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Module3-Unit 2: Intercultural Dimensions HW (24) - Individual

HW (2/4) - Individual
48 replies
Mugurel Patrichi
Have you ever met people who had different positions in the cultural dimensions? Give examples.

Output: comment to this post or post a podcast or a short video
October 24, 2022
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Gopi Krisshna Tuticorin Harihara Subramanian
I think I could share something related to power distance culture we have in India. Many universities, companies back in the days and some still now have the vertical management. For example, in governmental organisations you report directly to the upper management, and sometimes you do not have the authority to implement any decisions of your own. Whatever is deciding by the upper management is what defines the organisation. And due to this there are many such political arguments between members involved or regular disagreements. And this also goes with political parties which are organised in such a way that one cannot sometimes take effective decisions.
October 30, 2022
GLADUNEAC M. MIHAELA
Of course, I once met some Jews who amazed me with their way of thinking in relation to other cultures, they didn't like the fact that people from Europe, in their opinion, claim to be religious and in fact they are out of place and that for them the churches they are just works of art. Of course, this amazes me somewhat, because in reality most of my friends do not have a great faith and mostly go to the holy places just to visit them and admire the work itself.
November 11, 2022
Hanna Dinser
I think of the situations in Latinamerica. I would position my latin@ friends with a low score in the individualistic dimension because it is a very collectivist culture. There was a situation where my friend told me that she wanted to go abroad but she could never go, because her family would never let her go away from them and she would make the whole family sad. Without judging- because I know that the family has a very high value in Latinamerica- I felt sorry for her and so thankful at the same time that I grew up with a strong family bond but nobody ever told me I should´nt take opportunities that I want to persue with the reason that I make my family sad. They respect my decisions and will never give me a bad conscience.
November 16, 2022
Santtu Viljami Räsänen
I think I saw it best in Spain. There the children and even adults can live with their parents from 0 to 28 and that seem normal to them in some cases. There is a huge difference compared to me when I was there at the age of 15. The children didn´t have many individual skills and depended on their moms for most of the things in life. AND they had the audacity to complain about it. The fact how family-oriented they were in the south made me feel like two years older due to all the skills I had learn when I was younger. ¨You leave home at 18¨ that was my plan, they had other plans, or no plans at all.
November 16, 2022
Ho Bao Cat Anh
I would take the indulgence level of Vietnamese and German people as the example.

Vietnamese people spend their whole life working and saving. Whenever they earn some extra money from their work or selling a house, they will put it into their saving rather than going out or travelling.
German people love saving, but at the same time, know how to enjoy life. They usually take some time off of work to travel or relax as a reward for a year of being hard working.

November 20, 2022
Atomei Alexia
Maybe in other countries in the west the fact that you have to call your parents to schedule a date when you can see them, in Romania your parents are always glad to see you, to ask them that would be weird.

November 20, 2022
DARIE I. LAVINIA TEODORA
One interesting encounter I had regarding cultural differences was with my tunisian friend. To him, the index of power distance is relatively high, and I was surprised to find out that he thinks that members of society have a certain place and it is hard to overcome it, without further justification. To him, hierarchy reflects inherent qualities. Moreover, symbols of power are very important to indicate social position and communicate the respect that should be shown.
December 6, 2022
DELIU M. CARLA-DIANA
I saw a lot of countries all my life, and I think every country has its specific things and differences. Last summer, I was in Greece with Erasmus for an internship, and there I can say that I met a lot of cultures and people. My greek friends were so confused when they saw I have blue hair, and you probably asking why? They told me that in Greece, that crazy colours are for people that works in clubs or for people that don't have a future in a normal place. Also, they are boring persons at parties. Everyone from Romania know that when we have a wedding or a baptism, everyone is happy and the party is very interesting. In Greece, the people there just stay at a table, eating something, talk to eachother, listening to music and after 2-3 hours they go home. I think this is a boring way for a party.
January 9, 2023
Margarida Francisca Fernandes Souto
When I was in high school, I had an Indian friend with whom I was close. Back then, we used to talk about the differences between Portuguese culture and Indian culture because sometimes we noticed actions, behaviors, and beliefs that were different. Illustrating, she and her family had been vegetarian their whole lives, and she explained to me that there are places in India where, due to religious beliefs, they do not eat meat. As for the food, a very simple example: curry is a spice that the Portuguese brought from the Orient in expeditions, and it is common to find curry being used in a specific chicken dish and sometimes in rice. On the other hand, she used to apply curry in most of the dishes she made at home. There were also some different beliefs about whom she should marry and a big difference in religious and party topics. It was very nice to discover the differences between cultures with a friend.

September 24, 2023
Nabil Salmi El Hichou
Yes, certainly. I've had the chance to meet people with different positions on cultural dimensions. From varying ways of communication, expressing emotions, to perceiving the world, these differences enrich our interactions and promote mutual understanding. Learning from these experiences strengthens the appreciation for diversity and fosters enriching dialogues between cultures.

For example, I have met people with contrasting perspectives on the individualism versus collectivism cultural dimension. Some value independence and personal achievement, while others prioritize interdependence and group well-being. This variation in cultural approaches influences their decisions, relationships, and social dynamics. It's fascinating to observe how these cultural differences shape their lives and viewpoints.

September 28, 2023
Lovre Raffanelli
I believe you meet those people on an every day basis. But, as an example of such difference I can name the difference between people i've met from countries such as USA , with high individualism and materialistic values, and people from Mediterranean countries, with high collectivism and a slower way of life.

