What is a nations culture? Many Governments and institutions around the world are engaged in a continual effort to preserve our heritage by restoring or maintaining ancient monuments and historic buildings. And, UNESCO’s programme aiming at the preservation and dissemination of valuable cultural heritages has been successful over the years in identifying and putting together some of the world’s most valuable archive holdings and library collections.

However, a nation’s cultural heritage often goes deeper than its physical ‘tangible’ manifestations. Each culture has its own ‘intangible cultural heritage’. But what is that?

According to UNESCO and the 2003 “Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage”, the intangible cultural heritage – or living heritage – is the mainspring of our cultural diversity and its maintenance a guarantee for continuing creativity.

The Convention states that the ICH is manifested, among others, in the following ways:

• Oral traditions and expressions including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage;
• Performing arts (such as traditional music, dance and theatre);
• Social practices, rituals and festive events;
• Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe;
• Traditional craftsmanship.

Anthropologists and interculturalists alike will express the importance of story-telling in relation to the embodiment of a culture. It’s good to know that UNESCO aims to help us be more aware of the importance of our intangible assets.

Those of us who work in the field of cross-cultural relations and intercultural communication have witnessed too often the negative impact of an overseas assignment on family life. Now, a recent international survey provides evidence that a lack of spouse or partner employment opportunities adversely affects global mobility of highly skilled international employees, adding weight to the argument that more consideration should be given to these employees’ family concerns.

Undoubetedly, the spouses and partners of internationally assigned staff tend to be highly educated, with diverse professional backgrounds and nationalities. However, as part of a foreign assignment, they soon become a much under-utilised talent pool.

One employer cautions: “In my experience most employers prefer to ignore spousal employment issues. However, from my personal observation how well a spouse settles is key in determining how an employee will perform. If spousal employment is important to that couple, then companies ignore it at their peril.”

The study suggests that there appears to be a clear link between working and positive feelings about a foreign assignment:

• Spouses who are working are more likely to report a positive impact on adjustment to the location than spouses who not working.
• Spouses who are working are more likely to report a positive impact on family relationships than spouses who not working
• Spouses who are working are more likely to report a positive impact on their willingness to complete the current assignment than spouses who are not working.
• Spouses who are working are more likely to report a positive impact on their willingness to go on a new assignment than those who are not working.

Importantly, spouses who are working are more likely to report a positive impact on their health or well-being than spouses who are not working. One unfortunate respondent explained:

“The implications of not working on my health (especially mental health) are so vast that I will never consider relocating to such a country. I was unemployed for 1 year when I came here… and that was the most miserable year in my entire life. I will not repeat that, and my husband stands by my decision.”

The report concludes that a few focused and simple improvements on the part of employers and governments can make a triple win for families, employers and the countries in which they work. It seems, therefore, that supporting partner employment is part of supporting your own staff.

Footnote: The survey examined the views of 3300 expatriate spouses and partners of 122 nationalities, currently accompanying international employees working in 117 host countries for over 200 employers in both the private and public sector. It was undertaken by the Permits Foundation, based in The Hague and was sponsored by the Industrial Relations Counselors (IRC). Conducted during late 2008, it was published early 2009.

It’s long been known that previous research on western societies has shown how the body’s shape (the waist-to-hip ratio–WHR) relates to judgments of women’s attractiveness. Compared to “tubular” figures, “hourglass” figures tended to be judged more favourably in western societies. Perceived attractiveness between the sexes has now beeen established as “the result of the compatibility of biological sex and gendered cues”, that’s to say: masculinity and femininity as specified within the society.

According to a study cited in Science Daily, researchers suggest that if their model is applied to cultures with different definitions for the social roles of men and women, results will show cross-cultural differences in the particular combinations of body cues deemed attractive.

My own research undertaken by ‘straw poll’ amongst a few African communities when I  was working in Malawi a couple of years back brought about some amusing and interesting experiences. With much hilarity, the fellas unanimously voted for a “traditional” female body shape as being the most attractive. I soon got to learn that ‘traditional’ for ALL those communities with whom I mixed was their code for a woman with ample proportions and a good-sized backside. 

I think I’d better move continents!

Just to add emphasis that India really is one of the BRIC counties, Forbes, the prestigeous business publication, is now launching in India having teamed up with Network18, a leading Indian media group. Forbes India is the first Indian edition of any foreign news or business publication and is set to become the most influential business brand. So much so that it is expected to redefine in India how wealth creation will be understood, how business leaders will choose to lead, and even how business will be done. As someone working in INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION and INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PRACTICES, I would certainly be interested in reading it!
In the inaugural issue, Forbes India features Lakshmi Mittal, the man who changed the face of the steel industry, and became the fourth richest man in the world. But now, for the first time in three decades, he faces his sternest test. The global slowdown has made his company post quarterly losses for the first time ever last year, and then another negative balance sheet in the next quarter. He’s not alone; the steel industry worldwide is going through a crisis. Everyone is looking to Mittal to show the way out.  The inaugural issue of Forbes India gives the most comprehensive look yet at this driven, determined man.

