The meaning of culture
“The set of norms, behaviors, beliefs and customs that exist within the population of a sovereign nation. International companies develop management and other practices in accordance with the national culture they are operating in” (BusinessDictionary.com, 2017)
The essentials of a specific culture places emphasis on what is socially acceptable to that specific demographic with regard to its heritage and can be best summed as the complexities of the whole society.
Five major characteristics that define the culture
There are many characteristics that define a culture, however the five major characteristics are beliefs, art, values, morals and customs.
Beliefs of a culture are a reflection of the cultures, religion
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The second being humaneness, or the care and concern for other human beings; the third essential of the Confucian value structure is a ritualistic view to commemorate not only life’s large events but the celebration of everyday aspects. (Oxnam, 1963)
The customs of a culture are behaviors that are expected of its citizens. North Korea is a male dominated society with women having no influence on decisions of the house; unless, the women are of a higher family status thus also allowing her a position amongst the state. The result of the Confucian lineage of the culture the North Korean people place a high value on the beliefs of “duty, loyalty, honor, sincerity, reciprocating and following protocols while meeting, eating, praying and even celebrating.” (Prachitha, Sophi, and Madison, 2016)
The common cultural characteristics of a region of the world North Korea is a country on the Korean peninsula, south of China in the region of Eastern Asia. The common characteristics of East Asia, include a dedication to strong family bonds with the families living in tight communities and often together in the same small residence. There a sense of allegiance towards perfecting whatever their craft may pursue. The Confucian lineage of East Asia implies the men are the majority leaders with few women’s rights; A strong emphasis is placed on higher order values with the primary religions of the region being Buddhism and Taoism.
Jun-sang lived a better quality life than most North Koreans. His family lived in a freestanding house with a garden to grow vegetables. In addition, the family also owned five wooden wardrobes containing quality clothing and quilts from Japan. In North Korea, a household with more wardrobes meant the family was prosperous. Jun-sang’s family possessed more appliances than their neighbors. These appliances included: a television, sewing machine, electric fan, and a refrigerator. Jun-sang had a pet dog which was unusual in North Korea. Dogs served the purpose as a meal rather than a companion. Although Jun-sang’s family was prosperous, they were lumped into the hostile class because they were Japanese Korean. There was also a constant fear within Jun--sang that his family would be sent to the gulag. Jun-sang’s father is not hesitant to beat his children with a stick if he thinks it will instill fear in his children to get higher scores in school (Demick, 18). high goals of attending the most prestigious university (Kim Il-sung Uni) are the main goal of Jun-sang and his father (Demick, 18). Rigorous studies and career oriented path leaves no time for girls or dating (Demick, 19). Both of Jun-sang’s parents were born in Japan (Demick, 32). They were part of “a cross section of Korean society” made up of people who were forced to support Japan in war efforts, high ranking people that have gone there to study, or immigration workers (Demick, 32). Propaganda stirred up an image
I believe that North Korea is similar to the society in the book Anthem. I believe this for the reason that they are both collectivism societies and their leaders go to extreme ends to protect their collectivism (71). Firstly, they are both collectivism societies which means that the citizens are taught to work for the greater good instead of just themselves. If they aren’t contributing or making the culture better, than the leaders would not approve of their action. For example, in North Korea the citizens have to work for the greater good and are not encouraged to be individualized. Another example, is that in the book Anthem they are not allowed to speak the word “I” because that hints towards individualism which the society is not about
Culture can be defined as the behaviours and belief characteristics of a particular social, ethnic,
Culture: Culture refers to values, languages, symbols, norms, beliefs, expectations that members of a group possess and the good things they produce and use in their life. Culture is the thing that all the members of a group or society follow.
