1. Cultural influences are factors that deeply affect the learned behavior of a certain group of people. They are the traditions, shared practices, values and goals that characterized a particular society. A person may act differently from others maybe because he came from a different culture. It is also important that we understand how cultures differ. People from different culture may be more expressive than the others. One culture might appreciate independence from the family while the other longs for the closeness and warmth it brings. How our culture influenced us and it is more helpful if we understand how the culture of other people affected them. We have to appreciate that every group or society has their own norms or standards for an accepted and expected behavior.
Cultural relativism has it that the practices, customs and traditions of a group of people must be seen and perceived within the boundaries of their own culture. Cultural factors may define how people see themselves, how they make judgment of situations and other peoples’ actions and even on how they relate to their own family and community. It is unfortunate that some people make biased perception of other culture compared to their own. There is no greater or lesser culture. The key is to understand the cultural background of a person in order to have a better idea on the reason why they behave differently from others.
Cultural traditions and practices are enduring, but change is endless. People learn things that are unknown before. Migration and immigration occur. One culture blends with the other. We are continuously interacting with people from different cultures. As we try to understand how
our culture has molded us, it is also important to appreciate cultures that are different from us. There is what sociologist call as “ethnocentricity”. This means that one thinks of his culture s more superior than that of the others. In a positive perspective, this mind set can promote solidarity and loyalty and encourage people to conform standards and values set by the society. However, ethnocentrism can also be counterproductive because it tends to blind others of what is good and beautiful in other cultures.
2. An example of when cultural influence is applied every day is in the classroom. An educator in history can try to integrate and discuss cultures from different parts of the world. Students can be taught about people from diverse cultures and ethnicities, those who made valuable contributions for the betterment of the world. Schools should be encouraged to teach the young about different cultures.
Another example where you can see knowledge of cultural differences being applied is in the workplace. Immigration has contributed to cultural diversity in the society. A manager may find himself dealing with staffs, suppliers and customers coming from different countries.
3. As an individual, I have always appreciated the culture I’ve grown up with. I was raised in a family that encouraged strong family ties and values the importance of education. I am given so much freedom to do what I want like the freedom to choose my course of study. So my thinking is a little bit indifferent when I see parents who impose strict rules towards their children.
One concept of culture that I know has an influence in me is the popular culture. As an
individual, I have like products, music and services that usually are mere results of fad. I am a consumer of popular culture.
4. My course in Business management is designed to help me get the skills and confidence to be an effective and adaptive individual. Furthermore, my cultural background has help develop a positive attitude towards my studies and even more eagerness to become competitive in my future career. As I am looking forward to a career in Business management I am confident that my knowledge about this topic can help me go through the challenges. Most businesses nowadays operate globally, that is the reason why it is imperative that students like me who is taking up this course should know that to be an effective business manager, we have to have a clear understanding of diverse cultures. This is because even successful mangers in their own country may fail or may initially be perplexed when going across cultures.
5. Learning about different cultures is important because it will help you understand why other people act the way they do when faced with certain situations. As President Carter once said, “by knowing and understanding each ones experience can we find a common ground to examine and resolve our differences”. We came from diverse cultures and in order to develop a harmonious relationship within any society, learning and appreciating others culture is necessary.
I already have a basic understanding of cultural influences before, so interacting with other people has always been easy for me. However, after reading this topic I would like to be more attentive and appreciative of other cultures.
