QUOTES 2005 HET BEGRIP CULTUUR

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1 QUOTES 2005 De citaten in dit document komen uit de werkstukken van studenten in de masterprogramma s over Europese integratie bij de Universiteit Maastricht. De studenten schrijven deze werkstukken aan het einde van trainingen of colleges over cultuur. De opdracht bestaat steeds uit twee vragen: wat is cultuur voor jou? Hoe ga jij zelf met cultuurverschillen om? Hierbij reflecteren studenten op het geboden lesmateriaal in het licht van eigen ervaringen. Omdat alle studenten in Maastricht al een interculturele ervaring hebben (ze hebben bijvoorbeeld met hun ouders in het buitenland gewoond of ze hebben met een Erasmus beurs een half jaar in het buitenland gestudeerd), komen hier prachtige verhalen uit. Pieter van Nispen zette jaarlijks de interessantste citaten bij elkaar in de volgorde die in grote lijnen ook in Culturele competentie is aangehouden. De vier hoofdthema s voor de ordening van citaten zijn het begrip cultuur; aspecten van cultuur; cultuur op de vier niveaus die in de training zijn onderscheiden; en het omgaan met cultuurverschillen. De vier niveaus betreffen cultuur op het niveau van het individu; cultuur op het niveau van de kleine groep zoals gezin of een team; het niveau van de grote groep zoals organisatiecultuur; en nationale cultuur. HET BEGRIP CULTUUR De citaten over het begrip of het concept van cultuur zijn verder verdeeld in een aantal algemene opmerkingen, citaten over de band tussen cultuur en tijd en plaats ofwel context, het gebruik van cultuur als instrument en waarden. De eerste groep (algemene opmerkingen over cultuur) probeert onder andere via vergelijkingen het begrip cultuur te verduidelijken met kaders (frames), een blokkendoos (construction kit) en paradigma s. Steeds opnieuw maken de studenten duidelijk dat cultuur niet een eenduidig begrip is maar een wisselwerking van vele elementen die op individueel niveau een unieke combinatie vormt. In de groep met algemene opmerkingen komen de subjectieve en individuele beleving van cultuur aan bod, maar ook de identificatie met een groep en de vergelijking met of het zich afzetten tegen een groep. Cultuur is daarbij iets dat leidt tot keuzes ten aanzien van gedrag. Bovendien is cultuur dynamisch, geen statisch gegeven en bestaat een veelheid aan culturen. Omdat waarden voor mij de kern van cultuur uitmaken, heb ik de opmerkingen over waarden niet opgenomen onder het kopje aspecten van cultuur maar juist bij het begrip cultuur. Dit wil niet zeggen dat de genoemde aspecten van cultuur van minder belang zijn, maar zij zijn wel anders van aard. De aspecten kun je waarnemen, terwijl waarden een construct vormen, een theoretisch begrip dat je alleen indirect via vragenlijsten kunt verduidelijken. If I think of culture I think of a particular frame, which constitutes the boarders of our thinking and behaviour. The frame keeps together all information that refers to our experiences, background, education and relationships with other people. With regard to relations with other people I believe that the ones who are close to us are generally the most influential ones. Every human being posses a frame and moreover, it develops and constantly changes throughout a life. Despite the fact that every frame differs from each other or to put it differently no frame matches a 100% to another one, I think that frames can have very similar information. Thus, frames can be categorised and these categories reflect cultures or groups of people sharing for instance the same perspective on certain matters or behave very similar in the same situation. Culture is a concept with an infinite amount of meanings. my view can only emerge from my culture It is at the same time the result and the cause of many different features and frames a person lives in. Additionally, I consider culture as being something completely subjective as well as abstract which cannot be defined without leaving out an aspect of culture because it is so multi-faceted and complex; people can only try to define it. Pagina 1 van 33

2 Only if one takes the time to think about culture and its impact on oneself it becomes apparent that We are all culture in the flesh. Culture is what you do here and now. The first step when dealing with cultural differences is to know who you are and where you come from in, since this does affect what you do here and now. But who am I and what kind of culture do I belong to? If culture is really what we do here now, than my cultural profile is determined, as anybody else s, by a mixture of family, friends, education, socialisation, experiences and own choices. In my experiences until now I was rather able to define what I am not, than what I am in terms of culture. our cultures cover a considerable amount of place in determining our choices or behaviours. it made me consider the countless times when we think, say and do things without even noticing, that we behave according to some unwritten rules and act toward the others on the basis of cultural preconditions. Looking at the definition given to culture by Hoftstede - culture is like a collective mental programming which differentiates the members of one group or category of people from those of others is much too fixed in its way of thinking. It clashes with my view that one s mental programming is not fixed and definitely not programmed. I sympathise more with [a] layered definition of culture because his inverted pyramid illustrates that the interactions one has with people, whether that be on a global, national or familiar level, has an effect and impact on the individual and his or her interpretation of culture. I define my culture with what, whom and where I identify with. This can change throughout life and I therefore think that culture is more nurtured than it is nature. Even though we are put into this world by our parents who form the first pillars on which our perceptions of culture rest, as certain values and beliefs play a role in our upbringing, the rest is up to us. Culture is not only immensely complex but also dynamic to some degree and shaped by the individuals belonging to it. Thus, I would suggest that there is never a ready-made culture that is taken over by an individual. Rather individuals take over bits and pieces, trying to balance the requirements of the different cultures they belong to (which is not to say that these are conscious decisions). The problem here might be that one too readily equates culture simply with national culture, especially when speaking about cultural differences. However, there is certainly more than national