The connectedness between internal person issues and the public sociocultural aspects is a significant determiner of a person’s values, norms, and attributes. Usually, society plays a significant role in determining a person’s code of conducts which eventually determines its behaviors, norms, and values(Mastor et al., 95). I was born in Malaysiaand adopted the Malay culture which has been a primary culture to me since have I learned that the norms are the significant determiner of many aspects in my historical life from childhood to adulthood. I have found myself doing things differently, according to my aboriginal history despite being exposed to other culture such as that of Singapore or of the Americans where I live. In particular, my dressing style has usually related to that of Malays culture in events such as a wedding, funeral and other ceremonies. Other historical aspects that have greatly influenced my culture include my social status, social class, gender roles, and groups. All these personal historical aspects abodeby C Wright’s definitional of sociology as the intersection of history and biography to reflect my experiences within time and space which and expressed social context through social institutions(Puga, and Easthope 9).

I was born in the Malaysian from where I learned the Mayan culture such as their songs, language, etiquette, norms and other values what determine their ways of life. I wasexposed to vital facets of the culture such the gender roles, groupings and communication procedures. Within my time of growth and development, I had experienced other cultures apart from the Mayan when I worked in Singapore as an engineer and here in America where I live. I must admit that the Malay culture has dramatically influenced my protocol of communication and perception of dressing for special events such as a wedding which was vividly seen in my friend’s wedding. During the ceremony, I attended dressed in a full Batik dressing which represents the customs of the Malaysian Chinese people. Also, I ate foods that are mostly consumed in our culture which include rice served with the lauk (meat side dish) and some vegetables(Raji et al., 225). Indeed, during the ceremony, I presented the Mayan culture of the Malaysian people which made me different from the rest of the congregation.

While in Singapore, I worked as an engineer to a factory which placed my social class into a middle-income class. I was among individuals with a professional career in the nation; thus; I had to carryout myself in accordance to the values and attributes of people a higher social status with a better salary. The life experience that I gained from being a person with a middle-social class aids to model my perception on the economy since even with previous social class, I was able to meet my basic needs; hence, I can now meet them too(Mastor et al., 101). From the social class setting while in Singapore, I learned that a person’s needs are fully met despite one’s economic background.

In the Mayan culture, a family is the highest social institution which links people with common lineage. I am the firstborn male child in our family which gives me a different social status in our family compared to other children in our family.  Equally, over time I have gained other extrinsic social status that includes being a bachelor’s student, engineer and being a member of the Singapore Polytechnic Students’ Association(Mastor et al., 96). However, the archived status (those gained over time) have some level of inconsistencies, whereby I have higher and lower status in the community in equal times. For instance, being an engineer gives a top hierarchy in society while being a student degrades the rank. Under some occasions, I am forced to behave as a student and forge my social rank as an engineer who expresses technological issues in mathematical terms, knowledge, and variables. For example,when attended  Ohlone conference, my status influenced my perceptions, values, and etiquette as I was forced to behave as a student where I raised my hand to express my concern or ask a question, listened attentively, and responded whenever asked to. I always consider being a firstborn male child as the most valuable status in my life since it is a permanent variable and its influence carries on to a future life; I become the head of the family in the absence of my father((Raji et al., 223).In the end, I am forced to carry myself as an elder in the family to be an idol to my brothers and sisters.

Each of my ascribed and archived social status, I havean accompanying role which the community expects me to fulfill, thence; I have to model my perception, attributes, and values to suit the roles. To begin with, being a firstborn male influence by personal values and etiquette as I have to behave as a role model to the rest of my siblings and in some rare occasions, I have to provide for rest of the family as a father to them. The role of the firstborn male child is obtained from the cultural setting of us the Mayan people who expect it to emulate its father and be a role model rest of their siblings. Equally, I’m a citizen of Malaysia to which I have to obey the laws and regulations of the land in order to a loyal and patriotic citizen of the nation. The culture of the community teaches us to be individuals that obey the authority and embrace peaceful coexistence with our other members of the society(Commisceo-Global 3). Through such aspects of etiquette and communication, I am ableto live in harmony both foreign nations Singapore and the USA. I have been able to challenge every risk of confrontation with the authority and natives of the land to which I have enjoyed a peaceful coexistence with them.

