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Anthony Rivera
Jon Beatle
English 113B
16 February 2016
Residential Culture
From the time of experiencing the residential culture, one can see how it may be
misleading from non-residential ideas. These ideas come from many articles like "Culture and
Communication" by Anastacia Kurylo where Kurylo describes many cultures and how they are
put in groups. By analyzing my own culture, I understood what Kurylo was saying about how
our motives and attitude change between different culture. Thus, by viewing my Culture as a
CSUN student resident, I have looked at my recent days living on campus and picked out these
differences. The residential culture has given CSUN students a larger opportunity on campus
then non residents because it lets you socialize with more students, gain more responsibilities
and communicate with residential students then non residential. These views are discussed in
Kurylos article "Culture and Communication."
From this Culture one experiences change in the way they approach someone, how the
way they communicate with one another. I can see how Socializing and communicating with
other residents can give me a larger opportunity on campus then non residents. In Kurylo article
"Culture and Communication" concludes that "By Communicating some symbols rather than any
of the other potential symbols a person could communicating people construct cultural identity.
In this way, culture is not a preexisting entity represented in language, but rather a cultural

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construction created through the consistent and repetitive"(Kurylo pg.5) . By analyzing the
quote, you can see each culture has a set of their own generic symbols that are communicable.
Then tells how Culture is represented by the way they speak and the way they relate to one
another. It relates with my own Culture by how I speak with other residents, and one example
would about the place we eat, we have various symbols that we can relate on. I can relate to this
quote, on behalf that I can socialize with Residents more often than non-residents, because I can
relate with residents more often. The cited article gave another example stated "Cultural groups
include those groups people are born into as well as groups that people voluntarily or
involuntarily become a part of, such as those based on region phases of life."(Kurylo pg.4). The
quote shows that one duos not have to be born into a culture, but it can be from religion, hobby,
race, or wealth. Gives a extra explanation how being part of a culture could be voluntarily or
involuntarily, from the start. Just like how my culture living at the Dorms was involuntarily, one
duos not choose to be part of the culture, but becomes part of it the day they become a resident,
because your exposed to the living style just like everyone else. I remember when I first moved
into the dorms, I can tell most other residents were inexperienced with moving and claiming their
own independence.. Socializing is not the only culture of being a resident but also gain more
responsibilities in their everyday life.
Living in residential, you gain more responsibilities with school, work, and even on
social views and on what you believe on. In Mark P. Orbe Article "Media and Culture" you can
see from his views how students in college are exposed to social media everyday and as a
resident these views follow you home. From the Article by Orbe, he briefly explains the ideas
how media and culture are attached, in one of his quote states "The first step in recognizing the
role that the media plays in your life is to take inventory of your own media consumption. Think

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about a "normal day. Given the hectic nature of many students' lives while in school, it may be
helpful to list a normal day when attending and not attending college."(pg.236 Orbe). in this
quote, Orbe discussed is how many students nowadays. He goes on and explains how the
responsibility of students are to prioritized over social media and has you think as a college
student and see all the media we consumed in one day. I put his quote and related it to my every
day culture as a college student living as a resident, and I noticed how most of my classes are
focused on social media and based on each person ideas. This quote shows the maturity of
students and how they transitioned from high school where they tell you what to believe, into a
college where you believe in your own ideas and as a culture of residents there is no break from
media. Your always surrounded by other students, whether you're in your dorm talking to your
roommate or eating at germanous where your surrounded by students and telivisions. We as
Residents are so accustomed to it, we don't even notice when we're looking at it or even talking
about it, it's our everyday lifestyle. In addition Orbe brings a conclusion in his idea that
"Newspapers, like books, were an early form of mass communication. Dating back to the first
century, newspapers moved from elite usage to made consumption over time. Although many
people are moving away from traditional consumption to reading news online, newspapers
continue to be a central source of information."(pg. 238 Orbe). In his concluding quote he
explains how Newspapers moved from elite usage to made consumption over time, and how
broad people would rather read information online rather than paper. I can relate my experience
to this idea, from my culture from the amount of media me visually see, and exposed to
everyday. From analyzing my past week in my culture id noticed how the presidential debate
became a hot topic for most students I socialize with. But the ideas of social media and

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responsibilities were not the only qualities of being a Resident, but you also communicate with
more CSUN residents, rather than non-residents.
The relationship and bond, residents have with each other is everything and I believe
that's what make living as a resident great. One article had a similar attitude as I had when
socializing in my culture. The article "Schooling, Language, and Ethnic Identity in the Basque
Autonomous Community" by Encheverria explains how culture is a huge impact to its students
at school. One quote states "Students in Basque-medium schools were well aware of the
strictures on their speech. While in the classroom, they used eskersa when addressing the teacher
and each other, at least when they could be overheard by the teacher"(pg 1223 Encheverria). In
this quote from Encheverria, was analyzing the data from they got from Basque-medium schools,
and there students. They analyzed the students and noticed how they relate better with their own
groups which are the same ethnicity as them. I can relate within my culture, as I meet people
from my classes that are also CSUN residents and can relate with them more, then non-residents.
For example when I first came into this English class I didn't know any of the students, but I
recognized one person who was a residents, and even though we didn't know each other at all,
we still manage to talk in class and at the dorms. I see that Encherria article "Schooling,
Language, and Ethnic Identity in the Basque Autonomous Community" was not the only article
that related with my culture, but also Megan Mereno article "facebook use between college
resident advisors' and their residents: a mixed methods approach" also had similar culture ideas.
concluding that one quote from Mereno article state "The transition to college is a challenging
time for freshmen and may increase risks for negative health concerns such as depression or
problem alcohol use. Previous research has shown that almost half of college students from
multiple universities indicated that they had, felt so depressed it was difficult to function, at least

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once within the previous school year"(pg 1 Mereno). In Mereno quote, it states how most
residential college students suffer by the same circumstances like depression and health
concerns. When looking back to my culture from the past few days I have met the depression
standard a little and hopefully not the health concerns, but things like this make us social with
other residents. Knowing that people you're talking to is going through the same impact as you
makes you feel not alone. When Talking to someone who isn't a Resident, makes you still feel
alone because they're not going through the same struggles as you and I believe that's one of the
bonds residents meet when talking to each other.
In conclusion from the week, that I analyzed my own culture, that's being a resident gets
you closer with other students that experienced the same things you have. You gain many
responsibilities that a resident gains when coming and socialize with other residents. One can say
that life as a resident is just more struggles as a student, but through all the that, you gain a
culture, in which is a family. That's why the culture as a CSUN resident has many ideas, between
its own ideals.

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Aguayo, David, et al. "Culture Predicts Mexican Americans' College Self-Efficacy And
College Performance." Journal Of Diversity In Higher Education 4.2 (2011): 79-89.
PsycARTICLES. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.
Echeverria, B. (2003), Schooling, Language, and Ethnic Identity in the Basque
Autonomous Community. Anthropology & Education Quarterly
Kurylo, Anastacia. Inter/Cultural Communication. Los Angeles: Sage Publications,
2013. Print.