When anyone mentions Colombian culture, what comes to my mind is the positive outlook of life that Colombians possess. I admire how Colombians often look at the glass half full, despite the rough situations that the people from Colombia have to endure sometimes.
The main reason for this speech is to reveal more about the positive aspects of Colombia that people tend to overlook. Therefore, the purpose of this speech is to present the world with the points that explain the interesting culture of the Colombian culture from the perspective of an individual that had been accustomed to the Colombian lifestyle. This speech will enumerate three main reasons why the Colombian culture excels.
Dynamics that Govern the Social Interpersonal Interactions between Colombians
The nightlife of Colombians is quite colorful as Colombians have a considerably high level of tolerance to sound compared to persons from other places. Coping with Colombian culture requires one to be respectful towards others, and most often than not, courtesy is reciprocated. However, one needs to be careful while dealing with topics considered rather sensitive for Colombians. For instance, drugs trade and consumption, religion, violence, and Colombians’ hardships face.
Firstly, Colombians loathe being stereotyped as part of the narcotics trade as it is often a negative assumption people often make. While Colombia is infamous for exporting Marijuana and cocaine, it is salient to note that a significant section of the population in Colombia do not associate with the drug business. Secondly, most Colombians subscribe to the Catholic faith, and they do not like it when people challenge their beliefs.
Thirdly, it is best to ignore the level of violence that Colombians have to endure sometimes. The reason is that outsiders often ask for explanations about the source of violence in Colombia, but it is an intricate topic that locals can not summarize in a few words. Besides, no one wants to keep explaining too much information about a topic that is not fun to talk about. Fourthly, it is best to never talk about the difficult life circumstances that Colombians face today because it is easy for them to interpret your concern about the challenges that Colombians face as a show of contempt because of the hardships they are coerced to endure.
The Hospitality that Colombians Folks Extend Towards Each Other
The Spanish cultural norms highly influence the Colombian culture after years of colonization by Spain. Spain colonized Colombia for several centuries. The family unit is the center of Spanish culture. This aspect was emulated by Colombians who value family ties and form useful friendships similar to the bond between family members (Suárez-Puerta, 2019). Thus, it is important to understand that Colombians value personal relationships, and one should show such concern for people considered as friends and even a part of the family.
For example, it is considered extremely rude to be invited for a particular type of occasion, social function, and even for something as simple as a dinner invitation and fail to show up. According to Colombian culture, an invitation is regarded as a request for people to establish the initial bonds of friendship among individuals. Therefore, it is interpreted as dishonor if one fails to respond to such types of invites.
Colombians that term themselves as friends have a high level of respect for each other and the elderly in society. Colombians are friendly to strangers but just like in any other country, there are some regions of the country that may be insecure to tourists.
Social Disparity in Colombia. Colombia has extreme cases of social disparity as the gap between the rich and the poor is extreme. There are three main social classes, the elite and narcotic dealers, the middle class, and low-class citizens (Suárez-Puerta, 2019). Social class has divided the people of Colombia into distinct groups, where the minority of wealthy citizens in the country alienate themselves from the rest.
Criminal activities in Colombia are caused by the drug cartels that seek to dominate the region. Also, the unequal distribution of resources in Colombia leads to an increase in the number of criminal activities that especially target tourists visiting the country.
In conclusion, Colombia has a rich cultural heritage that guides people’s social interactions in the country. Football is an imperative aspect for Colombians as it tries to bridge the social gap between wealthy and impoverished members of society. However, there remains a huge disparity between people in Colombia based on social classes. Otherwise, Colombia has a beautiful culture expressed through its cuisine, art, songs, and dance.
Reference
Suárez-Puerta, B. (2019). Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Internationalization for Colombian Culture. International journal of innovation, management, and technology, 10(1), 43-50. Web.