Culture and Human Behavior
Affect of Culture on Human Behavior and Interaction
Viktorea Ford
Scott Community College
Culture is, by definition, the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group ("Dictionary.com," 2012). It helps give people a sense of balance and sanity within their lifestyle. They follow “rules” and customs on a daily basis based on the things they have been surrounded by or introduced to. Therefore, the effects on human behavior may vary. Considering the many different cultures within a single community and the diversity growing, our interactions with others change and we seem to learn more and new things about the way of life for others. An important communication skill cultures obtain is verbal interaction. Obviously verbal communication is well needed in many, if not all, cultures. It helps with the production of product, socialization, and personal favors. Unfortunately, one way a culture communicates is not always the same as another. Certain greetings or usage or wording could mean one thing to our culture but another to a different culture and sometimes the different are not beneficial. Cultures could take things as an insult therefore causing issues between the two. But not only are greetings different, any type of verbal interaction could be as well. For instance, one culture may find it abnormal to approach a person at a party spontaneously whereas another culture may find it in their morals to approach whoever they meet eyes with and ask them to join the festivities. You can see where this would create a problem. To think of an outgoing culture combining one person into a very formal activity could lead to what would feel like discrimination because the single person would feel as if they were being left out when in reality it is not in the other cultures morals to approach new people. On the opposite end, nonverbal communications, or gestures, are very different as well. Something as simple as pointing your finger
Viktorea Ford
Scott Community College
Culture is, by definition, the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group ("Dictionary.com," 2012). It helps give people a sense of balance and sanity within their lifestyle. They follow “rules” and customs on a daily basis based on the things they have been surrounded by or introduced to. Therefore, the effects on human behavior may vary. Considering the many different cultures within a single community and the diversity growing, our interactions with others change and we seem to learn more and new things about the way of life for others. An important communication skill cultures obtain is verbal interaction. Obviously verbal communication is well needed in many, if not all, cultures. It helps with the production of product, socialization, and personal favors. Unfortunately, one way a culture communicates is not always the same as another. Certain greetings or usage or wording could mean one thing to our culture but another to a different culture and sometimes the different are not beneficial. Cultures could take things as an insult therefore causing issues between the two. But not only are greetings different, any type of verbal interaction could be as well. For instance, one culture may find it abnormal to approach a person at a party spontaneously whereas another culture may find it in their morals to approach whoever they meet eyes with and ask them to join the festivities. You can see where this would create a problem. To think of an outgoing culture combining one person into a very formal activity could lead to what would feel like discrimination because the single person would feel as if they were being left out when in reality it is not in the other cultures morals to approach new people. On the opposite end, nonverbal communications, or gestures, are very different as well. Something as simple as pointing your finger
Cited: Dictionary.com. (2012, January 12). Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/culture ehow. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ehow.com/info_7976914_cultural-differences-gestures-language.html Silvia. (2012). How culture affects human behavior. Retrieved from http://www.lexiophiles.com/english/how-culture-affects-human-behaviour