chapter 4 Flashcards
what is cross cultural literacy?
Understanding how cultural differences across and within countries can affect how business is practiced
what did Edward Burnett Taylor say about culture
Explains what culture is and that it is a complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society
what is culture ?
A system of values and norms shared among a group of people and that when taken together constitute a design for living
what are values/
Ideas about what a group believes to be good, right, and desirable. shared assumptions about how things should be
what are norms
Social rules and guidelines that prescribe appropriate behavior in particular situations
what is society
A group of people sharing a common set of values and norms
what are folkways?
Folkways are routine conventions of everyday life. re actions of little moral significance. Rather, they are social conventions that deal with things like appropriate dress code, good social manners, eating with the correct utensils, neighborly behavior, and so on. Although folkways define the way people are expected to behave, violations of them are not normally a serious matter. Rituals and symbols are the most visible manifestations of a culture and constitute the outward expression of deeper values.
ex of rituals and symbols: bowing when you come to Japan
what are mores?
Norms seen as central to the functioning of a society and to its social life. so important they could be in law. norms seen in a community
more deeply engraved than folkways
more formal
Even if a country can be characterized as having a single homogeneous culture
ften that national culture is a mosaic of subcultures.
To honor these cultural nuances, businesspeople need to
be aware of the delicate issues that pertain to folkways, and they also need to make sure not to violate mores in the country or culture in which they intend to do business.
The values and norms of a culture
evolve over time
how does culture form
a culture forms when people’s behaviors—as a result of these various influences—become ingrained in people’s daily activities, patterns, and ways of doing things.
what is the social structure ?
Refers to the basic social organization of a society. how a society is organized in terms of values, norms and relationships
Two dimensions help explain differences among cultures:
1.The degree to which the basic unit of social organization is the individual, as opposed to the group.
2.The degree to which a society is stratified into classes or castes
Social structure indicates how a society is organized in terms of the values, norms, and relationships that are part of its fabric. How society operates and how people, groups, and companies treat each other both emerge from, and are determinants of, the behaviors of individuals in that specific society.
In many Western societies, what is the invidual like
the individual is the basic building block of social organization.
Emphasis on individual achievement.
what is the group
an association of two or more individuals who have a shared sense of identity and interact in structured ways based on common expectations.
what ar e pros of indivudlaims
innovation, high level of entrepenruail activity, new products,
what are cons of individualism
high managerial mobility, leading to a lack of less knowledge experinece and networks
what is social stratifications?
Social strata are hierarchical social categories often based on family background, occupation, and income.
what are the four basic principles of social stratifications
Is a trait of society
Carries over into next generation.
Is generally universal but variable.
Involves not just inequality but also beliefs.
what is social mobility?
Extent to which individuals can move out of the strata into which they are born.
- Varies among societies.
what is a caste system?
Caste system is a closed system where social position is determined by family and change is usually not possible.
what is a class system
The class system is a social hierarchy based on economic factors, such as wealth, income, education, and occupation. It is more fluid than the caste system, allowing for more social mobility. In a class system, people can move up or down the social ladder based on their achievements and circumstance
what is class consciousness
Tendency for individuals to perceive themselves in terms of their class background
