One subculture that I belong to is the swim team.  Swimming competitively is not an activity done regularly by the larger society.  We have our own customs and traditions that is very different and would seem odd to most people.  This module actually coincides perfectly with the swim season, as we are currently on our taper and about to perform the most commonly known swimmer tradition; shaving our bodies for our final meet.  Over the next three days, thousands of swimmers across the country will be buzzing their heads and removing as much hair and dead skin from their bodies as possible.  From an outside view, it would seem weird for guys to shave their legs, but after swimming for 6 years, it only makes sense to take every advantage you can to drop time.  Even if it is one hundredth of a second off taken off it is worth it, as Michael Phelps’ 100m butterfly swim can attest.

Swimming also has its own argot.  Different nicknames for events would be confusing to most non-swimmers, such as i.m. standing for individual medley, is totally obvious to any swimmer.  Individual teams have their own argot too.  Throughout the school year, different inside jokes last the whole year, if not multiple years, and only we understand what it means when they are said.

          Cultural shock occurs when a person experiences something odd or unusual to them, but common for the culture they are currently visiting.  As the book states, “A resident of the United States who visits certain areas of China and wants local meat for dinner may be stunned to learn that the specialty is dog meat.”  This would take anyone from the US back, if not disturb and horrify them.  Dogs are considered man’s best friend, someone you look forward to when you get home from school or work, not a source of food.  This phenomenon reveals the role of culture and everyday customs by creating comfort and continuity in a person’s life.