1. What is culture?
Culture refers to habits
Culture is a characteristic of a social group
o So you can identify with them and create a group together. It is also smth you don’t
share with everyone.
Culture refers to learned aspects of social life
o Culture is smth what you learn. It is the way you are educated by your parents/
guardians. Depending on the culture, it can be someone more than your parents e.g.
Siblings, grandparents, teachers etc
Culture is the software of the mind => because you learn
(and of the heart). => because it evokes emotions => When someone says smth bad about your
culture, ur going to be offended
Three level of uniqueness are distinguished:
You are not born in a culture, you grow up in a culture, you learn and adopt ways of that culture.
1. What you are born with, is your Human nature,
Human nature deals with everything that we share
with all humans in the world => sleep, drink, eat, be
loved and feel loved.
2. the learned culture specific to certain societies or
groups
3. the inherited and learned individual personality.
Culture is in the middle level: We share it with people, it distinguishes us from others and it’s not
smth at an individual level as ur personality
Culture is everywhere – and nowhere
Everywhere: it constantly affects people’s feelings, thoughts and actions on many levels.
Therefore it’s like the wind. The wind is always there. Most of the time we are unaware of it. You
don’t feel/see it. We don’t feel it because when it’s in our back. We have a tailwind and it helps us
and guides us along the path that we are on => together with our cultural group. => it’s comfortable
The moment we face the wind (headwind) => we face smth culturally unfamiliar => we start feeling
the presence of the wind => uncomfortable
Nowhere: it does not exist in any specific or ‘real’ sense. Cultures are no actual ‘things’ with clear
borders that exclusively separate groups of people and determine their behaviour!
1
, 1. Culture and groups
Often culture is referring to groups based on nationality or ethnicity.
Nationality and ethnicity can overlap but are not the same.
BUT: Culture is a characteristic of any human group
2. Culture and individuals
Multicollectivity: People are automatically members of several cultures at the same time.
Can you give some examples? Professional groups, city cultures, sports and leisure activities, family
cultures
3. Culture as repertoire
Cultures provide their members with a repertoire of ideas, behaviours and symbols.
Different elements can be part of people’s cultural repertoires:
1. Knowledge
2. Values
3. Norms
4. Language
5. Heroes, traditions and rituals
1. Knowledge
Everyday knowledge: how things work around here
Examples? Most shops are closed on a Sunday in Belgium
More abstract knowledge: can serve as a source of ideas, inspiration and discussion
2. Values and 3. norms are most times interlinked
Values indicate what people find important, good, healthy, appropriate, desirable.
Norms are the practical expressions of a social group’s values.
They are the specific criteria by which people and their behaviour are judged.
Examples? Very important to take care of your parents (value) => when they grow older, you take
them in and care of them till they die. (norm)
4. Language
Language literally gives words to people’s experience.
There are different types of languages depending on the different group ur in => technical jargon
5. Heroes, traditions and rituals
High symbolic value.
Heroes are people that members of a culture look up to.
Examples? Prince Royce, Maluma, JBalvin in the Latin community
Traditions and rituals are displayed at certain occasions, they give a group a sense of collectiveness.
Examples? Always giving a hug before starting to dance
2
, 2. SRC and diversity competence
1. Self-reference criterion
= an unconscious reference to one’s own cultural values, experiences and knowledge as a basis for
decisions.
2 stories: Bush and Koizumi: Koizumi gifted Bush a robot dog as a way of showing how innovative
Japan is, but Bush couldn’t give the robot dog any demands because the dop only listened to
Japanese orders.
American students in a local restaurant in Maastricht, were dissatisfied by how they had to call the
waiter every time they needed smth, instead of the waiter coming to them.
BEWARE!
The frame of reference of the other person may be different!
Not taking this difference into account may lead to costly business decisions.
The Sephora case:
In the west, Sephora has a lay-out were they put the perfume firstly, and in the back you’ll find the
other cosmetics. They tried to expand in Japan. They did the same approach in Japan as in the USA,
but it didn’t work . WHY? Japanese aren’t fond of perfume like western people so they should have
changed the lay-out of the store. Put the perfume at the back and the cosmetics in the front.
The opposite of your assumptions are also true – Derek Sivers
We make assumptions based on our frame of reference.
When smth is new to you, you make assumptions based
on the small bits of information you get. They are
dangerous in an intercultural environment cuz they
make you think the wrong way.
2. Culture shock
The impact of moving from a familiar culture to an unfamiliar culture
For example:
Etiquette and behavior: put money on a tray in Japan instead of handing it directly.
Climate: From Uganda to Belgium could be an culture shock.
Etiquette: People slurp while eating and drinking in Korea, while in Belgium it’s impolite.
The u-curve: They can be small waves as
well.
3
, Honeymoon phase: When you enter a new culture, you are starstruck. You love the new country
and the culture that you are experiencing. It’s still exciting.
The culture shock: After a while, you start to get homesick. You get tired of it and can start
complaining e.g. Lot’s of noise and people in China. The streets are always packed.
Adjustment: After a while you start adjusting and ur no longer home sick. You get used to it, and the
stuff no longer annoy you, and you start to love the culture again.
Integration: In the end you reach this phase, where you feel that you can perfectly live here. You can
be a member of the society without feeling awkward.
The W-curve: Re-entry shock: coming back from abroad.
1. You are happy to be back.
2. You get into a crisis because you start to miss abroad.
3. You adjust again and start to love home again.
One person is more flexible than others, the more you travel, you will get better at experiencing it.
