TOPIC 2: CULTURAL DIVERSITY

What is Culture? 

CULTURE is the environment in which you live. You learned it from your parents, teachers, the media, everyone
and everything you knew as you grow up. Culture is what a particular group agrees is reality. It becomes the
backdrop for the ways people think, feel, speak, and act (Ruffino, 2005)

Understanding Culture

When working across different cultures it's critical that you understand the rules and cultural expectations of
others. Underestimating culture is the point at which things can start to go wrong.  Although it may be easy to learn
facts and do’s and don’ts about different cultures, this is not necessarily being culturally aware.  ("Why is Cultural
Awareness Important", 2018)

Culture represents the things we see, the tangible, as well as the intangible things.  The iceberg, a commonly used
metaphor to describe culture, is a great example for illustrating the tangible and the intangible. When talking about
culture, most people focus on the “tip of the iceberg,”  Most leaders in businesses, when addressing intercultural
situations, pick up on the things they see—things on the “tip of the iceberg.” This means that they never address the
cultural issues and problems that are underneath the surface level. It is is the unseen elements of culture such as
values, beliefs, traditions etc, that are usually hardest for people to understand and deal with.  When we interact in
cross cultural situations, a lack of awareness can lead to bad or poor decisions. Solutions become temporary band-
aids covering deeply rooted cultural systems.  Cultural awareness helps us reduce the chances of making bad
decisions and increases the chance of making us more insightful, considered decision.  ("Why is Cultural Awareness
Important", 2018)

What is particularly fascinating about cultures is that each culture, no matter where it is located, shares at least
five basic characteristics. 

1.  Culture is learned, not innate.  We do not inherit it. Much of learning culture is unconscious. We learn culture
from families, peers, institutions, and media. The process of learning culture is known as enculturation. While all
humans have basic biological needs such as food, sleep, etc. the way we fulfill those needs varies cross-culturally.

2.  The various facets of culture are integrated. If you touch a culture in one place, everything else is affected.  This
is known as holism, or the various parts of a culture being interconnected. All aspects of a culture are related to one
another and to truly understand a culture, one must learn about all of its parts, not only a few.

3. Culture is shared, and it defines the boundaries of different groups. Because we share culture with other members
of our group, we are able to act in socially appropriate ways as well as predict how others will act.  Despite the
shared nature of culture, that doesn't mean that culture is homogenous (the same). 

4. Culture is dynamic. This simply means that cultures interact and change. Because most cultures are in contact
with other cultures, they exchange ideas and symbols. All cultures change, otherwise, they would have problems
adapting to changing environments. And because cultures are interrelated, if one component in the system changes,
it is likely that the entire system must adjust.

5. Culture is based on symbols.  A symbol is something that stands for something else. Symbols vary cross-
culturally and are arbitrary (random). They only have meaning when people in a culture agree on their use.
Language, money and art are all symbols. Language is the most important symbolic component of culture.

Cultural Elements
As a cultural group, people decide what to believe about the world, which beliefs are most important (values), who
their heroes and heroines are, what stories or myths are important to express their values, how to do things – the
rituals by which they act out their values, the networks of people connections, and which symbols will serve as
shortcuts to remind people of these cultural bonds. All of these elements of culture underlie how the people in a
major culture decide to handle their families, schools, churches, government, housing, business, and science.
They’re expressed in a culture’s art forms, food, dress, play, and every other aspect of life.  (Ruffino, 2005)

Culture combines many elements to create a unique way of living for different people. In this lesson, we identify
the important  elements that exist in every culture (Ruffino, 2005) albeit in different forms:
 

1.  Values

You need to recognize that value systems are fundamental to understanding how culture expresses itself. Values
often serve as principles that guide people in their behaviors and actions. Our values, ideally, should match up with
what we say we will do, and our values are most evident in symbolic forms. Consider, for example, a picture of the
Philippine flag. If you were a Filipino, what words do the pictures evoke for you? Freedom, liberty, Philippines,
united, independence, democracy, or patriotism, perhaps?

