“Culture is more often a source of conflict than of synergy. Cultural differences are a nuisance at best and often a disaster.”
– Geert Hofstede.
Culture is one of the main parts of society’s life. This is due to the fact that it contains various unique characteristics, traditions, customs, values, rituals, symbols, beliefs, and thought processes that define a person’s personality. Geert Hofstede was a social psychologist who studied other components of culture-defining differences between people. I cannot wholly agree with the quote because I believe that in modern society, culture can become a tool for synergy and the unification of people among themselves.
Hofstede’s speech about cultural differences between people was based on the model he developed. This approach implies the separation of representatives of different countries and peoples with respect to criteria such as individualism versus collectivity, power distance index, uncertainty avoidance index, and masculinity (Geert Hofstede, 2008). For example, individualistic cultures, like the American one, pay more attention to achieving personal goals and prioritizing themselves to the detriment of the group (Collectivist vs individualist Societies, 2019). On the other hand, collectivistic cultures, such as Mexico, honor community cohesion more both in personal life and at work.
Paying attention to these cases, we can conclude that Hofstede was right when he said that culture is a source of conflict. However, I believe that despite the possible differences, people can overcome them and use them to their advantage. This is due to the fact that differences are also advantages and benefits that can be used to unite people and spread awareness about the value and uniqueness of each nation. In addition, in order to limit the possibility of conflicts, it is necessary to build learning processes and educational resources for all individuals.
References
Collectivist vs individualist Societies: How do these impact upon retail? (2019). Beyo. Web.
Geert Hofstede. (2008). The Economist. Web.