3. Diversity Competence
4
Culture refers to habits
Culture is a characteristic of a social group
o So you can identify with them and create a group together. It is also smth you don’t
share with everyone.
Culture refers to learned aspects of social life
o Culture is smth what you learn. It is the way you are educated by your parents/
guardians. Depending on the culture, it can be someone more than your parents e.g.
Siblings, grandparents, teachers etc
Culture is the software of the mind => because you learn
(and of the heart). => because it evokes emotions => When someone says smth bad about your
culture, ur going to be offended
Three level of uniqueness are distinguished:
You are not born in a culture, you grow up in a culture, you learn and adopt ways of that culture.
1. What you are born with, is your Human nature,
Human nature deals with everything that we share
with all humans in the world => sleep, drink, eat, be
loved and feel loved.
2. the learned culture specific to certain societies or
groups
3. the inherited and learned individual personality.
Culture is in the middle level: We share it with people, it distinguishes us from others and it’s not
smth at an individual level as ur personality
Culture is everywhere – and nowhere
Everywhere: it constantly affects people’s feelings, thoughts and actions on many levels.
Therefore it’s like the wind. The wind is always there. Most of the time we are unaware of it. You
don’t feel/see it. We don’t feel it because when it’s in our back. We have a tailwind and it helps us
and guides us along the path that we are on => together with our cultural group. => it’s comfortable
The moment we face the wind (headwind) => we face smth culturally unfamiliar => we start feeling
the presence of the wind => uncomfortable
Nowhere: it does not exist in any specific or ‘real’ sense. Cultures are no actual ‘things’ with clear
borders that exclusively separate groups of people and determine their behaviour!
1
, 1. Culture and groups
Often culture is referring to groups based on nationality or ethnicity.
Nationality and ethnicity can overlap but are not the same.
BUT: Culture is a characteristic of any human group
2. Culture and individuals
Multicollectivity: People are automatically members of several cultures at the same time.
Can you give some examples? Professional groups, city cultures, sports and leisure activities, family
cultures
3. Culture as repertoire
Cultures provide their members with a repertoire of ideas, behaviours and symbols.
Different elements can be part of people’s cultural repertoires:
1. Knowledge
2. Values
3. Norms
4. Language
5. Heroes, traditions and rituals
1. Knowledge
Everyday knowledge: how things work around here
Examples? Most shops are closed on a Sunday in Belgium
More abstract knowledge: can serve as a source of ideas, inspiration and discussion
2. Values and 3. norms are most times interlinked
Values indicate what people find important, good, healthy, appropriate, desirable.
Norms are the practical expressions of a social group’s values.
They are the specific criteria by which people and their behaviour are judged.
Examples? Very important to take care of your parents (value) => when they grow older, you take
them in and care of them till they die. (norm)
4. Language
Language literally gives words to people’s experience.
There are different types of languages depending on the different group ur in => technical jargon
5. Heroes, traditions and rituals
High symbolic value.
Heroes are people that members of a culture look up to.
Examples? Prince Royce, Maluma, JBalvin in the Latin community
Traditions and rituals are displayed at certain occasions, they give a group a sense of collectiveness.
Examples? Always giving a hug before starting to dance
2
, 2. SRC and diversity competence
1. Self-reference criterion
= an unconscious reference to one’s own cultural values, experiences and knowledge as a basis for
decisions.
2 stories: Bush and Koizumi: Koizumi gifted Bush a robot dog as a way of showing how innovative
Japan is, but Bush couldn’t give the robot dog any demands because the dop only listened to
Japanese orders.
American students in a local restaurant in Maastricht, were dissatisfied by how they had to call the
waiter every time they needed smth, instead of the waiter coming to them.
BEWARE!
The frame of reference of the other person may be different!
Not taking this difference into account may lead to costly business decisions.
The Sephora case:
In the west, Sephora has a lay-out were they put the perfume firstly, and in the back you’ll find the
other cosmetics. They tried to expand in Japan. They did the same approach in Japan as in the USA,
but it didn’t work . WHY? Japanese aren’t fond of perfume like western people so they should have
changed the lay-out of the store. Put the perfume at the back and the cosmetics in the front.
The opposite of your assumptions are also true – Derek Sivers
We make assumptions based on our frame of reference.
When smth is new to you, you make assumptions based
on the small bits of information you get. They are
dangerous in an intercultural environment cuz they
make you think the wrong way.
2. Culture shock
The impact of moving from a familiar culture to an unfamiliar culture
For example:
Etiquette and behavior: put money on a tray in Japan instead of handing it directly.
Climate: From Uganda to Belgium could be an culture shock.
Etiquette: People slurp while eating and drinking in Korea, while in Belgium it’s impolite.
The u-curve: They can be small waves as
well.
3
, Honeymoon phase: When you enter a new culture, you are starstruck. You love the new country
and the culture that you are experiencing. It’s still exciting.
The culture shock: After a while, you start to get homesick. You get tired of it and can start
complaining e.g. Lot’s of noise and people in China. The streets are always packed.
Adjustment: After a while you start adjusting and ur no longer home sick. You get used to it, and the
stuff no longer annoy you, and you start to love the culture again.
Integration: In the end you reach this phase, where you feel that you can perfectly live here. You can
be a member of the society without feeling awkward.
The W-curve: Re-entry shock: coming back from abroad.
1. You are happy to be back.
2. You get into a crisis because you start to miss abroad.
3. You adjust again and start to love home again.
One person is more flexible than others, the more you travel, you will get better at experiencing it.
3. Diversity Competence
4
