Cultural Similarities - Essay Example

? Cultural Similarities Task: I conducted an interview to find out the similarities that exist amid different cultures, and the findings showed that Hispanics and Americans of European origin share similarities in their cultures. The Spaniard I interviewed exuded traits that were similar to mine, yet I am an American of European descent. The findings indicate that human beings share many things in common despite the difference in cultures. The conversation proved that most of the European American and the Spaniards share the same religion. Subsequently, commonalities exist in the eating habits and the morals of the two cultures. Moreover, the family structures of the two cultures are similar. The interviewer established that people from varied cultures could communicate when they use similar communication techniques. Cultural Similarities Introduction This paper discusses the similarities between the Hispanic culture and my culture, which is the European culture. I have identified the similarities after interviewing a person from the Hispanic culture. The cultures of the Hispanics and the Europeans from North America are different, but there are some similar elements in the practices. I selected the Hispanic culture because there have been conflicts between the Hispanic culture and the American culture in many sectors. The cultural conflicts are mostly experienced in the wellbeing and education sectors. Hence, I wanted to understand how these conflicts arise. I have also identified the positive characters that my interviewee displayed during the interview in the paper. 1. “What are the similarities between you and the person of that different cultural group?” Based on the interview, I discovered that the major similarity between the European and the Hispanic cultures is religion. Most individuals from the two cultures are Christians and they believe in Jesus Christ. There are also many similar elements of their religious practices. For instance, individuals from the two cultures believe in eternal life and they believe that the main problem that humans experience is evil. However, the difference is that the Hispanics are mostly Catholics while many Europeans are Protestants (Healey, 2008). 2. “What is it about that person that makes feel at ease?” Additionally, both cultures value the family relationships. However, the Hispanic families are extended while the European ones are nuclear families. Both cultures value good manners and hard work (Healey, 2008). Hence, they take their children to schools and urge them to work hard. Moreover, both cultures raise their young ones and teach them to be independent. However, the Europeans teach their young ones to be self-sufficient at a tender age compared to the Hispanics. Another similarity that I identified during the interview is the gender roles in the decent European and the Hispanic families. In both cultures, men are the breadwinners while most women take care of their homes (Healey, 2008). In Addition, both cultures have similarities in their nutrition habits. For instance, both cultures use spices in their foods, but the only thing that differs is the types of spices (Francis, 2005). Furthermore, they both ensure that they eat balanced diets to maintain good health. The cultures maintain three major meals in a day. According to both cultures, breakfast should be the heaviest meal compared to all other meals (Healey, 2008). During the meals, all members have to seat at the dining table to share the meals, and the table manners are the same in all the cultures (Healey, 2008). Why I felt at ease At first, when I was interviewing the person from the Hispanic culture, I was not at ease. This is because I was not sure about his reaction towards the questions I would pose. I was fearful because I thought some of the questions would offend him. However, after asking the first question I felt at ease because the person had a good personality. He was very gracious and he was smiling throughout the interview. Additionally, he was humorous, and this helped in reducing tension during the interview. Furthermore, I felt at ease after realizing that our cultures have some similarities. Hence, it was easy to interact and understand most of the things he was explaining about his culture. Individuals from the interviewee’s culture value good manners, and this contributed to the success of the interview .This is because he was not giving rude answers that make one jittery. The interviewee was very respectful since according to him, Hispanics respect women, and for that reason when I asked questions that seemed to offend him, he would try to answer them in a respectful manner. 3. What positive traits and attributes does that person display or have that you share, can respect, or support? I have realized that I share commonalities with Spaniards since I display attributes and traits that are similar to those of the Hispanic people. It is notable that Hispanics and Americans of European decent perceive life similarly despite their differences (Bornhorst, Ichino, Kirchkamp, Schlag & Winter, 2010). In both cultures, communication plays a very fundamental role in enhancing mutual understating. Spaniards and European Americans nod their head during conversation to indicate an understanding. During the interview, I noticed that the Spaniard had an accent similar to that of European Americans. In addition, tonal variation aids in creating emphasis during communication for both our cultures. Hispanics look straight into people’s eyes when communicating since it is culturally acceptable for them to gaze at each other. Gazing signifies that a person is honest in what he/she is saying. Interestingly, Spaniards entice communication using body movements. For instance, snapping the fingers indicates that a person is seeking attention. Similar to European Americans, sharing a greeting is important whenever people are seeing each other for the first time. It is a sign of promoting peaceful coexistence amidst people of various cultures. It is likeable that Spaniards have different greeting styles depending on the occasion. Interestingly, they exude humor when engaging in informal conversations. This cultural attribute of the Spaniards is exposed whenever they attend social gatherings such as cultural festivals. In both cultures, people uphold themselves with high esteem. According to Bornhorst et al. (2005), the societies emphasize adhering to morals. As such, the Spaniards show respect for their religion. It was likable to note that Spaniards are religious people. Their social structures place values on the importance of relationship. Family is a very important unit for both the European Americans and Spaniards. The people engage in traditional agricultural activities. It is important that they focus more on safeguarding their cultures. However, this can be misused when it creates disrespect for people of different cultures. At first, I noted that the man is the head of the household in both cultures. Secondly, people share similar physical attribute in terms of the body structure. Subsequently, I liked it when the person I was interviewing used a polite language in answering my questions. It signified that Spaniards show respect to people from diverse backgrounds. 4. If you were to be friends with this person, what changes would you and the person you have interviewed have to make in your lives and why? Developing a friendship with the person will mean that there are certain adjustments that we are supposed to make in our lives. This has to be done to facilitate the integration of differences in some aspects of the two cultures to create harmony. A change in attitude is integral to adjusting in order to enhance mutuality in our relationship (Francis, 2005). It is important to use English in most of our communications to enhance our understanding. Additionally, the person should be friendlier when interacting with people who are non-Spaniards since a few people understand the Spanish culture. The person I interviewed will have to be at liberty in giving personal information during communication. He will have to be more humorous in his communications to add charm to our friendship. Notably, European Americans exude humor in most of their conversations. They also value the cultural aspects of life such embracing sporting activities and attending informal social gatherings. An adjustment of the eating habits from both cultures is a requirement. It will be easier to share meals when people consume similar foods. Subsequently, people of the same denomination are more likely to understand each other because of their principles. As such, a person should be less conservative according to Bornhorst et al. (2005). Moreover, an individual dressing style should represent some aspects of both the Spanish and European American culture. Since both parties are Christians, they should show respect for the different sexes. I will behave in accordance with the norms that are culturally valued by both cultures. Conclusion The similarities of cultures have made it easy for people to interact throughout the globe. As such, it was easier to conduct the interview because the communication technique of the interviewer was similar to that of the person being interviewed. The interview established that both Hispanic and European American cultures have resemblances and divergences. The commonalities in the cultures are seen in the people’s diet, literature and their interactions. People should dwell much on things that unite them, instead of focusing on their dissimilarities. This will eliminate the challenges that people face by enhancing an understanding amidst people of different cultures. References Bornhorst, F., Ichino, A., Kirchkamp, O., Schlag, K. H., & Winter, E. (2010). Similarities and differences when building trust: The role of cultures. Experimental Economics, 13(3), 260–283. doi: 10.1007/s10683-010-9240-x. Francis, J. M. (2005). Iberia and the Americas: Culture, politics, and history: A multidisciplinary encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. Healey, D. (2008). Acceptability of behavioral bully interventions: Mexican descent and white American elementary school students' ratings of assertiveness and seeking adult help skills. New York, NY: ProQuest. Read More