How does your culture reflect various qualitative Hofstede dimensions of culture explored in class, e.g., body language, how people talk about time, etc.
One challenge in using the Hofstede analysis tool with Catalan culture is that the website only allows you to select a country. So, when I met with my language partner, we evaluated Spain and discussed how he thought it compared with “his” culture – because my LP identifies as Catalan, not Spaniard.
One of the points where I could not completely agree with my LP was his opinion on polarization – in the “Masculity” dimension. According to the website, “polarization is not well considered.” That seems very much in line with the current separatism issue unraveling between Spain and Catalunya: The idea of separation (and the underlying polarization fueling it) is not well received in Spain.
Now, my LP argued that polarization was not that big of an issue. His argument was that despite him being the only exchange student openly supportive of Catalan independence, this was not a barrier to his friendships with other students who might have differing opinions. As much as I was glad to hear that (for his sake), I could not help to note that he also said they avoided discussing the subject. So, I wonder if they are really tolerant of the divergence in opinions or if they just ignored it for the sake of cordiality…
Comments
This is an astute observation, Barbara. One of the primary criticisms of the Hofstede dimensions is that they do not appropriately accommodate regional differences, nationalistic or separatist tendencies, and the legacies of intercultural contact over time. These considerations are especially difficult for considerations of the cultures of Spain and Catalonia.