September 28, 2023
Yezdan Rizwan
I would like to take an example of Indian and German people for this question

Individualism vs. Collectivism:
India tends to be more collectivist, emphasising strong family and community bonds while Germany leans toward individualism, valuing personal freedom and individual achievement.

Uncertainty Avoidance:
India often has a lower uncertainty avoidance, with a willingness to adapt to changing circumstances while Germany tends to have a higher uncertainty avoidance, valuing structured and rule-based approaches to minimise uncertainty and risk.

September 28, 2023
Priyanka Mitruka
Oh, definitely!
As someone from India, I have observed that power distance Is very high in my country. There is strong sense of authority and belief in hierarchy. Older family members have more power and influence and play a major role in decision-making. Parents often decide what their children should study and what career path they should pursue. Similarly, in the workplace, managers and supervisors have more authority and are expected to be treated with respect. For example, in some companies, a junior employee is expected to address their boss as “Sir" or “Madam" and it is unacceptable if you question their authority.
However, things are changing in India as younger generations are taking control of their lives and stepping out of their comfort zone. With the rise of social media and increased access to information, younger generations in India are becoming more aware of their individual rights and freedoms and pursuing careers and lifestyles that align with their own interests and passions.

September 29, 2023
Anastácia Chihai
I'm going to give you the latest event where I noticed different positions in the cultural dimensions. So, as some of my portuguese friends know, in iscte (our university) there are unisex bathrooms. To me, coming from a moldovian household this is confusing. Not because I'm discriminating someone, just because I don't think I would be comfortable using the same public bathroom as a man. But to my friends, that is super normal.
September 29, 2023
Maren Ehrlichmann
Going to university in Indonesia, I noticed many different positions in the cultural dimensions. Especially the differences between power distance, individualism, and time structuring were very different from what I was used in Germany.
First of all, the language at the university is more formal, you always say Ibu or Pak to adress your teachers, and in university as well as at work, the amount of authority you have is manifested in your title and position.
Further, the culture is more collectivistic, families of several generations usually live together and most of my friends at university also lived with their family, as in Germany it is normal to move out with 18, especially when you go to university.
Another huge difference is the polychronic time structuring in Indonesia, more known as "jam karet".While some of my German friends get very upset when someone does not arrive on time even if they wait only 5 minutes, in Indonesia my friends were usually 1-2 hours late and no one was even bothered by that, because first of all, everyone is late all the time and secondly one does not perceive the waiting as something bad. There are always people to talk to around and you usually meet in bigger groups wheras in Germany friends often meet in smaller groups and stick to themselves.
September 29, 2023
Iván Pérez Infantes
I have been to many countries, and one of them is Morocco. So, at mealtime we always eat with forks and there they didn't give us any of that. They told us that they ate with their hands and I was shocked. And this is something that is instilled in the culture of the country and that you may not see in another.

September 29, 2023
Antony Vincent
In India, it's quite common for people to follow a strong hierarchy when it comes to power. Whether it's at work or in families, there's a clear difference in who holds the power. In families, the eldest member usually makes all the important decisions for the whole family, and others don't have much freedom to decide things for themselves. Similarly, at work, the "Leader" is the one who makes all the decisions and takes full responsibility for everything. They assign tasks to their employees, and sometimes it can feel like the employees are just a means to an end.
This hierarchy can make us feel like we're not as important and can be a bit condescending at times. But things are changing, and more people are starting to prefer a more equal and fair way of doing things where everyone's opinions and contributions are valued.

September 29, 2023
Mayya Statsenko
Throughout my professional career I have worked with people of many different nationalities and cultures. Such as: Brazilians, Chinese, Romanians, Ukrainians and Cape Verdeans. When meeting these people I noticed some cultural differences, namely religion and the importance it plays in these individuals' lives, as well as in the way they think and live. For example, when I worked with the Chinese I noticed that they are more reserved and more controlled on an emotional level. Brazilians are more extroverted, love to talk and enjoy socializing.
September 29, 2023
Celia Oliva Rueda
I position myself in the four cultural dimensions in the following way:
-Uncertainty avoidance: I think I’m oriented to rules, I prefer to work in places where the rules are defined, but I don’t avoid risk and I don’t care if there is no process defined to do something. I like rules only to make sure everyone is doing what they should, rather than because I need guidelines. I conclude that I feel comfortable with risk.
-Power distance: My inclination towards power distance is moderate. I like to see myself in position of leadership, more that in a position of power. Talking in a work environment, I have respect for authority, but I really like inclusive places where everyone can participate. I believe that if my team have 6 members, I can have 6 opinions and 6 persons with particular capabilities that together can make more that all by themselves. I don’t incline specially to power.
-Individualism: I feel that I focus in my own personal aims and I take them very seriously, and I validate autonomy and independence in work, but I also like a lot to work in groups. I think that is ideal that everyone can do a god job by itself and also care about helping other people.
-Achievement orientation: I’m inclined to achievement and to the compliance of personal and professional goals.

September 29, 2023
Inês Torres Esteves
People are all different, so it's normal to have a different perspective on life. I have friends who don't give the importance I give to college, for example, for them the important thing is to pass the year and therefore, they will just enjoy the academic environment. Between studying for a test or going out at night because there's a big party, they prefer to go out, and I don't even though I don't agree, I accept it because it's their way of seeing life.
September 29, 2023

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