Handling of People from Different Cultures

Culture, according to the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, is essentially defined as shared behavioral patterns and interactions learned through socialization. Culture is taken from a French term, which stems from the Latin term "colere," which means to cultivate and nurture. It is a style of life that is unique to a specific group of people (McLaughlin, 2002).

Religion and food are examples of cultural characteristics, as are clothes, marriage, and people's views. There are various types of civilizations. Western culture is one of them. Western culture is the way of life of European countries including nations that have been heavily influenced by European immigration. The roots of western culture can be traced back to the classical period of the Greco Roman era. Some of the drivers of western culture include; Germanic, Celtic and Latin (American Culture Association & ProQuest Information and Learning Company, 2003).

Secondly, we have the Eastern culture which generally refers to the way of life and societal norms of nations in Far East Asia such as China, North and South Korea. Religion heavily influenced the eastern culture. According to the book “Pathways to Asian Civilization”, growth and harvest of rice also influenced the eastern culture. There is less distinction or difference between secular society and religious society in the eastern culture as compared to the west.

Thirdly, there is the Latin culture which consists mainly of Spanish speaking nations. These nations are geographically located in either central or south America. According to the University of Texas, the term Latin America was originally used by French geographers in order for them to distinguish between Anglo and Romance languages. Key influencers of the Latin culture are Spain and Portugal. The Latin language is commonly referred to as the Romance languages (Fullan, 2001).

Lastly, there is the African culture. Africa is considered to be the cradle of human life this is according to the Natural History Museum based in London. It is home to a number of distinct tribes and ethnic communities. Africa has been divided into two main cultural groups. First is North Africa which is strongly tied to countries in the Middle East. Then there is Sub Saharan Africa which contains norms and beliefs very different from their counterparts in the North. Harsh climatic and environmental conditions have greatly influenced the development of sub Saharan Africa.

Cultural values on the other hand refer to commonly held standards that may be used as a basis to distinguish between what is acceptable or unacceptable, workable or unworkable, right or wrong in a given society. A Hindu man may for example let himself starve to his death rather than him slaughtering and feasting on a cow. This is despite the fact that his village may contain old, malnourished cows. In comparison to this research dictates that an average American adult consumes slightly over 50 pounds of meat annually. In order to understand these two scenarios, one has to critically understand the cultural values and beliefs of these two distinct people. Hindus consider cows to be sacred beings which should not be slaughtered. They believe that cows are their gods, ancestors and protectors. Their lives should thus be preserved until they die a natural death. Cultural values run deep within certain societies. They therefore should be upheld at all costs (Porsdam, 2016).

The model of cultural value that I have chosen to conduct this study is the Kluckhohn and Strodtbecks’s dimensions of culture. Florence Kluchhohn and Fred Strodtbeck were responsible for the introduction of the concept of space orientation which specifically dealt with private mixed public space in any particular society. These two scholars proposed a unique model which identified 6 dimensions of culture including; the nature of people. It goes without saying that people tend to draw certain notions about other peoples’ nature, beliefs and ways of life. Through this notion created, they are able to determine whether some beliefs of these people are good or bad. Ways termed as good are those that are both traditionally and socially accepted. How one thinks about other people based on these assumptions affects how one responds to them. This is why people more often than not tend to draw assumptions about others as a result of first impressions (Chong, 2002).

The second dimension is people’s relationship with nature. People tend to have varied opinions when it comes to nature. Some people believe that we should live harmoniously with nature. We should strive to not only protect but also preserve nature in its setting. Others see nature as being their servant and supplier. These people believe that whatever they need and want the natural environment will always provide. Bearing this perspective in mind allows them to plunder and destroy nature without any remorse.

The third dimension is that of duty towards others. What duty or responsibility does one have towards others? People are always in a dilemma whether to put their needs first or that of others. One may end up not satisfying one’s needs when one puts other people’s needs first. The next dimension is that of mode of activity. What is the main mode of activity in a given society? In some communities who you are is more important than what one does. In other societies, status comes as a result of what has been accomplished instead of the ascribed status.

The fifth dimension is that of privacy of space. Different societies tend to treat space in different ways. In some societies, privacy is very important thus space is owned by different individuals. In other societies there is the element of open ownership where meetings are open to all members of the public. The last dimension is that of temporal orientation. Here societies strive to establish which is more important to them whether it is the past, present or future. Some societies tend to focus on past occurrences and traditionalism. Others focus on the present and the future.

I have chosen to compare and contrast the United Kingdom culture with that of Saudi Arabia. This is basically comparing the western culture with that of the Islamic culture. Even though there are several similarities between the UK and Saudi Arabia, there are even a greater number of differences.

