A Comparative Analysis of American and Kenyan Cultures

Ruth Benedict’s anthropological book, Patterns of Culture explores the dualism of culture and personality. Benedict studies different cultures such as the Zuni tribe and the Dobu Indians. Each culture she finds is so different and distinctive in relation to the norm of our society. Each difference is what makes it unique. Benedict compares the likenesses of culture and individuality, “A culture, like an individual, is a more or less consistent pattern of thought or action” (46), but note, they are not the same by use of the word, “like.” Benedict is saying that figuratively, cultures are like personalities. Culture and individuality are intertwined and dependent upon each other for survival.

As a young man, while living and working with various ethnicities, I learned that certain elements of social location cannot be altered and this can affect our reality. It has been my personal experience that the social location of a particular group of people may generate a very different set of values and beliefs for them to a group in a different social location. Thus, this principle can help us to better understand our worldview and its effects on the way we view and interpret other cultures.

Considering the specific characteristics of Asian culture, the explanations can be drawn from two perspectives: what decreases the risk and what hides the risk. From general perspective to specific perspective, the following sections will compose the whole

All of the cultures we have studied for the past week valued different subjects differently. The different views by each of these cultures lead to the differences and animosity between the groups in this time period.

In school, I had to understand differences and prevent misunderstanding in order to work with others effectively. “Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner’s Seven dimension of Culture” helps me to relate and explore my own situation. From my experience, I have realized that people differ from one another in specific ways; this is all due to the fact that we have our own beliefs and values due to different factors. When trying to distinguish people from different cultures, I automatically consider the seven

Cultural relativism is the belief that others should understand one 's culture and that their way of doing things should not be frowned upon by those in another culture. Right and wrong are dictated by the culture and should not be judged by other people from different cultures. What is morally correct in one culture may be morally incorrect for someone in an alternate culture. However, seeing convictions of another culture that one is not accustomed to can be troublesome. It is hard not to judge one 's beliefs when in your culture you conceivably believe the opposite. Once a person is raised to believe what they have been taught in their culture it is hard to comprehend another culture 's beliefs, especially if in your culture their belief repudiates yours. The objective of this essay is to study my culture and beliefs from another cultures perspective. In this paper, I will examine my culture of American marriage and the beliefs within from an etic view and the sub-Saharan beliefs on marriage from an emic view.

Recent theoretical and empirical developments in psychology have brought the field to the point where researchers need to be mindful of the generalizability of Western findings to other cultural contexts (Heine & Norenzayan, 2006). Another shortcoming of psychological research is the majority of most influential research giving focus to comparisons of North Americans and East Asians. It is perhaps logical that North Americans specifically and Westerners more generally have usually served as the point of comparison in these studies, due to the majority of psychological theories did in fact arise from such samples. Nevertheless, this ought not to be the case. Heine and Norenzayan (2006) calls for cultural psychological research to go beyond only comparisons of East Asians nations with Western nations. At present, despite the growth of cross-cultural research, very little is known about the psychological processes of the majority of cultures of the world. Another shortcoming of psychological research is that it has largely been limited to explorations of the extent to which concepts and occurrences that have been developed and identified in the West generalize to non-Western cultures.

This paper will focus on the similarities and differences in cultures and how it relates to schooling, family, religion, education and language. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the effects that culture, race, and class have on human’s behaviors, resilience, struggles and faith. . The cross culture countries of analysis will be Guyana and Portugal which are situated at two opposite ends of the world. Which makes this comparison even more compelling? With worlds so distant, one might expect to have fewer similarities. But as I began to categorize the similarities and difference on chart exhibit A, I was pleasantly surprised with the commonalities. First I developed a chart and compare the similarities and differences,

This paper will focus on the similarities and differences in cultures and how it relates to human resilience, struggles and faith. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the effects that culture, race, and class have on human behaviors and beliefs. The cross culture countries of analysis will be Guyana and Portugal which are situated at two opposite ends of the world. One major difference is Guyana, which is located in South America and Portugal in Southwestern Europe. Which makes this comparison even more compelling? With worlds so distant, one might expect to have fewer similarities. But as I began to categorize the similarities and difference on chart exhibit A, I was pleasantly surprised with the commonalities. First I developed a chart and compare the similarities and differences, which are listed above.

Recently, I have observed that people all over the world act differently. For example, someone from The Calgary, Canada would behave differently then someone from Makkah, Saudi Arabia because of several reasons. Personally, I believe that culture, geography, and climate play a major role in determining how people act. The similarities and differences between Calgary and Makkah are very obvious.

Learning about different cultures can be fun and exciting. Throughout life I never thought I had any culture at all until I started thinking about all the things I was taught as I grew up. Culture has shaped me in every way possible. The way I dress, speak, learn, and communicate are all examples. Throughout the paper I’ll be explaining all of the things that influenced my life, and even how I’ve changed.

The country of Kenya is made up of many different ethnic groups and tribes which makes it very broad when comes to their culture. They respect their elders and that is why ancestors play a big role in the culture in Kenya. They do not worship ancestors but pay high respect and reverence towards them because they are thought to be living in spirit among them. Kenya is a very group oriented country contrasting the American individualistic culture. Family is a very important aspect in Kenya and being group-oriented many relationships are built on community. A handshake is customary when greeting but when it is with someone who you are close to then it is a prolonged handshake. When meeting an elder or someone of high status it is expected to grasp

As I recently wrote my autobiography, I was able to reflect upon and gain a better understanding of my life and the influences that shaped my character and beliefs. I then composed a biography of an individual from the Chinese culture named Faith. Writing her story has given me the opportunity to gain a great deal of insight into the influences her different culture has had on her development. There are kindred attributes and stark differences when comparing our two extremely diverse cultures. Nonetheless, I am convinced it is within the differences that subsist between any cultures that the greatest value and benefit to society will be realized. A comparison of our ethnicity, culture, gender, and socioeconomic status is listed below along with an explanation of the benefits that are achieved when our cultures interact, learn, and work together.

Globally, individuals have developing traditions and different beliefs. However, these individuals become people united under commonalities including a desire to sacrifice for one’s family, the acknowledgement of a supreme deity, and participating in rights of passage and conformity. While these similarities appear in every society and culture, they are battling with the differences; the contrasting social obligations leading to behavior, the differing ideals of entitlement, and the varying rituals and superstitions. The differentiation of cultures, due to traditions and history, raises a human being and molds their behavior according to expectations and social norms. However, the similarities of human beings are universal and strive to overcome

     Out of all of the continents, Africa is the most central. It is told that the first man was found in Africa, so with this, many feel that Africa is the birthplace of human culture. Within this continent, there are many different lifestyles, which are lived. Many blame the variety of lifestyles on western influence, but the truth is that different lifestyles began thousands of years before the west had influence on Africa. African’s