Transmission of culture definition

1 Transmission of culture – Toula was born into a Greek community so that is all that she’s know and now Ian has to learn acculturation ( learn rules and norms of a different culture). Toula family is definitely big, loud and love to dance. While Ians is family is just the opposite quiet, calm and collective. Though they both come from a different culture they are able to adapt to each other and their differences.

Like for Toula to marry Ian he must be make sacrifices like baptism so the family will accept him. Toula accepts enculturation ( culture you were born into). Or from her grandma who is stuck in the past and has to come to learn future standards. Also, Toula father Gary is no big on her learning more about computers because the rules of the Greek society say you have to only marry and have greek children. And women should not strive for anything else.

2 Cultural differences- There are definitely a lot of cultural differences in this movie. One hand you have greeks and on the other Americans. Which are two cultures that don’t necessarily get along. But in the end accept the differences and live life just fine. Like when they Ian’s mom brings the burnt is common to bring a gift of appreciated in the western culture. But its makes the Greeks so confused. Both family have different beliefs and cultures that make them who they are. Toula family like the advantage of marrying someone of the same culture but also welcomes Ians once they get to know him.

You have Toula who is searching for her cultural identity being Greek and having to marry a Greek man. Finding someone who doesn’t fit into her realm and falling in love with him. .Toula family would be considered a collectivist culture because they show a high loyalty towards family and culture. Toula asks for a quiet dinner to meet the parents thinking it would just be her Ian and their parents but her mom thought otherwise and invited the whole family even the extended family. Individualism tend to be less oriented than Greeks. In that same situation Ian is an only child so he brings himself and his parents. Their collectivism also shows at the end when Toula’s parents buy them a house.

3 Intercultural communication plays a big role in this movie because they both have different cultural beliefs and values and ways of behaving. Like Toula is thirty and still isn’t married and living at home and not following the traditional things her dad would have her do.

Ian has life pretty easy being an only child and respecting his parents and then walking passed the travel agency and seeing Toula after seeing her many years earlier at the Toula’s family restaurant. Intercultural communication is important is marriage because Greeks aren’t supposed to marry non-Greeks. Also, participating in other cultures rituals and lifting the barrier like baptism.

Other examples include when they were supposed to have little quiet dinner and then all the aunts and uncles showed up. Or when they were all drinking and Toula father thought they were all dumb. Intercultural communication has a few things that play into like culture traditions, marriages and religion.

4 Ethnocentrism is present when Gus believes that their family she have Greek blood and nothing else. Ian and Toula both did a good job of seeing each other behaviors through their own culture. Ian being influenced by Toula because he liked her and got to adapt to the Greek Culture. This movies is great because it shows how one culture may react when they come in contact with each other. Like when they have the family over and Toula family has that giant pig and Ian’s parents have a weird look on their face.

Also, when Ian’s mom gives Toulas mom the bundt cake and she has no idea what it is. They both assume something is wrong but it was just culture clash. A great example is when Toula Father is giving the girls a ride to school and he is presented with a word and he still makes it Greek. This shows ethnocentrism and how he is able to look past their heritage.

5 Toula self concept has to do with who you are. In the beginning of the movie she was comparing herself to those other girls thinking she was different eating different foods and talking different. Her cultural teaching also influenced her self concept.

6 Toula self esteem affects her in so many ways because she is thirty and not married yet and changes her classes for contacts and go to work at a travel agency and the people start to notice her. And then she realize how better her life really is. At first she didn’t think she was really valuable like her cognitive self esteem. How she was thinking about her strengths and weaknesses. When she quit comparing herself to others she finally found a person she wanted to me and became more happy.

7 Perception- Toulas perception is huge because has she does things that fulfill her needs they prove to be more enjoyable for her or her selective attention. Has she does things they go on dates will Ian she finds more happiness. Her interpretation evaluation is greatly influenced by her experience with her family and by her self she is able to find a medium of the ways things should be. Or meeting Ian for the first time and viewing him with different traits. Her contrast of her perception is seeing her and Ian has different when she is on the bridge and she says this is going to work or something like that.

She conclude that they didn’t belong together but they really did work out after getting used to the differences. By the end of the movie Gus changes the way he perceives people and ways. He accepts situations because he know he can’t change them.

8 Messages that are in meanings not in the people- when Nick Portokalos says I’ve never seen my sister this happy, Ian. If you hurt her, I’ll kill you and make it look like an accident. He really is saying make my sister happy but you hurt her I will hurt you. No one really wants to kill anyone. It’s just an expression people say. Meaning in this movie don’t particularly mean what they say they are trying to exaggerate so people get what they are saying. Or when the dad says give me a word anyone I tell you the meaning. In those words he is trying to teach them something not necessary in the itself word.

9 Types of lies- Toula lies at the beginning of her and Ian’s relationship saying he is taking a pottery class but it was her prosocial deception . She only wanted to achieve good and find herself a man her parents approved of. Her lies weren’t meant to hurt anyone she was just protecting herself and protecting their relationship.

3. Roles gender play – Both masculinity and femininity play an important part in the movie. Toulas dad is definitely the head of the household and Toulas mom is the mediator. Ian’s family is the femininity because Ian is pleased with their culture and her family’s ways. But Ians family roles aren’t really stated. For women in the Greek culture they are supposed to get married and carry on the Greek tradition. But her dad invited men to the house she knows none of them are for her. Even though she in love with a non-greek.

Gender expectations the women are supposed to cook and clean and raise children and find the perfect husband. And when Toula ask if she could study computers it wasn’t acceptable in her society. At times Toula is frustrated with her father but then realizes who really hold control her mother. Her mother is the one who allows her to take the classes.