2. Heroes/Heroines  

o Role Models / Champions / Stars

o They’re often seen as fearless leaders or courageous adventurers. They personify the core values and
the strength of the organization or group. They become symbolic figures whose deeds are out of the
ordinary – but not so far out that people cannot identify with them.

o Such leaders become great motivators, the people everyone will count on for inspiration when things
get tough. They tend to be intuitive, to envision the future, to experiment, and to appreciate the value
of celebrations and ceremonies.

3. Myths

A story or saying whose function is to bind together the thoughts of a group and promote coordinated social action.
It may be a legend that symbolizes a central belief of the culture. It’s often more symbolic than factual, but may be
either. Some myths are based on powerful truths; some on manipulative, hurtful lies; still others on harmless little
white lies.

4. Rituals

The “way we do things around here.” They include the customary day-to-day actions people take, their expected
actions and responses. Core values have no impact without ritual and ceremony. The unwritten rules of personal
communication, the rituals of social interaction, govern relationships between bosses and workers, professionals and
support staff, men and women, old and young, insiders and outsiders.

5. Networks

The primary means of communication within an organization. They tie together all parts of the company without
respect to the organization chart. They not only transmit information, they also interpret its significance. In most
organizations, only about 10 percent of its business takes place in formal meetings and event. The real process of
making decisions, gathering support, and developing opinions, happens before or after the meeting. Of course,
formal networks are important too. They include the formal organization chart, task forces, work teams, professional
and trade associations, and similar groupings.
6.  Symbols

Are shortcuts that remind people of those cultural elements that bind them together. A song, banner, flag, logo,
picture, motto, or brand name may bring up corporate values. A nickname or motto may recall a heroine or star. A
figure of speech may recall a key myth or ritual. A good symbol can serve to trigger communal thoughts and
feelings about a common cause or goal.

HOW DO CULTURES DIFFER?

Cultures differ in thousands of ways, and categorizing the major differences gives us a practical basis for
comparison. These categories deal with the ways people view themselves in relation to others and to the world and
how they act out those viewpoints. 

1.  I'm Controlled

o “Things happen to me and I have little control over my life. It depends on my boss, my customer, fate,
luck, God’s will.”

o Most cultures fall into this camp including most African, Asian, Arab, and Latino cultures. Women in
all cultures are more likely than men to hold this viewpoint.

2.  I Control

o “What happens to me is up to me.”

o “God helps those who help themselves.”

o Most Western cultures, especially Europe and America, and especially men, hold this viewpoint.

3. Us-First (Collectivism)/Tight Ties

o US-First (Collectivism) - “I should first integrate my goals, thought, and actions with those of my
group. Working within what the group wants and needs, I can try to get what I want and need. 

o Tight Ties - People should always stay close to their parents and relatives and never stray far.”

o Most cultures fall into this camp including most African, Asian, Arab, and Latino cultures. Certain
families, religious groups. 

4.  Me-First (Individualism) / Loose Ties

o Me-First (Individualism) - “I must first focus on my personal goals. I work toward better things for my
family and work team and community, but my personal goals must come first. I will stay with a group
as long as it does not block my efforts to meet my own wants and needs.”

o Loose Ties - When people grow up, they have to make their own way in the world. European cultures
fall into this camp, Euro-Americans being the most individualistic.

5. Achievement-First (Masculine Aspect)

o “I am very ambitious , and I believe I am here to work. Men should be assertive, ambitious, and
competitive. They should work for material success, and respect whatever is big, strong, and fast.”
 o The most masculine culture by far is Japan, while US culture is moderately masculine. Such cultures
define gender roles. Euro-Americans, especially men, tend to be highly competitive in social
interaction and performance.

6.  People-First (Feminine Aspect)

o “I focus on building and maintaining positive, personal relationships. The type of life I build is more
important than the things I accumulate. What motivates me is contributing to my family, workplace,
and community.” 

o The Scandinavian cultures are the most people-focused. The roles and viewpoints of men and women
are not as separate

7.  Equality (Democratic Cultures)

o “My company’s organization chart looks like a low box. I appreciate it when my boss consults me
about decisions that affect me and my job. I like it even more when he lets me or the team make the
decisions.”

o In moderately egalitarian cultures such as US, Japan, and most European countries, consultation is
appreciated but not expected. In very egalitarian cultures such as the Scandinavian countries, Israel,
and Austria, everyone should have a say in everything that concerns them.

