How does culture influence social relationships?

Talking about culture is referring to what makes us human, what allows us to be conscious, express ourselves, and create. Thus, we detect a series of cultural patterns – relevant for how they influence us – that are built through group perception, made up of beliefs and values.

Culture influences social relationships inevitably. First of all, because when we talk about culture we are referring to everything that allows us to be aware, choose, express ourselves or create. On the other hand, because in the end it is about what makes us human.

Thus, UNESCO defines culture as “the set of distinctive features, spiritual and material, intellectual and emotional that characterize a society or a social group.” This concept is related to the classic dichotomy between nature and culture: everything that is not nature is culture.

In this way, to understand the concept properly we must understand the concept of identity at the same time, including the need to label ourselves. In fact, there are authors who consider identity as a construct composed of several sub-identities. That is, depending on where we come from, a sub-identity may or may not be relevant to us.

Next, we develop both concepts, the relationship between them and their involvement in social relations.

Culture in social relationships

Cultural patterns are a universal phenomenon. all humans They live within a culture and contribute to its development.

These patterns serve as an orientation system and are built through symbols, such as language, clothing or the way of greeting. In this sense, it is possible find subtypes of culture, depending on certain factorswhich condition the behavior of those who are immersed in it.

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Paraculture. It’s about the society we live in; a particular society with its norms. This level is valid for all members of the group within the reference culture. An example of this type of culture would be regionalisms: Basque culture, within Spanish culture.Diaculture. It refers to a specific external situation. This is a small group of individuals that is governed by intragroup rules. They depend on the external situation of their members, for example, the company culture.Idioculture. It refers to the identity of an individual. For example, veganism.

cultural patterns define group membership. On the other hand, they constitute very valuable information to know what others expect of us.

Dimensions of culture and cultural standards: can cultures be compared?

Some authors consider that cultures cannot be compared: each culture must be understood according to its terms. However, humans we need to organize the behavior patterns of others. For this we use stereotypes.

Studies such as that of Geert Hofstede are based on this, which tests the hypothesis that the values of the work environment are strongly conditioned by culture. Through a survey he conducted of IBM workers in more than 70 countries, he managed to identify very complex cultural patterns and reduce them to a series of cultural dimensions.

This study highlights six dimensions of culture:

Power distance. To what extent is inequality between power relations accepted in each culture.Individualism vs. collectivism. To what extent the members of a culture consider themselves an integral part of the social fabric or individuals obligated to the group.Masculinity vs. femininity. To what extent the characteristics traditionally associated with masculine and feminine roles predominate in a society.Degree to which uncertainty is avoided. To what extent unclear or ambiguous situations generate insecurity or anguish.Long orientation vs. short term. To what extent a culture thinks long term or not.Indulgence vs. restriction. To what extent the members of a society conceive themselves as free.

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Whether wrong or not, many experts advocate stereotypes. They argue that it is worth making a comparison of cultures. Thus, common aspects are emphasized, since cultures constitute different responses to the same essential questions of human life.

Interculturality

Interculturality It is the meeting point between “the self” and “the other”. A meeting between different typical ways of acting whose importance varies depending on tolerance. A situation in which problems can easily arise when parties act monoculturally, have erroneous expectations, or problems of understanding arise.

Culture influences social relationships as well as It is part of our lives and everyday life. Understanding the beauty of cultural diversity is one of the most important steps that human beings can take when it comes to improving coexistence in society.

In short, to avoid conflict when encountering different cultures, we must be aware of cultural overlap. What is summarized in do not judge, document yourself, reflect and approach the interaction with empathy.