culture. It is easy to observe that actually every group of people (from the family to the nation) or organisation (company or administration, e.g.) has its own culture, i.e. idea of how to do things. Every individual is then part of several different cultures. This way, cultural differences can even be observed between people that grew up together. For example, I would dare to say that the fact that my brother and me went to different secondary schools and he started to work directly after school while I went on studying indeed led to something that one could name a cultural difference. While I got used to analyse the world around me with the help of theories and concepts, this is at best a bit unworldly for my brother, which can make it sometimes difficult to communicate. Furthermore, I sometimes feel I have to defend myself against the stereotype of an idle student. So, while we still share a fair amount of values, beliefs and way of thinking and behaviour due to our common upbringing, there are at times differences in understanding that are hard to bridge. From the observation that individuals belong to more than one culture I then would like to derive two ideas that I will develop in the following. Firstly, the impossibility to define any of these cultures exhaustively,. Secondly, that we daily deal with cultural differences, national cultural differences not necessarily being the most important of them. Apparently, the concepts used by Trompenaars in one of his seven dilemmas are also liable to the dynamic nature of culture, and it is quite likely that this will be the case also for the six remaining dilemmas. The fact that peoples values change over time and between environments and circumstances makes the concept even more Pagina 2 van 33

3 complex. However, it is important to note that the deep-rooted values are very hard to change. The statement that culture is firmly context-specific and at the same time encompasses values and norms that are solidly embedded in our lives may seem contradictory. However, in my view, these are the two major forces steering culture into different directions. To give meaning to culture, people refer to differences rather than similarities, because the former helps to create identity by defining the other. For me the most fruitful way of saying something about culture is with one leg in the field, or to put in more formal terms, by participatory observation. Being fully in the culture, so being a participant (which I obviously am in my own culture) gives a biased view. Using too much a helicopter view, so being an observer, leaves one too much outside the culture and makes it therefore not possible to grasp the core of the culture. In cultural anthropology these different approaches are respectively called emic (inside view) and etic (comparing differences). Theories and linked instruments of measurement always constrain the idea they tackle to some extend, leaving aside aspects and trying to put things into a certain drawer. Especially with the topic of culture, which is on one hand so broad, but on the other hand exactly for this reason so difficult to grasp, to explain and to categorize, I see the risk of generalizing and simplifying things. Further, assuming that 100 persons were interviewed or had to fill out a questionnaire, it is possible that fifty answered 1 (not important) and fifty answered 10 (very much important). So although people in that county have very diverging, even polarized opinions about that issue, the average shown in the scale is a score of 5 and therefore not at all representative for what people in Germany really think. Personally, I believe that one individual can belong to different cultures simultaneously. First, you have your own personal culture by which one perceives the world, tries to define his/ her norms and values, and other important elements of life. One may adhere great importance to religion, family or personal lifetime achievements of a career. Yet, an individual is also part of many different groups: a culture within a group of master students/ a group of restaurant holders/ a group of politicians of a left wing party/ a group of charity workers for a project in Africa, and so on. Each group of people has (again) developed its own norms and values, its own beliefs of what constitutes culture. Next to this, is the importance of a national culture, an organizational culture of a company; a political culture within the European Union; a West European culture, and even a mere global culture dealing with important values of civilization, westernization and respect for human rights, for instance. Each of these cultures is unique, and can be practiced simultaneously. This is a layered concept of culture, where people search for their identity in each layer and attempt to avoid uncertainty I share the opinion that they are many cultures and each individual has also its own culture. It is not only national or regional cultures but also individual. One could talk about the Greek culture, the European culture but also about [Pieter s] culture. Culture plays a significant role in people s lives, yet it is not the sole mechanism of explanation of behavior. confidence is common to all people and attempting to find it is common to all young adults. Thus history is able to illustrate how cultures developed, how they changed over time and at least give hints at how they might evolve in the future. Culture needs to be assessed from a historical, socio-economic, political and normative angle. Culture is what glues a group together. Here I would like to tie in with some remarks on the relationship between individual and group regarding culture. For me, the focus of culture clearly relates to a be it virtual or real community respectively the commonalities between people, and I have some difficulties with attributing a culture to individuals. Pagina 3 van 33

