and tobacco have smaller risks of getting cancer of the gastrointestinal or respiratory tract than others of similar social, economic, and residential background. (Source.)

If you reflect on religious beliefs and their practicing customs:

Both religion and culture surround social behavior and affect our value system. Religion assists us in our pursuit of happiness. As children, many are pushed into one belief system or the other, with child having no choice. Most of us claim our religion to be the only true religion, but truth may not be the factor when we adopted it. (Source.)

There have also been study comparisons between migrants and the populations they move into versus where they had originally lived.

How does the recent Supreme Court draft opinion leak influence culture?

At best, it’s been a mess. People are outraged, particularly women of different cultures in our society. It’s a perfect example of how one action can influence behavior.

There’s talk about how this incident will affect the reputation of the integrity and reputation of the Supreme Court. It’s not the first leak that’s happened in history but the subject involved with this leak carries a lot of weight among a lot of people, particularly women.

What are the political consequences?

‘The USA is heading for a new peak in the culture wars!’ The judgment, it says, ‘could divide America.’ (Source.)

Everything we say and do can serve as an influence on culture. We are also influenced by culture from the cradle. We observe people around us as we mature, we take in what we see and hear and decide what’s right for us. We decide what cultural norms we agree with.

We’re like a sponge taking in everything from the environment we’re raised in. We even decide what behaviors are appropriate or acceptable for us. As we mature, we gain an understanding of the influences on culture and vice versa that make it less complicated. We grow into another complicated stage — what we want and need to do to influence behaviors in society to change.

Thank you for reading.

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