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"The general principles for recovery from trauma and loss involve the reconstruction of meaning, the rebuilding of hope, and the sense of empowerment necessary to regain control over one's being and life" (Southwick et al, 2011, pp. 176). Much of this meaning and empowerment in life comes from cultural values and traditions. Cultural influences help shape a person's identity, as well as help individuals find common ground with others. The cultural connections and associations immensely contribute to an individual's overall resilience.
Veteran Culture
Veteran Culture
Rebekah
As someone who doesn't identify with a region or race based culture, I identify most as a Navy Veteran which I feel is my culture and the source of my resiliency. I grew up in Texas and while many Texans identify being Southern as their culture, it is still very much an individualistic ideology and this to me has been very apparent during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many of my family members were anti-maskers and despite being told that wearing masks were for others benefit, it "infringed" on their lives. Where I experienced and internalized collectivism was in the military. When I was in boot camp, the motto was "one team, one fight" and we did trainings and drills on working as a team to accomplish shared goals. Having that team to work together to accomplish a goal was more beneficial than trying to do it all yourself. Heritage and tradition was steeped heavily into my own journey in the US Navy as I was part of the oldest and most decorated enlisted rating, participated in one of the oldest seagoing traditional rites, and became a plank owner which is an honor in itself. One way active and retired military cope is being seeking out other veterans to identify with and lean on for support. Group support and leaving the mentality of "I can do it all by myself" enhances resiliency because I've seen it far too often when veteran's (or anyone) isolates they can be their own worst enemy. Southwick (2012) described in more than one section that catastrophizing actually leads to more symptoms of PTSD and depression. It's easy to do this when you are alone and don't seek the support of others who have lived or are familiar with your situation. I cope best when I seek other's who understand what I am going through, and I believe seeking out companionship from others even outside of our own cultures who might understand what is happening can enhance resiliency and coping.
Lou Nolan, C. (n.d.). Heritage U.S. Navy. Naval History and Heritage Command. https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/art/exhibits/conflicts-and-operations/navy-recruiting-posters-of-the-atomic-age/heritage-u-s--navy-.html.
Bayanihan
Bayanihan
Roselyn
I have mentioned before that the way people demonstrate resilience after a disaster is drawing strength and among each other since the community is in one boat. This is a common social form in the Philippines when they suffer from disasters. Because when everyone is in the same boat and is suffering the value of choosing the group over the individual is naturally observed. Bayanihan came from bayan, which means nation, town or community. The whole term means to be with the community. It means to achieve a goal the community must come together. As a community everyone will get together to cope and raise above the disaster.
The Mixed Culture. (2013). The bayanihan spirit. Retrieved from https://themixedculture.com/2013/09/25/filipinos-bayanihan/
Confucianism
Confucianism
Helen
In China, the ways of conceptualizing resilience influenced by culture, spirituality, and religion significantly. I was raised up with a lot of impact by the religion of Confucianism. Confucianism is one of the most influential philosophies in China. It has influenced Chinese people for more than 2500 years by its values such as morality, inner virtue, and respect for its community. The spirit of Confucianism is to value collectivism, good behavior, and good moral virtue. The key belief of Confucianism is “Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you.” Confucianism also believes in ancestor worship and filial and piety. Therefore, many children choose to take care of their parents at home when their parents get old. Confucius has been honored as a great teacher and sage rather than a God. Confucianism has greatly influenced Chinese literature, political theories, and the Chinese attitude toward life. It also provides standards of social value and norms of behavior in human relationships for Chinese people.
Confucianism (n.d.). Center for Global Education. https://asiasociety.org/education/confucianism
Eastern Philosophy - Confucianism (Feb. 6th, 2015). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUhGRh4vdb8
Artist Culture
Artist Culture
Joshua
Much like Rebekah I have no real draws to any race-based culture, nor do I have and sort of nationalist pride. Rather I find that I increasingly embrace the definition of myself as a musician and artist and I identify deeply with artist culture. This is admittedly a deeply individualistic culture (even though every artists wants to argue that their work is collectivist as to not appear selfish or narcissistic). When composing, or writing, or practicing music, or literature, or paintings, or doing any generative artistic work you are a lone with yourself, trying to come to some honest expression of yourself. This process is far from harmful, however. Artists want to make their work sound like it is collectivist to assuage their guilt over participating in such an inward-looking exercise. But the act of creating can be deeply therapeutic and add to the artist's resilience, no matter the level of skill. In fact, in a study of adolescents recovering from trauma, art therapy was found to significantly increase hope, resilience, and a sense of peace, as well as a sense of accomplishment (Appleton, 2011). The act of creating something based off of lived experience, emotional honesty, and trauma is exceptionally hard work and requires an understanding of the trauma and your place within it to express it fully. But the process of working through your trauma via artistic expression is something I recommend often, and practice often.
