Cultures Essay

Submitted By sussie123
Words: 1135
Pages: 5
Open Document
The Differences between cultures

Culture refers to a set of shared values, beliefs, and norms held by individuals of a group.
Culture includes customs, material artifacts, and language that is transmitted from generation to generation. In the United States alone, there are several cultural differences. People do not dress the same, people have different perceptions of the world around them, have different languages, and also have different ways of expressing their personality. Differences between individuals within a culture are much greater than differences within groups. A person's belief, personality, social standing, education, among other factors affect human behavior and culture. Recognizing and understanding differences in cultural patterns provides a framework for interpreting goals and behaviors of others. The purpose of this paper is to analyze racial and ethnic identity and to discuss their significance in understanding cultural differences Culture exists in every society. It is the specific learned norms based on attitudes, values and beliefs.

Culture is often based on long standing traditions that have been passed from elders to the younger

generation. It can be evolved through societal and religious influences. Changing culture, though difficult,

can be done through choice or imposition. When culture are isolated they tend to stabilize and change

is slow or ceases. Cultures are made up of group affiliations. Ascribed group memberships include those

based on gender, family age, caste and ethnic/racial/nation backgrounds, they are determined at birth.

The culture of the country a company does business in can and will effect many of the business decisions that the company has to make. Cultures are made up of group affiliations. Ascribed group memberships include those based on gender, family age, caste and ethnic/racial/nation backgrounds, they are determined at birth. Acquired group memberships are not determined at birth and include religion, political affiliation and professional and other associations. These affiliations often reflect the status the individual has in the country's class system. Therefore manager's must make themselves aware of the implications certain positions will have and target those job vacancies to the appropriate groups or they must be aware that their products will appeal to only a certain segment of the population of the country and determine who that segment is. Another way that culture has effect on business decisions is the concept of competence. Some countries feel that competence should be highly rewarded while others feel that seniority or some other quality is more important when determining promotions or hiring. Some countries legalize their cultural beliefs through laws regarding hiring and they too must be taken into consideration when making business decisions in a foreign country. Cultural attitudes towards the importance of work vary from country to country and impact the management styles, product demand and levels of economic development. The reasons why people work and how hard they work changes from area to area. Some work harder than they need to make more money to purchase luxuries that are sought in that culture. Other cultures take a more laid back approach to working. Often as economic gains are achieved attitudes change, workers often do less work when incomes are raised. If workers believe that they will be rewarded when they succeed and is there is uncertainty of success. Some countries value high need achievers, or people who work very hard to achieve material success or career success even if it negatively effects their social/family relationships. Other countries however, place a higher value on the relationships one has with their family and their friends than the success they achieve at work. Some cultures differ as well in their ranking their physiological, security, affiliation, esteem and self
Show More

Related Documents: Cultures Essay

Culture: Culture and Different Cultures Essay

Culture Video Discussion Derrick Logan Com/218 3/5/2013 Identify the differences between race and culture. Discuss the distinctions between the two. Answer: Race can be define as an outward appearance, and culture would be things that you value like your spirituality. Race cannot be changed, but as for culture your race can be white but if you are brought up in a black environment your culture would not be the same as someone who grew up in a white household. Why are these distinctions…

Words 580 - Pages 3

Essay on Culture: Culture and Different Cultures Crash

Culture is one of the most difficult concepts to be defined because it deals with diverse aspects on many individual activities. It consists of values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors that people acquire by growing up in a particular place and their interaction with their environments. Humans shape their culture throughout time and history which creates the capability of changing individuals, which is how social changes change from generation to generation. Ultimately, culture helps us make sense…

Words 535 - Pages 3

Culture: Culture and Cultures Observations Database Essay

Links Version Française ici How cultures see each other The aim of this project is to collect comments made by travellers, now and in the past, about the way people behave in other countries or cultures. These comments are stored in a database which is freely available for those interested in exploring the ways that we see people from other countries, the ways in which behaviour may vary…

Words 1798 - Pages 8

Culture: Organizational Culture Essay

“Organisational culture comprises the deep, basic assumptions and beliefs, as well as the share values that define organisation membership, as well as the members' habitual way of making decisions....” According to the quotation above, the definitions of organisation are as various as cultures existing in the society. one of it was defined by Schein in 1992, he said that culture is a pattern of basic assumptions which the members in group learn about external adaptation and internal integration…

Words 1074 - Pages 5

Nonunitary: Culture and Organizational Cultures Essay

Organizational Cultures are Not Unitary * Most organizational researchers agree that is impossible to characterize an organization as having a single culture. * Most scholars agree that organizations consist of a multitude of subcultures that co-exist in harmony or conflict. * Martin (2002) differentiated approach talks about inconsistencies which are often seen as desirable. * Louis (1985) suggests these subcultures are found in vertical and horizontal levels of an organization…

Words 426 - Pages 2

Culture: Culture and Marble Stone Essay

Culture; a Marble Stone Culture is how one makes sense of the world. It is the ideas, concepts, categories, values, and beliefs. Clifford Geertz defines culture as the machinery that people use “to orient them in a world otherwise opaque” (Geertz 1973, 363). There is not one ruling culture among others, in order to accept ones culture we must have positive curiosity, and respect as we lengthen our knowledge. In order to categorize a culture as a culture it must consist of several tangible…

Words 349 - Pages 2

Hispanic Culture Vs American Culture

the American and the Hispanic cultures. for instance, men in the Hispanic culture give hug or a handshake as a non-verbal greeting, in America we also do the same. Women in the Hispanic culture tend to give kisses on the cheeks. Another difference is how respect is shown. A way to show respect in a Spanish-speaking culture is to use the formal version of the word. In American, we just show respect by our attitudes and actions. Unlike in America, in the Hispanic culture, they have the feminine and masculine…

Words 117 - Pages 1

Culture: Patient and Asian Culture Essay

Final Culture Assignment Final Culture Assignment Asian culture is considered to be the most diversified culture of the world. Asians are a culturally diverse group that includes Chinese (the largest subgroup), Filipino, Indian, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese nationalities (Juckett, 2005). The most influential and dominant element of Asian culture is Family. The Asian family is held with strong ties and bonds. The extended family has significant influence, and the oldest male in the family is often…

Words 633 - Pages 3

Hispanic Culture Vs American Culture

Represent is defined as,"To stand for; symbolize." Many things in media have different cultures and races already being symbolized. Whether it is different styles of clothing, jewelry, or religion, most people can take a look at any social media platform and see many differences in these things. While religion is important, different cultures being seen are not very important. It is not important to have all of us feel seen because it would not work, being seen could get to people's heads, and the…

Words 204 - Pages 1

Mexican Culture Influence On American Culture

the unknown and what the media displays. But what really formed my belief system and culture was my family members and the type of education I was exposed to. Throughout my early age, growing up in a Latin American country and acquiring a Hispanic culture has been the main lifestyle that I followed. I was taught to speak…

Words 699 - Pages 3