Peggy Margareth 201205002

Discuss who you are as a cultural being based on what you read in the article written by Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck. Think and write about the mainstream culture in whatever culture(s) you most relate to and how you are the same/different? Look at each orientation: Activity, Self, Social, Time, World. As a culture being, I am a mix match throughout the 5 major elements of cultural patterns due to my blend in my culture family. I will elaborate my cultural being through 5 major elements of cultural pattern as follow: 1. Activity Orientation In this orientation there are 3 types of continuum which consists of being, becoming and doing. In terms of being culture values acceptance of the status quo, becoming culture value evolving and changes in society, while doing culture thinks that activities should have purposes and goals. Looking at this description, I am sure that I belong to becoming culture where I am eager about changing and the changes I made should affect to the surrounding. In terms of work, sometimes I prefer to have a family oriented atmosphere where there is no clear separation between work and leisure, because it made me more comfortable. Trying to change the world for me is doing work that is not common for woman to do, like what I use to do as a lawyer. 2. Social Relation Orientation Social relation orientation varies from the difference of position of someone in the society, whether it is equal position or within hierarchy. As Asian society members this statement really reflects my culture. In Indonesia there are level in family, school environment and even work environment. As much as we respect the elders like any eastern countries, the elders has been people that you listened to when you need advice and guidance in life. Somehow this rule applies not just for older people, but throughout daily activities. Seniority is a common rule in Indonesian culture, for example we cannot address school teacher by their names, we have to address senior in school by using brother or sister before their name. In working environment, we have to call our employee by their rank/position in the office. 3. Self Orientation Self orientation describe itself as how every individual form their identities in the society by their relation to other member of society. As South East Asian member, we Indonesian tend to formed by how our society told to and still refuse to stand out from the comfort zone. Stepping out of the comfort zone could become a much controversy, this kind of things happen in 30-40 years back, but now with the help of education and technology, our culture are starting to step out from their comfort zone and standing up to the world. A big example for me is when Indonesia finally have the first woman president Megawati Soekarnoputri, it feels like someone in the society who is not a man wanted to bring change.

Peggy Margareth 201205002

4. World Orientation World orientation define relationship of people with spiritual world, nature and other living things. Indonesia is an archipelago country which consists of 5 (five) major island of Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi and Papua. For people who live in major cities of Indonesia relationship between people and spiritual world and nature can be simplified as having a religion and tend to believe that nature is separate from human doing and can be controlled by technology. But, for people in island of Borneo, Sulawesi and Papua human being are aligned with nature and everything from nature is what they believe in. Spiritual world and human doesnt always come in the form of religion, but through spirit communication and spiritual rituals and activities such as voodoo. 5. Time Orientation Time orientation can be described as how someone value time and can define someone pace of life. Time is divided into past, present and future. People in Indonesia are divided when connected to time orientation. People who live in the big cities in Indonesia see time as a fast and limited, where the future is what they anticipated, everyday is really fast where everybody is busy with activities which most of it consist of economic activities. Indonesians who come from smaller cities or even from the deeper part of Indonesia are more laid back people where time is something that will naturally pass by. I personally see time as both present and future, because living in the capital city makes you think that what happen today must be worth every minute spent because what happen today will never happen again and everyday must have a purpose for my future.