The sociological meaning of culture is "a people's total way of life," and its core elements include symbols, values, language, norms, mores, folkways, laws, taboos, technology, and artifacts (Macionis). As a native Cuban, the Latin subculture to which I belong is distinguished by its language and folkways, so cultural relativity might be useful where I must communicate or deal with those of other cultures. When pressured to assimilate into the American culture, or become just like Americans by giving up my own culture, I resisted. I value my native culture and do not want to lose touch with it.
An institution of which I am a part is the Latin dental community clinic where I work. The clinic's main function is to provide dental care for the Latin community, and my status, or social position within the organization, is as a dental professional. My role is that of a dental assistant, although that is not a master status-the main identifying social position-for me. My master status is that of being Latin.
Being an "outsider" to mainstream American culture, socialization is a reality for me. By socialization, I mean picking up the behaviors and customs of those around me. Agencies of socialization for me-people and institutions that have helped me to socialize-have been my employer, my American friends, my school, and my classmates. Role taking and identification refers to taking on a role because you identify it as belonging to you. I do this as the primary agent of socialization for my children, and they do this by using me as their role model, as when my daughter pretended to be me when playing with her doll.
As an outsider, I have experienced institutional racism-racism that exists inside a particular institution. The apartment where I live has different policies for Latins and blacks than it does for whites. Latins and blacks must pay their rent on time every month, but whites have a...