4 From my point of view, the individual has a personality and identity, which is amongst others (such as biological factors or the private background mentioned above) composed of the affiliation to different subcultures. To speak in images, one might say that everybody has his/her specific cultural construction kit and with the various bricks which differ in colour, size, shape, weight, and importance for the static, everybody ends up with a different house. However, for me, culture itself rather refers to the collective identity of a group. Culture in this respect is essentially about group membership, about in or out. Culture can only be identified in comparison with the other and a central function of culture is to provide the individual with some sense of belonging and identity. Although one might say that an individual looses part of his autonomy through its affiliation to a culture, in a sense that its thinking and acting is (often unconsciously) determined by its cultural kit, it also receives footing, meaning and orientation in exchange and by its very thinking and acting inversely (and at least as unconsciously) shapes the culture it belongs to. Culture can thus not be looked upon detached from the individual level, as it is both condition for and product of an individual s behaviour. Nevertheless, I would still like to emphasize the importance of the group, because no individual can form a culture of its own and culture has a lot to do with communication, interaction, relations between people and social life. But I also have to say that much of things people do, is because they believe that they ought to do them. Most of the time, there is nothing wrong with those stereotypes; they provide an easy, no-thought-consuming way of seeing the world. However, they do become a problem when they put stones in people s hands to throw at those from different cultures. Therefore, I would understand the determinants of culture as a mix of upbringing, immediate environment, as well as the obtained attitudes towards race and gender. The decisive point is being aware of borderlines and being able to deal with them. The success lies in knowing where your own borders are (upbringing, immediate environment (>workplace, the area you live in etc.), attitudes towards race and gender) and understanding when your re-actions are hypocritical of any one situation. Something that is to observe in many (western) cultures is the fact that when meeting someone new the first two questions are usually related to the name of the person and their geographic descent, i.e. Who are you and where are you from? By discovering something simple such as one s nationality, our mind transfers this information to what we already know about it and answers the question whether we appreciate the newly received information. Our thoughts seem to have a desire to place people in a certain box in order to see whether the preconditions that we have are matched. I cannot say that I form an exception to this. my second personal conclusion about culture is that it is actually to broad to develop and apply theories that really grasp every aspect that might matter to describe one persons or a countries culture. Personally, culture has never meant one. Only when talking to people in private can one truly explore and understand their culture. Especially when remembering that no two people are the same, and that each s culture is a mix of cultures he experienced in his life. Thus, my conclusion about culture is that everybody has their own little culture, which makes everybody special and allows us to make a distinction between every individual. This also explains why I might get along with some people of a certain group of culture, while I do not get along with some people of that very same culture. Simply due to the fact that the group which I get along with might be impacted by another culture which is closer or more compatible to my cultures, I might get along better with them. Thus, everybody s culture is actually a mix of cultures. The more one travels and the more one is in (personal) contact with people from other cultures, the broader one s mix of cultures becomes. Pagina 4 van 33

5 I think that what made me stay there so long and be successful in dealing with different culture was my curiosity. A conviction that there is always something more to be thought about the other and eventually about yourself. This is how an international culture develops; this in my opinion is what I represent now. Right now, a sentence of a song comes to my mind: people are all the same, and we only get judged by what we do (abstract of the song Ugly of The Sugababes). And this is actually true. culture is composed of the values, beliefs, norms, and behavior of a society or group of people. Additionally, my exposure to various viewpoints and perspectives leads me to believe that a defining aspect of culture is the way of viewing the world. I think that another important component in culture is the way of life and customs of a society. Another element in my perception of culture is that culture includes all of the individuals in a society. As expressed in my group assignment, Trompenaars seven dilemma system of analyzing culture is not flawless. In addition, Hofstede s model also provides many ambiguities. I am inclined to argue that both models try to fit culture into a small box. TIJD EN PLAATS / CONTEXT culture is a construct of history and place As a consequence of different paths of history at different places, there is not only difference among countries, but also among different regions in one single country. People have the tendency to consider as right /proper, the things that they do themselves or the manner in which they perform things themselves. This leads to differentiation, even on a small scale, for example between small neighbouring villages. Even if these villages are very similar, or even seem to be the same to an outsider, the people living there differentiate between themselves, because of the differences created over time by (even minimal) different experiences or (minimal) different circumstances. To me, the perception of culture has very much to do with the sense of place; the idea of belonging. Importantly, culture is not only made up of different experiences, it also creates situations itself. What is more, my idea of culture, of norms and values, changes according to the specific context I find myself in. Of course, it is possible to identify a number of elements that determine your culture, and your personal values, even though they remain incomplete. However, these norms and values are not fixed, but vary according to the context at stake. This dynamic element of culture engenders a different search for identity in different contexts. different definitions of culture. Almost all of them included terms like patterns, behaviour, values, norms, morals or attitudes one is shaped by or one develops due to his/her surrounding. Taking all this into account, my own personal definition of culture would be that culture is our past and present surrounding that shapes and influences our values, beliefs, norms, attitudes and behaviour. So, by demonstrating this little overview of my life I intend to show that it was exactly the education I had that made me the person I am today, because it formed my values, beliefs, behaviour and attitudes and thus also the decision I have been taking throughout my life. And it was exactly the education Hannah [youth friend] had that made her develop her values and influenced her decision-making. As every person has a different background, be it family, work or personal experiences etc., everybody develops different attitudes, perceives things differently and attributes not the same importance to the same things. Man s behavior is part of a conjunctural motion of convergence and divergence between layers and brands of culture. Time and space construct a culture. Of course, with enough economic resources and prosperity, a nation can afford the mentality of working to live. For the majority of the people in Mexico this is simply not the case. Moreover, it should not be forgotten that, although the Netherlands are largely described as an individualistic society now, the first half of the century was Pagina 5 van 33

