Let me jump right out and say that with me in this class, this class only got better...No, really. J I love throwing flowers at myself. Anyway, on a serious note, I feel as if my background allows me to be more open to other cultures than the average person out there. As asked of me in this assignment, one of the strengths I bring to this class is that I came from Togo, a West-African French-colonized country, which is thousands of miles away from the US. Being raised in Africa implies being raised by your family, the entire community then by your own self. Just to elaborate a bit, every person in your neighborhood has the right to discipline you when they catch you doing something you are not supposed to be doing. Your family keeps an iron fist on who you hang out with for fear that you might derail and become a loose person. You as an individual raise yourself in part by learning the tricks you need in order to keep your own identity without alienating your family and your community.
The second objective was to assess the ways in which culture shapes gender roles. Having spent 18 years of my life in Africa, I can say with confidence that I know one thing or two about gender inequality. In Togo, every household hopes to have at least one boy. A father who fails to conceive a boy is usually looked upon as if he was sexually impotent. He was looked upon as if there was something wrong with him. We were taught since birth that males were chosen by the gods to be in command and women were taught to respect and fear males. From birth, our own culture elevated us to be kings while reminding females that they were inferior and weak. Of course, I know longer believe such thing, however I respect those who believe in it.