8. Inequality (Rank/Status Cultures)

o “My company’s organization chart looks like a pyramid. Our leaders are very strong and powerful and
we depend on them to make the right decisions and they control things. I would never contradict my
boss, either at work or elsewhere.”

o Nearly all underdeveloped countries and developing countries have vertical societies. Like those from
the Latino, Asian, and African countries

9. Achievement-First (Masculine Aspect)

o “I am very ambitious , and I believe I am here to work. Men should be assertive, ambitious, and
competitive. They should work for material success, and respect whatever is big, strong, and fast.”

o The most masculine culture by far is Japan, while US culture is moderately masculine. Such cultures
define gender roles. Euro-Americans, especially men, tend to be highly competitive in social
interaction and performance.

10.  People-First (Feminine Aspect) 

o “I focus on building and maintaining positive, personal relationships. The type of life I build is more
important than the things I accumulate. What motivates me is contributing to my family, workplace,
and community.”

o The Scandinavian cultures are the most people-focused. The roles and viewpoints of men and women
are not as separate. 

11. Take Risks

 o “Nothing ventured, nothing gained is my motto. I like change and new adventure. For a business to be
successful, people must come up with new ways of doing things, new products and services, and new
technology.”

o Singapore is by far the most risk-taking culture, while the United States has a moderately risk-taking
culture.

12. Play It Safe

o “Since change creates many unknowns and uncertainties, we don’t like change and try to prevent it by
sticking with traditions.”

o Greece is the most certainty-oriented culture, followed by Japan. Most European and Latino fall into
this pattern.

13. Dive-Right-In Time

o “Several things may be happening at once in this time because several people may need my attention at
any one time. After all, it is more important to maintain good relationships with others and to complete
transactions with others than to do one thing at a time on a preset schedule.”

o Latino, Middle Eastern, and some Asian and African cultures fall under this.

14. Step-by-Step Time

o “I measure my time and budget as I schedule appointments, decide on the starting and ending times for
events, get to things on time, meet my deadlines, and plan ahead. The best way to use my time is to
focus on one task, appointment, or event at a time.”

o This view is prevalent in Western countries, especially the United States.

15. Come-Close Space

o “When I talk with business associates and friends, we stand close enough to be able to feel each other’s
breath on our face and catch each other’s scent. We touch each other a great deal as we interact. My
male business associates often embrace instead of shaking hands.”

o Middle Eastern cultures fall under this category followed by Latinos.

16. Back-Off Space

o “When I talk with business associates and social acquaintances, it’s usually at arm’s length, about two
or three feet away. I usually feel uncomfortable and back up till I feel comfortable. It really bugs me if
a person keeps moving in even after I back off.”

o Western cultures are basically non-contact societies. In most Asian cultures as well.

17. Communicating Indirectly (Using Implied Messages)

o “I try to maintain harmony and get along with people, so I never say things that would offend them.”
 o In all cultures, women are likely to use an indirect style, such as hinting, implying, and keeping quiet
in order to keep peace.

18. Communicating Directly (Getting to the Point) 

o “I try to build trusting relationships based on honesty and sincerity. It’s important to be upfront and
genuine in my dealings with people. If I have a problem with a person, or a proposal, I go directly to
that person first and try to work it out.”

o The direct style is typical in Western cultures. Within those cultures, men are more likely than women
to use a direct communication style.
Cultural Conditioning Is how people acquire their culture, how they learn all the behaviors that are regarded as
right and wrong in their society. 

