YOUR OWN CULTURE

Introduction

The culture you grew up in and are living in is an important part of who you are. A lot is written
about culture. But this section is not aimed at discussing different cultures in depth.

In this section, we will consider what you take out of your culture, how it has shaped you and
how you can gain insight into other people from a different culture.

So, why is that important?

• By looking at your own culture, you learn more about yourself.

• Culture determines how you view the world.
• People from many different cultures live in Canada, for instance, with whom you’ll live,
study and work. Through knowledge and understanding of their culture, you’ll be better
equipped to understanding them and that can improve your interactions with people.
• In your future job you’ll be working with clients, patients, etc., from different cultures.
• You might spend a part of your study program or work abroad.
• You might later end up working for a foreign company.

What is culture?

Renowned culture researcher Geert Hofstede describes culture as ‘the collective programming
of the spirit that distinguishes one group of people from another’. According to Hofstede &
Hofstede2 culture is something in people’s minds, and their opinions and behaviours together
determine and shape their culture. The culture of an organization is: the opinions and
behaviours of people who work for the same company or institution. We’ll come back to the
culture of an organization in the module Explore your possibilities.

2Geert Hofstede & Gert Jan Hofstede, Allemaal andersdenkenden, omgaan met
cultuurverschillen, 2010

The purpose of this section:

• Recognizing elements from your own culture

• Becoming aware that you’ll be studying and working with people from different cultures
• Giving you the tools necessary to work with people from different cultures
 • You are shaped by the different culture of the various groups you are a part of.
• It might be difficult sometimes, but cultural difference can be very enriching.
• Dealing with a different culture requires you to be able to change perspectives, or in
other words: to do your best to try to see something from someone else’s point of view,
as if you would trade places.
• The more you know about your own culture, about others and about cultural
differences, the better you’ll be able to deal with them.
• Don’t judge too quickly. Watch out for stereotypes and generalizations. this section are:

Question to consider: What do you think of when you hear the word culture?
Differences in cultures

Nowadays you hear a lot about culture and the differences between cultures. This might limit
your idea of what culture and different cultures are.

Cultural differences are definitely not only about the differences between:

• Western and non-western people;

• Nationals and people from abroad;
• Natives and immigrants;
• Ethnic group A and ethnic group B.

Cultural differences are much broader than that and are found everywhere. Consider, for
instance, the differences between:

• A city and a village;

• Religious people and non-religious people;
• A company like Google and a company like Microsoft;
• Business administration students and social work students;
• Culture at the school even between the different programs being delivered at Durham
College and Ontario Tech University;

Also, you deal with cultural differences in your everyday life:

• What is handed down to you from your parents? How do you behave at home?
• How are you shaped by your friends? How do you act around them?
• What do you learn at school? How do you act there?
You are a part of different groups. And in every group other things are considered important;
different values and conventions apply in each group.

The rules of the different groups might interfere with each other. For instance, at home you are
taught to eat healthy food and include a lot of different vegetables in your diet. Yet when you
are out with friends you would rather eat fast food. Or maybe you observe the Ramadan, but
your classmates in your group eat during a meeting.

Assignment Part A:
What cultures do you belong to?

1. Which groups are you a part of (family, religion, school, sport club, friends)? Name two and
elaborate.
2. What are the (unwritten) rules of the first group? How do you act there? What is considered
normal?
3. What are the (unwritten) rules of the second group? How do you act there? What is
considered normal?
4. What are the differences?
5. What would you do in one group that you would never do in the other?

Explore some of the values that you hold. What purpose do they serve for you and in your
connection with others? How are the values different from the countries that you have visited
and potentially want to visit in the future?

Submit a clear overview of what your culture is all about and what cultural elements have
shaped your personality and behavior. We are not looking for a long summary, cut to the chase
and provide us with an overview that explain who you are and why you feel that is connect to
your cultural elements?

Assignment Part B:

Remember our assignment from last week? Review that list of questions and bring that list
down to the 3 most important questions on that list? Explain to us why those questions are
so important to you and how think you will be able to answer those questions in the future?