To show this in practice I am sharing something of mine that I am still currently working on, and therefore a trauma I am still currently working through. This last thanksgiving my wife and I had a loss and a medical emergency. What I'm sharing here is the draft of what will ultimately be a part of a bigger chamber orchestra piece I've been composing in the background of my life for a little while. I began composing again as a means for self-care, healing, and resilience. This is far from a finished product (I'm not even a great piano player, so please forgive the mistakes and repetitive/simple accompaniment). But this is my own attempt to heal via the culture of the artistic community I spent the vast majority of my life as a member of. I tried to capture a sense of love and wonder, fear, loss, and, hopefully, in the end, the shadow of acceptance.
Please do not share this as it is a work in progress and not ready for distribution. Thank you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm8VxwR5Spc
Appleton, V. (2001). Avenues of Hope: Art Therapy and the Resolution of Trauma. Art Therapy, 18(1), 6–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421656.2001.10129454
Culture in Pacific Northwest
Culture in Pacific Northwest
Michelle
I identify with a culture that is the Pacific Northwest and what it has to offer. I tend to feel the most refreshed and resilient when I am able be outdoors enjoying a number of things. I have been able to enjoy local hikes, boating adventures in the San Juan islands, foods grown or raised in the region. I feel the most at ease when I am able to enjoy a glass of wine in one of these settings with my family. I am lucky that my family and most of my friends live in this general area and everyone loves to gather together. When we do this, we can share stories and thoughts, we can toast away the negatives and also toast to the positive aspects!
From East to West
From East to West
Yasmin
I spent the first 11 years of my life growing up in the Middle Eastern culture, where it was very much a collectivist way of life. I then moved from Iran to Canada, and experienced a culture shock when I attended school. As an 11-year old, I found it hard to assimilate with the other children and their culture. It was quite difficult to find friends and join any social circles, and many times I felt very isolated. It was not until I became an adult that I learned about the many differences in the Middle Eastern culture and the western Canadian culture. One of the major differences I learned about was the individualistic culture in Canada as compared to the collectivist culture in Iran. After taking some university electives in sociology, I learned that even though I had spent many years living in Canada, I operated by the collectivist culture at a foundational level. However, in order to survive and thrive in the new culture, I had made adjustments to “blend in”. In their book, Southwick et al. (2011) stated that “In individualistic cultures, the individual is the hub of attention and emphasis. Accordingly, individual freedoms, rights, and privileges are of utmost importance: 'I think, therefore I am' is the key philosophy. In collectivistic cultures, by comparison an emphasis is placed on the group as a collective: 'I am, because we are' is the key philosophy.” This statement reminded me of my experience of immigration and my previous realization about collectivism and individualism. I think a coping skill or mechanism that I utilized to stay resilient as an individual who was raised in a collectivist society but was now living in an individualistic society, was to have flexibility and be open to a new way of thinking and a new way of life. To this day, I think this flexibility and openness is a great way to remain resilient, and I personally identify with these coping skills on a personal and cultural level. This flexibility and openness is the result of my dual culture of being Iranian and Canadian, and having to become accustomed to the very different ways of life of the East and the West. I think being flexible and being open-minded about new experiences minimizes one’s vulnerability in the face of new challenges and environments, and hence helps one remain resilient through life changes of various significance.
Immigration Huge Freebie. (n.d.). Clip Art Key. Retrieved May 10, 2021, from https://www.clipartkey.com/view/hbhbRx_immigration-huge-freebie-global-networks-labor-and-migration/
Southwick. S. M., Litz, B. T., Charney, D., Friedman, M. J. (2011). Resilience and mental health: Challenges across the lifespan. Cambridge University Press.
Nacatamales
Nacatamales
Sol
Given that part of my cultural clashes with my parents were about how strictly they viewed gender roles, it's funny that my first thought was about cooking. I grew up in a large household and have 9 older siblings. The kitchen was often the center of many parties and where I would gather with my mom, aunts and sisters to talk. The picture is of a nacatamal - they're similar to tamales but they have different fillings (pork, rice, potato, onion). I put this picture because it's a very labor intensive and time consuming dish to make. My family used to get together to make these for special occasions but as time passed we stopped doing it as much. It was only in the past few years that we started doing it again as a way to spend time together - it's actually fun to do now that we're all adults and spend a day eating, talking and feeding each other. I think it's probably obvious that this is more of a collectivist culture influence and I have found that as I've gotten older I care less about striving for individuality among my family members (I was the 'black sheep' of the family for a while) and more about making them happy.
