Colombian and Australian cultures

Historically, all communities have had the need to communicate with each other. This is because
the human being is by nature a sociable being, who needs society to survive. With the passing
of time, technological inventions, improvements in transportation systems and the needs derived
from international trade, intercultural interaction has had to break down the barriers that
prevented such relationships.

For this reason, this essay will pretend to compare the Australian and Colombian cultures, with
the purpose of applying the Hofstede model in two countries that initially do not have many
things in common and therefore could become interesting such comparison, starting from the
individualism dimension, masculinity dimension and language associated with each one.

First, we will study the individualism dimension. According to the Hofstede model, this dimension
corresponds to the most significant difference between these two cultures. Australia, whose
score is 90, means that the degree of interdependence among its members is too high, Bochner
(1994). It is associated with people's self-image and is defined in terms of I, not We like in
collectivist cultures. In societies highly individualistic like Australia, the expectation is that people
look to take care of themselves and family members only, no one else matters. Whereas
Colombia has a 13 score in the same dimension of the Hofstede model, this qualification places
Colombia amongst the most collectivist cultures around the world. In this kind of culture, aligning
yourself with a group's opinion is very important. In Colombian culture, instead of Australian
culture, people not only take care of themselves. Usually, people's thoughts are directed to
improve and grow as a society. Sharing opinions and making decisions in favor of a common
benefit.

Second, we will study the masculinity dimension of the Hofstede model. While in the previous
dimension the difference between the two cultures was abysmal, in this case it is the opposite.
Showing the most similar dimension between both cultures with a gap of only 3 points. It means
that these two cultures are identified with a competitive model of development. The difference
can be placed in the individualism dimension, Hofstede (2011). Colombia, with a score of 13 in
individualism dimension and 61 in masculinity dimension, means that as I mentioned before,
people seek to be the best in their job but considering how that affects their culture peers.
Australia on the other hand have high scores in those two dimensions, which tell us that they are
competitive as their masculinity score shows, but only considering their own benefit and interests
as individualism dimension mentioned previously.

Third, we will discuss the official language in the two cultures. Third, we will discuss the official
language in the two cultures. In Colombia the official language is Spanish, which comes from the
Spanish culture in the colonial era. The migrants who choose Colombia as a destination are
currently from neighboring countries that share the same dialect. However, in the past there was
also the arrival of Arabs, Turks and Europeans who settled there for years. The official language
of Australia is English, which comes from British English in the eighteenth century when they
were colonized by the United Kingdom. The migrants who choose Australia as a destination
certainly come from a wide variety of countries. From Latin countries whose native language is
Spanish, to Indians, Chinese, Europeans and others.

Nixon Redondo Perez

Cod. 200106152
Civil Engineering Program
English VIII
Finally, we can conclude that although Colombia and Australia are geographically very distant
countries, it is possible to find similarities between them. The most marked difference according
to Hofstede's model is found in the collective mentality, which is abundant in Colombian culture
and scarce in Australian culture. While the most relevant similarity is the conception of
competitiveness, both countries seek excellence in their work and in all other activities they
perform. Historically they present connections as they are colonized countries. A deeper study
could explain cultural traits that were generated as a consequence of this. At present, the
migration policy of both countries differs, Australia seeks to take advantage of the knowledge
that migrants can bring to their country, while Colombia remains more conservative in its
immigration policies.

References
Bochner, S. (1994). Cross-cultural differences in the self concept: A test of Hofstede's
individualism/collectivism distinction. Journal of cross-cultural psychology, 25(2), 273-283.

Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing cultures: The Hofstede model in context. Online readings in
psychology and culture, 2(1), 2307-0919.

Nixon Redondo Perez

Cod. 200106152
Civil Engineering Program
English VIII