If you are having trouble identifying the cultural value dimensions of your culture, this website breaks down MANY countries by their value dimensions. Once you figure out your culture's value dimensions, be sure to consider how this impacts your culture's communication behaviors and patterns. Here is the link:
http://www.geert-hofstede.com/geert_hofstede_contrarian_position.shtml
Questions to consider:
What are some specific communicative behaviors that reflect different cultural values? For example, in class I mentioned how the American phrase "What do you mean?" and the Anakalang translation of this phrase "Where does it strike?" reflect different cultural values (individualist vs. collectivist) because one phrase is concerned with the intent of the speaker ("what do you mean?"), while the other phrase ("where does it strike?") is concerned with the effect of the speaker's words upon an audience. The Anakalang as a collectivist culture are concerned with group cohesion and functioning, while America as an individualist culture is concerned with individual independence and autonomy. Can you think of other communicative behaviors and/or phrases that demonstrate the different cultural values we discussed in class?
So, I'm not sure if we are supposed to comment on this one or not.. BUT while I have been putting the power point presentation together for my group's project I keep thinking through the cultural differences between Ghana and America. Just the fact that while Ghana is a collectivist culture, the individual well-being really doesn't matter in regards to the well-being of the country as a whole. Just something I thought that was interesting. If they are so concerned about the group, then how can they not value the lives that make up the group. Just an observation I made.
ReplyDeleteThis web site is very interesting to me, I find other cultures values very facinating. For me personally I live every day going about my own business doing what ever I want when ever I need to. Looking trough this web site I am reminded that I take this for granted! In our culture being an individual is very important to us, while looking at South Korea's profile individualism is something that is not raked as high as power distance is. This website reminded me that people in South Korea arent necessarily encouraged to be individuals like we are in the United States.
ReplyDeleteIn class we got on the topic of values, and wether or not global values exist. Global values in my opinion are clear values that are upheld globally. I don't think this is a realistic statement because each country is so incredibly diverse, and practices their own individual rituals and traditions to an extent. For an example, in China there were heard cases of people killing their child if it was a girl, because government put a restraint on how many children a family could have, and they wanted to have a boy to carry on the family name. Their is also a tribe that exist today that practices cannibalism, so it is safe to say that the tribe may not have the same global values as people in the US might regarding a human life.
ReplyDeleteOne cultural difference I learned while in high school came from France. Here in America, we shake hands when greeting one another: in France, people greet each other by planting kisses on each other's cheeks. Plus, depending on where you live in France, you might do it just once, or two, three or even four times. We are all just a part of a small fraction of this big and different world.
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