In doing research about Icelandic culture, the diversity between the nations of Iceland and the United States is relatively minimal. There are a few dissimilarities in the methods of acquiring a sense of nationalism that directly influence behaviors tied to tradition, such as academic performance and professional relations; but a growth in characteristics of western culture has reduced the gap of societal variations. Ethnocentrism can alter a viewpoint or even be a blinding force over someone who is either observing or researching a separate group of people. Iceland is a complex country, but only a mild jump from America in terms of cultural differences.
In the Republic of Iceland the overall mindset of society is led by individualism and a very strong work ethic. Importance is placed on acquired skills and education versus the station in which you were born. Making your own way through hard work is highly valued, and in Iceland “the workweek is one of the longest in Europe” (Culture Grams, 2014). Clothing in Iceland is dictated by necessity against the weather even though European fashion trends are gaining in popularity. Dressing neatly and in an appropriate manner is crucial to social appearances. The people of Iceland can seem aloof but are a welcoming people. When meeting someone new, a handshake is commonly used, and an introduction including the family name and professions are offered so ties can be made to treasured family roots.
Icelandic family units are very strong and rooted in their traditions and history. With women having an increasing presence in the workforce, domestic tasks are joint responsibilities. Children are celebrated with baby showers and religious ceremonies. Weddings are also big affair...
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... in the United States due to the spread of Americanized lifestyles to Europe, the long-established tastes and tendencies of Icelanders are fundamental to their socialization processes. For example, in Iceland there is an official committee that reviews the language and common usage of words in an effort to keep their tongue as unaltered as possible so future generations can learn the ancient speech.
Iceland is a very distinctive country that is advanced in technology and social conduct. Globalization has made a large impression on countries worldwide, but Iceland had been able to retain much of its traditional customs and prosper alongside the change. If one was to move between Iceland and the United States a “culture shock” would be in order, but the switch may perhaps be relatively unproblematic after basic changes, such as language, are taken into account.
...Many Kinds of Family Structures in Our Communities." . N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2014. .
Each culture has a certain level of ethnocentrism which can have positive and negative consequences. Ethnocentrism provides a feeling of unwillingness to change one’s culture or specific institution by placing them in a box. They can only see things through their specific lens and when something differs from what they know, they believe that it is a violation of the ways things should be. They become ignorant of the cultures that they may be right in the middle of by comparing them to the culture that they are familiar with and grading it on a scale. This causes a level of unwillingness to change institutions within a society because they are the standard. This makes it exceedingly difficult to relate to other people and the world as a whole because when someone is always trying to look at something while envisioning it as something else; they will never fully see the beauty of what they are observing. They limit their own experience for the sake of comfort and security, for the safety found within the familiar. Ethnocentrism is the safety blanket for many people yet the enervation that prevents them from fully experiencing the world and all of its different
The problems of ethnocentrism tend to manifest themselves in the philosophy of history, when philosophers attempt to interpret empirical history in teleological terms. Ethnocentrism arises whenever the researcher attempts to universalize the Western subject-position. In sociological terms that have been widely popularized since Sumner, ethnocentrism involves one first identifying with an in-group, with whom one shares certain observable characteristics (culture, language, physical features, or customs, for example).[1] The belief in shared characteristics leads to an assertion of identity, and this belief in turn influences attitudes. Our attitude toward the in-group is one of favouritism, whereas our attitude toward the out-group is one of
In a tradition Nepali family, the male is considered the head and is responsible for family decisions. Likewise, women are supposed to stay at home and take care of the children. People live in a joint family and make contributions on household tasks and expenses. However, like the Mexican culture, these practices has been changing in Nepali culture too. As mentioned earlier, Mexican families had been modernized. While some families still follow the traditional family system, many others have changed the way they live. New families prefer to live in nuclear families and females have started being the head of the household. Even though the family structure has been modernized nowadays, family is the number one priority among many modern Mexicans. They still like to celebrate festivals and occasions with all of their relatives and still take care of their elderly parents. Family ties are strong in Mexican culture and have been for centuries, and they hope to keep it the same