6 characterized by the Zuilen-system, in which a person s identity, beliefs, values and actions were determined by the religious subgrouping he or she formed part of. When experiencing another culture, one should keep in mind the context in which it was shaped, and most importantly, that it is a product of a certain space and time. What constitutes a culture today will not be the same as what it will comprise in fifty years from now. CULTUUR ALS INSTRUMENT The third reason would be that, if I observe for instance international political events in the news, I get the constant feeling that culture in general or religion in particular is simply an instrument in order to manipulate the masses or a group of people. The current outcry regarding the published cartoons remains mystical to me. Yet, I assume that the outcry suits a number of people with certain interests more that the question of respect versus the right to freely express ones opinion. Once again a very difficult issue. Nevertheless, I strongly believe that culture or a particular part of it is often issued as an instrument in order to pursue interests that appear to be not visible at first sight. Culture has turned into a powerful weapon: those infused with fear and anger willingly use it against those of different faith, nationality or background. People smugly hide behind the protective shield of their own culture, from where it is easy to blame and hate everyone else for everything bad: the Muslims for Terrorism, the immigrants for economic crises, the Serbs for ethnic cleansing. The reason for this lies in the insufficient understanding of the importance of culture. Often culture is used as a scapegoat, blaming cultural differences for not getting along with other people or not feeling comfortable in another country. WAARDEN It is often argued that a persons s culture is shaped in his or hers formative years but it is apparent that cultural values, norms and beliefs are constantly changing. This does not mean that old values disappear. Rather, they are incorporated into a new set. Because after all, I am a child of my time. Let me explain you what I mean greek values. As every Greek, I have to emphasize military, family the three important layers in our life which are the homeland (Greece), religion (Greek Orthodox Church) and family (any Greek family). Therefore I have been taught from a child that I should love my country, honour my religion and protect and respect the family. I did travel to Poland and with my family mourned the death of our Pope. The general atmosphere in Poland at this time, was that we should strive to continue to live according to the Pope s teaching. As I expected, this period passed, and politicians who made big declarations on stopping the gradual destruction of Poland through their greed, returned to their regular activities of providing the media with numerous scandals to report on. However, speaking honestly, I came to recognize that my own norms and values often hindered me in social contacts, being embedded deeply in my personality and therefore reflected in my actions. As regards the value shift to post-modernism, I would state that we are not there yet but rather on the way. Fifty years ago perceptions were completely different and influenced by completely different problems and worries, and my generation is the first that does not experience the direct post-war mentality anymore, or only to a very slight extent. So, while we already have some post-modern input from our parents and grandparents which they have acquired throughout their lives, I suppose that my generation will probably form the basis of postmodernism thus, the first generation where the value shift becomes strong enough to be visible on the outside Pagina 6 van 33

7 and pass on these modified values to future generations. For instance, trust in supranational institutions is considered to be one major criterion of a post-modern attitude, and this can be seen in support of the EU. I could imagine that another comparatively large potential for mentality conflict emerges between my generation and our children: after all, we are the last ones to have at least some input of the after-war mentality, if only through our grandparents attitudes, while our children will be the first generation to be raised with no direct link at all to the wars and the values and perceptions they have shaped. I believe that some norms and values, such as the right to freedom and liberty, are universal. However, many norms and values are particular to certain cultures, and cultures are often defined by unique norms and values. In this post-modern shift that Europe is experiencing the prevalence of many cultural views will not obstruct its progress but rather build a foundation of mutual respect and cooperation which by definition is at the essence of post-modernity. ASPECTEN VAN CULTUUR Belangrijke aspecten van cultuur die je direct kunt waarnemen, zijn eten en drinken, de woonomgeving, dorp versus stad, godsdienst, geschiedenis, kleding en media en perceptie. Culturele verschillen rond voedsel en kleding lijken heel erg voor de hand te liggen, maar toch noemen maar weinig studenten deze aspecten expliciet. We kennen allemaal uitdrukkingen als eten bij de Italiaan of even een Chineesje halen, uitdrukkingen die direct wijzen op de cultuurverschillen zonder daarvoor te hoeven reizen. Dit betreft overigens niet alleen andere soorten eten of andere manieren van eten maar ook verschillende waarderingen van eten. Is eten voedsel met een bepaalde hoeveelheid calorieën en dergelijke of is eten eerder een sociale gelegenheid? Bij woonomgeving moet je denken aan het land, de regio, de stad