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| Fahad Alqurashi is a graduate student and writes 'A Message From The East' for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper. |
Cultural scholars have grouped the different cultures of the world into two main categories: collectivistic and individualistic.
Given that the population of the world is more than six billion and that people around the world have different colors, belong to different ethnicities and cultures and speak different languages, the cultural background of people has significant impact on the way they think, behave and interact with others.
People in collectivistic cultures see themselves as parts of one or more groups such as family, tribe or nation. They give priority to the goals of the group they belong to over their own personal goals because they are primarily motivated by the social norms and duties of the group.
People in individualistic cultures are loosely linked to the groups they belong to. They give priority to their personal goals over the goals of the group because they are primarily motivated by their own preferences and needs.
Complimenting is one of the aspects in which cultural values are reflected. Complimenting is giving a positive evaluation to other people to create solidarity. Different cultures in the world have different forms of complimenting.
In Chinese culture, for example, being plump indicates happiness, fortune and no worry, while being thin is considered unpleasant. Based on this value, it is taken as a compliment to remark that someone has gained weight. Saying "You are skinny" to a Chinese person is perceived as an insult because it implies that he has some misfortune or might not have enough food to eat.
In American culture, by contrast, gaining weight is considered something undesirable, but being thin is a good thing. Cultural differences can cause some misunderstanding. Chinese students, for example, annoy their American teachers by saying "You have gained weight" as a way of complimenting.
In American culture it is OK to say "no" to refuse requests and decline invitations, but for Arabs, saying "no" is considered impolite. Instead, Arabs employ thanking more often because thanking in Arab culture is considered an indirect and polite way of refusal without saying "no."
Ball State has students from a wide range of cultures. There is a need to have university-wide events that introduce different cultural values and provide more information about other cultures.
The Center for International Programs at Ball State organizes a Culture Exchange program. Students from different cultures talk about their countries and cultures in an informal way. Unfortunately, very few American students attend this activity that is held on a weekly basis.
Ball State students have a great opportunity to learn more about other cultures and races through international students. Realizing and accepting everyone of every race and culture as a brother and sister makes Ball State a better school.
Write to Fahad at fahad765@yahoo.com
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