I.

Culture

The web of ways of living, behaviors, beliefs, values, customs, aesthetic standards,
social institutions, and communication styles that a group of people has developed to
maintain its survival in a particular physical and human environment. Its pervasive
binding force belongs to a group of people who identify themselves as “Us.” Culture is a
non-evaluative term, neither good nor bad.

II. Concepts of Culture

- “Culture” Derives from the Latin “Colere” – Cultivate, settle, e.g., agriculture and
horticulture.
- Culture developed within the individual as well as the outside environment.
- It is continually changing and dynamic.
- Culture is reflected in communication patterns.
- Culture is a way of acting, a way of behaving.
- Culture is a collective phenomenon.
- People who grow up in similar environments tend to share common attitudes and
behave in similar ways.
- Culture is not inherited. It is learned.

Concepts of culture can fall into several different categories. The first type is what
Triandis (1972) called subjective culture or what Hofstede (2001) referred to as software
of the human mind: beliefs, values, and internalized interaction patterns. The second
type consists of the human-made environment and can include everything that people
have created, including institutions and art.

Rohner (1984) discusses two other distinctions in the conceptualization of culture.

First, there is a contrast between cultures as a system of behaviors versus culture as a
set of meanings. Second, scholars, called realists, attribute an independent existence to
culture versus others, called nominalists, who view it as a subjective human construct.
Because these categories are not easy to grasp, they require special attention.
III. Variations of Culture

It refers to the differences in social behaviors that different cultures exhibit

around the world. What may be considered good etiquette in one culture may be
regarded as bad etiquette in another.

Cultural variation

 Religion - ‘religare’ a Latin word – ‘to bind together.’ It is a system of beliefs and
practices and systems of actions directed toward entities above men. It is an
organized system of ideas about the spiritual sphere or the supernatural.
 Ethnicity - It is the expression of cultural ideas held by distinct ethics or
indigenous group.
 Nationality - It is the legal relationship that binds a person and a country. It allows
the state to protect and have jurisdiction over a person.

Cultural value differences

 Individualism vs. Collectivism
In individualist cultures, personal uniqueness, self-determination is valued. An
individual is all the more admirable if they are a "self-made man" or "makes up their own
mind" or show initiative or work well independently. Collectivist cultures expect people to
identify with and work well in groups that protect them in exchange for loyalty and
compliance.
Paradoxically, individualist cultures tend to believe that universal values should be
shared by all, while collectivist cultures tend to accept that different groups have
different values.
Many of the Asian cultures are collectivist, while Anglo cultures tend to be an
individualist.
 High Context vs. Low Context
In a low-context culture, things are made explicit, and there is considerable
dependence on what is said or written. 
A high context culture is one in which the communicators assume a great deal of
commonality of knowledge and views. Less is spelled out explicitly, and much more is
implicit or communicated in indirect ways. More responsibility is placed on the listener in
a low context culture to keep up their knowledge base and remain plugged into informal
networks.
 Future vs. Present vs. Past Orientation
Past-oriented societies are concerned with traditional values and ways of doing
things. They tend to be conservative in management and slow to change those tied to
the past. They see the past as passed and the future as uncertain. They prefer short-
term benefits.
Future-oriented societies have a great deal of optimism about the future. They think
they understand it and can shape it through their actions. They view management as
planning, doing, and controlling (instead of going with the flow, letting things happen).
 Quantity of Time
In some cultures, time is seen as being a limited resource that is constantly being
used up. It's like having a bathtub full of water that can never be replaced and which is
running down the drain. You have to use it as it runs down the drain or it is wasted. In
other cultures, time is more plentiful, if not infinite. In old agricultural societies, time was
often seen as circular, renewing itself each year.
References:

Concept of Culture. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/mariellameva/concept-of-culture-

15500056
The concept of culture. Retrieved from https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-
binaries/48150_ch_1.pdf

Zenpai, C. (2018, March 14)/ Human Cultural Variation/ Social Differences. Retrieved
from: https://www.slideshare.net/CarlPatrickTadeo1/human-cultural-variation-social-
differences

Nine cultural value differences you need to know. Retrieved from

https://cultureplusconsulting.com/2015/06/23/nine-cultural-value-differences-you-need-
to-know/

Differences in Cultures. Retrieved from http://www.analytictech.com/mb021/cultural.htm