of het dorp waarin je bent opgegroeid, maar ook aan bij voorbeeld een internationale omgeving (zoals het leventje van expats, mensen die door hun werkgever naar een ander land zijn gestuurd voor een aantal jaar) of de omgeving van een asielzoekerscentrum. Onder een apart kopje heb ik een bijzonder aspect van de woonomgeving geplaatst, namelijk de overgang van dorp naar stad. Een paar studenten hebben die benoemd als een belangrijk cultuurverschil dat een herkenbaar effect heeft gehad op hun persoonlijke ontwikkeling. Geschiedenis is iets waarvan het belang moeilijk valt te overdrijven. Diverse studies hebben aangetoond dat waardepatronen eeuwenlang kunnen doorwerken en dat waarden over zulke lange tijdstermijnen op de een of andere manier onbewust worden doorgegeven. Volgens sommige auteurs is bijna de helft van de verschillen tussen landen te verklaren vanuit verschillen in geschiedenis.. ETEN EN DRINKEN I strongly believe that food provides us with a fitting tool to bring people from varying cultures together and joining them in the universal process of eating. Uniting different cultures through similar habits is a great way of learning about someone else s culture. The difference might also occur while doing things. For Italian might be a great problem to eat prepared food kept in the fridge for a week, while for Pole or American it just might be normal. Italians put a lot of attention to the fresh food and that they eat together with the family, which also indicates the level of importance of the family. The most recent encounter I had with other cultures was during my internship in Brussels, where I participated in the organisation and conducting of seminars and conferences e.g. for people from South East Asia or from some Arab countries this being probably the most impressing encounter, revealing most obviously cultural Pagina 7 van 33

8 differences. Just beginning with the first common dinner after the participants arrival, we had to be inventive in order to provide everybody with a meal he or she would agree to eat. Although we had asked them in advance to indicate their religion and preferences concerning the meals, we had to overcome e.g. different understandings of the interpretation of vegetarian in international standard (meaning e.g. with or without fish), as well as in general European or Asian interpretations when talking about certain kinds of food. Seeking to solve the problem by inviting our guests into an Asian restaurant that offered a free choice buffet, we still had to realize the fact, that even those sorts of food, that seemed rather strange for our European palate, were too Europeanized for our Asian guests. WOONOMGEVING At an age of ten/eleven years, my family and I have fled to the Netherlands, as a consequence of the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Eventually, we have ended up living in a Dutch village, called Roggel. Being one of the five non-dutch families in Roggel, my family and I have encountered the problems and gains, or consequences in general, of an intercultural life. I was born and raised in Cologne, Germany, a city which has a very distinct character, and whose culture, which one might also term tradition, is the exact counterpart of the traditional German stereotype of Prussian strictness etc. The classic example for this is the common saying in Cologne that Köln ist die nördlichste Stadt Italiens (Cologne is the most Northern city of Italy). The Cologne people are said to be very open and simple people, meaning that status is not very important and that everybody is equal. a couple of special Cologne symbols, which deeply impact my culture. First of all, the Cologne Cathedral, the Dom.. Another symbol is the beer, so called Kölsch. Yet, my pride and connection to Cologne leave me no choice but to remain loyal to my team and my city. I really cherish the fact that I got to grow up with children from a lot of different nationalities and backgrounds during Kindergarten and school and that we lived in a neighbourhood with people from different countries: We always had and still have Turkish, Italian, Greek etc. small food shops around town which is something that I have been missing every time I have been living somewhere else. These little shops are one of the things that were so fundamental and natural to me that I really wondered why they were not everywhere that I went. escaped the Polish communist regime in 1988 As immigrants in a West Berlin camp for asylum seekers, my family and I had our first encounters with non-european cultures. I recall a clear segregation, and none of the Caucasian children played with the Turkish or Arabic children. I do not think that parents deliberately separated us, but both sides did not know how to approach the unknown. My experience of another culture was limited to, for the first time in my life, eating Turkish bread. I remember my father and I relishing this delicacy. In the late 1970 s the Saudi-Arabian government started a programme to attract foreign labour. Sheer unimaginable (financial) advantages awaited those skilled workers ranging from engineers and physicists to doctors and lawyers who were ready to apply their knowledge in the desert-like state. My parents decided to leave everything behind and adventured into the unknown. Born to a German mother and an English father in 1980 I had to juggle between two cultures from the beginning. I grew up in a compound with Norwegian, Pakistani, British, Australian, Swedish (etc.) neighbours and was confronted with differences from the very start. The first thing that comes to my mind is money. As trivial as it may seem, the fact that you do not have to pay for housing, do not have to worry about a mortgage, do not have to pay taxes, bills for gas and water are also non-existent, plus all flights for the entire family are paid by the Saudi government gives everyone a feeling of ease no matter what the cultural background. But even in rich countries, in the great Capitals of the world it is where you live, what quarter, even which street you inhabit that determines whether you are rich, upper middle-class, middle-class, lower middle-class, poor (not to mention all the other subdivisions that exist). These divisions did not exist back in the compound where I grew up in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Another point may have been the good weather I think that food in general is a binding element of cultures not least because we all have to eat. In a wider sense the chain of reasoning therefore goes from sunny weather to being able to go to the beach to sharing food at lunch. A further crucial point is Pagina 8 van 33

