I think that the readings engage with interesting ideas about general cultural attitudes. They can reveal different ways that seemingly evident things like time are seen by different groups around the world. This made me think about the conversation we had in class about how language effects the meaning of important concepts. Maps like the one on Hofstede's website show us the diversity in thought around the world and challenge our own conceptions of time, community, gender identity, and other things.
There are certainly some weaknesses with the model, however. These nationwide surveys cannot capture the differences between individuals, impacted by their own personal experiences. Relying too heavily on these findings ignores the complexity of culture on a societal and individual level. In multiethnic countries it is also less useful. Central Asia and China appear as different colors in all of the maps on Hofstede's website but the Turkic populations in the east of the country most likely share a lot more in common with the Turkic groups of the Central Asian region than with the Han Chinese in the Eastern half of the country. This difference is something that can't be picked up by the survey.
It could help me in my language learning journey because it illustrates some of the quirks within the language. For example, the power distance in Mexico is much higher than in the United States. This is reflected in the culture by the use of usted, which, I believe, is far more common and expected in Mexico than in other Spanish speaking countries. Power distance also tends to be high in Indonesia and the rest of East/Southeast Asia, where it is common to use different pronouns to show respect to 'superiors.' This is something that I should keep in mind while speaking the language, to make the transition as smooth as possible.
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