According to the article ("the  Process of Cultural Conditioning", n.d.) While the majority of conditioning occurs in
early childhood, adults continue to be conditioned as they acquire new behaviors throughout their life. The
differences between the two are these:

o In Childhood conditioning, infants and young children learn such basic activities of life as eating,
walking, talking, dressing, bathing, etc.

o In Adult conditioning, people learn new behaviors or new ways to perform already conditioned
behaviors, as, for example, learning to use a Turkish toilet or eat with your hands rather than with
silverware.
The steps in the process of cultural conditioning are the same for both, but adult conditioning may take longer
because it requires unlearning or unacquiring behavior that was already acquired through childhood
conditioning. These are the five steps OF CULTURAL CONDITIONING PROCESS:

1.  Observation

At this stage, you are only beginning to become aware of a particular behavior but have not yet tried to do it
yourself. Taking the example of eating with your hands, you may have observed how it is done, or someone may
have told you how it is done.

2. Imitation
Now you actually try to carry out the activity; you sit down at a table and begin eating with your hands. At this
stage, it is awkward for you, and you're conscious all the while of what you're doing, trying not to make mistakes.
You most likely are unable to eat and carry on a conversation simultaneously, for all your attention is on the act of
eating.

 3.  Reinforcement
As you eat, people encourage you when you do it right and correct you when you are wrong. Over the course of
several meals, you naturally try to do what they tell you.

4.  Internalization

Without needing much reinforcement, over time and with practice, you now know how to eat with your hands. You
may still have to pay attention to what you're doing, but not as much as during stages 2 and 3.

5. Spontaneous Manifestation
Now you're able to eat "the right way" without paying any conscious attention to what you're doing. It comes
naturally; as you eat, you are aware of other things, not just the act of eating.

there are five Steps process for becoming a Diversity-Savvy Person

1.  Become aware of culture. Its elements, pervasiveness, and impact, as well as similarities and differences
between major cultural groups.

2.  Learn about your own culture. Recognize that the beliefs and customs that you may accept as reality are only
one way of viewing the world, the way of your culture.

3.  Recognize your own biases. The ways in which you stereotype, assume, judge, and discriminate, so you can own
them and move beyond them.
 

4.  Learn about other cultures. The environments of people you encounter in the workplace, so you can recognize
when cultural differences may be at the root of problems and so you can appreciate the contributions people from
diverse cultures make to the work situation.

5.  Build interaction skills.  Practice new behaviors through self-analysis activities, skill builder case studies,
interviews, and applying your new understandings to actual people situations at work, school, anywhere you
encounter diverse groups.

What is Stereotype?

Stereotypes are broad, often simplified assumptions made about all members of a particular group.  Stereotypes are
characteristics imposed upon groups of people because of their race, nationality, and sexual orientation. These
characteristics tend to be oversimplifications of the groups involved, and while some people truly do embody the
traits of their stereotype, they are not necessarily representative of all people within that group. Stereotypes are not
always accurate and even if positive, can be harmful (Nittle, 2020).  Almost every culture or race has a stereotype,
including Filipino people, Blacks, Irish people, and Polish people, among others.  

What is Prejudice?

According to Cherry, (2020) Prejudice is a baseless and often negative preconception or attitude  toward members of
a group. Prejudice can have a strong influence on how people behave and interact with others, particularly with
those who are different from them, even unconsciously or without the person realizing they are under the influence
of their internalized prejudices.  Some Common features of prejudice include negative feelings, stereotyped beliefs,
and a tendency to discriminate against members of a group. In society, we often see prejudices toward a group based
on race, sex, religion, culture, and more. While specific definitions of prejudice given by social scientists often
differ, most agree that it involves prejudgments that are usually negative about members of a group.

Common Stereotypes

1.  Racial Profiling focusing about race. For example, saying that all Blacks are good at sports is a stereotype,
because it's grouping the race together to indicate that everyone of that race is a good athlete.

2. Group of Individuals A stereotype that involves grouping of individuals such as: Skaters, Goths (they have
morbid fashion & style of dress), Gangsters, and Preps (means image conscious)  are a few examples. Most of this
stereotyping takes place in schools. 

o Goths wear black clothes, black makeup, are depressed and hated by society.
o Punks wear mohawks, spikes, chains, are a menace to society and are always getting in trouble.
 o All politicians are philanderers and think only of personal gain and benefit.
o Girls are only concerned about physical appearance.
o All blonds are unintelligent.
o All librarians are women who are old, wear glasses, tie a high bun, and have a perpetual frown on their
face.
o All teenagers are rebels.
o All children don't enjoy healthy food.
o Only anorexic women can become models.
o The elderly have health issues and behave like children.

