Curious George Goes To An Ice Cream Shop Culture Analysis

Geert Hofstede, a Dutch social psychologist, conducted the earliest research on cultural values and used the results of his statistical data to eventually create his own model for cultural dimensions (Samovar, 2017, p. 222). The results of his research reveal values in each culture as well as help to compare and contrast them across cultures (Samovar, 2017, p. 222). The dimensions from Hofstede’s research include: individualism/collectivism, low/high uncertainty avoidance, low/high power distance, masculinity/femininity, and long/short term orientation (Samovar, 2017, p. 222). This paper will examine underlying cultural values in a children’s book titled Curious George Goes to an Ice Cream Shop.. The conclusions in examining this piece of children’s

Rey. Curious George goes to an Ice Cream Shop tells the adventure of George, the monkey, taking a break from helping his male friend clean his house to go and explore a new ice cream shop in town with his friend. Once there, his friend runs to do some errands and leaves George in the shop. The shop owner is filling an important order and lets George take his time deciding on a flavor. The shop owner has to answer the phone so he leaves George alone. George is curious as to whether he can scoop ice cream so he climbs on the counter and starts to scoop ice cream for the shop owners important order. Soon he has every flavor in the bowl. The shop owner returns angry because George has ruined the customer’s order. George wis scared and runs over to the other counter and starts making a banana split with the empty bowl on the other counter. George begins to draw a crowd and they soon start telling him what to add to his banana split. The shop owner is still angry at George and comes running over to scold him. However, the crowd rushes in and starts placing their orders because they are so enamored with George. As a result, the shop owner realizes that, although, George has messed up his order, he has also brought him a whole bunch of new customers. The shop owner is so grateful that he rewards George with as many choices of flavors he desires in the ice cream

The story opens with George helping his older male friend clean his house. Now George is a monkey and in a natural setting an owner would have authority over an animal. However, in the story they are friends and George’s friend treats him as an equal throughout the story. His friend makes suggestions to George rather than orders him to do something. His friend says phrases like: “We’ve worked hard today,” “Let’s treat ourselves to some ice cream.” “Look, George, there’s a new ice cream place in town,” “Let’s give it a try.” (Rey, 1989, pgs. 3-4). This is in contrast to a high power distant culture where one individual considers him/herself to be different and of a higher class, position, profession, age, etc. (Samovar, 2017, pgs.