While in Singapore, I was a member of an engineering team that worked in a Singapore factory, also had a membership of the Singapore Polytechnic Students’ Association. I always love working through teamwork to enhance my skills and knowledge which eventually makes work easier. Being a member of the Mayan community seems to have enhanced my cooperation and coordination behaviors since the community has a business protocol that guides the interaction of business partners. In the business context, Mayan culture stipulates that in team working, team members interact harmoniously by respecting one another and being subjective to the authority(Commisceo-Global 2). I believe those aspects of interaction made me be a successful member of the two groups that I worked with.

The society has played a vital role in modeling my aspects for improved functionality of the society, that is, the laws, norms, values, languages, and symbols of the society enhance my etiquette, perceptions, and behaviors to shape the social world. This notion abides by the Symbolic functionalist theory developed with George Herbert Mead (1863-1931), which focuses on the interaction between a person and society over time and space(Crossman 1). According to the theory, the communication which is the exchange of language and symbols provides a meaning to the perceived values, notions, customs and behaviors a person has through interaction in the social world(Crossman). The proponents of the theory look at the interaction patterns between the society and individuals whereby a person adopts the behaviors that he/she sees values in them. Under this, we may claim that I have carried on the values of culture, social class, family, groupings and gender roles of the Mayan culture as projected in theinteractions that I had with natives in foreign nations. I adopted what was significant in shaping my social world as it has worked best for other individuals in Malaysia. Moreover, under the constructivism of the theory, it is claimed that social constructs are developed from interactions among individuals in the society for a periodic time to provide the dos and the don’ts of the community. Hence, the Mayan culture has boosted my understanding of what is acceptable culturally interms of food, clothing, gender roles, and family duties among other functions.  In the end, I became a person whom I mutually exist with other cultures in foreign nations.

In conclusion, among the five socio-cultural components discussed above, the most significant ones include the culture and social grouping which have crucially influenced my values, perception, behaviors, and attitudes. For example, the Mayan culture which includes the songs, customs, dressing, etiquette, greetings, and communication style issubstantially rooted in me despite my exposure to other overseas nations. I still value more the Mayan dressing code than this of the American pop culture. Equally, the Mayan culture advocates of harmonious interaction, the virtues of kindness, politeness, and generosity among people of different demographic status in society are highly encouraged.  I still adhere to the values since I love working in groups with of different social and economic status in my present life, guided with a principle of sharing of ideas, talent, knowledge, and skills. Therefore, I would denote that the Malay sociocultural values and principles have been crucial in shaping my social world to be a person that can tolerate differences and live in any place of the world.

Works Cited

Commisceo-Global. “Malaysia – Language, Culture, Customs And Etiquette”. Commisceo-Global.Com, 2019, https://www.commisceo-global.com/resources/country-guides/malaysia-guide.

Crossman, Ashley. “What Is Symbolic Interactionism?”. Thoughtco, 2018, https://www.thoughtco.com/symbolic-interaction-theory-3026633.

Mastor, Khairul A. et al. “Malay Culture And Personality”. American Behavioral Scientist, vol 44, no. 1, 2015, pp. 95-111. SAGE Publications, doi:10.1177/00027640021956116. Accessed 26 Mar 2019.

Puga, Ismael, and Robert Easthope. An Analysis Of C. Wright Mills’s The Sociological Imagination. 1st ed., Routeledge, 2017.

Raji, MohdNazri Abdul et al. “Past And Present Practices Of The Malay Food Heritage And Culture In Malaysia”. Journal Of Ethnic Foods, vol 4, no. 4, 2017, pp. 221-231. Springer Nature, doi:10.1016/j.jef.2017.11.001. Accessed 26 Mar 2019.