Elements of Culture free essay sample

Culture has been defined by Lederach (1995) as shared knowledge and schemes created by a set of people for perceiving, interpreting, expressing and responding to the social realities around them. Simply put, it is the learned and shared behaviour of a community of people. These behaviours are considered the correct way to feel, think and act, and are passed on to new members. Culture determines what is acceptable or unacceptable, important or unimportant and right or wrong. South Africa is a nation that is very accepting of people of different cultural persuasions allowing businesses and religious institutions to promote a wide variety of exciting shopping and religious experiences. 1. 2 The Seven elements of culture There are a number of issues that businesses need to consider when internationalising and expanding their operations into new cultures. They may need to reconsider their marketing and human resource management, or even reconsider their product in order to comply with social-cultural norms. A contemporary approach to cultural issues in management divides culture into the following aspects: Source: Hannagan (2005) Social organisation This is when a culture organises its members into smaller groups. These smaller groups could include families, friends, religious groups, social classes, occupation and interest groups. Family is considered the most important unit of social organisation and can be organised either into a nuclear family or an extended family. Social classes rank people in order of status, depending on what is important to that particular culture for example ancestry, or education. Religion This is a system which helps people answer questions about the meaning and purpose of life. Religion supports values that cultures feel are important and also influence how people behave toward each other. Traditionally, religions have been categorised as one of three types: monotheistic (a belief in one god), polytheistic (a belief in many gods) and animistic (traditional, with a belief in the divine forces in nature). Language Language is important for communication and passing on traditional beliefs. It is the cornerstone of culture, as all cultures have a spoken language, and people who speak the same language often share the same culture. Law and politics People form governments in order to provide for their common needs, keep order within society, and protect their society form outside threats. Government can be defined as the people or person who holds power in a society. Types of governments include democratic (people have supreme power), republican (people choose leaders who represent them) and dictatorships (ruler holds power by force). Values and attitudes Values are measures of worth or importance people attach to something, and are often reflected in the way people live their lives. Attitudes are the ways in which people express or apply their values, mainly through words and behaviour. If attitudes are based on incorrect assumptions, they may create inflexibility and stereotypes. Values can either be personal, or social, and government by constructs such as morals, taboos and folkways. Technology and material culture Technology is the combination of physical objects and the rules for using those objects. Material culture is a term used to describe the objects produced by human beings- including tools, weapons and utensils in society. These are aspects of culture that appear as physical objects. Humans impress their culture on the things they make and in the ways in which they do things. Technology therefore becomes an expression of culture (Carroll (1983). Aesthetics Aesthetics are the principles governing beauty at any given time or place. It is a judgement of value based on the appearance of an object and the emotional responses it evokes. Perceptions of aesthetics tend to be influenced by the culture a person grows up in. Hannagan (2005) argues that the framework he proposes above provides an alternative means of understanding the different elements that make up a culture by extending the understanding to customers and different markets. 1. 3 Market places in terms of the seven elements South Africa has an interesting mix of both formal and informal markets. Each of these represents different cultures and operates in different contexts. The markets under scrutiny based on the elements discussed above are Capetown’s Longmarket Square (informal) and Bayside shopping mall (formal). Social organisation Long market is an open air African market, selling textiles, handicrafts and artwork from all over Africa. Surrounding the area are many outdoor coffee shops and restaurants. It is a one-stop market for consumers interested in handicrafts and art. The emphasis on African culture attracts a certain class of consumers- usually affluent tourists on holidays, or affluent members of society who are interested obtaining unique art pieces as an interest. Bayside mall, on the other hand, is includes most of South Africa’s retailers, as well as a variety of eateries. The shopping atmosphere is casual. The main social groupings to be seen are families (mostly middle class to upper class), who visit in order to shop for household products, and to spend â€Å"family† time in facilities such as the cinema, or restaurants. Religion A number of vendors in the Longmarket sell objects of art that represent their traditional religions, such as masks. Many of them dress in their cultural dress to emphasise what their business is about. This market is therefore attractive to consumers who find interest in learning more about other religions. Bayside mall can be described as an urban culture temple. It is a sanctuary where people try to fill up their emptiness through the shopping experience, and acquiring products. The colours and shapes persuade consumers to buy, and consumers worship and adore trends and fashion. Language At Bayside mall, English language is the first language of communication, with most of the consumers having English as a first or second language. This means that communication is relatively easy, and that the culture is relatively low context (relying more on what is said and written). Longmarket, on the other hand, brings together nationals of many different countries, some of whom do not speak English as a first language. The culture is inherently â€Å"high† context, with gestures and moods being an important part of the shopping experience. An example is of the vendors, who smile at approaching consumers to indicate a warm welcome (as opposed to verbalising it). Law and politics As both informal and formal markets operate in the South African context, both markets are subject to government regulations such as obtaining business permits and returning taxes. Technology and material culture Bayside mall embraces the use of modern technology- from the building design, flooring and facilities. The building is air-conditioned, as is the culture in many modern shopping centres around the world. Technology enables people to navigate easily between floors (using elevators and escalators), and the products on offer represent the latest technological advancements in the lobal market. Longmarket, on the other hand, has a more traditional set up. It is surrounded by trees, which give good shade, and colourful umbrellas. There is always music, and a carnival atmosphere. This makes it very popular with foreigners, who are seeking a different experience from what they are accustomed to (e. g. a modern shopping mall). Values and attitudes Consumers at Bayside seem to value c onvenience and quality of services and products. The price and perceived value should have a match, in order for the buying decision to be made. At Longmarket, the consumers value the whole experience of shopping, and will sometimes pay large sums of money for a product that has an inherent low value (e. g. handbags made from recycled tin cans). Value is not just about the product itself, but is placed on the process of production, origins, and even ethnicity of the vendor. Aesthetics The consumers at Longmarket see beauty in traditional items, or items they view as authentically African. The more â€Å"African† an object is, the more beautiful it becomes. Consumers in the modern mall, on the other hand, see beauty in the appearance of an object, and how trendy it appears. Objects that reflect current trends most accurately are perceived to be more beautiful. 2. 0 Religion and Culture An observation of the rituals and motions of the Seventh Day Adventist church service (at Goodwood, Capetown) illustrate the culture in the church. The Sabbath The Seventh-day Adventist Church keeps the Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, because they believe God set apart the seventh day of creation week to be a day of rest and a memorial of creation. On this day, families join together on Friday evenings to celebrate the Sabbath. The family institution is therefore there cornerstone of social organisation in this religion. Dress Adventists dress modestly, although they do not adopt an antique style of dress. They seem to prefer to wear conservative styles that are common to the current fashion period. They are not the first to adopt the new styles of dress, or the last to lay the old aside. Profuse ornamentation- such as the wearing of earrings and necklaces is unacceptable. Adventists do not wear jewellery, other than a wedding ring. Music Adventists shun the use of music such as jazz and rock in their worship services, preferring to use instruments such as the classical piano, guitar and organ to accompany their music. Social dancing is not permitted. They songs used in worship are derived from a common hymn book. Social events Social events are usually held in family homes, rather than commercial places of entertainment. The church has a code of practice for social events. Communion service These normally take place four times a year. Only unfermented grape juice and unleavened bread are used for communion, and any Christian may take communion, not just Church members. Adventist communion services also include the ordinance of foot-washing before the communion. This ritual conveys a message of forgiveness, acceptance, assurance, and solidarity, primarily from Christ to the believer, but also between the believers themselves. Most importantly it symbolises an overall purification a cleansing of the heart.