A Look at American Cultural Values Through Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture Essay

Introduction

The mechanisms of evolution of human culture and the formation of cultural values have always been of interest to researchers. This knowledge is especially crucial in the current digital age of globalization and the close coexistence of many diverse societies. The most striking example of such a civilization neighborhood can be considered the American nation because of the characteristics of its unique historical development.

According to Gannon (2011), “American Football represents a classic cultural metaphor that those outside the national culture have difficulty understanding” (p. 4). Hofstede’s system of dimensions was developed to study and understand such and similar social features and principles. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the personal and American cultural values through the prism of these assessment criteria.

Personal Cultural Values and Their Interpretation through Hofstede’s system

One of the positive features of this cultural valuation system is that it applies not only to entire communities but also to specific individuals. Although I am aware and understand the particular importance of power distance, nevertheless, I adhere to and comply with the standards of Western values in this regard. I tend to respect generally accepted and formal rules and also to find common ground in the course of communication.

It is imperative for me to be aware of my place and role in society and to stay harmoniously in it, which speaks of me as a collectivist. According to Gill (2017), “They care about their relationships with ingroups, often by treating them differently than strangers or outgroup members, which is also known as particularism” (para. 4). I also consider it essential to maintain gender equality in the area of labor and the social environment, which is characteristic of the north European communities. Financial stability, competency in planning, and confidence in the future are vital for me. As Hofstede’s system shows, I maintain a balance between the norms inherent in Western and Eastern cultures.

Cultural Distinction between Personal and Public American Values

In terms of Hofstede’s dimension systems, my cultural values have several significant differences with those of ordinary Americans. US citizens, to a lesser extent, adhere to and support the hierarchical component in the structure of society than I do. Also, Americans are not characterized by a large number of rules of social behavior, and they are more open to anything new. They are almost world leaders in terms of the importance of individuality, which runs counter to my collectivist views. It is possible to note that “In the business world, employees are expected to be self-reliant and display initiative” (“Country comparison,” 2019, para. 8).

Also, Americans, to a greater extent, belong to such concepts as competition, conflict, and power, which in Hofstede’s system, are defined as masculinity. US citizens are much less interested in long-term planning, which translates into a business commitment to short-term reporting systems and profit. As the comparison shows, my cultural values, in some cases, are strikingly in conflict with those that belong to the term “American.” This may indicate a possible future cultural transformation of US society.

New Ways of Learning Different Cultures Using Hofstede’s Methods

The dimension system contributes to the development of new views and ideas on personal, social, and foreign cultural values. A common feature of many countries of East and Asia is their collectivistic nature, widespread adoption of the institution of power, a large number of customs along with laws. According to Gannon and Rajnandini (2010), “Frequently, when foreigners violate a key cultural value, they are not even aware of the violation… ” (p. 6). Understanding the principles of cultivation of cultural values will help create a strong friendship not only between countries of the same cultural layer but also between East and West.

References

Country comparison. (2019). Web.

Gannon, M. J. (2011). Cultural metaphors: their use in management practice as a method for understanding cultures. Web.

Gannon, M. J., & Rajnandini, K. P. (2010). Understanding global cultures: metaphorical journeys through 29 nations, clusters of nations, continents, and diversity. San Marcos, CA: SAGE.

Gill, C. (2017). Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and differences across cultures [Blog post]. Web.