Today’s lecture told us to think about the different aspects of Costa Rican culture because there are many things that make up “culture”. History is a good place to start and most country’s histories strongly define the culture the country exhibits in the present day. Take the US for example. Strong sense of individualism is one of the things that is different about our country than others. Not surprisingly, our short history was defined by a break away from an oppressive and controlling government. Costa Rica is no different in that many of their current policies are defined by past histories. Costa Rica is a country that prides itself on being a place of peace and harmony. They are a country with no standing Army and only a small police force that deals with general law enforcement.

One of the questions I had immediately was “why”? It seemed almost naive to not have a military force. However what I didn’t immediately take into account was the history of the nation. The Army was disbanded in 1948 following a short but intense civil war. The newly elected government made it a priority to set their nation up so that no conflicts would arise. Hence the decision to abolish the military. Things that seem common and normal for Costa Ricans obviously will not for me and other students but rather than just accepting the differences and moving on it was interesting to see how the history of the nation played a part in shaping the present culture.

Another things that crossed my mind was Venezuela. The situation that they are in right now will not doubt play a role in defining their history for many years to come. This just goes to show you how culture is not fixed, but ever changing.

John Boyle