Cultural Interaction and American Revolution

Cultural identity is a significant force that shapes the interaction between people from different cultures. The contemporary globalization has made intercultural interactions inevitable in the contemporary society. People draw conclusions about other people's culture depending on a wide range of observations about the individual's way of live, values and behavior. For instance, understanding what people from specific cultural values helps in drawing about that culture in that specific aspect of value or behavior (Byram, 2015). For example, I have drawn the conclusion that martial art is a significant cultural practice in the Chinese culture. This conclusion is informed by the several Chinese films that I have watched that have largely been characterized by Martial Arts. This predominance of martial arts in these films informed the conclusion I have drawn from the Chinese culture.

UNIT 4 DISCUSSION

I am visiting a new country within a different culture from my culture. I am aware of the cultural differences and the possibilities of misunderstanding. There are significant cultural differences in perceptions of time, communication styles and gender roles between the two cultures. When I feel hungry among these people with a very different culture, I will choose to go to a restaurant. This is based on the knowledge about restaurants as universally accepted eating places across all cultures. In my interaction, language is likely to be a barrier to communication (Fontaine, 2007). For effective communication, I will seek a person from that culture who understands my language to interpret my request and guide me through the culturally acceptable foods within that culture. An example of miscommunication that is likely to occur is in the use of gesture and body language. Such communication signs are universally accepted in my culture may be misinterpreted people from the other culture. I will seek to be understood by use of an interpreter who understands my culture. This thought experience could help me in my daily life enabling me to understand how cultural differences can interfere with communication. This understanding will help me to coexist with people from different cultures.

UNIT 5 DISCUSSION

Globalization has enabled people to move freely from one country to another. This free movement has led to interactions between people of different culture. Consequently, one culture may be influenced by another culture. In this analysis, I will compare the cultural values between the United Kingdom and the United States of America. In the aspects of power distance, the United Kingdom ranks low at 35. This is slightly lower than U.S. ranking at about 40 (Geert Hofstede, n.d.). Power distance refers to the extent to which the countries have embraced equality among all the members of the society. There is a great similarity in the cultures of the two countries in the cultural aspects of individualism, masculinity as well as indulgence. Individualism is a measure of interdependence in the society. Both United States and the United Kingdom have a relatively high rate of individualism. These societies do not encourage interdependence among individuals. The great differences in cultural values of the two countries lie in aspects of long-term orientation. The United Kingdom has a higher long-term orientation compared to the United States. When doing business with a person from the United Kingdom, I will thrive on the cultural similarity of masculinity measure. Both cultures are driven by competition (Geert Hofstede, 2015). Therefore, I will offer competitive services to win their confidence.

UNIT 6 DISCUSSION

One of the cultural beliefs that my parents taught me was the Christian religious belief. From a young age, my parents insisted that I join them to the local church. Moreover, the bedtime prayers were a daily routine as part of the Christian beliefs. During the initial stage of inculcating this value, I greatly rebelled since I could not understand the importance of such religious values as part of our culture. The Christian religion was an important part of our culture, and every child had to be initiated into the religion (Best, 2001). I always tried to avoid going to church every Sunday. I found several excuses not to attend the church every Sunday. However, the persistence of my parents forced is to adapt to this cultural practices and values. Over time, this practice has become part of my life. I now attend church and do other Christian practices voluntarily and without compulsion.

UNIT 7 DISCUSSION

The contribution of women towards the independence of America has always been underrated. However, it is worth noting that women played a significant role towards the independence of America. Without the contribution of women, America would have taken a longer period to attain independence or failed to attain it all together. During the American Revolution, the contribution of women in the revolution was limited to the private and domestic real (Gundersen, 2007). Although invisible in the forefront of the revolution, women played a significant role in the success of the revolution behind the scenes. For instance, women were responsible for educating the children that would ultimately grow up to seek the Independence of the country. This education was critical in creating an informed citizenry that could effectively carry out the American Revolution. Moreover, the women instilled morality and civil values that ultimately led to the aggression with which men struggled for the American Revolution (Cometti, 2011). Therefore, women played a significant role in the American Revolution without which American independence would have remained a mirage.

References

Byram, M. (2015). Conceptualizing Intercultural (Communicative) Competence and Intercultural Citizenship. The Routledge Handbook of Language and Intercultural Communication, 4(12), 344-359

Fontaine, R. (2007). Cross-cultural management: six perspectives. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 14(2), 125-135.

Best, D. L. (2001). Gender Concepts: Convergence in Cross-Cultural Research and Methodologies. Cross-Cultural Research, 35(1), 23-43.

Gundersen, J. R. (2007). Independence, Citizenship, and the American Revolution. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 13(1), 59-77.

Cometti, E. (2011). Women in the American Revolution. Women and War, 24(2)

Geert Hofstede. (n.d.). Retrieved May 20, 2017, from http://geert-hofstede.com/countries.html

Geert Hofstede (2015). Geert Hofstede. Retrieved May 20, 2017, from http://geert-hofstede.com/geert-hofstede.html