The government structure of North Korea has its existence in one man, Kim Jong Un. It existed in his father, Kim Jong Il, before him, and in his grandfather, Kim Il-sung, before him. North Korea has one of the few successful hereditary dictatorships based on a personalistic regime where the leaders are worshipped as almost a deity (after Kim Il-sung’s death he was made “eternal president”) creating a dynastic transfer of power (Aoki, 2012). In China the one party of the Chinese Communist Party will rule as an Authoritarian body over the nation, but in North Korea the sole power rest dangerously in the arms of one person. Some of the reason for this dissimilarity between the two government structures lies in the country’s differing political cultures.
1- Based on the definition of Ricky W. Griffin, Michael W. Pustay in their book international business a managerial perspective in chapter four they defined culture in saying, culture is the collection of attitudes, beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors that distinguish one society from another. A society’s culture decides the rules that govern how firms operate in the society. many characteristics of culture are worth noting for their relevance to international business.
Understanding how North Korea as a country defines itself in a changing world. Where do they derive their customs and practices, political standings and military power? Define North Korea’s history leading into the modern age and define its culture and characteristics and how they interact with the world today. Understanding a subject as broad as the term culture begins where the culture began with the birth of civilization and the people that influenced it. There are many factors that play a role in the shaping of a nation none so much as turmoil and conflict and the Korean peninsula saw its fair share for the better part of a millennia. A complete statistical breakdown of North Korea shows a struggling nation that strongly depends on
Another characteristic of culture is that it must be shared. Culture is shared amongst the members of the society, which allows them to act in socially appropriate ways. This helps the members of a certain culture to coexist and not violate social norms. Every year in
Family traditions are passed on from generation to generation, however they are not always static rules. Tradition is like a living organism that adapts to change over time. In order to understand modern North Korea’s family customs, it is important to consider the tradition of the past. Before North Korea’s liberation from Japan in 1945, North Korean families operated differently than they do today. Their ideology was founded on Confucius’s principles of family, including “only a country where family life was harmonious could be peaceful and prosperous” (Asia Society). The family is an integral part of society the same way a cell is important to a body (Suzy, 264). The government is even considered “one family” that everyone is a part of (Monday). Every individual in a family has a role and every family has a role in society. The ideal family is modeled from Kim Il Sung’s nuclear family (Suzy, 268). It is clear that family is a fundamental priority in North Korean society.
Throughout the Korean history, the principle of gender roles is fundamentally associated with the traditional Confucianism belief system. Historically, Korea contributes a strong notion of gender inequality within the patriarchal society. The social structure towards the concept of gender in Korea displays males to gain better privileges than females (Lee, 2006). Within the past, Korean women were considered as the most subordinated member in the family. The Confucian system obligates a great influence towards Korean women to follow their traditional roles as a daughter, wife, and mother (Gelb & Palley, 1994). These traditional roles and cultural structures created
One definition of culture from the sheet “What is Culture?” is: “culture…designates what we pay attention to and what we ignore.”
In conclusion i feel that culture is important in our everyday live and make us who we are and the people we will become in the feature and influence the course of our lives
North Korea (officially named the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, or DPRK) is a single-party Communist state in south-east Asia, ruled since 1949 by the Korean Workers' Party (KWP). Regarded by many in the international community as a pariah state (meaning that it is an outcast), North Korea has in recent years become increasingly poverty-stricken, with many of its citizens having barely enough food to survive.
South Korea appears in the first quadrant of Figure 2.2 in which states that the country has a culture with relatively larger power distance and lower individualism. South Korea has a relatively large power distance due to the country’s strong emphasis in respecting for one’s elders and superiors. This cultural belief is deeply
Culture is a system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that members of a society use to cope with their world and with one another. South Korea is influenced by the philosophical brilliance of Confucius, they believe in family, community and society, unlike western ideology of individualism. Customs are a very big part of their culture when comes to communicating, dinning or even when purchasing items from a store. Because of their unique culture, ever since the country was established is has grown tremendously and continues to grow. South Korea has overcome a variety of difficulties such as military conflicts and economic issues. Even after the continuing issues occurring on the Korean peninsula they have managed to stay strong and are becoming a very independent nation.