Cultural Conversation 1
Cultural Identity Conversation
Mary (Katie) Gibbs
Liberty University
HSCO 509
Cultural Identity Conversation
This assignment challenged me to really consider all the different cultures around me.
Chatraw and Prior (2019) define culture as formal ideas, worldviews, precognitive assumptions,
social and physical dimensions that are passed on and inherited through others (p.23). This
paper allowed me to put myself in other people’s perspectives and notice our differences. We
all belong to various sub-cultures based on differences that can be understood as multicultural
identities, and we often are biased against groups different than ours (Hook et al., 2017). Since
entering the workforce, I have had the opportunity to meet many different kinds of people. I
Cultural Conversation 2
have worked in the social work field, as a fire fighter, and now I work in emergency services as a
paramedic. I have made many different friendships during my time in these roles. One friend
that I made going through the fire academy is Jarrett Gibson. I decided to use him for the
purpose of this project because his culture is so interesting to learn about. Jarrett is Navajo, and
he grew up on a reservation in Arizona.
I reached out to Jarrett after reading about this assignment and asked him if he would be
open to answering someone of my questions about his culture. He said he would be more than
happy to talk to me about Navajo culture, and we decided to meet up for lunch. We decided to
meet up at a local coffee shop this past Sunday which was May 25th. We both arrived at the
coffee shop at noon and our conversation continued until 2pm. We were both eager to have the
opportunity to spend some time together. I was excited to learn more about Navajo customs.
Jarrett described his childhood on the reservation as challenging and unique. He said
that he always felt a sense of pride and community knowing how much his family embraced
their culture. He explained that on the reservation he did not have access to running water or
electricity. Hearing about his reality was incredibly eye opening. I was inspired by the way he still
felt gratitude for his upbringing despite the economic challenges his family faced.
I asked Jarrett about Navajo religion and what they practiced. He stated that “it’s a
religion based on the natural order of things.” He explained further that they believe in balance
and harmony with nature as well as the spiritual order of things. He stated “for us each season
has a special deity that has to be respected.” He went into detail about their God. I was able to
learn that they refer to God as “the creator.” He said they pray to multiple hold beings. For
instance, they have a holy being for war, weather, love, and health.
I then asked Jarrett about parenting. I asked him to explain some typical lessons that
parents in Navajo parents pass down to their children. He said that in Navajo culture women are
supposed to teach young girls a strength mentality and spirituality. He explained to me that
Cultural Conversation 3
when girls in Navajo cultures have their first menstrual cycle they are put through a series of
tests and hardships. He explained that the purpose of this is to prepare them for challenges they
will face later in life. He stated that they believe women to be sacred because they carry life. On
the flip side of that he informed me that when a boy’s voice begins to change, they are
subjected to a four day fast. At the end of the fast they go on a hunt with their elders to
complete their coming of age.
I asked Jarrett about traditional thoughts and feelings in regards to the issues within
today’s society. We discussed thoughts on LGBT relationships, abortion, and politics. He stated
that most if not all Navajo people see abortion as a sin. He said they believe that life is precious
and that it begins at conception. In terms of LGBT relationships, he said some people in Navajo
culture would see this as an end of a bloodline. He explained that they believe that the roles of
men and woman are vital for their way of life. In terms of politics, he stated that many Navajo
people do not believe in getting involved with politics. He said if they were voting he believes
they would learn more conservative on their way of thinking.
Me and Jarrett also discussed typical marriage vows and traditions within the culture. He
explained that a husband’s role is seen as the protector and provider. He said it is expected for
the husband to honor in his wife in everything he does. He reiterated their belief that women
are sacred beings. A typical Navajo courtship begins by the male bringing this bride’s father
horses, jewelry, ect. When the father feels like the groom has proven himself, he will then
approve the marriage. Both families will throw the wedding together. The bride’s family is
expected to feed the grooms family and the groom’s family will host the ceremony. Once the
couple is married the husband is expected to be absorbed into the wife’s family. He is expected
to go wherever his wife
is.
Cultural Conversation 4
Value Differences
One value difference I noticed was their role for women. Listening to him explain that
women are expected to carry on their lineage was something I noticed as an area where our
cultures would clash. He explained that Navajo people believe in the masculine and feminine
relationship with nature. He said they have a clear understanding of who a man is supposed to
be and who a woman is supposed to be. He said in fact Navajo people believe that when you
can no longer distinguish man from women that is a sign for the end of times.
I do not believe in traditional gender roles. Being a working mom and also being a wife
with a sense of independence is a huge part of my identity. Women in Navajo culture are
expected to financially depend on their husbands. Their role is described as being caretakers.
This does not differ much from traditional American culture. Jarrett explained that like any
culture they have evolved some in this thinking, but that the foundation way of thinking is still
there.
Therapeutic Relationship
When discussing Jarrett’s upbringing it was obvious that he was not always treated with
empathy or understanding. He explained that his parents wanted him to live up to his role as a
man. He said that physical punishment was extremely common and something that was
expected when raising boys. He described his parents as firm but fair. This is something that has
caused him to struggle with communicating his emotions as an adult. He said he was taught that
as long as his family was healthy and cared for then there was nothing to complain about.
Jarrett was able to identify that this has caused him strain in his relationships outside of his
culture and within his own marriage. He stated that he always felt loved as a child. Jarrett said
that he believed it was normal for parents to be tough on their children. He said he believed this
meant that they cared about the kind of people they will become. Jarrett was able to identify
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that although he understands his parent’s way of thinking he does not parent his children this
way.
Conclusion
Learning about Jarrett’s culture was such a privilege. I felt really honored to call someone
like him a friend since we come such different ways of living. Our walks of life are so extremely
different and yet we were able to sit and learn from each other. This assignment showed me
how you do not have to agree with someone’s way of thinking in order to hear their
perspective. We both knew there were things we did not agree on, and we were still able to talk
respectfully.
Culture and values can be a vulnerable topic for many people. No one wants to be told that
their way of thinking is wrong or have someone try to fight them on how they see the world. We
are all capable of holding space for people who are different than us.
A lot of times, we have no idea what kind of power and privilege we have or lack thereof
based on things like our race, sex, or socioeconomic status (Hook et al., 2017). This was
definitely true in this case. Hearing about Jarrett’s life on the reservation allowed me to gain a
deeper understanding and empathy for that level of poverty. I was incredibly inspired by how
despite his challenges he still saw his culture with such pride and admiration. This is something I
hope to carry into my own life. He felt thankful for his identity and his family. This
