International and Intercultural Communication
November 10, 2014
International and Intercultural Communication
Culture is the collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group of people from others (Cohen, 1985). Culture takes the dimension of tradition and it always underpins the behaviors of people ruled by the large group. The value that distinguishes country cultures from the other one is statistically categorized into power distance, individualism compared with collectivism, masculinity compared with feminism and uncertainty compared with avoidance. The paper gives insight of the similarities and differences of cultural education of Australia and Canada.
Similarities
“Exploration of Canadian culture and Australian culture through the lens of the 6-D model gives an overview of deep similarities” (Hofstede, 2008). For instance, the countries define their citizens as unequal. Power is developed through wise use of resources by those powerful to continue controlling the few. In both countries the less power are the disadvantaged group. In both countries the fact that the society is ruled by inequality is live and it is implicated by the few leaders.
In both countries culture is marked by interdependence among its inhabitants and value is placed on egalitarianism. Culture is defined by lack of overt status and status class. Organizations are strategically put in place for convenience purposes. The more powerful are entrusted with everything because of their competence (Arnold, 1869).
Both countries are classified as indulgent with Australia scoring 63 and Canada scoring 68. Indulgence threatens civilization currently and in the past (Hofstede, 2008). Indulgence is “the extents to which people try to control their desires and impulses based on the way they were raised” (Hofstede, 2008). In both countries, children are socialized on how to become inhuman (Arnold, 1869).
Both countries are marked as normative society. Canada scores 36 and Australia scores 62 thus both categorized as normative in relation to pragmatism. People have less to explain about prevailing conditions and have difficulty in understanding the complexity of life. Societies are ruled by the virtue of not knowing the truth but living happily.
Difference
Uncertainty avoidance has all to do with the unknown future. The dilemma of whether to try to change the future marks the difference in the two countries. Canadians are uncertainty accepting while Australians are uncertainty avoiding. Canadians are characterized by their willingness to try something new in the field of business, technology, and consumer products all aimed at changing the future. Canadians are tolerant of ideas as opposed to Australians. Canadian
