Figuring Foreigners Out was an interesting read. Regarding the idea of collectivism vs individualism, whether it is due to the influence of Confucianism or eastern philosophy, many Asian countries are more collectivist than individualistic, as seen in familial traditions. At least in Korea, it is much more common for children to live with their parents even whilst reaching later adulthood. Although there are many extenuating circumstances, in the states there is some level of bias against adults who reside in their parent’s home past a certain age - there is a certain level of expectation of self achievement and independence. Children are “sent off”, whether it is to a new career or to a higher education, so that they may be able to self-sustain. There are similar expectations in Korea as well, but they are mitigated. A much higher proportion of parents wish their children to dwell with them, even whilst reaching later adulthood. The differences between eastern and western countries are also seen in the Hofstede Dimensions of Culture. The section about nonverbal communication made sense, there are various different cultural contexts for each action and ideals, it is only right that this is taken into account. This is why culture shock exists, and why many tourists may seem rude, especially in more conservative countries. The monochronic-polychronic opposition is very interesting, but besides culture, it seems to also be reliant on the country’s overall status. In capitalist countries, I can imagine time being much more quantified due to concepts of opportunity costs, and overall relationship between money and time. The internal-external opposition seems to be heavily reliant on the culture’s historical roots, such as religion and philosophy. I think the idea of internal locus of control is heavily more prominent in western countries, and it is definitely so in the states.
These oppositions are all very interesting to learn about, and personally, I think I am more connected to the western cultures’ opposition than my native cultures’. That is probably because I was born and raised in the states, and western culture has been more predominant in my upbringing. Going forward, this will allow me to learn more about the culture and history behind my target language, and will let me have a better comprehension of what I am learning.
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