3. Sexual Stereotypes on the other hand, suggest that any feminine man is gay and any masculine woman is a
lesbian. Those who believe gay stereotypes may also believe that homosexuality is immoral, wrong and an
abomination.

Culture Stereotypes means cultures of countries as a whole. Stereotype examples of this sort include the premises
that:

o All white Americans are obese, lazy, and dim-witted. Homer Simpson of the TV series The
Simpsons is the personification of this stereotype.
o Mexican stereotypes suggest that all Mexicans are lazy and came into America illegally.
o All Arabs and Muslims are terrorists.
o All people who live in England have bad teeth.
o Italian or French people are the best lovers.
o All Blacks outside of the United States are poor.
o All Jews are greedy.
o All Asians are good at math. All Asians like to eat rice and drive slow.
o All Irish people are drunks and eat potatoes.
o All Americans are generally considered to be friendly, generous, and tolerant, but also arrogant,
impatient, and domineering.

5. Gender Profiling common stereotypes of men and women, such as:

o Men are strong and do all the work.

o Men are the "backbone."
o Women are not as smart as a man.
o Women cannot do as good of a job as a man.
o Girls are not good at sports.Guys are messy and unclean.
o Men who spend too much time on the computer or read are geeks.

Types of Prejudice

o Prejudice can be based on a number of factors including sex, race, age, sexual orientation, nationality,
socioeconomic status, and religion. Some of the most well-known types of prejudice include:

1. Racism is a discrimination or hatred directed to someone because of their color, ethnicity, and national
origins.  Examples: Racial Name Calling and  jokes or you may also consider situations when people may
be excluded from groups or activities because of where they come from.  

o 2. Sexism is based on gender and is said by some to be the root of all prejudice and discrimination. While
women are roughly half the world’s population, they are a minority in economic and political arenas and
have fewer rights and privileges than men. 
 o 3. Ageism a type of discrimination that involves prejudice against people based on their age.  Similar to
racism and sexism, ageism involves holding negative stereotypes about people of different ages.   Today,
the term is often applied to any type of age-based discrimination, whether it involves prejudice against
children, teenagers, adults, or senior citizens.  Manifestations of ageism are frequently cited in workplace
situations, where it can lead to pay disparities or difficulty finding employment.  Younger adults may have
difficulty finding jobs and receive lower pay due to their perceived lack of experience, while older adults
may have problems achieving promotions, finding new work, and changing careers.  

o 4.  Ethnic Prejudice is based on a person’s membership in an ethnic sub-culture, which is a segment of a

larger culture or society. Members of the subculture participate in shared activities in which the common
origin and culture are significant ingredients. A subculture is unique because of its particular beliefs and
values and customs, heroes and heroines, myths and stories, and social networks

o 5. Classism is held in place by a system of beliefs and cultural attitudes that ranks people according to
economic status, family lineage, job status, level of education, and other divisions.  

o 6. Homophobia is Negative attitudes  and feelings  towards homosexuality or people identified or

perceived  as being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.  Homophobic people may use mean language and
name-calling when they talk about lesbian and gay people.  In most extreme forms, people tend to bully,
abuse, and inflict violence on lesbian, gay, and bisexual people.

o Some LGBTQ people experience discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. This
may be discrimination from religious institutions, companies, or from our government. Examples include
same-sex couples not being allowed to marry, getting legally fired just for being LGBTQ, or not being
allowed into certain housing. 

What We Can Do to Reduce Prejudice?

There are different ways prejudice can be reduced or even eliminated.  According to (Cherry, 2020) Training people
to become more empathetic to members of other groups is one method that has shown a considerable success.  By
imagining themselves in the same situation, people are able to think about how they would react and gain a greater
understanding of others people's action.  

Other techniques that are used to reduce prejudice include:

o Gaining public support and awareness for anti-prejudice social norms

o Increasing contact with members of other social groups

o Making people aware of the inconsistencies in their own beliefs

o Passing laws and regulations that require fair and equal treatment for all groups of people