Do you think cultural differences are sometimes overstated and exaggerated? (hotel, school)

[GeoGeeks]

Do you think cultural differences are sometimes overstated and exaggerated? I mean sure, there are a lot of beliefs, values, religions, languages, customs, but all in all, I feel we're all human with the same needs, wants, fears, hopes, dreams.etc, and more similar than different. Sometimes it seems like people make out people to be from different planets or something. The more I interact with people around the world and travel the more I realise this. Not to say there still aren't significant differences which interesting, but I feel it sometimes creates xenophobia and suspicion.

[fellowjoe]

Originally Posted by GeoGeeks

Do you think cultural differences are sometimes overstated and exaggerated? I mean sure, there are a lot of beliefs, values, religions, languages, customs, but all in all, I feel we're all human with the same needs, wants, fears, hopes, dreams.etc, and more similar than different. Sometimes it seems like people make out people to be from different planets or something. The more I interact with people around the world and travel the more I realise this. Not to say there still aren't significant differences which interesting, but I feel it sometimes creates xenophobia and suspicion.

Its not exaggerated imo. Sure, we do all have the same needs and wants as human beings but our upbringing , behaviours, and preferences are also shaped by the environment in which we are raised and live in.

Even if a Japanese shares the same needs, wants, beliefs or goals as an American, the need to be practical and realistic gets in the way, and subconsciously shapes his preferences.

[elnina]

There are cultural differences, and when you travel you should try your best to understand and accept/acknowledge other people ways of living. Education, social standing, religion, personality, values, beliefs, past experience/history, traditions, backgrounds, affection shown at home, and a myriad of other factors are affecting human behavior and culture.
Examples of possible cultural differences and traditions are in approach as to what is considered polite and appropriate behavior, length of pleasantries, politeness measured in terms of gallantry or etiquette, manner of expected attire etc.
Paying attention to customs and cultural differences can give someone outside that culture a better chance of assimilation or acceptance. Ignoring these can get an unsuspecting person into trouble.
We have endless threads on World and Travel forums posted by members who travel to other countries, and then complain about how people were rude to them, why they didn't smile or close friendships the minute they met, why they think, feel, and act differently, why they didn't speak English, the lack of personal space, why they wear traditional clothes, or how awful their food was, and nobody served them iced water Instead to show a tolerance to other cultures, they were mad because they didn't get "their way" ...

Here you have a great examples of cultural differences:
CICB Center of Intercultural Competence - Typical Examples of cultural differences

[GoldenTiger]

For people who are pretty easy-going and open-minded, it might seem at times overstated or exaggerated. But the time when a specific culture is not so familiar, people can seem to be extreme and over the top to the outsider, but can seem appropriate or understandable to people with similar culture.

I am at ease with American and East Asian cultures, but European culture is a bit of a culture shock for me at times. For example, when I traveled in Europe with a tour group. When we took the long bus ride to Switzerland, our dinner schedule was changed to one hour earlier. Four of us must have been asleep when the announcement was made, because we showed up 15 minutes earlier than our scheduled time and everyone but the tour guide had already retired to their hotel rooms. The tour guide understood what had happened, and did the explanation to the waitress. We knew they were short of tables, but we said we'll finish our dinner quickly and if it takes very long, we'll rather just eat standing up or do the necessary adjustments. However, the Swiss waitress was VERY RUDE. She did seat us, very quickly, grumbling and saying in a mixture of German and English that we were late. She proceeded to shove our dishes to us and then watched us with an eagle eye. She made sure we knew we were unwelcome. Anyway, we finished in like 10 minutes. But it seems that she being Swiss, it's justifiable that she treats us due to our being late. She almost seemed like she has the right to take away the dishes if we exceeded our allocated time there.

We all have different priorities, and a lot of what we prioritize is based on our culture (religion, traditions, etc.). I went to a diverse school for a master's degree. And trying to find time to have a project meeting was so difficult anytime from Friday afternoon to Sunday night is just insanely difficult. One member has to have Bible study nights. A Muslim member needs a different prayer time, the other Christian members have to follow the church service schedule. And there's the popular football team that will be playing that weekend, and a couple of members refused to have a meeting while a game is going on. And some also need to spend time with family. We ended up forcing one member to give up her volleyball game as in our view, that is the one that should not be prioritized, as this was not family, religion or tradition.

[Chava61]

People are people everywhere. But the cultural differences mean people react differently to similar situations.

[GeoGeeks]

^ Of course I'm not saying we should be insensitive to differences elnina, just that sometimes it feels like people make out we're so different.

Take say, East Asia and Europe. Both civilisations went through periods of warring factions/emperors, both grew wheat/millet/barley, both domesticated horses, cattle, both had some similar religious practices, both had a feudal aristocratic systems.etc.

Things like days of worship or punctuality are pretty minor. Human societies are basically more or less the same or very similar. We all just want to be loved, to feel secure, to have fun, to learn, to explore. Maybe it's because young educated people seem more similar the world around, but yeah I feel a shared sense of common identity with all people.

Sadly though globalisation might destroy a lot of cultural things like language, customs, dress.etc.

[rosa surf]

Originally Posted by GeoGeeks

Do you think cultural differences are sometimes overstated and exaggerated? I mean sure, there are a lot of beliefs, values, religions, languages, customs, but all in all, I feel we're all human with the same needs, wants, fears, hopes, dreams.etc, and more similar than different. Sometimes it seems like people make out people to be from different planets or something. The more I interact with people around the world and travel the more I realise this. Not to say there still aren't significant differences which interesting, but I feel it sometimes creates xenophobia and suspicion.

For sure- we are more similar than not, regardless of what anyone wants to say.

The more you travel or meet people from other countries and build relationships with them, the more you see how similar we all are.

[GeoGeeks]

Originally Posted by rosa surf

For sure- we are more similar than not, regardless of what anyone wants to say.

The more you travel or meet people from other countries and build relationships with them, the more you see how similar we all are.

Yeah, I know they play up 'exotic cultures' in travel promos and - to be sure - there is that, but in cities especially, I find people's lifestyles are getting more and more similar. In a way it is sad to see globalisation making places more similar. One of the reasons I want to travel as much as possible now is because the world is getting more generic, less diverse, cultures are dying, the natural world is being ravaged, so travel in say 30 years will be a much less interesting prospect.

[jtur88]

No just the opposite. People often encounter people who live according to a certain culture, and are unwilling to respect them for that and underestimate the importance of doing so.. We are taught that "there is no such thing as race" which does not help us when we encounter a person of a culture that reflects a racial identity. You can quibble all you like about the definitions in that statement, but few people are intellectually capable of coping with the dichotomy of racial/cultural identity, and many just knee-jerk through some PC mumbojumbo.

How many people take the trouble to learn what Islam means to its adherents, and instead either ignore the sensitivities of Muslims, or treat them as morally inferior.

Like, you know, how can the police treat blacks and whites equally, when the fact is that the blacks fear them and the whites (so far, mostly) do not? The importance of reading their cultural values intothe encounter is underestimated, rather than exaggerated. Obviously, a man filling his tank at a self-serve station in Ferguson has very different "needs, wants, fears, hopes, dreams.etc," than a man in Creve Coeur.

[Mini-apple-less]

I think culture influences people's values, but yeah I think we all have the same basic set of emotions and such. I think it would be better if we realized that people mostly desire the same things, ie a safe world for their family and comfort and prosperity.