Understanding the Self
tendency for self-inflation. In fact, people
Most of the cultural differences center
around two concepts:
Individualism – favors the individual as an
independent entity and encourages self-
promotion and self-worth.
Collectivism – individuals are part of a
group and the needs of the group come
before the individual.
By and large, cultures in the West tend to
be more individualistic whereas people
from the East are more collectivist. These
concepts are a running thread through
many eastern and western cultural
differences.
Here are five cultural differences in thinking
and perception between the East and
West.
1. The Individual
In Western society, the individual rules.
And this has consequences for society, the
workplace, family, even relationships. For
example, in the West, we admire the ‘self-
made man’. We value personal
achievements over group efforts. We want
validation for our own self-esteem but not
for any particular group. This can lead us to
overestimate our own abilities or ‘self-
inflation’. For instance, a whopping 94% of
US professors rated themselves as ‘better
than average’ when asked about their
competence.
In other words, whoever complains or
makes the loudest noise will get the
attention. On the other hand, in the East,
family and community are more important
than the individual. Not to mention that
there is little to no evidence of any
living in the East are more likely to
underestimate their abilities, rather than
seem over-confident. In Eastern society, it
is considered extremely rude to brag about
one’s abilities.
2. Family
Family plays an extremely important role in
Eastern society. Particularly when it comes
to living arrangements. In the West, it is a
rite of passage for children to move out at a
certain age. Getting your own place is a
sign of independence. Whereas in the East,
there is no need for children to leave the
family home. Asian people see living on
your own as a choice as strange. This goes
for elderly relatives as well. Family
members care for their older generations in
the East. Whereas in the West, we do not
see caring for our elderly as a family
responsibility.
In the East, married couples do not move
out of the family home. In fact, a newly-
married woman will go and live with her
husband’s family. Newly-married Western
couples usually live together before they
get married. In the East, the emphasis is
very much on family. As a matter of fact,
you’ll often find several generations living
under the same roof. However, this also
means that individuals living in the family
home may have to compromise. Family
come first in the East.
3. Love and Relationships
Westerners believe that there must be one
special person in the world just for them.
After all, as individuals we are special and
only the best will do. Westerners will
embark on an endless search for their
perfect match. We want that one person
that will make us whole. Love, in the West,
means high emotions, a rollercoaster with
huge ups and downs.
In the East, it’s a much more sedate affair.
People trust that they’ll chance upon love
through circumstance. They settle for a
partner that they have a deep friendship
with. This is their foundation in which love
will grow. Easterners make a lasting
commitment. They don’t give up when their
relationship hits a rocky patch.
In the East, potential partners must have
family approval. In fact, arranged marriages
are a tradition that is alive and well in the
East. This is virtually unheard of in the
West.
4. Education
In the West, the focus is very much on
individual achievement and fostering
natural ability. Students are encouraged to
think for themselves. Participation is key.
Students are expected to challenge their
lecturers. Tutors want to pique their
student’s interest and get them curious
about their subject. In Western schools,
students are contributors to their own
education. They are not merely recipients
of an education. If a student fails, the
school or institution is blamed.
On the contrary, in the East, every student
is equal and has the same chance of
academic success as the next student.
Hard work is the way to attain success.
In addition, in Eastern schools, discipline
can outweigh any academic problems the
students might face. There are no other
reasons for a student to fail. However, if
they do, it’s certainly not the school’s fault.
More likely it’s down to the parents or the
student themselves.
5. The Workplace
Finally, the East and West differ in many
ways when it comes to the workplace. In
Western society, walk into an office and
you are likely to see very separate
designated spaces for workers. The
manager has their own office. Other staff
members are defined by the size and
seclusion of their areas. In contrast,
workers in the East enjoy a much more
open-plan working environment. Here
managers and senior staff mingle with
ordinary workers.
In the West, forming relationships with your
co-workers tends to take time and occurs
over long periods. However, in the East,
you are immediately treated like close
family.
And as for networking, you might think that
the East is way ahead of the West in terms
of technology. This may be true, but they
still like the old-fashioned use of business
cards. Unlike the West, where we are more
likely to pass on our email address.
Question 1: Western tend to be more
individualist? Eastern tend to be more
collectivist?
Basically, the oriental society has a deep
family concept and is unavoidable. It does
not easily leave the home when it is
underage. The Western society focuses on
the individual's self-development, and
parents and children are often independent
individuals. Therefore, it is easy for
Westerners to develop an independent
personality.
Besides, Western parents do not have too
many economic pillars for their grown-up
children, even though parents have the
ability to do it. In this case, it also causes
the West. Young people will solve their life
problems independently for themselves. In
fact, in the working groups, the East tends
to cooperate with the party; the Westerners
tend to work independently, and the
Westerners have the spirit of enthusiasm
and adventure, so they dare to challenge
The environment, relying on one's own
strength to live, so most of them leave their
homes and quickly find a job to work,
actively promote themselves, so that they
have the opportunity to do the job.
In fact, westerners' planning for heritage is
also different from the Orientals. The
widows of Westerners are mostly widowed
wives or cronies (not necessarily related to
blood, even mistresses), and then they are
children, rarely considering parents and
