Culture and normative behavior are things which individuals in any given society are constantly surrounded by. They influence our actions and assist us in interpreting our experiences. However, as a result of their ubiquity, they may come to seem invisible, taken for granted due to their commonplace nature. Often times, the only instance in which an individual would become aware of the existence of normative behavior is if it were violated, either by themselves or another individual, in terms of the codes of conduct established by their respective culture. The sanction, or the direct social response to the violation, serves as a reinforcement of that culture's norms, momentarily reminding witnesses of the boundaries which confine their thoughts, words and actions.
In Sociology: the architecture of everyday life, David Newman states that “similarity breeds comfort; difference breeds discomfort” (Newman, 115). Despite the truth that lies within this statement, I find it problematic especially in consideration of the exponential intensification of transnational human connections the world has seen in recent decades. In a world where humans from different societies, with different cultures, and different ideas about what constitutes normative behavior are interacting with one another more and more regularly, how are we to deal with the seemingly unavoidable discomfort of clashing norms?
I have come across various responses to this question, many of which resort to education about foreign cultures as a way to reduce the discomfort of difference. Reading about the foreign culture and becoming familiar with their norms before the actual encounter is intended to reduce the likelihood of the awkward cultural clashes which could ultimately be highly offensive.
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| Figure 1: New York Times (Click to enlarge) |
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| Figure 2: tower.com |
Another example of the use of education to decrease violations of norms cross culturally is in the realm of business where one action lying outside of normative boundaries could cost millions of dollars. There are countless books on the market geared towards international business men and women aiming to learn about foreign business culture and norms in order to be successful in their international encounters. Figure 2 highlights a guidebook specifically for Americans doing business in China. This is a particularly common paradigm within the genre.
The two examples above show the significant steps taken to “stay comfortable” by decreasing the probability of discomfort via education allowing an individual to adapt to foreign customs. While this seems like a perfectly reasonable response to questions about culture and normative behavior in the age of globalization, I am slightly resistant to this resolution. Being uncomfortable, stepping out of your comfort zone, so to speak, is important in any learning experience, cross-cultural culture and normative behavior included. Experiencing discomfort as a result of encountering violations of normative behavior will shed light on the power of the human constructions more so than reading about such interactions in a book, thus making it a healthy supplement to "armchair" assumptions about culture and normative behavior in other societies.
Sources:
Newman, David (2012). Sociology: Exploring the Architecture of Everyday Life: 9th Edition. SAGE Publications. (p.1-52)
http://www.tower.com/americans-guide-doing-business-in-china-negotiating-contracts-mike-saxon-paperback/wapi/101097101?download=true&type=1
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/06/weekinreview/06word.html?_r=0
Nicole,
ReplyDeleteYou continue to impress me with your blog posts. You are very organized, concise, and have the ability to evoke the concepts in a very easy to understand manner. You are definitely adding to my ability to understand the topics we have covered thus far. Thank you!
Due to your eloquent writing style I figured that you must be a Communications or English major. Therefore, I revisited your discussion board introduction to learn that you are a Global Studies major. I am assuming that you are learning a great deal about different cultures, societies, politics, etc. in your major.
Like you, I share the same concern about the future of our world’s state of health as globalization continues to occur at what seems to be "the speed of light." It is evident to me that our world is maturing physically (globalization) faster than emotionally and psychologically (bidirectional communications, human connections, and an acceptance of world-level normative behaviors).
You asked the question, “how are we to deal with the seemingly unavoidable discomfort of clashing norms?" Like all solid relationships, they take time and plenty of nurturing. In addition, education is very important and classes like this are a part of the solution. Great job on your Blog.
Tonya Olson
Outstanding work; I agree with Tonya.
ReplyDeleteOne thought - While I agree with you re stepping outside one's comfort zone as being a good thing, I do think that the efforts such as you describe above are probably the better way to go when the violation of cultural norms might result in an international incident, death, or the loss of a major trade arrangement, and so forth. Just a thought! Keep up the great work!
A very interesting post!
ReplyDeleteIt is even easier for people to find out about other cultures through the sudden increase of technology. One could easily google and read about how one's culture differs from their own, along with youtube videos informing the viewers the cultural differences. One does not have to stray too far from the comfort of their home to actually learn about other cultures, but it does bring up the issue of the population using this knowledge and technology the "right" or better way. Others, meanwhile, use it to instead reinforce their ignorance.
I also agree with Tonya , and yes, it would definitely be better if one steps out of their comfort zone but to an extent. I know from speaking with studying abroad students, and they do stress the importance of immersing oneself because how much one can learn from other cultures. It definitely broadens one's "horizon." Of course, it would be better to learn about one's culture beforehand to avoid miscommunication, especially in more dire times. Great job!
Allison
Thank you all for your insights!
ReplyDeleteI'm finding myself relating sociological theories to global studies already and feel that a lot of the concepts explained by Newman assist in my understanding of what's happening to our society through globalization.
I also appreciate the push back on my conclusion- looking back I realize that I was approaching the question rather unidirectionally.
Allison - I'll be studying abroad in the fall, so thanks for your comment regarding study abroad students!
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