Culture is an issue that is a common topic of conversation in international adoption circles. Everyone uses the word assuming that people hold the same definition of the word. It is actually a very slippery concept. Anyone who is familiar with the debates in the field of Anthropology knows there is controversy over its definition and even its existence.
Culture goes beyond holidays, songs and dances.
It involves the values, beliefs, nonverbal communication, and mindset of a group of people. It is their way of differentiating themselves from all others in world. As an adoptive single parent of a little girl from China, culture is something I have thought a lot about. I ve had people chide me for teaching Mei Ling to speak some Chinese. The same people are the ones who question why I chose to give my daughter a Chinese name.