9 the concept of the distinctive other as coined by Edward Said. Although we constituted a patchwork of different cultures, those living within the compound were the contrast to those living outside. And those living outside, meaning not in any other compound, will have been Saudi-Arabian. The gate was the border. The border to another world. To me every-day culture is the most interesting aspect of culture because it is such a direct way to detect differences between people as well as between countries and it is the part of culture that can be best observed and is the most accessible. There really are very different manners of washing dishes to name but one example. DORP VERSUS STAD Strikingly, all the things that struck me as odd in the smaller towns where not that strong in the bigger cities. I believe that this is an indication for the fusion of culture that comes with globalisation. I have been travelling a little in my life. The first step was from my little village in the countryside to Milan, the city where I studied for four years. It is incredible how it has been more difficult this step than when I went abroad for the first time. A big city is a completely different place in respect of a place with seven thousand inhabitants. After a while I realised that the differences were not only on the surface. It is natural that a city is more differentiated, therefore gives the opportunity to know many people with different ideas and to see different ways of organising one s relations with the others. However, I realised that the differences were deeper. This has to do with the upbringing of a person. Normally, parents are more active both at work and in their social life. This means on the one hand they do not have plenty of time for their children; on the other hand they usually are more educated, successful in their job, more informed on economics, politics, etc. Furthermore, religion is definitely less important in a city. People use to be materialistic as they are kept busy by their business. Another important aspect is the relation with money. It might sound strange but in a place such as Milan there are too many young guys and girls with too much money in their pockets. This allows them to have a completely different perspective of what they can or they cannot do. I was born in Alphen aan den Rijn, in the Randstad. However, most of my life I have lived in a rather small and easy- going village near Breda, in the province of Noord-Brabant. In my opinion, this small example does have a considerable influence on one s perception of culture. Growing up in a rather big city, or at least in the surroundings of big cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, compared to growing in a rather protective environment of a smaller village does indeed make a difference on the perception of culture. Living in a big city means that people are more likely to be confronted with other cultures, already very early in their lives. Children start at schools and meeting other children from other countries and cultures. This is less likely to happen at a school in a small village, far away from for example the Randstad. Going to high school, Stedelijk Gymnasium Breda, was the first step in going to the big city. This of course means a new step in the growing up process of a child. Starting at high school means meeting more and other people, coming from different places and different social environments. Personally, I have experienced this (the different social environments) as an important first determinant in my preception of culture. Going to high school means that one broadens his horizon in terms of people. GODSDIENST In contrast to my Croatian education, I saw that you could be critical and that religion is not simply something other people are indoctrinating on you. But that it is something you ought to explore and decide for yourself. Consequently, religion had been the first clash between my two identities, or my two worlds. I guess I am Jewish out of tradition and not of belief. The feasts at my grandparents house were always fun. We were many people, having wonderful food and singing nice prayers, although I always perceived them as songs. Pagina 9 van 33

10 GESCHIEDENIS an incident illustrating the attitude towards time. I remember the slight bewilderment standing in a museum in the UK and realising that to the British it really seems to mean something that the Romans once were in the country. In contrast, I might consider it to be interesting who once lived in the region where I am living but without much relevance for me personally (which I admit might be quite German, given the complicated relationship to our own history). KLEDING One funny, although not very indicative example is clothing. When my best friend and I am are bored in the library, we always try to guess who is German and who is Dutch, just by looking at peoples cloth. I think we have a 80% right guessing rate. Dutch people dress much more friendly in the sense of more colourful, whereas Germans are more conservative and wear more muted colours. MEDIA EN PERCEPTIE The way the media and the political actors present their issues influences my way of perceiving my own country the Netherlands, other nationalities, and the outside world. It holds me a certain mirror, perhaps full of bias. But still, it influences my thoughts and values. Therefore, I believe that the role of media can play a tremendous role in shaping cultural view of one person but in a hazardous way particularly when this person does not have personal experience with the specific group that it is being criticized. Hence, media should endeavour to be more cautious to what they present to the public in order to avoid clashes between the dominant culture and the culture of immigrants. CULTUUR OP VIER NIVEAUS In de colleges werd cultuur onderscheiden op vier niveaus: het individu, de kleine groep (team, gezin), de grote groep (bij voorbeeld organisatiecultuur) en nationale culturen. Deze indeling kwam in de verschillende papers terug. Op het niveau van het individu komt duidelijk naar voren dat ieder mens een samenstel is van cultuur, de resultante van enige malen de drie hogere niveaus. Ieder is namelijk lid van verschillende kleinere en grotere groepen. Verder kunnen mensen meer dan één nationaliteit hebben of in het buitenland wonen. Hierdoor komt het individueel cultuurbegrip in de buurt van de eigen identiteit. De citaten over de kleine groep betreffen vooral de invloed van het gezin en de opvoeding op de eigen persoonlijkheid. De citaten bevatten duidelijke voorbeelden van