Lessons from the Irish Culture for the Colombian Culture
Positive aspects of the culture that I researched that could benefit my culture include collectivity and openness to other people. I am of Irish heritage, and my culture is more individualistic (Shanahan 895). In the traditional Colombian culture, the crime rate is typically lower, which is attributed to the type of socialization (Siciliano 2).
Taking care of children and encouraging mutual dependence makes it possible to avoid problems related to crime, alcoholism, and drug addiction to a greater extent. In the collectivist culture of Colombia, unity, selflessness, and altruism are highly valued; therefore, mutual assistance is well-developed. It seems that an Irish society based on individualism can garner more attention and trust from Colombian culture, particularly from people who do not belong directly to the family circle.
Positive aspects of my own culture that could benefit the country I researched include attitudes towards children. Colombian mothers want their sons and daughters to have excellent grades and impeccable behavior because they start caring about their children’schildren’s future when they are young (Siciliano 5). At the same time, the Irish are not strict parents: children here are allowed to remain children as long as possible, and parents do not make demands on them. For example, a sign of this is the love for Pippi Longstocking, the personification of childish carelessness (Shanahan 891). I think Colombian culture should take a more liberal parenting style from Irish culture.
Insights from the Irish Culture for the American Culture
Aspects of my culture that are advantageous and could benefit U.S. culture include the desire to maintain a balance between the pursuit of progress and new technologies, and the preservation of national traditions. In the USA, the desire for digitalization slightly overbalances aspects of life such as proximity to nature and the preservation of various cultural assets (Bar and Otterbring 6458). At the same time, despite the introduction of new technologies in Ireland, the ancient culture remains important (Shanahan 895). For example, traditional horse and dog racing are more popular than modern racing sports. Thus, the culture of the USA should draw from the Irish culture’sculture’s concern for preserving centuries-old traditions.
One positive aspect of U.S. culture that could benefit my culture is its openness to taboo topics. For example, in Ireland, the topics of religion, sex, gender inequality, and earnings are rarely discussed (Shanahan 892). They are relatively little covered in the press, and many people consider it vulgar to discuss them, even with family members or close friends. At the same time, in the USA, problems related to various aspects of life that are the subject of discrimination are actively discussed (Bar and Otterbring 6455). I think the example of the USA would allow the Irish society to raise many social problems that need to be resolved, but are often hushed up.
Summary
Despite their dissimilarities due to geographical, religious, historical, and many other factors, the cultures of different countries can have a positive impact on each other. All the cultures considered – Irish, American, and Colombian – strive to achieve universal spiritual and moral values and human vital needs, which unite the peoples who bear them. Therefore, ensuring the exchange of positive experiences will contribute to the development and enrichment of a person’sperson’s own culture.
Works Cited
Bar, Amit, and Tobias Otterbring. “The Role of Culture and Personality Traits in Board Game Habits and Attitudes: Cross-Cultural Comparison Between Denmark, Germany, and USA.” Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, vol. 61, no. 1, 2021, pp. 6455-6460.
Shanahan, Madeline. “When Cheifest Rebell Feede”: Food, Fosterage and Fear in Early Modern Ireland.” Food, Culture & Society, vol. 1, no. 13, 2022, pp. 891-896.
Siciliano, Michael. “The Ambivalence of Work in the Culture Industries.” Columbia University Press, vol. 11, no. 0, 2021, pp. 1-5.