Culture

Initially culture = farming (latin: cultura mentis)

Cicero introduced the concept of cultura animis – (farming the
mind/soul)

Culture is a shared set of beliefs, values, and patterns of behavior

common to a group of people.

Ethnocentrism is the tendency to consider one’s culture superior to

others.

Culture 1
Science perspective Object fo study
Archeology examines a collection of material things made of stone, bone, metal, wood.
He explores the existing folk culture region; this culture includes not only
Etnography objects but also human behavior (bustle, songs, customs, myths, rituals of
belief and proverbs).
Business Cares of every aspect of culture that is benefficial to trade and business
explores the sphere of human products as well as behavior: he also covers
Antropology institutions, economic activity, art, play, language and religion.
He explores culture as a collection, which primarily includes the individual's
Psychology behavior, thoughts, feelings and reactions. In the psychological aspect, culture
will be presented as a set of rules and motives for forms of expression, orders
and prohibitions, assessments and judgments.
He studies the contemporary structures and functions of societies that are
Sociology characterized by the division of labor. The research covers a separate area of
life and activities of human groups.
Economy Examines views and behaviors related to resource management.

Culture 2
Behawioral – behaviours
Functional – the way fo adopting to a problem
Historical – social heritage, a tradition that is passed on to future generations
Mental – ideas and customs that allow us to distinguish us from animals by
inhibiting our instincts
Normative – ideas, rule values that rule the behavior
Structural – system of assumptions, values, symbols and behaviors
Symbolic – complex of attributes and symbols
Thematic – list of products of civilization

Culture 3
Models of culture
Single dimensional
1. Hall’s
2. Lewis
3. Fukuyama
4. Gelfand, Nishii, Raver

Multidimensional models
5. Hofstede
6. Gesteland
Models
Hall’s silent language of culture
Context – high and low context
Time – monochronic and polychronic
Space – proxemics – how people use space to communicate?
- Intimacy – max 0,45m
- Personal – 0,45-0,47m / 075-1,2m
- Social – 1,2 – 2,1m
- Public – 3-7,5m/ more than 7,5m

Single Model 1
Lewis model of culture
Based on Hall’s

Linear Activity – high organisation, strict with the time, linear agenda,
direct discussion, facts, truth, conceal feelings, results oriented, silence

Multi-active – talkative, impulsive, feelings, relationas, people oriented,

many things at once, no agendas, raoundabout conversations, no cilence

Reactive – first listen then wait and then speak

Single Model 2
Single Model 3
Fukuyama trust-based culture
Low and high level of trust

Low – buereucracy, family, less trust, hierarchy

High – strong social bounds, formal and informal groups, relations

outside of the familly

Single Model 4
Gelfand, Nishii, Raver
- Tigh and Loose Cultures
The nail that sticks up will be hammered down – Asian Proverb
The squeaking wheel gets the grease – American Idiom

„The strength of social norms and degree of sanctioning within

societies”

- Strenghts of norms
- Tolerance for deviations from them

Single Model 5
Geert Hofstede dimensions
power distance – the degree to which a society accepts or rejects the unequal
distribution of power among people in organizations and the institutions of society.
uncertainty avoidance – the degree to which a society is uncomfortable with risk,
change, and situational uncertainty, versus having tolerance for them
individualism-collectivism – the degree to which a society emphasizes individual
accomplishments and self-interests versus collective accomplishments and the interests
of groups
masculinity-femininity – the degree to which a society values assertiveness and
materialism versus feelings, relationships, and quality of life.
time orientation – the degree to which a society emphasizes short-term or long-term
goals and gratifi cations
indulgence-restraint – th edegree to which it is possible to gratify basic and natural
human drives related to enjoying life and having fun
Multi Model 1
Gesteland’s model
1. Deal-Focus vs. Relationship-Focus (time, contact, language,
harmony, context)
2. Informal vs. Formal Cultures (respect)
3. Rigid-Time vs. Fluid-Time Cultures (agendas, schedules, tasks)
4. Expressive vs. Reserved Cultures (verbal, paraverbal, nonverbal)
1. Verbal – meaning of words
2. Paraverbal – volume, silence, turns
3. Nonverbal – (proxemics, haptics, oculesics, kinesics)

Multi Model 2
Multi Model 3