Cortez, A. (2019). [Picture of nacatamales] [Photograph]. Food Lover. https://foodlovernic.wordpress.com/2019/03/25/nacatamal/
PNW Culture
PNW Culture
Crista
I feel like I am part of the Pacific Northwest culture. I have lived here my whole life and there are so many things about it that I enjoy. I love all of the outdoor recreational things that are available to do here. I’m sure that most of the things that I enjoy doing here in the PNW would be considered individualistic activities. Mountain biking, crabbing, fishing, gardening and hiking. Actually there are very few outdoor activities that I don’t enjoy and the PNW has so much to offer in this area. These activities help me feel recharged and ready to face the challenges that come my way. My family is here too, so sometimes I enjoy more collective activities, like gathering with them for dinner on the weekends. Family is a big part of my support system and I don’t think that I would have been able to go to school without their help. I don’t think that these activities are unique to my culture, but it is the way that I cope and stay resilient- by finding time for activities that I enjoy.
Above is a picture of a mountain biking park at Stevens Pass.
Yume
Yume
In Japan, people enhance their resilience by helping each other and the people around them. This is due to the fact that Japan has always been a country with many disasters. It is probably best known for its many earthquakes, but there are also a variety of other natural disasters that occur throughout the year, such as torrential rains, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, and typhoon storms. The Japanese people, who led an agrarian lifestyle, were greatly affected by natural disasters. Therefore, the Japanese believed that these weather conditions were the anger of the gods, and there was a growing tendency to find and worship the gods in all natural activities. (This is the reason why there are traditional festivals in many places.) When natural disasters occurred, the people had no choice but to endure until the anger of the gods subsided, and they worked together as a group to survive. This is where the spirit of helping each other seems to have been fostered. They also have a strong sense of group consciousness, and like to live in harmony with their peers. This "mutual aid" and "group consciousness" has remained even today. When a major disaster strikes, nationwide fundraising and volunteer activities take place, and people and relief supplies are delivered from all over Japan. Furthermore, this spirit was not limited to Japan, but when a disaster occurred in a neighboring country, the country provided support and countermeasures as a country that had experienced the same thing. I feel that many Japanese people still have the spirit of lending a helping hand to those in need, not only in disasters.
Resilience | Partnership for Sustainable Future - JapanGov -
Kao
Kao
I belong to Japanese culture because I grew up and live only in Japan. I think its characteristic point is that there are various kind of culture in Japan. There are traditional ones such as temples and new ones such as Japanese anime and cartoons.
I want to introduce Japanese calligraphy as a coping way to stay resilient that is unique to my culture. Other countries may also have the same way, but I think Japan is one of the countries that are strongly familiar with calligraphy. We have mainly two ways to do it. The first one is using a calligraphy brush with black ink and the second one is using a pencil. We write letters on paper or Japanese paper called Washi by using these tools.
Actually I learned Japanese calligraphy for nine years. This is the picture of my work. Throughout learning Japanese calligraphy, I started to feel that it teaches us not only how to write letters beautifully but also how to face myself and cope with my stress. Although I have a lot of stress, I noticed that I am not thinking about it and not affected by it while doing calligraphy. I only concentrate on doing it, so I can forget my stress, unpleasant things and trauma. My mother has also learn it for more than ten years and she says she can concentrate on doing it without being disturbed by her stress of housework. Moreover, when I finish doing it, I notice that I clear my mind and start to feel a little resilience. I begin to think more positively because I notice that my stress is not so serious that I can forget it while doing it.
Japanese calligraphy is one of the best ways to acquire concentration, calm down, clear my mind and cope with my stress for me. People often say that Japanese people prefer collectivism to individualism, but I think there are some Japanese culture that focus on individualism like Japanese calligraphy. I do it not for other people but for myself and to face myself and get more resilience.
Where we come from and the communities and cultures in which we live and choose to identify with have a large and important part to play in how we respond to life, particularly how we respond to trauma and disaster. Nobody experiences a disaster alone. And by connecting with our community, by processing our shared traumas together we can find greater peace and healing. The interdependence of healing is a powerful factor. We encourage anybody looking to find healing to reach out to their community to process together through shared customs and social understanding.
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