Cultural Backgrounds - Essay Example

Culture determines people’s mannerisms and behaviorisms (Gullestrup 33). As we grow up, we adapt the traits and characteristics of people in our lives. It is hard to drop our childhood cultures, as different studies have proven. Due to social construct, the kind of society people grow up in determines their personality in the future, regardless of whether they live in their birthplaces (Gullestrup 33). This paper tries to prove this belief, by comparing three people currently living in the United States, but from different cultural backgrounds. Drawn from three different clusters according to the GLOBE culture clusters, the research will involve interviews on three cultural dimensions as discussed by both Hofstede and the GLOBE cluster. The three clusters include Latin America, the Middle East, and the Sub-Saharan Africa clusters. Evidence from the interviews conducted on the two clusters indicates that people acquire their cultural traits as they grow up. Regardless of the number of years they have been away from their places of birth, culture abandonment is unlikely. Results from the interviews revealed significant similarities and differences between the three cluster communities. Respondents in the interviews had been in the United States for over two years, which means they had adopted the American lifestyle. However, to determine whether the responses from the interviews were true, I will make a comparison with the cultural dimensions discussed by Hosftede and GLOBE. Finally, I will draw conclusions with references from the study findings.

Individualism

“Geert-Hofstede.Com” (web) defines individualism as the degree of interdependence that a society maintains among its members. Both respondents saw significant differences between the level of socialization in the United States and their places of origin. Although they agreed that they have some form of individualism, the separation between Americans and their neighbors was considerable. While the Sub-Saharan Africans agreed that they hold social events, where everybody in the society takes part, something that strengthens their cultural ties, this aspect was absent in the American context. Most of them had varying ways of life, choosing to keep things personal. He associated this separation with capitalism in the United States. According to the Middle East respondent, people in the United States are too busy to consider social lives or take part in any form of social events. According to him, American society is too individualistic, and people tend to indulge in other people’s lives. For him, this is the opposite in their culture, especially whenever involved in any form, of religious groupings. These two tend to regroup with people of their origin even in the United States, as they cannot avoid having a belonging, which are people of their culture. Hofstede and GLOBE agree with these responses. According to Hofstede, there is a higher level of individualism in the United States, than in the Middle East. However, the Sub-Saharan African countries score low in the level of individualism. The United States ranks at 91 on the level of individualism, while the Middle East scores 25 and Sub-Saharan Africa scores 20.

Power distance

Hofstede defines power distance as the extent to which less powerful people in the society’s institutions and organizations expect and accept unequal distribution of power Geert-(“Hofstede.Com” web). Power distance argues that both the followers and leaders endorse inequality. There is a higher level of power separation between leaders and subordinates in the Middle East than in Africa and the United States. According to my interview with the Middle East respondent, they accord high respect to their leaders, and treat them, with respect and humbleness. To them, leadership is divine and religious. He agrees that there is a huge difference between the rich and the poor, with the rich being the most respectable people in the society. Although Africans share similar sentiments, he points out that the gap between the rich and the poor in Sub-Saharan Africa is not as defined, a situation similar to the United States. According to Hofstede's rankings, Arab countries score 90 in the power difference, while African countries score 70. United States on the other hand ranks at 40. This is in agreement with the responses from the interviews.

Gender Egalitarianism

According to Sirje (web), gender egalitarianism is the degree to which a society or groups of people try to minimize the level of gender inequality. Different societies have varying levels of gender inequality. American society has a higher level of gender egalitarianism due to the social structures put in place by the society. There are more women in positions of authority compared to the African context and the Middle East. However, there is a higher rate of competition in America than in Africa and the Middle East as the interviews revealed. Characteristics of a society with high gender egalitarianism include more women in positions of authority, minimal occupational sex segregation, equal levels of education between women and men, and women taking responsibility in the decision-making process. This relates to Hofstede’s masculinity, only that in this case, masculinity defines the level of aggressiveness in society.

Conclusion

Although there are significant similarities between people of different cultures, there are cultural differences between them. As revealed by this study, there are substantial similarities between people of United States origin, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. Interviews with two people currently living in the United States but of African and Middle East origin have proven this, as this report indicates.