Definition of the word “culture”.
Say two twins were brought up in different cultural setups: if either of the twins revisited the other, members of the society visited would be able to tell this to be a different person. This is only possible because of the knowledge on culture. The fundamental factor responsible for the existence of culture is that human beings are social creatures. Social scientists, for instance, believe that the social organization of human populations into societies that are governed by norms or unspoken rules is the major distinguishing factor between people and other animals. Human beings can communicate ideas, emotions, preferences, tastes: they can share intellect and establish the politics of how they make decisions and how they relate to each other in the society. This does not, however, mean that culture is innate: on the contrary, it is a learned social aspect. Take for example the case of the two twins brought up in two diverse cultures; they adopted the culture of the society in which they were brought up. Therefore, culture refers to the collective manner in which the individuals of a particular society will tend to behave similarly toward a common subject: those different cultures would approach similar subjects differently.
Two ways in which cultural differences can lead to different interpretations of the same media message.
The dynamics of communication follow a simple rubric: the author fashions the information in a way that best communicates their intentions (this is quite subjective). The sender will define the meaning and the parameters of such meaning in the message based on their values and experiences. The information they infer from the communication constitutes their interpretation of the message. A culture that shares a similar outlook on similar issues is, therefore, more than likely to interpret the same media in a similar way and communication is, therefore, successful. This is however not the case across different cultures. Cultural diversity presents numerous challenges of perception and context. Perception refers to the way in which judgment is rendered to an event or information. A person wearing spectacles and dressed conservatively is likely to be perceived as an introvert than an extrovert: that is the perception at work. It is the process of assigning meaning to the events experienced or how information in a particular medium is interpreted. Perception often results in varying interpretations of information since it is normally done without much information. An artist can draw a picture that can be perceived as one gender by one culture and another gender in another culture: this is perception. Context, on the other hand, defines how an individual will screen information in a particular environment. A conservative Asian culture may not interpret white men and women walking in small shorts in town the same way a western cultured person would. The former is conservative and will interpret the media as inappropriate. However, the latter will find no cause for alarm in it.
Give an example of your cultural conditioning and explain how it may affect your worldview.
As an individual, I am culturally conditioned to express myself openly regardless of whether what I am saying could be a source of conflict or not. The underlying cause for this is that it is a constitutionally guaranteed right in my country to express myself or rather speaks against systems of authority such as parents and religion if what I believe is right and what they believe is wrong. This manner of thought is definitely of significant impact on my world view. For instance, I believe that gender diversity should be respected and allowed to exist. Therefore, homosexual individuals should be allowed to exercise their freedom and marry partners of their choice, even if they belong to the same sex. If I was gay and traveled to an Arab country that outlaws such practices and if I were to approach an attractive man with intentions of wooing him in broad daylight – as would be the norm in my parent culture – then this would present a cultural challenge. There is a strong possibility that I would be extradited immediately. My world view was affected by the systems of authority in my culture that allows such practices.
In what way can you move towards ethnorelativism?
Ethnorelativism is a way of looking at culture objectively and not subjectively. That implies that there exists no one universal culture. Therefore, society is not judged based on the cultural values of whoever is issuing the judgment. This would be subjective. It would also assume that one’s culture is superior to all other cultures. Given the example used in question 1: a gay man going into an Arab country and expecting to be accorded to the same right and protection is to view one culture as superior to another. As a gay person in a state that outlaws such a practice, it would, therefore, be best to respect the values of such a society and accept them for what they are. In so doing, I am accepting the cultural differences and acting within the parameters of norms of each culture.
Question 9
Mark is an American who comes from a society in which the members are proactive in their daily business operations. Therefore, according to Peterson's five basic cultural scales, his society values equality over hierarchy, and therefore, employees would be self-directed. However, he is presented with a challenge working with Indians who have no semblance of proactivity at work but rather expect him to make all the decisions. The Indians, therefore, value hierarchy over equality. In which case, the boss makes all the decisions while the employees follow his lead without literally understanding every step of the way. The possible answers to his predicament can be relevant or irrelevant, subjective and objective. Take for instance the claim that Indians are lazy: this is too cliché and offers no verifiable facts. It is, therefore, stereotypical. The same goes for option three which refers to Indians as not being detail oriented.
The subjective answers depict the problem with Mark. For instance in option 2, Mark is suffering from cultural shock and the challenges of conforming within the culture are evident. Option 5 depicts a case where Mark is alienated from his fellow workers.
The possible correct answers are option 1 and four which depict the Indians as being affiliated to the hierarchy of leadership rather than equality.
Question 10
According to Peterson’s five basic cultural scales, a society can operate within the parameters of hierarchy/equality, direct/indirect communication, individual/group decision making, task oriented/relationship oriented, risk takers or cautious. The Japanese represent a culture of cautious people following his two apologies in the email in case his meaning is misinterpreted incorrectly: the first time creating a sales concern and the next, summarizing the whole text and addressing any misconstrued information that might offend the receiver. This individual also embodies a culture that gives preference to indirect communication as is seen in several options explored in his questions: he wonders whether the potential business partner accomplishes sales through a sales team, via phone or using flyers. He is providing multiple options to provoke communication of what he might be expected to do. This also shows that he believes himself to be subordinate to the partner hence a culture that values hierarchy over equality is evidenced. His dependency on the potential partner to choose from amongst the various options he poses in his questions also shows that his culture believes in group decision making rather than individual decision making. Lastly, he believes in fostering a relationship with a partner over task orientation since his email is quite accommodative. He apologizes for anything that might offend his partner and provides several options that can ensure a smooth transition into business.
In contrast, the Dutch communicates directly what he wants: to link the partner’s business website to his own. This step already shows he is proactive and hence individual decision making – he does not need the partner’s input – and equality – they are all free to make decisions that best suit their needs in business. He is also a risk taker since he wants to link the partner’s website to his own and begin transacting business immediately: which also shows that he is task oriented.
References
Atran, S., & Sperber, D. (1991). Learning without teaching: Its place in culture. Annual Workshop on Culture, Schooling and Psychological Development. Tel Aviv U, Ramat Aviv, Israel: Ablex Publishing.
Bennett, M. J. (1993). Towards Ethnorelativism: A Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity. Aus: Paige, 21-71.
Doney, P. M., Cannon, J. P., & Mullen, M. R. (1998). Understanding the influence of national culture on the development of trust. Academy of management review, 601-620.
Hannerz, U. (1992). Cultural Complexity: Studies in the social organization of meaning. Columbia University Press.
Peterson, B. (2011). Cultural Intelligence: A Guide to Working with People from Other Cultures. Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
