Culture has been
always an important issue in interpersonal communication. It demonstrates the
learned and shared behaviors in a particular community. Psychologists in the world
are paying attention to cultural factor as it influences the cognition and
behavior of people greatly. Examples of culture are but not limited to food
tradition, ethnicity and dialect groups.
Typical influences on
culture are gesture usage, interpersonal space, closeness in interaction. For
example, insulting hand signal 'peace' in England, kissing culture as a
greeting in North African and extra. You may not want to kiss any girl in
Singapore whoever you meet in Singapore; you may not want to show “V” or thumb
up in front of any foreigner. Improper use and interpretation of these sensitive
gestures could eventually lead to the opposite effect. In certain countries, some
cultural behaviors are prohibited by legal system.
So what shall we do in
front of this issue? We simply just need to realize, understand and enjoy
different culture. There is no need for judgment or challenge.
One observation of intercultural
interaction in Singapore is the respect in between different races and religion.
You will notice the preparation of halal food for Muslim in conferences. As for
me, I avoid eating pork in front of Malay friends. Moreover, this multiethnic
nation has many cultural celebrations such as CNY, Deepavali and Hari Raya. Everyone
celebrates together despite of different background. She lives to its name – one
people one nation.
After all, culture
exists everywhere and anytime. Every person, company, nation has unique culture
and value. If you want to understand or communicate with the others well, the
best way is to discover their culture and history. It is actually a pretty nice
time journey. Why don’t you share your unique culture with friend beside you
now?
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