To further leverage its brand, a new half-hour weekly program entitled the Forbes India show will be aired on TV.  This will discuss opinions on issues and policies that impact the economy, and will also broadcast a wide array of business content ranging from leadership, economy and finance to international business and entrepreneurship.

Egypt is a major Arab country whose stability and evolution remains pivotal to the future of the Middle East. It is also an important economic force with the second largest market in the region (after Saudi Arabia) and the base for some of the region’s most innovative companies (the most successful telecoms operator, construction conglomerate, investment bank, and private-equity firm). It’s no wonder, then, that Egypt has fallen under the media spotlight; no less than coverage in ten issues in The Economist in 2009 alone; apart from the American and Arab coverage it has received.   

However, many argue that the coverage so far has tended to be reductionist missing some of Egypt’s most significant and dynamic trends. One such important trend is seen as a  pervasive Islamic force in the country. This description, used to describe the Muslim Brotherhood, more accurately defines the Salafist movements, according to Tarek Osman a writer on Egyptian affairs. It is he who argues that an appeal to Barack Obama to reinvigorate the United States’s democracy-promotion efforts in the Arab world is based on a flawed understanding both of political Islam and the real needs of the region’s people.

For an insightful view of the difference between the Muslim world, the Arab world and the Middle East read his article on the subject. As Osman emphasises: “The differences and distinctions matter: for their own sake, for proper understanding by outsiders, for policy that is intended to help not harm to be got right, and for the tragedies and enmities of past years to be overcome rather than repeated.”

And so it seems, the plethora of new media has put Egypt under the spotlight, but allows for too little close study and critical observation. Such hurried coverage risks failing to detect the real trends that are shaping tomorrow’s Egypt – and are not picking up “the differences and distinctions” that matter. As those who work in cross-cultural understanding and intercultural communication know – it’s the differences that make a difference.

Footnote: Salafists, who regard early pious Muslims and their communities as exemplary models, command major followings on the Egyptian “street”. They are not politically active, and that is why they are tolerated (and sometimes encouraged) by the regime; that is also why they do not feature in news-bulletins or reports on the country. Their influence, however, is many times more than that of organised political Islam.  Salafist thinking, which has been expanding and proliferating in Egypt for more than three decades, is based on a religious view of life; a strict and highly conservative social code; and inherently advances an Islamist foreign policy. The accumulating influence of this significant Salafist influence on Egyptian society could be to make many young Egyptians more anti-secular, anti-liberal, and anti-west. After three decades of domestic and foreign efforts to align the country with the United States and the west, including around $100 billion of American (and western) investment in and aid to Egypt, this outcome would be a colossal policy failure. The Salafi phenomenon receives far less attention than it deserves.

Most Westerners get confused about when a “Yes” means “Yes” when interacting with people from the East. Now, it seems there is more to get confused about, with a study revealing that even facial expressions can be a source of confusion too. This time it is the East Asians who have a tendency to misinterpret more than Westerners.

It would appear that people from different cultural groups observe different parts of the face when trying to interpret expressions and this leads to the misinterpretation. East Asians tend to focus on the eyes of the other person, while Western subjects take in the whole face, including the eyes and the mouth. Westerners tend to correctly identify the emotions in both white and Asian faces. East Asians are more likely than Westerners to read the expression for “fear” as “surprise”, and “disgust” as “anger”.

This is even reflected in the differing “emoticons” – typographical characters used to create rudimentary faces in emails or text messages – used by the two cultures. Eastern versions focus on the eyes, and western ones change the mouth to depict varying emotions.

The findings suggest that the communication of emotions is more complicated than had previously been believed. Rachael Jack, the psychologist who led the study, said: “Understanding facial expressions of emotion is an essential skill for effective human interaction and although many consider facial expressions to be the universal language of emotion, our research questions this and highlights the true complexities of cross-cultural communication.”

However, it is important to highlight here that in eastern cultures it is less socially acceptable to display negative emotions so they are not atuned to interpret negative facial expressions as they are rarely seen. Western societies are very individualistic, allowing us to express personal opinions explicitly – good or bad.  This is not acceptable in the East.

