Age 20's First Generation Spanish Surnamed Couple Essay

Age 20's First Generation Spanish Surnamed Couple - Essay Example In today's society we have invisible barriers that we tend not to recognize. As global we have become, we still compartmentalize large groups of people. In some instances this is due to the personal preference of those groups.In an effort to understand the lifestyle choices of the modern individual we must first look at Maslow's (1970) Hierarchal rank of the five classes of need for motivation as interpreted by Bernstein, et.In order to understand why people of Spanish surnames would react to situations as they do, we must first take an in-depth look at the values, structure and traditions instilled in many of the offspring of Spanish people. The Hispanic cultural is extremely family oriented. Many young girls' values and self-worth is deeply rooted in the concept of getting married and having children of their own.We must also recognize that the traditional Hispanic household celebrates the girls' coming of age and entering into woman-hood. The party known as Quinceanera has been a long standing tradition of a Sweet 15 celebration.In the same aspect the boys are taught to be Men. They work hard at a young age and are infused daily with the ethics of familial provision. Overall, gender role stereotypes are simply a set of shared cultural beliefs about male and female roles, expected behaviors, acceptable personality traits and other attributes that will follow them well into adulthood.When someone's entire environment contains like minded people the culture is revered. That is when the individual thrives, clinging tightly to the pre-established ideals and thereby their self-esteem increases. However take those same individuals and place them in an environment completely foreign, where their ideals cultural and ethnicity are nearly opposite. That is often what Spanish newlyweds face when they are replanted into western social experiences, like what is found in an American society. These differences can demonstrate themselves in many areas including the deeply rooted personal characteristics. For example the projected attributes of a Hispanic male are traditionally independent, competitive, determined, persevering, and strong willed. Furthermore, the Spanish male has customarily been conditioned to show little emotion. In an almost direct opposition, the American male has been taught to be flexible in most situations. They have been encouraged to not only show their emotions to share them with others as well. This is a delicate balance for the American male as they are also encouraged to be athletic and strong. They are quickly chastised if they become overbearing or to sentimental. These Caucasian men are often raised to believe that the family unit is a partnership. They are conditioned to appreciate that they are not the ultimate authority. Finally males in the western society tend to employ the democratic compromise that goes along with marriage. The Caucasian women are encouraged to be strong willed and in most situations work outside the homes and become experts at multitasking. While Hispanic women are encouraged to be genteel, warm devoted mothers and wives, staying at home to care for their families. In most circumstance their whole identity and usefulness is tied to their ability to provide the perfect home. Often the Hispanic wife considers the husband to be the ultimate head of the household, lovingly bestowing upon the husband, final authority. In most circumstances the wives benevolently follow the advice and directions of the husband, thereby increasing their ideal of their own self-worth. Understanding the foundation of the Hispanic customs allows us to recognize many of the vital and specific cultural differences that the young Hispanic couples will most likely encounter. We should