wat cultuur op dit niveau betekent, betere voorbeelden dan tijdens de colleges naar voren kwamen. Ook over de grote groep zijn diverse citaten met duidelijke voorbeelden opgenomen. Gelet op het belang van onderwijs voor de vorming van het individu zijn de citaten hierover apart geplaatst onder het kopje onderwijs. Binnen het onderwijs bestaat verder nog een aparte categorie, de internationale school. Dit betreft een basis- of middelbare school waarvan het onderwijs in het buitenland is geaccrediteerd, waar onderwijs in de taal van dat andere land wordt gegeven en waar veel buitenlandse kinderen onderwijs volgen. Zo heb je in tal van landen Britse of Amerikaanse scholen. De leerlingen zijn vaak kinderen van expats (expatriates), mensen die door hun werkgever met hun gezin voor een aantal jaren naar het buitenland zijn gestuurd (diplomaten, internationaal bedrijfsleven en dergelijke). De internationale scholen zijn interessant, omdat de cultuurverschillen een integraal onderdeel uitmaken van de omgeving. Je zou daarom denken dat leerlingen al dan niet begeleid leren hoe met cultuurverschillen om te gaan. Dat blijkt echter niet altijd het geval! Pagina 10 van 33

11 Op het niveau van nationale culturen zijn de citaten opgedeeld in regionale verschillen binnen één land, nationale culturen als zodanig, het opgroeien in een ander dan het eigen land (expats), dubbele nationaliteit en culturen in een bovennationale regio. Een aantal mensen heeft een dubbele nationaliteit en zitten daardoor bijna per definitie klem tussen twee culturen (zwei Seelen in einem Brust). Hoewel dat voor staten niet altijd even gunstig is, zijn de verhalen van deze mensen vanuit een cultuur standpunt meestal erg interessant. Bij bovennationale regio s, zoals het Middellandse Zeegebied, komen niet de verschillen maar juist de overeenkomsten tussen landen aan bod. HET INDIVIDU to the fact, that when you really start thinking about the impact of culture, you can dig deeper and deeper into your subconscious. However, to set a final mark, I will stop right here and maybe write an entirely different essay tomorrow! Personal background is an essential part of one s culture and perception of culture. But I think that the conditions one is put in also play a significant role in that. I also see a solid link between culture and identity. The reason for this is because I have always felt that my culture (as determined by my nationality and being Dutch) clashes with my identity, as I never felt Dutch. Holland was only a country where my relatives lived and where my family and I visited once in a while. My sense of identity was stronger with the foreign country I lived in and the group of friends I had around me. And now that I have been studying in Maastricht for five years, it truly is the first time that I have ever felt Dutch. Therefore, I agree with the fact that one s identity is the sum of one s (sub) cultures. And because my subcultures are so diverse and have changed continuously over the past 23 years, I define my sense of culture to be inextricably linked with my identity. I think that in a way one s Culture is also very much an individual thing. People have so many unique habits that are part of their individual culture that cannot be put into any broader framework. a sentence I read that I find more explanatory to every theory or survey. This phrase sounds like this: culture is how we do things here and now. This means that culture is a matter of perspective: how do I perceive things? Why do I perceive things like this? How will I perceive things in the future? It means also that culture is a very personal concept. One thing I learnt is that it is impossible to leave your culture at the doorstep. It is anchored deep inside, in every thought and action of a person. In sum, before being able to write about ones way of understanding culture and the subsequent dealing with cultural differences, one has to be find out more about the effects of ones own cultural influences. These encounters definitely helped me to understand other people better. But on the other hand they also made me think about myself. They made me question certain behaviours that I took for granted, normal or commonly accepted and they especially made me think about and trying to define and evaluate what it really is that makes up my own culture, which to a certain extent is part of my identity, and in how far this influences my behaviour, as well as the norms and values I consider to be essential. We can never think outside of the box of the values, norms, and beliefs that are as codified in us just like our DNA. One can cherish cultural diversity; one can explore various cultures, and learn about them, and observe them, and know them, but still this person s perception will always be flawed by the prism of his own culture. Pagina 11 van 33

12 This is unavoidable, of course, and only becomes a problem when it takes normative dimensions and one starts judging cultures in terms of good, and bad, superior and inferior, worthy or not. my first own personal conclusion about culture would be that to derive cultural differences one has to start right in front of his/her own threshold, as cultural differences not only appear in cross-border or international relations. Instead, culture is something very individual and personal. I have to say that it is not correct to make hasted generalisations as each person has its own cultural background and personality that gives its own colour in the large cultural picture. These are the words of one of my American friends, himself Afro-American, gay and from a Jehovah family background. In my view, culture and identity are inseparably connected. This is why I see cultural influences as the lifelong input of shaping one s identity. That my friend is right is a subjective perception, though for me his definition of culture is one of adults his definition refers to a way of cultural identification that happens when childhood is over. Bridging cultural differences but also finding the commonalties. In the end, for myself, it has been a process which has taught me who I am myself. Finding my own identity on grounds of the Croatian and the German one but still finding my very own one. I believe that values as respecting my family, taking care for others, helping others, being on time, etc. are things which I mainly adapted to from both cultures. But then my very own interpretation of these values, norms and beliefs comes in. DE KLEINE GROEP However, the degree to which one is opon towards other cultures certainly is very dependent on the way one was raised by one s parents and one s