Culture We can think about culture a couple of different ways: Big C ...

Eastern culture also refers to a different way of thinking which is best exemplified in the East’s religions such as
Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, etc. Interdependence of people is a defining characteristic of “eastern”
philosophy. Duty to family over self is stressed.
The other thing that encapsulates eastern culture is their approach to healing—in the east, it is generally believed
to be ancient, naturalistic traditions…think acupuncture and herbal remedies.
Western culture is industrial; capitalism rules and behavior geared for independent success is stressed.
Western cultures are primarily Christian.
Obviously none of these broad geographic areas are all one thing or the other, but think in terms of dominance.
Eastern cultures do encourage people to develop their skills; it’s just that it is not for themselves, but for their
group (which can be family, village, or some other entity). In western cultures, duty to family is not absent; it’s just
not stressed as strongly.
In regards to health, highly educated doctors and scientifically developed medicines are predominant.
Again, keep in mind that the East vs. West mentality or approach is rapidly breaking down through the process of
globalization.
[slide] National: Just as the word implies, we’re talking about a country’s culture. For instance, if someone talks
about the Irish, certain mental pictures come to mind.
Within the national culture, there are sub-cultures. Subcultures exist within the framework of the national culture,
which in and of itself is a subculture of international culture. Subcultures incorporate values and norms from the
national culture, but perhaps not all of the values and norms.
[slide] First let’s look at regional culture. If I was to talk about the United States in terms of the South, the Midwest,
or the Southwest, we start to make some assumptions about the culture of individuals from those geographic
regions.
[slide] Same thing with state-level culture. I’m originally from Ohio, so I’m going to use Ohio and Kentucky as
examples. Many Ohioans view Kentucky as backward, with people living in remote hollows, little access to
education, and steeped in the culture of the Civil War-era south. Mint juleps and the Kentucky Derby are
inseparable from Kentucky’s culture. When people find out I am from Ohio, I often hear comments like, “That’s too
bad,” or “Oh, Ohio,” and even “Is the election fraud really that bad there” We all have ideas about what each
state is like.
[slide] The next subculture I want to talk about is the local culture. This could be along the lines of urban vs,
suburban vs. rural. It could be something like Seattle vs. Tacoma. It could be a neighborhood. There are a lot of
ways to view the local. When I told friends I was moving to Seattle, most said, “You’d better be willing to drink a lot
of coffee.” That is an example of a local trait. A local trait might also be something along the lines of Emo, Grunge,
or even occupations.
[slide] There are also counter-cultures. Counter-cultures go against something in the mainstream or dominant
culture. The classic example of a counter-culture is the hippie/protest movement during the 1960s in the United
States. A more recent example is the anti-globalization movement.
[slide] The final level of culture I want to discuss is the idiosyncratic culture. This refers to our personal culture. We
are influenced by and choose norms from all of the previous levels of culture to create our personal cultures. Our
family and friends are often most influential but as we mature and move away from home, our personal culture
may begin to look nothing like the culture we grew up in.