The Power of Education

    As we've been discussing through the last posts, culture can determine a lot in our lives. How we eat, our manners, how we consider time, etc. Almost all aspects of our lives are impacted and determined by cultural paradigms.   Like in other aspects of our life, culture can have a great impact on our psychology. Our self-esteem, shame, and even how we see reality, building irrational stereotypes and prejudices. Let's work on these themes during this post.  Self-esteem - the urge to belong  In every culture, there is an ought self, that was defined by the cultural expectations on an individual, and the true self (who you really are). The culture-created ought self varies from culture to culture. The closer your true self fits in the first one, the more self-esteem you will have. The bigger the gap between those two, the less self-esteem and acceptance one might have.   Why? Because, as we talked about in the Individualism vs. Collectivism post , what is responsible for shame

      What is polite for you?   Well, this might sound like a weird question, but manners are not as stable and constant as we think. Each culture, and even subculture, have different manners, making what is polite and what isn't vary drastically.    In some cultures, for example, it is polite to shake hands strongly, to show you are determined and dedicated. This same gesture, in the Philippines, may scare them like you're crushing their arm.  Let´s check some of the differences around the world. Greeting - Handshake, Bow, or Wave?   As you probably know, greeting someone can vary a lot between cultures. It may show how personal space is in that culture. So, when in contact with another culture, observe what they do and try to fit in.   In some religions, like Muslims and Orthodox Jews, it is inappropriate for a man and woman who are not family related to touch each other, like shake hands. They avoid touching each other as long as possible.  In America, a handshake is consta

  Visiting an American High School a few years ago, I notice some things that vary from my experience back in Brazil. The books stayed in the classroom after the lecture, and sports were such a big deal. I already had expected some of the things, like changing class constantly, but it didn't shrink my surprise.   I just visited it twice, and I was still confused with so many class changes and new subjects I would never expect in Brazil. Just two days left me confused, and I was not even required to do the homework or participate. So imagine how confusing it must be to an Asian student who just moved to the US. and it is still learning the language must feel on his first day of school.   Cross-cultural students may face confusion or chock not only on the first day but also during a long period of time. No matter if they are immigrants or from an exchange program, teachers and classmates must understand the differences and include them in the class.  An Asian student may not look the

      If a stranger gets at you like this:  How would you feel? Uncomfortable, right?  Why do we all have this bubble around us? And where is ok to get close to someone?  These are a few things we will talk about in this post. Personal Space  Personal space is the space around us and our things. It is an invisible bubble around us, an air area that separates us from others. This area can be divided into four:  Intimate zone - the closer one, for closer friends, love interest, family, and pets only; Friend/Personal zone - for friends and a casual conversation; Social zone - the area for strangers and those around us; Audience zone - the area for the audience you speak at.  These areas can enlarge or shrink from culture to culture. Japanese and Latin Americans, for example, may have a smaller personal space than Americans.       There are other aspects that may change the personal space around us. People from big cities and metropolis tend to have smaller personal space than those from a

      As we saw in the previous posts, cultures can vary in distinct aspects. Time , expressivity , and others (that we will keep talking about in the next posts). Some of these aspects can be understood by a better understanding of these two cultural orientations: individualism and collectivism. Individualism Cultures with an individualistic perspective tend to see individuals as atoms, each one an important part of the group that has an opinion of their own. Free will and independent choices are expected and demanded by society, as they grow up to be more responsible for themselves. One person as a complete unit. Collectivism  On the other hand, group orientated cultures picture the world and interactions in a more holistic view. Everything is connected, and individuals are responsible for the group. Elders and older family/community members are responsible for most of the choices, and everything is done thinking about the group (family, tribe, etc.).  People are not separate units,

  Does everyone express emotions in the same way? Studies had shown that most of our emotions are expressed in the same way, independent of our culture. Even though, the way we allow them to appear in public can and is impacted by your cultural background. What does that mean? It means that some cultures allow more expressivity about how we feel in our speech and interactions in public, while others may “block” it subconsciously. Cultures with a higher expressivity tolerance tend to accept more emotions in their speech and behavior and express more their feelings in public concerning what is presented (remember the Mexican telenovelas?). They may even speak dynamically and use more emphasis and other strategies to express their emotions strongly while they speak. On the other hand, cultures with a low expressivity tolerance do not accept a lot of public showing of emotions, like expressions of disgust and sadness or even holding hands with your loved one. People from these c

    As we mentioned in the previous posts, all cultures are different. They can vary on so many distinct aspects, like time, and because of that, some misunderstandings can occur  (We will talk about some of these misunderstandings in the next posts).  Those misunderstandings are more common when related to concepts of politeness, kindness, and grief.  What is polite in one culture, may be rude and inadequate in another. And this happens because cultures have different values and beliefs, leading to one behave to be judge differently in each culture. Check this video for a better understanding:     In this video, we can take a look at how people from distinct cultures may understand the same situation, and also react to it. Because of their different background, they picture those things in distinct ways, evaluate and lead to also distinct conclusions. This happens because the icebergs of our cultures have an unseen basis, that others cannot understand just by superficial look (they

 Last post, we talked about the cultural paradigms (concepts embedded in our minds by our culture and that can vary from culture to culture), and how understanding their differences can impact positively our lives. Each culture is different, and not only in their language and gastronomy but also in behaviors and also morals. (If you missed it, check on here )   There is, however, another cultural difference that is worth mentioning. This is how we feel consider our time.     Although it may be hard to believe, time may vary from culture to culture. And I am not talking about Einstein’s theories or time travel machines.  What I meant was that our perception of time, and even how we spend it, can vary from one place to the other.    There are two distinct ways to “see” time, two ways that culture may divide into Monochronic and Polychronic. (Just remember that they don’t precisely divide within each other, habits and beliefs of some way may mix with some of the other in any culture due t

      When I visited the U.S. four years ago, I was on the moon. Seeing the houses, streets, and even people made me feel inside of an old TV show. It was like the High School Music American dream coming true. But, taking out the wonder, and a tiny bit of excitement, I felt like a fish out of the water. Even though I had contact with American culture almost my whole life, part by the media and part by some relatives who live there, it was still weird. Some things that were normal to me just weren’t for them. I felt like that astronaut in the movie Planet 51. But instead of raining rocks, I was in a land where people flushed toilet paper inside of the toilet.  If only two months there made me feel this way, I imagine what goes on the minds of those who had to move permanently to another country. How is it to know that these different concepts now are part of your life? How is it to feel ashamed or see others laughing at you for something that is just natural?   When you are learning