What is Culture?

What is Culture?

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What is Culture?

attitudes,

Culture is the

customs

beliefs,

and

of a group of people

Cultural Attitudes

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Definition: how a group of people think or feel about a topic or idea

Ex:

• choices are made prioritizing family and community (collectivism) v. prioritizing yourself (individualism)
• communication is more direct v. communication that relies heavily on non-verbal cues and context

President Barack Obama bows to Japanese Emperor Akihito

Cultural Beliefs

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Definition: the way in which a group of people view or understand the world around them

Ex:

• Creating myths to explain the unknown
• Belief in a supernatural force influencing the events of our lives, such as fate, karma, or God
• Ancestor worship

Mulan at her ancestor's temple in the Disney film Mulan

Cultural Customs

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Definition: a behavior that is practiced regularly by a group of people, such as a routine or tradition

Ex:

• Shaking someone's hand when meeting someone formally

• Tipping for excellent service in the US
• In many countries this practice considered rude
• Celebrating birthdays

Bowing in Asia

In countries such as Japan, China, Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam, people bow to one another as a sign of respect, gratitude, or politeness. The deeper the bow, the more respect or gratitutde you are showing.

Bowing in Thailand

In Thailand, the bow is accompanied by a low, middle, or high wai. A wai is when someone puts their hands together and raises them as they are bowing to signal respect of gratitude.The higher the wai the more respect of gratitude is communicated.

Bowing is an example of the cultural attitudes of collectivism (prioritizing the family and group) and high-context communication (use of non-verbal cues and context to communicate implicit messages)