Cultures Differences in Emotions
Culture refers to different ways that people in different societies use to describe their experiences and way of life. On the other hand, emotions refer to expressions of feelings that are mainly observed through behaviour. Cultures express emotions based on their beliefs, traditions, values, and customs.
As such, some cultures have more emotions than others. Certain cultures express their emotions fully while other cultures conceal their emotions and discourage their expression. Eastern and Western cultures show distinct ways of expressing their emotions in accordance with their customs and beliefs.
Eastern cultures have been shown to express their emotions minimally. For example, people from Japan display low expression of emotions mainly because of their collectivist orientations. They practice emotional moderation. In contrast, Western cultures express emotions openly and freely.
They consider emotions as a way of self-actualization and expression. Cultures involve values, ideals, and beliefs that are shared among people. Therefore, shared experiences have certain implications for expression of emotions. Cultures determine how individuals express their emotions during different situations.
For example, in some cultures, funerals represent a time of feasting and making merry whereas in majority of cultures funerals represent a time of grief and mourning. In some cultures, expression of emotions is feminine. Therefore, males are not supposed to express their emotions because it makes them feminine.
This is found in cultures that undermine feminism and view it as an expression of weakness. Male children are taught from their childhood to hide their emotions because they make them feminine.
In other cultures, children are encouraged to express their emotions and not to conceal them. This makes some cultures more emotional than others depending on their beliefs and traditions.
Culture Meaning in Multicultural London, Brick Lane
London is a multi-cultural society that comprises more than 270 nationalities. A large portion of the population has its origin in India, Africa, and other countries that were colonies of the British Empire.
London is largely composed of white and Anglo-Saxon populations even though other ethnic communities make up half of minority communities in London. More than 250 languages are spoken by different nationalities that inhabit the city.
In multicultural London, culture is a very important aspect in the lives of the people, especially in Brick Lane. It is a way of fostering peace and harmony and cultivating inter-cultural relationships. Their different cultures enable them to tolerate the beliefs and traditions of each other in order to co-exist peacefully.
Each of the cultures makes its contribution in the development and growth of Brick Lane. It is also a source of learning for different cultures. Each of the cultures in Brick Lane has its religion, beliefs, values, and traditions.
This variety gives an opportunity to people from other cultures to learn new things and have new experiences. This promotes interactions between different cultures thus promoting peace and unity. Multiculturalism is a source of diversity for Brick Lane. None of the cultures considers itself superior or inferior to others.
However, there are prevalent conflicts between people from different cultures, which undermine the concept of diversity in Brick Lane. In such conflicts, minority groups are considered powerless and inferior unless other groups support them.
To avoid this, minority groups form associations to fight for their rights in the community. This has improved tolerance and peace among different cultures that inhabit Brick Lane. Despite conflicts between different groups, multiculturalism promotes peace and unity among different cultures in Brick Lane.
Cultural Aspect Impacts on International Business
Cultural aspects that have the biggest impact on international business include language, religion, education, values and attitudes, and manners and customs. Language affects international business because of varying ways of verbal and non-verbal communication in different cultures.
In low-context cultures such as Australia, non-verbal communication lays emphasis on what is spoken. In contrast, verbal communication does not emphasize communication in high-context cultures because it may have hidden meanings, which may lead to misunderstanding.
Different cultures have different ways of communicating using body language. Learning the meaning of different body language gestures would help to avoid misinterpretation of communication.
Religion affects international business because certain teachings of certain religions consider some products offensive and inappropriate. Therefore, it is important to consider and understand fully the beliefs, and ideals of different religions. Values and attitudes vary among cultures.
It is necessary to study the values and attitudes of a culture before entering a certain market. This ensures that a business avoids disagreements and collisions with people from that culture. Education is another cultural aspect that affects international business.
The level and quality of education varies from one culture to another. Some cultures do not value education and most of the people are illiterate. Level of education determines marketing and advertising strategies to use for effective communication.
The manners and customs of a certain culture are important because businesspersons are expected to obey and follow them whenever they deal with people from those cultures. For example, some cultures have special ways of using products, communicating, or behaving.
In addition, different cultures have different habits that affect businesses. It is important for international businesses to understand different habits of different cultures in order to provide services and products that suit their needs in accordance with their customs and manners.