education. Since my parents were very open-minded and always traveled around with me and my siblings, I never had the feeling of being lost or alone in another culture. My childhood consisted of socialising with people of other nations. This I consider a privilege, which helped me understand how nicely we can differ from each other. I should give credit to my parents in providing me with a good upbringing where values like respect, understanding and politeness were taught. My father s relatives, who live in the Maastricht area, is white and small of size. My mother s family, who are spread over the world but largely live in the Amsterdam area, is black and large of size. The issues that are discussed are usually of a totally different subject and arguments are constructed in very distinguishing ways. Next to the lack of language, the fact that my mother decided to fully integrate into The Netherlands, made it possible for me to become a real Dutch person as well. At the same time this implies that I have never fully been educated in the norms and values of Suriname. For a very long time already during school I felt closely attached to Great Britain. Part of this feeling surely is my father s fault, who is an English teacher and very enthusiastic about England ever since I started to learn English we spent our annual summer holiday in England, so that I got to know many different areas of this amazing country and also quickly started to love the country and the language I even was more interested in the British Premier League than in the German Bundesliga. Analyzing my culture from its very beginning initiate with the culture taught by my parents. This teaching still continues, but it diverges due to changes of environment and time. They taught me the basic values and norms, which were then justified at school. They also show me the right patterns of behavior, for instance manners applicable in the restaurant or in interpersonal relations. The role and position of parents also play a crucial role. The distinction might be often made between educated and non-educated parents, as well as military and non-military father (in my case military-here we come into another specific subculture of military organization s Pagina 12 van 33

13 constructed subculture, which main characteristic is the sense of hierarchy, orders and discipline), etc. Later, when my father began to work for NATO abroad I learned more about the adult culture. He took me to different balls or dinners, which has let me to be surrounded not only by peers but adults (on different positions) as well. I was born in a small city in Germany where I also lived for the first 16 years of my life. I had the luck of being born into a healthy middle-class family with an incredibly caring mother and a hard-working and loving father. I never had to worry about anything and my parents relied on the art of persuasion rather than on carrot and stick politics. As far as I can remember, my parents always stressed the importance of being open and kind to other people, no matter how they looked like or how they behaved. As my mom used to be a school teacher, she was also involved in student exchanges and so it was not unusual to frequently have British, French or Israeli exchange students in our house. Due to these experiences, languages soon became my favorite subjects in school and after being in the U.S. for the first time in 1992, I decided to go abroad for one year after 10 th grade. Back then, I did not know what life-long changes this would entail. Interlinked individual, social and national cultures are shared and adopted by being part of a system such as a family. This is often through an automatic process of observing daily routines. I personally found individual upbringing and general maturity more significant to explain variation than national cultures (though I do not deny they played a role). Family constitutes a significant part of my life. The statement family is the smallest element of the society is one of the a few things I have never forgotten from primary school onwards. I believe in something I heard some years ago: your mother-tongue is your home. Growing up in a Portuguese household [in Canada], my family strived to instill in me basic cultural tools such as language, traditions and beliefs, all of which shaped my early years. Suddenly, upon reaching the age of primary school the comforts of a sheltered upbringing are shattered by the world which lies outside your front door. My first day of kindergarten was one I will never forget. I was suddenly confronted with fifteen other children who all looked and sounded different than me. DE GROTE GROEP In addition, every year I spend my summers in Greece on an island my Greek grandparents have been to 50 years ago and decided to build a summer house at the beach. Most of their friends came along and built their houses too. It was a group of approximately 14 couples. They remained friends until today and during these 50 years raised their children, which later raised their children again. The entertaining thing here is that the 14 couples were almost all Greek despite my Grandmother, but they almost all spend some years abroad (before WWII) mostly in Germany, France or Great Britain. These international orientations consequently lead to the fact that they send their children (our parents) abroad for their studies. My father for instance studied in London with a few other friends, my uncle studied in Vienna and the others went to Germany. Now you can imagine that most of them returned to Greece with girl-or boyfriends from different countries. Most of the offspring of these relationships are my friends since birth. We grew up together when we were small, and spend every summer together in Greece. Already, during our childhood we used to communicate in English, because most of us do not live in Greece but in the United States, Great Britain, Spain, Austria or France. The funny thing is that we are all in touch and visiting each other during our vacations. Thus, I used to live in Germany having German friends without international background and in Greece I met my friends living in many different places. Consequently, I was always in touch with different cultures, traditions, languages and different thinking. Today, I consider it an amazing thing and I am proud that we manage more or less to keep in touch knowing what the other persons are concerned with. And although we mainly chat via internet or talk on the phone and do not see each in person for a long period, I cannot remember one summer where a distance between each other Pagina 13 van 33