Culture and perception are inextricably linked, because it is through people's own culture that they see and perceive themselves and others in the world, as well as social and political events and happenings. Culture includes people's background and education, as well as their religious and political beliefs. It is also based on factors such as a person's gender, race, ethnicity, and nationality. Although people can easily develop an appreciation and understanding of various cultures, their perception of people, as well as their perception of historical and social events, and their actions and beliefs are likely to be greatly influenced or influenced by their own culture.
People analyze what they observe and experience through their own cultural background, which means that culture and perception play a vital role in how people interpret and understand the world around them. Words or behaviors, such as hand gestures, that may be considered offensive or rude in one culture may be considered neutral and unnoticed or positive in another culture. While it is considered polite in some cultures to burp after eating, for example, this is considered crude and socially unacceptable behavior in other cultures. People's perception of the world around them is often colored by their religious or political beliefs, so culture and perception are also connected in this way. Some people believe, for example, that the government should use taxpayer money to help those in need, while others perceive that this promotes reliance on government handouts and condones laziness.
As an example of how culture and perception are connected, certain things that are considered acceptable in one culture might be considered completely unacceptable in another culture. For example, some cultures tolerate and regularly practice arranged marriages, whereby a woman is told by her family whom she will marry, usually a man from a family of similar social and economic status. Marriage, in fact, can be arranged by the parents of both the man and the woman, neither of whom has a choice in the matter.
In such a case, the parents think they are doing the right thing by arranging a marriage that will contribute to their children's future. In other cultures, the idea of arranged marriages is perceived as wrong, if not taboo, and can even be considered an abhorrent idea that goes against the idea of human rights and freedom. It all comes down to a matter of culture and perception.