In the short story “The Danish Way of Life”, author Jamie Gullen, who is a native of New York City spent several months in Copenhagen. She went expecting Copenhagen to be similar culturally to the United States only to find she had a lot to learn about herself and about this new country. In another short story called “Where Are You From?” the author Patricia Park, also a native of New York City, but the daughter of Korean immigrants, also traveled to another country, Korea. She went expecting to find Korea to be the way her parents had described it. The “motherland” as she explained, was a family myth. Although both of these authors grew up in the same city, of the same country, they had two different experiences when
Culture often means an appreciation of the finer things in life; however, culture brings members of a society together. We have a sense of belonging because we share similar beliefs, values, and attitudes about what’s right and wrong. As a result, culture changes as people adapt to their surroundings. According to Bishop Donald, “let it begin with me and my children and grandchildren” (211). Among other things, culture influences what you eat; how you were raised and will raise your own children? If, when, and whom you will marry; how you make and spend money. Truth is culture is adaptive and always changing over time because
In the recent weeks, I have noticed a trend in our cultural beliefs regarding groups outside of our own. As a nation, while the United States has a strongly individualistic nature from a personal perspective, there is also a strong collectivist belief regarding everyone outside of themselves and their groups. Rather than believing that each member of an external group is responsible for their decisions alone (myth of individualism), separating them from a collective (one bad apple), the consensus is generally geared opposite. For example, the belief that all immigrants want to steal American jobs, when one is not an immigrant, or that feminists are actually misandrists, when one is not a feminist. What I believe we have
For many centuries there has been arguments between whether a society should be collective or individualistic. In an individualistic society, the idea is that the individual's life belongs to him and he has the right to pursue what he wishes. In a collective society, the individual's life belongs to the group and the individual must sacrifice the values they hold for the “greater good” of the group. The main question asked in this debate is whether an individual's life belongs to him or does it belong to the group. By working as individuals, a society is able to achieve more than a group and can enjoy more benefits and therefore should be individualistic.
Growing up in a multi-cultural family can broaden not only your life experiences, but also influence how you view the world. Culture is something that can either be accepted, or something to be apprehensive of. Ethnography helps society learn about culture by fully immersing yourself in the culture. By observing, learning and participating in various cultures, it can eliminate a lot of apprehension as well as broaden your ability to accept others. Throughout this essay, I will answer a few questions associated with ethnography and how studying a culture can help our own society progress as well.
Traditionally the most dominant family form in the United States has been the married couple family. The image of two parents with children living under one roof is the norm for a married couple family. In a married couple family one or both parents work and income levels are gener...
This essay will explain the concepts of culture and ethnicity, and it will focus these concepts in ...
Those in collectivist cultures value their group membership, respect group processes and decisions, and expect other in-group members to look after or protect them in case of needs or crisis. For them, keeping good and harmonious relationships inside their in-group is a priority; and avoiding loss of face is important. Their identity is based on the strong and cohesive in-groups to which they belong. In collectivist cultures, cooperation is high within in-groups, but is unlikely when the other person belongs to an out-group. As a comparison, people in individualist cultures are good at forming new in-groups and getting along with those from out-groups.
In today's society, with the advent of modern digital communication and an increased focus upon global society and diversity, humans have a golden opportunity to evaluate themselves and how they identify both individually and in their broader culture. Although the question of “who am I” is perhaps one of the classical questions of the human cognizance of identity, our identity as both groups and individuals is directly related to the culture we are a part of, especially in regards to whether that culture is determined to be individualistic or collectivist. These differing mindsets have an inherent connection to the way that we view ourselves and the impact of interactions between different cultures.
Gender roles are extremely important to the functioning of families. The family is one of the most important institutions. It can be nurturing, empowering, and strong. Some families are still very traditional. The woman or mother of the family stays at home to take care of the children and household duties. The man or father figure goes to work so that he can provide for his family. Many people believe that this is the way that things should be. Gender determines the expectations for the family. This review will explain those expectations and how it affects the family.
Chapter One Introduction 1.1. Introduction: Throughout intensive review of literature, It has been realized that the family is considered as the essential social foundation due to its important functions of creation and socialization and because it is found, in some forms, in all societies. Family, as a term, is utilized in everyday language whose meaning is analogous with the culturally and historically specific social practices to which it denotes. The family is also considered a universal social life of particular culture and eras.