brothers first. Sisters, but the Orientals will
consider their children, their parents, etc.,
and then consider other people. The
difference between the East and West
cultures will of course lead to different
attitudes towards life!
Question 2: Say always what you feel,
not what you think. Western do better
than Eastern?
The education in the East is centered on
cultural textbooks. Students are passively
accepted. The learning model is based on
repetitive memories, disconnected from the
real world, and has little to do with students'
lives, not to pay attention to skills.
However, the Western education model is
student-centered, and teachers only play a
guiding, coordinating and facilitating role.
Emphasis on the experience and content of
learning is related to real life and has
specific meaning. Encourage students to
think independently, actively communicate
and share, and develop students' practical
and life skills. The soft power of students
cultivated by distinct educational models is
also different.
Compared with Western students, how do
the differences in soft power between
Oriental students and Western students
cause problems for international students
studying and living in the West? Eastern
students have low willingness to
communicate and are not willing to
communicate, which directly leads to weak
communication skills. There is also a lack
of self-care ability and a lack of life skills.
The West values sports, outdoor
experiences, and group cooperation.
On the psychological level, there are also
some very prominent features, that is,
many Oriental students have a lot of
negative emotions for learning, because
the small learning model does not bring
them happiness, and under the spur of
many people, learn for learning. The
learning mentality of such students is very
passive, and the Canadian education
model has cultivated the habit of Canadian
students to actively learn and explore. This
is undoubtedly the need for Oriental
students to take the initiative to adjust.
Question 3: Western is more powerful
than Eastern?
As far as we can see, as long as it is a
modern thing, it is often classified as the
West, and the food, clothing, housing, and
travel are all heavily rendered by Western
culture. The financial system is set by
Westerners, and the ideal system of politics
- Democracy is what Westerners think of,
and even Westerners have to intervene in
culture. Western movies, Western music
thanks to globalization, Western values and
ways of thinking seem to be universal
values that everyone knows and accepts.
The Differences between East And West
In
Terms of Culture And Education
Eastern world refers to nations in the Asia
and Middle East whereas Western world
refers to North and South America, Europe,
Australia and New Zealand.
East and West may have myriad
differences based on culture and
education. These differences can be noted
for the most part in people’s behavior and
attitudes. The major difference between
eastern and western culture is that people
in the east are more conservative and
traditional than the general population in
the west.
Eastern Culture
● Eastern world refers to the nations in
Asia and Middle East.
● Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Shenism,
Taoism, and Islam are some common
religions honed in the Western world.
●The population in eastern countries are
more customary than people in the West
when we consider their traditions, clothing,
rituals, and so on. For example, Indians
pay regard to their elders or parents by
touching their feet; East Asians use bows
as welcome, apologizing and expressing
thank you.
●People in the East are inflexible in their
beliefs and ideologies; they were unwilling
to challenge and question the long
practiced customs and traditions.
●In eastern countries, elders are
considered as the leader of the home and
children regard and obey them in all
choices. Important decisions related to
children’s future are normally taken by
elders. And, when parents grow old, the
kids are likely to take care of them.
●Arranged marriages are common in the
eastern countries. They are normally
arranged by parents or elders. They believe
in a concept that love comes after
marriage.
Western Culture
● Western culture refers to Europe and
North America.
● Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are
some common religions honed in the
Western world.
●The population in western countries are
more liberal than those in the east. The
westerns are more open and blunt. For
example, topics like sex or birth of a child
are openly discussed in western culture,
whereas in the east, these topics are still a
taboo.
●People in the west are more open to
express their feelings. If they are angry,
they may express. But, people in the east
may cover it for tact and good manners.
●Also, a person is given preference over
family, so a person is more flexible and free
to take decisions on his own, unlike those
in the east.
●Concepts like arranged marriages are not
at all common in the west. They go for love
marriages as they believe in a concept that
love comes before marriage.
Difference between East and West in
terms of Education
Creativity vs. Hard work
Western educational systems focus on the
ideas of creativity. Obviously, the system
being a system means that numerous
things are bound together, but still, it
normally does it’s best to elevate individual
ways to deal with various students.
Whereas in Eastern education, it is all
about hard work and struggle. Nothing is
difficult if you practice hard. Consequently,
kids are given lots of homework and are
instructed to buckle down. That is the
reason Asian students are frequently
considerably more profitable than their
peers when they get into more casual
Western educational institutions.

Participation vs. Reception

Western education moves further and
facilitate along the road of transforming
students into undeniable members of the
training procedure. They are urged to make
inquiries and debate with their instructors,
to think critically. Though in the East,
students are the beneficiaries, they submit
to the authority of teachers and the method
itself is far less interactive.

Special needs: Inclusion vs.

Separation
Western education makes incredible efforts
to include kids with extra needs into the
general mass of students, they have a
tendency to be educated together with
ordinary kids or if nothing else it is
considered to be their major right.
In the East, we normally see an oppositely
inverse approach – kids with disability are
quite often taught separately from the rest,
and it isn’t thought to be unfair, just logical.