Lesson 2 — Activity 2: Family Culture

Think about your family's culture .

• What is your cultural background?

• What is your first language?

• Where were you born and where do you live now?

• What traditions do you follow?

• How do you celebrate special events?

• What particular food items are associated with special occasions?

In this lesson, you will think about the importance of family culture.

A family's culture is made up of the customs, values, and traditions of the family group. It includes rules, roles, habits, activities, and beliefs. The racial or ethnic culture in which a family lives may also strongly influence family culture. Every family is different, and every family has its own culture.

           

            CCBY - by eLLenTY

           by Jason Hargrove, is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

How are family beliefs, values, and traditions passed on through families? One example is through the use of oral stories. Societies such as the Greeks, Romans, Norse, Chinese, Japanese, American Indians, and Canadian Aboriginals used oral stories to remember and relate history, lessons, and beliefs.

 

The kind of stories told included the following:

• Myths: stories involving supernatural forces or beings that belong to a particular cultural tradition and were, or are, believed by that culture to be true. Myths explain why the world is as it is and why things happen as they do. They may also establish the rationale for social customs and observances.
  

• Legends: mythological stories in which the protagonist is human rather than supernatural.

• Fables: short stories that illustrates a moral or principle of human behaviour, often through animal characters that represent certain types of people. Usually the moral is identified in the story’s conclusion by the narrator or one of the characters.
  

• Parables: short narratives that teach a lesson through an analogy.

Storytelling is part of the long-standing oral tradition of Aboriginal communities. Not only does this technique pass on knowledge from old to young, it ensures knowledge is accurate because of frequent repetition. It is a form of lifelong learning for members of a community and is still practised by Aboriginal peoples.

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Storytelling often takes place in homes. Some traditional storytelling happens at social gatherings. For both storytellers and listeners, the stories are instructive and entertaining. Historical knowledge is passed on. Bravery, honesty, loyalty, respect for the environment, and other values are illustrated by events in the stories, and are indirectly passed on. Knowledge about the origin of sacred ceremonies is also passed on in this fashion. Children pick up details about their history and culture and strengthen their language skills through listening and repeating.

(Adapted from K&E Studio.)

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