Cultural Beliefs and Perceptions of Cultures
Cultural believes vary from country to country making people have different perceptions of cultures. The paper, explains the culture changes that Smith encounters during his 4-year stay in England which openly narrates. The paper will explain the culture of England and as a result, compare it with that of the United States. Furthermore ethnocentric tendencies and cultural artifacts of England will be discussed in detailed.
Part One
England is found in the Western part of Europe that falls under the United Kingdom. As an Island of Great Britain, the area is covered by a temperate climate with prevailing southwest winds that are quite dominant than the North Atlantic currents. On the other hand, United States lies in North America curtailed with borders of North Pacific Ocean and the North Atlantic Ocean. The country is considered to lie between Canada and Mexico. England and United States are known to be English speaking countries however their cultures are quite distinct. There exist some cultural differences between the two countries. First, the Americans are friendly as they are fond of making conversations to strangers as compared to the Englanders who are considered to stick to the few friends they have. Smith further states that Englanders converse little to strangers. Another aspect is that Americans do not have an understanding of satire and irony as they consider it a waste of time as opposed to the Englanders who consider satire, jokes, and irony normal. Last but not least the American food and cuisine is different as the Englanders. Americans are fond of fast food while Englanders are used to eating in the pubs. (Crang, p18)
There are certain social norms that the people of England value so much. For instance, it is an abomination for an England to be late at the place of duty. The people regard it to be rudeness to event organizers and fellow members. Another important norm is jumping on queues. According to Smith, being patient is a normal part of the English culture. Last but not least when invited by an Englander it is necessary to bring along a gift in the form of chocolate or flowers as appreciation. Some people have perceptions that the art of dressing in suits and bowler hat, however, it is not real. Smith made revelations that Englander's customs and traditions involve different dressing styles of costumes such as the red costume. The red costume is a representation of the national costume. Smith states that St. Georges cross, the red rose and the Three Lions crest are the national symbols. He further states that the value of the symbol is common on souvenirs. Furthermore, the people believe that Christianity especially the Catholic doctrines is vital to the Catholics. The people argue that since the Roman Empire brought Christianity to the country, paganism reduced. In addition to that, the presence of the remains of the ancient Roman Empire in the 3rd and 4th century has social implications for Christianity.
Smith gives an account of the deviant behavior that Englanders condone. The people of England rise to the occasion in cases of criminal activities. For instance when we have cases of terrorism. The people unite together in times of sorrow to help comfort the affected families. More so there is a high watch out of criminal activities as it is regarded a destructor of national progress by the country. In the interview, he reveals an instance where he attended a social function an hour earlier. According to the Englanders, punctuality is critical as most people attend meeting 5-15 minutes before time. The earlier arrival caused panic among the organizers. He regarded it as a culture shock as most people have a specific time schedule of attending to events. Furthermore, he realized that it was rare for an individual to fail to attend the meeting as the people are time conscious.
Part Two
Smith states that the Broads National park of England is a national prestige of England as it made up of protected wetland. More so it is considered to be a home to the rare wildlife of the country. The place is historically documented as it holds an irreplaceable ecosystem. For this matter, it creates a special place for the visitors to the park. The national park has a flooded manmade waterway that rose to form a peat. The peat formed is an ecological treasure to the people of England. The broad is considered as the third largest inland waterway in the world. Furthermore, there are conservation measures that were taken to protect the animals and plants that infiltrated into the area. The Broads has preserved habitats such as the fen that attracts the people. The interesting aspect of the park as told by Smith is that the park can be toured by boating or sailing. Major efforts have been done to ensure that the recreational facility of the park is protected. It has attracted several guests from different countries. Furthermore, the unique ability to preserve the old habitats for cultural heritage depicts the importance of the national park to the people. The Englanders believe in uniting at social places such as the Broads national park which has a special role in England since it holds the recreational facilities.
The Central Park is located in New York and it holds a historic landmark. The park is located in the urban center and it is managed by the New York conservancy group which is a non-profit organization. The natural appearance of plants makes it a distinct area. It contains ponds, lakes that were created artificially by the seeps and flows. The park has woodlands that are made of major lawns and minor lawns. Most of the people practice skating and boating. It helps the people view the natural resources within the park. The attractive nature of the park has been used by people as a recreational facility. Furthermore, the park is regarded to hold the history of some of the cultural perceptions in the area. (Kupper, p72)
Part Three
Ethnocentrism refers to the tendency of believing that a particular cultural group has much relevance than the other. The evaluation of a cultural group can be done based on the groups such as the dominant subgroup. The minor subgroup is rendered untrue to what it does and it has little relevance to what is required by the dominant group. In most cases, ethnocentrism places much priority to matters of behavior, customs, language, and religion. To overcome ethnocentrism, communication should be given priority. Ethnocentrism requires individuals to have an open mind so as to develop cultural awareness and sensitivity to fellow individuals.it is important to understand the diverse populations so to have a clear plan for solving problems. In England, the traditionally minded Catholics have tendencies of characterizing the middle age individuals. The traditionally Catholics classify the golden generation as people who do not hold the doctrines of the church, therefore, they are not Christian minded. More so the dominant Catholic religion assumes that the golden generation of middle age has little relevance. Despite that being the case the youth in most countries are considered to be vibrant individuals who are flexible and good in participation. The traditional Catholics should, therefore, realize that sidelining the golden age generations does not build the capacity of the Catholic knowledge. (Hinenoya and Gatbonton, p233)
Another case example of ethnocentrism was that of the English peasants who fought the Flemish wool markers. The reason was a perception that the Flemish wool makers were taking jobs from the English wool makers. It can be stated that ethnocentrism causes division and hatred between the dominant group and the subgroup. The social interactionism theory helps in understanding the application of ethnocentrism tendencies in the society. The theory asserts that individuals are social creatures who have a purpose and character. Despite the problems humans face, they are as social thinkers as they are innovative. Therefore humans should interact socially without any restrictive mechanisms being imposed. Cases, where a dominant group implicates a subgroup, creates conflicts as humans have the right to interact freely. The result is discrimination which should be discouraged. (Ashforth and Mael p31)
Works Cited
Ashforth, Blake E., and Fred Mael. "Social identity theory and the organization." Academy of management review 14.1 (1989): 20-39.
Crang, Mike. Cultural geography. Routledge, 2013.
Hinenoya, Kimiko, and Elizabeth Gatbonton. "Ethnocentrism, cultural traits, beliefs, and English proficiency: A Japanese sample." The modern language journal 84.2 (2000): 225-240.
Kupper, Patrick. "Science and the national parks: a transatlantic perspective on the interwar years." Environmental History 14.1 (2009): 58-81.
