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Essay / Cultural variation - 2001
Nazneen's children were born in England and therefore want to be like other English children. The assimilation of children into the uniform Western culture of England is completely natural, because every child just wants to feel normal. This sense of normalcy comes from adopting Western values such as speaking English and wearing skirts and other American clothing. Children also conform to homogenized Western culture when they begin to experiment with drugs and alcohol. For example: “But now our children copy what they see here, by going to the pub, to the nightclub. Or drinking at home, in their room, where their parents think they are perfectly safe” (Ali, 18 years old). In this case, Dr. Azad explains how children adopt society's drinking culture. Children of Bangladeshi origin are raised in a Western society and conform to the norms of English culture, at the cost of total disregard for their roots and Bangladeshi values linked to cultural convergence. Another example of this standardization is when Chanu says, “It’s part of the culture here. It’s so ingrained in the social fabric. In our house, if you drink, you risk being an outcast. In London, if you don't drink, you risk the same thing” (Ali 85-86). In this quote he explains how children are pushed by societal norms to homogenize with Western cultural practices, whether beneficial or, in this case,,