Non Western Culture Essay

With so many people immigrating to different countries that have different cultures, it is vital to focus on the definition of culture and to indicate the distinctions between western and non-western cultures. In particular, culture has two different meanings. The first definition refers to the learned knowledge that is passed on from people of a certain culture. The second definition refers to a group of people who have similar ideas, practices, beliefs and so much more that is particular to a certain culture (Heine, 2012). There are main differences between western and non-western cultures that affect the way members, from either a group may think, speak, look, and feel. Triandis’ (1989a) study shows that individualistic cultures accentuate their personal ambitions more than relationships (as cited in Heine, 2012). In contrast, …show more content…
People acculturate with another culture differently and some elements impact the acculturation adjustment (Heine, 2012). One factor that may help Mary and her family’s adapting to the Japanese culture is that there might be less cultural distance because they moved from San Francisco. According to United States Census Bureau, Asian is the second highest population in San Francisco. Mary and her family could have had experiences with other Japanese people and acquired some knowledge about their culture. Therefore, adjusting to the Japanese culture might be more feasible. Another factor that may influence acculturation is cultural fit. Since Mary and her family emigrate form an urban area to another urban city, I assume they are predominately extraverts. As stated by Heine (2012), extraverted people adjust more fluidly with cultures they feel the same outgoing simulation. Since, they are moving to Tokyo, which is a zealous and suitable for an extravert, Mary and her family would probably have an easier time adjusting to