In both states majority of the public tend to be both friendly and helpful. Learning institutions strive to educate students and instill values that would aid them in their future roles. British people tend to smile at passersby’s. This characteristic is also evident in Saudi partially as a result of Islam. However, one of the distinctions between the two nations is that UK children do not show respect to their elders. This may be attributed to their upbringing where their parents fail to instill discipline and teach them the value of respecting one’s seniors (Cloonan, 2016).

Social media is another element that has negatively influenced teenagers in the UK. Nowadays famous persons behaving inappropriately are celebrated instead of being rebuked repeatedly. This is not the case in Saudi where children are expected to respect and obey older generations. I think it is critical for inhabitants of UK to remedy how they raise their young ones because the current status is a recipe for disaster.

In terms of business both nations, are similar in that they establish businesses with the aim of expanding them globally. As a result the two nations actually maintain good business relations. It is all about identifying a lucrative business opportunity and exploiting it fully. When it comes to sports, both nations play soccer. There exist well established stadiums in both nations. It is however important to note that women in Saudi are not allowed to play soccer due to religious reasons. Meanwhile, the England team back in UK is ranked among the best in the world. It is my hope that in the near future women in Saudi will be allowed to play the good game of football (Yomtov, 2015).

In terms of food and nutrition, majority of the inhabitants in both states tend to feast on fast foods. This is basically because people are too busy working such that they lack time to cook. The internet has become a necessity in our current world. Almost every household in these countries has both a functional PC and the internet. Sharing of information and communication has all become possible within a few clicks. However it is important to note that the media in Saudi is under government control. In contrast to this, there are hardly any restrictions to internet use. According to research conducted by Harvard Law School, about 2000 websites have been blocked by the Saudi government. It is evident that different nations have distinct norms and values but as long as all parties respect each other’s way of life we will all live harmoniously.

There are a lot of problems that may arise when people from different cultures do business together. They include; legal issues. When one exploits the global market it gives the business and opportunity for both profit and growth. However there are various challenges that arise when two individuals from distinct backgrounds and cultures interact. This includes legal constraints basically because rules or laws applicable to a certain group may not apply to another distinct group.

The issue of language is another problem. It goes without saying that language barrier inhibits the carrying out of international businesses. People may need to rely on translators while conveying messages and information may be distorted as a result. There is also the issue of miscommunication which may occur because an aspect in one culture may have a completely different meaning in another culture.

Stereotyping

On the second part of the discussion, I have decided to address the question of stereotyping and its effects on the communication process. A stereotype is basically any thought that has been adopted about a specific individual intended to represent an entire group’s behavior. It is simply drawing conclusions about a certain group of people as a result of interacting with one or two of their members. These conclusions, thoughts and beliefs drawn may not accurately represent or reflect the true reality of things (Films Media Group, & Seven Dimensions Films of Australia, 2016).

Some of the common stereotypes include; racial profiling. I consider racial profiling to be one of the most common stereotype examples. This is where people tend to be judged based on the color of the skin or origin. A common phrase here is that “all black African Americans are exemplary at sports.” This is a stereotype because it is assumed that just because one is black he or she has to be a good athlete. Sometimes this is not the case.

Secondly, there is gender profiling. Gender profiling is basically drawing certain conclusions as a result of ones gender orientation. There are a lot of stereotypes when it comes to gender. They include; men are strong thus they do all the work. I disagree with such sentiments because there exist female body builders when one is talking about physical strength. At the same time women are far much mentally strong as compared to men. Another common phrase is that “men are a family’s backbone.” This is not always the case because there exist women who are able to hold down their families as widows. Then there is the phrase, “a woman is not as smart as smart as a man”. Nowadays women presidents e.g. Helen Johnson Sir leaf and female world leaders are on the ascendance. Another common phrase is that “girls are not god at sports”. Another good example here is the Williams sisters i.e. Serena and Venus who are dominating the tennis field in an exemplary manner (Nelson, 2017).

There is also this other notion where men are considered to be both messy and unclean. This is not always the case because one can easily ran into a man well dressed and clean and at the same time run into a woman shabbily dressed.

Another element is that involving cultural stereotypes. Stereotypes of these natures include; all Arabs and Muslims are terrorists. This is one stereotype that greatly affects our Muslim brothers and sisters. They are unable to worship and dress how they want because they are afraid of being judged. Another example is that involving all white Americans who are considered to be lazy, obese and dimwits. I think that this notion is wrongly placed because if Americans were lazy and dumb as claimed the country would not be having one of the largest economies in the world (In Dovidio, 2014).

Then there is the notion involving Mexicans that claims that all Mexicans are illegal inhabitants of the US. Other common stereotypes involving the element of culture include; all blacks living outside the US are languishing in poverty, all Asians are good at math, Italian, French and Spanish people are considered to be good lovers and lastly all Jews are greedy.