All in all, the study adds weight to what interculturalists have known for years: that what have always been considered to be “universal” expressions (by those in the West) do not take into account cultural differences.

The Study: Researchers at Glasgow University compared the way 13 Western Caucasians and 13 Korean, Japanese and Chinese participants interpreted the same set of facial expressions depicting seven main facial expressions: happy, sad, neutral, angry, disgusted, fearful and surprised. They used eye movement trackers to monitor where the participants were looking when interpreting the expressions. A computer programme given the same information from the eyes as the East Asian observers was similarly unable to distinguish between the emotions of disgust and anger, and fear and surprise.

The paper, entitled “Cultural Confusions Show that Facial Expressions are Not Universal,” is published today in the journal Current Biology. It states that the Eastern participants used a culturally specific decoding strategy that was inadequate to reliably distinguish the universal facial expressions of fear and disgust. It concluded that information from the eyes is often ambiguous and confusing in these expressions, with consequences for cross-cultural communication and globalisation.

If you are invited to a wedding where the rites and rituals are different from your norms, would you leave?  Well, a minister of the UK Government, Jim Fitzpatrick, did exactly that.  The minister for food and farming and his wife abruptly left a wedding in the East London Mosque in Whitechapel when he was told that it was an orthodox Muslim ceremony where men and women would be segregated.  His excuse for leaving?   He said: “The segregation of men and women didn’t used to be as much of a strong feature. We’ve been attending Muslim weddings together for years but only recently has this strict line been taken. It is an indication of the stricter application of rules that is taking place.” In other words, he was being judgemental: segregation isn’t right and it is especially NOT right in the UK. What he is saying is this practice interferes with social cohesion. It’s wrong!

I find it very hard to understand how an MP is so ignorant of the many practices that go on in this country. It is not just Muslims who might practise segregation at a wedding. Doesn’t he know that orthodox Jewish weddings practise segregation and it is also to be found at Hindu and Sikh weddings, amongst others? He’d better do his homework before he accepts another invite and, frankly, dishonours his hosts. Then, to speak of his anger afterwards seems the height of rudeness. He obviously took offense – but has now given it too.

Personally, I have always taken an invitation to an occassion like this as a great honour and a priviledge. The invitation demonstrates acceptance of me as a person even though I may be ‘different’ and it gives  me a wonderful opportuntity to experience someone else’s culture, traditions and religions. It gives me an opportunity to learn. Jim Fitzpatrick should be tolerant enough to be respectful of others and their practices especially at occasions like these. Why like these? Well, especially for marriages, people often like to celebrate these occasions in a way that has been traditionally handed down – this style of ceremony was the family’s choice and has probaly been in their families for generations..   This was not the occasion to make political statements. May the happy couple be blessed with a happy marriage without the fuss.

However, there are aspects of what Jim Fitzpatrick has said that we all ought to take account of. Evidence exists that shows there is a rapid encroachment of Islamic fundamentalist leaning in specific areas of London, Birmingham and Manchester. The influence of the Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE) is seen as distrubing as it appears to be enforcing its views on the local Muslim population. Muslims in Britain have come from so many different sects and countries that their religious faith and practices are as diverse as those within the Christian religion.  We readily accept that there is a huge difference between a Jehova’s Witness and a Baptist – so to in the Islamic faith. We cannot homogenise Muslims into just one group.

There are two specific expanding followings of extremely hardline muslims groups energetically operating in this country, to spread their particular ways; the Wahhabi sect (Saudi Arabia), and the Deobandis sect, (India). A lot of money is pouring into this country backing them. Fitzpatrick seems to be nudging us to open our eyes and take stock. Not against Muslim people at large, far from it, but at the political movements out to further their own ends. The Government Minister said he believed the East London Mosque was being influenced by the Islamic Forum of Europe, seen as a backer of Sharia law. “I think the stranglehold influence of the IFE is present more than ever. We are trying to build social cohesion in a community but this is not the way forward.”

Our culture in the UK, evolved through Protestantism, believes that everyone was born equal in the eyes of God and Man so segregation of any desription is a No-No. This issue is not about a right to choose to segregate, but about whether we tolerate the whole idea of segregration. Afterall, it’s not such a big leap between male and female segregration and between black and white – and I think we can all agree, that was plainly unjust.

Footnote: Muslim weddings I have been to usually have the main wedding ritual segregated. In one room , the priest deals with the groom asking him 3 times if he takes the woman as his wife. Then he goes to the other and asks the bride 3 times if she takes the man as her husband. After that, there are prayers and the ceremonial ritual is over. Then, men and women have mingled in the same room.  Segregation at weddings isn’t laid down by Islamic law.

