Difference in values/cultural values between Thailand AND Japan, UK, Germany - Assignment Example

Difference in values/cultural values between Thailand AND Japan, UK, Germany One difference that Thai people commonly share with the Japanese, British, and German people is their approach to law and order; the Japanese, British, and German people place more value in law and order because they have witnessed serious wars in the history (“Do American and European”) originating in lawlessness and lack of order in the state whereas the Thai people have not participated in or experienced such trauma in the history, so they have a more relaxed attitude toward following rules imposed on them by the government.

An example of demonstration of this attitude is in Thai driving; Thai people tend to drive in the middle of the lane so that others cannot pass by. Interpersonal relationships are of extreme importance for the Thai people (Knutson 8). Thai people are highly collectivist (“Japan vs Thailand”), more than the Japanese, British, and Germans. An example of their collectivism is their extended family systems; contrary to the British and German families, Japanese and more specifically Thai people belong to “in-groups” which look after them in compensation for loyalty.

While the family system and the institution of marriage has become extremely weak in Europe, Thai people still maintain robust family ties. Another common difference between Thai values and the values of Japanese, British, and Germans is that the former places more trust and belief in destiny than the latter three; “the Thai accepts events more philosophically than the Westerner; he does not strive to methodically control nature and bend it to his will” (Kulick and Wilson 1). The passiveness and easy-going attitude of the Thai people may be attributed to this belief in destiny.

Compared to them, the Japanese and particularly the Europeans including the German and the British are more active and consider themselves the architects of their own fate. Having the common element of Buddhism, Japanese are less distant to the Thai in values compared to British and Germans. Works Cited:“Do American and European values differ?” n.d. Web. 1 May 2015. . “Japan vs Thailand.” N.d. Web. 1 May 2015. . Knutson, Thomas J. “Comparison of Thai and U.S. American Cultural Values: “Mai Pen Rai” VS “Just Do It.” N.d. Web. 1 May 2015. . Kulick, E.

, and Wilson, D. Thailand’s turn: Profile of a new dragon. New York: St. Martin’s Press.