There is also a unique type of stereotypes that involves grouping of individuals e.g. Goths, skaters and gangsters. This form of stereotyping is taking place especially in schools. Punks for example wear spikes and chain and are considered to be trouble for the society. Goths on the other hand don black clothes and makeup and are considered to be generally depressed. Politicians are considered to be philanders and that they only have their interests at heart. There is also the notion where blondes are considered unintelligent.

Stereotyping is undoubtedly a barrier to effective communication. It tends to affect effective communication in several ways including; effect on opportunity. In workplaces today, many gender and racial stereotypes still exist. As a result firms may miss-inform female or minority audiences based on these stereotypes. When wrong information is passed to these minority audiences, they are unaware when promotions or other job related opportunities arise. All these impact negatively these individuals’ careers.

Communication stereotypes also tend to affect how a firm receives feedback from these audiences. Research conducted by Jessica Carlson and Mary Crawford in 2012, observed that employees were more recipient to female speakers because they found them more emotional rather than their authoritative male counterparts. When inaccurate feedback is accorded to a firm’s management the firm is unable to operate successfully hence unable to achieve its profit making objective (Mio & Awakuni, 2013).

There is also the element of inter personal responses. Stereotyping also tends to affect the way an employ responds to his or her fellow employees. For instance an employee may feel uncomfortable when he or she communicates with another employee who is perceived to be uncooperative or aggressive. Such behavior may cause a manager to think that a particular employee is less cooperative hence he may not assign that employee a challenging task when one arises. Stereotyping thus discourages team work and creative thinking among employees.

Stereotyping in workplaces causes employees to draw assumptions on their fellow colleagues based on the idea created about them. An individual working in a subordinate role may for example be deemed uneducated with little input to offer to the company when in fact this is not the case. Employers can therefore lose on valuable opportunities to tap this minds that may be innovative and inventive able to come up with ideas that would generate massive incomes for the firm. The management of organizations should therefore strive to ensure that they include those in the lower level ranks or positions in decision making processes as well as creative processes (Walsh & University of Mississippi, 2013).

There is also the effect of stereotyping on inter business relations. Many organizations dealing in international business train their employees on communication behavior and how they should carry themselves while conducting international businesses. If this training is based on stereotypes, it may have damaging results. An example is that involving Italy where cultural norms in the country allows for looser timing as compared to that of other countries such as US who are strict on matters concerning time. However, not all Italians tolerate lateness when it comes to meetings or vendors who do not show up in time as agreed. As a result firms that train employees to adhere to certain stereotypical practices risk losing clients or offending them.

Unequal pay in most institutions is basically and effect of stereotyping. According to a research carried out by the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, women who were employed full time in the second quarter of the year 2011 had a median wage of about 689 dollars as compared to the 825 dollars for men. This goes to denote that women continue to earn less that the men. In other third world countries such as Pakistan the average earnings for females is even lesser. This is basically due to the fact that female discrimination is high in such countries. Moreover, women enjoy less rights and freedoms.

Instead of us focusing on each other’s mistakes and wrong doings, we should focus on each other’s uniqueness. Stereotyping causes people to not only feel lonely and unwanted but it also causes depression. This is hazardous especially to these people’s social lives. Stereotypes should be done away and assumed. We should desist from judging others even before we get to know and understand them (Turner, 2002).

It is however very important to note that no matter what type of culture people are part of one thing that is for certain is that it will change. Culture tends to be dynamic in that it changes from time to time. As a result of globalization where the world has become a “village”, people from distinct nations or cultures are bound to interact and as a result influence each other’s way and perspective of life. It is therefore necessary for all nations to embrace these positive societal changes as they occur. We are all one. Different colors same people.

References

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Chong, N. (2002). The Latino patient: A cultural guide for health care providers. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.

Cloonan, M. (2016). Popular music and the state in the UK: Culture, trade or industry?

Films Media Group,, & Seven Dimensions Films of Australia. (2016). Stereotyping and Diversity.

Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

In Dovidio, J. F. (2014). The SAGE handbook of prejudice, stereotyping and discrimination.

McLaughlin, J. (2002). Valuing technology: Organisations, culture, and change. London: Routledge.

Mio, J. S., & Awakuni, G. I. (2013). Resistance to Multiculturalism: Issues and Interventions. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis.

Nelson, T. D. (2017). Ageism: Stereotyping and prejudice against older persons. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press.

Porsdam, H. (2016). Copyrighting creativity: Creative values, cultural heritage institutions and systems of intellectual property. London: Routledge.

Turner, P. A. (2002). Ceramic uncles & celluloid mammies: Black images and their influence on culture. Charlottesville [Va.: University of Virginia Press.

Walsh, S. P., & University of Mississippi. (2013). Reducing automatic stereotype activation: European- and African American photos in situational attribution training.

Yomtov, N. (2015). Saudi Arabia.