Concepts of culture, culture-centric behaviours and the ways to avoid them.

Concept of Culture

• Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior.
• You belong to several cultures, each of which affects the way you communicate.
• The United States is home to a vast array of cultures. There people speak now  more than 160 languages. In contrast, Japan is much more homogeneous, having only a few distinct cultural groups.
• Cultures tend to be complete. This idea of completeness dulls or even suppresses curiosity about in other cultures.
• Such completeness can complicate communication with other cultures.

Ethnocentrism and Stereotyping

• Ethnocentrism: Culture-centric behaviors 
• Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge other groups according to the standards, behaviors, and customs of one’s own group. People conclude that their culture is superior to other cultures.
• More extreme form is XENOPHOBIA…. It is a fear of strangers and foreigners.

Stereotyping

• Stereotyping  is assigning a wide range of generalized attributes to an individual on the basis of membership in a particular culture or social group.
• Example: A younger colleague can not be an inspiring leader are examples of stereotyping age groups. 

How to Avoid Ethnocentrism

1. Avoiding assumptions:

   Don’t assume that others will act the same way you do.

2. Avoiding Judgments:

   When people act differently, don’t conclude that they are in error or that their way is invalid or inferior.

3. Acknowledging distinctions: 

  Don’t ignore the differences between another person’s culture and your own.