In the book Learning to Bow, written by Bruce Feiler, Feiler is sent to Japan to teach Japanese students about American values, customs, and its language. Feiler discusses his life and teaching experience in Japan during the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. In what became more of a learning lesson however, the author was able to understand what it truly meant to be Japanese. Feiler is better able to understand what it means to be Japanese through his immersion into Japanese society, as well as comparing his Americanized ideals with that of Japan. He is enabled through this immersion to better understand the vast similarities and differences between these two distant countries.
In "Unity and Diversity" Cultural Universals are all of the behavior patterns and institutions that have been found in all known cultures (Light and Kathleen 449). There are at least four thousand different cultural traditions throughout the whole world. Many people have more than one cultural traditions. Native Americans and Cuban traditions are different in Dance 's, Marriage, and Religion.
There is a stark contrast between the rural Jamaican and the American perception of the ideal body in society. Jamaicans highly favor fat bodies, while Americans prefer the lean, lithe look. The major extreme comes when comparing women in both cultures. Jamaicans encourage young girls to eat and become fat and portray that as the most desirable. On the hand, in America, young girls are the most at risk for developing eating disorders.
The African-American and Latino cultures have always had an unspoken alliance because of the previously white dominated society. Their communities have shared common struggles and problems, but hidden underneath all of that are steaming tensions. These conflicts are brought upon by economics, culture and race have caused quite a few incidents of violence. One of the most controversial of these was the shooting and death of a black teenager Trayvon Martin by a white latino, George Zimmerman in central
Top Characteristics of Hispanic Culture The US Hispanic population is rapidly becoming the target for many businesses. It’s been noted to be the fasted-growing ethnic group and going by the current growth rate of 167% compared to non-Hispanics, they will amount to 29% of the total US population by 2050. Taking a closer look at the persona of this people obviously puts you in an edge to tap into the market potential effectively. The best way to achieve that is studying the top characteristics of Hispanic culture, and below are major points to consider:
Between the year 1450 and the current time in Latin America and the Caribbean, religious beliefs and practices have been impacted by changes within culture and the exploration by foreign travelers. Europeans conquered this region and introduced Christianity to the natives in the 1400s. The polytheistic beliefs of the Aztec and Inca Empires did not continue due to the introduction of Catholicism to this area which continued as the dominant religion. Some religious practices of the Aztec, Inca, and Africans, such as human sacrifices, were ended; whereas other traditional practices were incorporated into the newly introduced religions.
The Maasai culture and the culture of most Americans are similar and different in a variety of ways. One way that America is like the Maasai is that, overall women, in America still tend to do housework while the men are expected to work and provide for the family. Although these roles are less enforced and defined in America, they still exist. Also, both cultures have partiarchial societies. Again, although this type of society is not as strict in America, it is still there.
I was born and raised up in South Korea for twenty years, and thus I know Korean culture very well. I also understand American culture as well, because I lived and worked with Americans for four years. I decided to choose this topic, because in my experience, I have noticed a lots of differences between Korean culture and American culture; for example how Korean or American treat older people, how Korean or American act in the gym, and about the differences in foods. I picked those subjects because I have experienced the Koreans and Americans side well enough to understand both and I’m currently in South Korea with military men and women. I have Korean friends and American friends spending time together sometimes, and then I can observes differences and similarities.
Cultural influences people on how to communicate with one another and its methods of communication from one culture to another. Culture plays a significant role in intercultural communication. Cultural identity is an element in a person’s life when one understands their own culture, leading to an understanding and appreciation of other cultures as well. It promotes a vital part of communication between people who come from different cultures. This paper will examine my Mexican American cultural background and how it affects my way of communicating with others.
As you can probably understand a culture's values, history, and background affect how the norms of the speakers . Citations: Olvera, A. (2015, October 3). Mexican Culture [Personal interview]. Zimmermann, B. (2015, February 10).
In the 16th Century, Spain became one of the European forces to reckon with. To expand even further globally, Spanish conquistadors were sent abroad to discover lands, riches, and North America and its civilizations. When the Spanish and Native American groups met one another, they judged each other, as they were both unfamiliar with the people that stood before them. The Native American and Spanish views and opinions of one another are more similar than different because when meeting and getting to know each other, neither the Spaniards nor the Native Americans saw the other group of people as human. Both groups of people thought of one another as barbaric monsters and were confused and amazed by each other’s cultures.
It is true that Mexicans and Spaniards share similarities concerning language and culture, but there are far too many regional variations that make linguists say that Mexican Spanish qualifies to be a separate language, nonetheless, what does differ is that Spain’s political system is a Democratic government with an ‘international’ currency. Additionally, one can find a lot of Spanish influence in Mexican culture such as bull fights, foods like Spanish rice, and yes, Catholic Religion. Yet, it is easy to see the ancestral differences between Mexican and Spanish people due to their many different historical characteristics. Today, one difference between the two is that the Mexican political system is a close copy of the US system—at least on paper. However, the Mexican constitution provides only for a Federal system, unlike in Spain who recently has a revolution less than fifty years ago.
Japan has many interesting adventures you can do. There are so many places, activities, smells, sites, and tastes you can explore! The way Japanese people live is their tradition to take their shoes off before entering their own home. Also not every Japanese person sits on a pillow and eats at a low table. Making assumptions are made by what you heard or think.
Anthropologist Edward T. Hall’s theory of high- and low-context culture helps us better understand the powerful effect culture has on communication. A key factor in his theory is context. This relates to the framework, background, and surrounding circumstances in which communication or an event takes place. The following highlights the problems facing low-context Americans when they interact with people from high-context cultures such as Japan in the movie ‘The Last Samurai’.
Culture refers to the common beliefs and behavior patterns of a group of people. In an organizational setup, it refers to the common values that the stakeholders of the organization share, and impact their decision-making process. According to Cristina De Rossi, “Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we behave with loved ones, and a million other things” (De Ross, 2015). Western culture refers to the cultures that are heavily influenced by European cultures, and has its roots from the Greco-Roman cultures as well as Christianity and spread through immigration to other parts of the world. Eastern culture is the culture of the Eastern Asian countries including China, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, and India (Zimmermann, 2017).