Turkish girls are demanding more autonomy from their parents citing they want to choose their own friends and how they spend their free time. It seems that nowadays these young woman will accept less interference about their lives and are striving for more independence.  They are also becoming more vocal in their choice of careers.

It seems a small revolution is quietly taking place in Turkey among young women and their parents. Girls are becoming more self-confident and well integrated and will defend their points of view to their parents, becoming more outspoken than any generation before them.

A study by the University of Würzburg has disproved the sterotypical image that Germans have about Turkish girls which sees Turkish girls obediently doing what their parents tell them to do and eagerly awaiting to play their role as stay-at-home moms. Girls, it appears, are being more pushy than the boys. The Würzburg study outlines the image of a young and self-confident generation of Turkish girls who have a very clear concept of what they want to do in their spare time and how they plan their future.

The study was performed on the basis of interviews with 400 girls and 430 boys of Turkish origin by Prof. Dr. Heinz Reinders between 2005-8, with the results just published.

For the first time in the whole history of the world we face the phenomenon of, not just globalisation, but CULTURAL GLOBALISATION. But does it really exist and, if so, so what?

Undoubtedly cultural values and identities are being shaped and reshaped with the media playing a significant role in our daily lives. Many of our ideas about the world, our understanding of what is happening everyday and, it can be argued, even our values come from beyond our personal experience – they are formed by what we see and hear via the media.

We receive ideas about the world as ‘packaged’ or ‘bite-sized’ versions of events and issues straight from the media and we just know this has a strong influence on individuals and ultimately society as a whole. With the spread of the media to even remote places on the planet, its influence brings out important issues concerning the affect on national or local cultures and their responses. Young people of the MTV generation around the world probably have more in common with each other than with their parents. But MTV reflects the attitudes and values of western countries, especially America, and is argued to be contributing to the homogenisation of global culture – which, according to research, is expanding rapidly.

Cultural globalisation is a result of the economic activites in developed countries of news and entertainment – the media that produce televison programmes, music and movies and distribute them across the world. This happens because THEY can, whilst other nations can’t. American dominance in this respect is uppermost because of a powerful economy and because of the English language. Even the statistics on book translations shows the number of American books translated from English far out weighs those being translated into English. However, this American dominance would not have come about without the economic power of the big corporations.

In some countries, American television constitues 50% of the programs as the host country does not have the resources to fund the cost of production and distribution of their own. Expensive, blockbuster American movies have been a dominant force but are seen to represent ‘a type of homogenous, uniform culture permeated by western capitalistic values… full of elaborate technical effects and focus on stunts, action, and violence instead of character and emotion’.  Undoubtedly, action movies are more easily understood in non-English speaking , diverse cultures  – in other words they can travel.

To a large extent CULTURAL GLOBALISATION is happening by default – because of econimc advantage. That of the US.  However, all is not lost. India has become the world’s leading producer of fiction films, with Bollywood circulating films to Indian Asia, Indian Africa and the UK. France, too, has retained a strong film industry which has received Government subsidies.

If Cultural Globalisation is an accident of econmic power then we can argue that as other countries rise in economic power Westernisation or Americanisation will lessen and the world will be treated to a greater variety of media input.

When is a gift not a gift?
When it’s unwelcome of course!
And that’s the warning that western marketers should take heed of.

In the western commercial world, marketers often use pleasant surprises to influence consumers’ brand evaluations and purchasing decisions, but surprises are not always held to be pleaurable in some cultures. Marketing across cultures is a minefield and anyone in this line of business should be wary of different cultural responses to promotional gifts, especially the unexpected ones.

 However nice the gift may be, the surprise element can make some recipients feel uneasy – and its nothing to do with thoughts of bribery and corruption. East Asians genuinely feel their emotional balance has been disrupted because an unexpected gift indicates imbalance and prophesises bad fortune. People in the Nordic countries tend to feel suspicious. Americans, on the other hand, are delighted.

A new cross-cultural study of consumer response has recently been published which suggests that East Asians’ enjoyment of  ‘surprise’ gifts is much increased  when the gift is attiributable to luck.  So, for example, it is far more acceptable to have consumers enter a “Lucky Game” to win the gift. Undoubtedly, marketing activities across borders must accomodate cross-cultural differences.

 About the study: Ana Valenzuela, Barbara Mellers, and Judi Strebel. “Pleasurable Surprises: A Cross-Cultural Study of Consumer Responses to Unexpected Incentives.” Journal of Consumer Research: February 2010 (published online July 15, 2009).The authors conducted four studies in which participants received a gift as a token of appreciation for participating in a survey. Some of the participants knew about the gifts before participating, while others were surprised.