Culture influences all of us in the way we perceive the world and the way we behave. As you know, we can see expressions of culture all around us.
EXAMPLE
You can travel anywhere and see cultural expression through food, art, language, film, literature, or proverbs. These are all ways of expressing something about the people in that culture.Culture is more than just external expression; it's also something internal. Culture is really assumptions, expectations, and viewpoints about the way things are and the way we believe they should be.
Thus, a cultural worldview is a set of assumptions that are common to everyone in a particular culture; this worldview governs behavior and decisions about how to interpret the world.
Every culture has a worldview, so it’s important to recognize other worldviews instead of stereotyping, or applying traits or trends seen in a particular culture to everyone in that culture.
Unfortunately, it's way too common for people to stereotype, when in reality, every culture has both individuals who more or less adapt to the worldview, and individuals who express things or see things slightly differently.
There has been quite a bit of research done on ways of recognizing worldview, in particular by Geert Hofstede, Hall, and Kohls. These men have all been pioneers in looking at different cultures.
Hofstede, a Dutch researcher, was a pioneer in cross-cultural groups and organizations. He came up with a theory called cultural dimensions, which are certain elements that affect how people perceive things and behave.
Hall and Kohls also looked at values and cultural elements, of which there are many. Taking a look at these worldview elements can be helpful in understanding the components of different worldviews:
Worldview Element | Considerations |
---|---|
Power |
How does the culture view power? Who should hold power? How evenly distributed should it be within the culture? What are the expectations and assumptions surrounding power? |
Individual/Group Orientation |
Is the worldview that an individual can rise to the top and be competitive? Is the worldview more about the grand collective? |
Fate and Personal Responsibility |
Is the worldview a fatalistic one that depends on destiny? Is the worldview one of personal responsibility? |
Future and Past |
Is the worldview focused on traditions and preserving a long history? Is it a worldview that thrives more on innovation and looking to the future? |
Time Orientation |
How does the culture use time? How about risk or ambiguity? Is the culture averse to risk? Is it open to experimentation? |
Language |
How does the culture express itself verbally and nonverbally? Is the communication very direct? Is it indirect? |
These are just a few of the cultural dimensions, and we will be discussing them more in depth in upcoming lessons.
Source: Adapted from Sophia tutorial by Marlene Johnson.