{"id":10845,"date":"2023-02-17T07:05:35","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T07:05:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/?p=10845"},"modified":"2023-11-10T16:19:55","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T16:19:55","slug":"examples-of-contexts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/examples-of-contexts\/","title":{"rendered":"23 Examples of Contexts (Social, Cultural and Historical)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"context<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In simple language, context means the setting of an event. You can think of context as all the information you need to know to truly understand something.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, when you watch a movie from the very start, you learn about the names of the characters, where the movie is set, and what the plot line is. You can follow the movie\u2019s storyline because you\u2019ve learned about the context<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when someone walks into the movie half-way through, they don\u2019t really know what\u2019s going on. They don\u2019t know the characters\u2019 names, the storyline, where it\u2019s set, or what the relationships between the characters are. They\u2019re confused because they don\u2019t understand the context <\/em>of the movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often times, when thinking about the context of a situation, it\u2019s a good idea to think about what you\u2019d need to explain to an alien about a situation to get them caught-up on what\u2019s going on. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything you need to tell the alien forms the context <\/em>of the situation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article takes a look at a variety of examples of contexts, including social contexts, cultural contexts, historical contexts, political contexts, and educational contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Social Context Examples<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Social contexts are all about society <\/em>and what you need to know about your society in any situation. Society has rules around behavior and interaction.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people in a society will have different cultures, but we all generally agree on a way to behave in society that\u2019s usually based on the dominant culture<\/a> in that society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. At School<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

School is a social context. It has its own rules and policies that inform how we should behave. Think about what you\u2019d tell the alien in this situation. You might have to tell the alien that this school requires students to wear school uniforms<\/a>. You could also tell them which teachers are mean and which are nice. Actually, you might even need to tell them what a teacher is and why all the students seem to be obeying what the teachers say!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. In a Supermarket<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A supermarket context is very different from a school context. If there are children in a supermarket, they\u2019re probably not all playing together like at school. It might seem a little more disorganized. People are moving about in family groups and taking things off the shelves. Imagine what you\u2019d explain to the alien here. You might have to tell them how to use a shopping cart, how to stand in a line to pay a cashier, and what currency you need in order to pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. At a Backyard Barbecue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A backyard barbecue is also a very different context to a school. At school, the children are probably given structured tasks to complete. The adults are all working hard and focusing on educating the children. And sometimes there are bells ringing to tell everyone to change their activities. But, at the backyard barbecue, the children are all playing while the adults are all talking to one another! The adults might also be drinking beer and wine, something that they certainly wouldn\u2019t be doing in the school context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"examples<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

4. At Church<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The church context seems to differ depending on the church. There are some similarities: everyone is talking about God. There is a priest or minister who is conducting proceedings, and there might be a lot of people praying. But there are also many differences: some charismatic churches might be boisterously singing while solemn Catholic churches might be more silent and reflective. What is the context <\/em>of your church?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. On the Bus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Think about the sorts of things you need to know in order to ride the bus. One thing might be that you should wait in an orderly line before boarding. You might also need to know how to pay. In one society, you might have to pay with a special transport card while other societies might require you to pay using cash. Here, riding the bus differs depending on the context<\/em>. There are also cultural contexts involved here, such as the cultural idea that you should stand to allow elderly and pregnant people to get a seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get a Pdf of this article for class<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Enjoy subscriber-only access to this article’s pdf<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Cultural Context Examples<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cultural contexts are all about what your own culture expects of you – its beliefs and values<\/em>. It\u2019s different from social context because it\u2019s specific to you and your family\u2019s values, not the values of your society as a whole.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While you might live in a society, your values might differ from those of your society. You might be culturally Christian (cultural context) but your society is secular (social context), for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultural contexts often inform and underpin social contexts. The dominant culture\u2019s values are often part of the social context, so, these two things overlap a lot. But remember, cultural contexts are about values and beliefs <\/em>while social contexts are about rules and expectations <\/em>that everyone in society must follow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. In a Sacred Space<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some cultures have very sacred spaces. An example is a cemetery or gravesite. A place where your relatives are buried is probably really important to you. You want to respect their memory. Similarly, a military cemetery is respected by many Americans because those people died for your freedoms. So, you wouldn\u2019t make a lot of noise here or have a party. Native Americans also have sacred places<\/a> for their cultures, such as places for traditional ceremonies. This cultural context is a reason why we might choose not to develop new buildings in these sacred locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. In a Holy Space<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A holy space has religious significance. Of course, the most famous of these is Mecca, a holy space for Muslims. Holy spaces like Mecca have certain rules<\/a>, like the fact that only Muslims are allowed in Mecca, and you must dress modestly. You need to understand the cultural context of Mecca (specifically, that you must adhere to Islamic cultural practices) before you go there. Muslims might need to teach the Islamic cultural context to non-Muslims to help them understand what it\u2019s like to be in Mecca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Conservative Cultural Context<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A conservative cultural context is a situation where the dominant cultural group in a space is conservative. You can think of societies like Indonesia and Saudi Arabia as places with much more conservative cultural contexts than the United States or England. Think about what you might need to teach the alien before they go to Saudi Arabia. You might be reminded that there are certain rules for women\u2019s behavior, dress codes, and when you\u2019re allowed to drink alcohol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Liberal Cultural Context<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A liberal cultural context, by contrast, is going to be very different. The United States, as one of the most liberal places in the world, protects your freedoms to practice your own cultural and religious beliefs. You\u2019d need to explain to an alien coming to the USA about how you\u2019re allowed to behave in the US, and how you shouldn\u2019t. But, you\u2019d also need to explain that different cultures within the US will also have their own cultural contexts<\/em>, governing their own personal behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. A Western Context<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A western cultural context is the cultural context that underpins western places like Europe and the United States. In a Western cultural context, you\u2019d traditionally be expected to fit into western cultural norms<\/a> within western countries. The cultural context <\/em>in the West includes beliefs in individual freedom and freedom of religion<\/a>. These cultural contexts inform social contexts in many Western countries, like the rules of behavior and laws of the nations. In other words, the western culture<\/em> (cultural context \u2013 underlying beliefs and values) informs the western society <\/em>(social context \u2013 rules and interactions between people).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. In the United States<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are many different cultural contexts in the United States. Go to the conservative South and people may be much more polite and religious. Go to liberal Seattle and people might be much more open-minded. So, you need to know the cultural context of where you\u2019re going. But this is all underpinned by an overarching social context \u2013 the rules of behavior in America. (See also: American Taboos<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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