Interpersonal Communication- A Mindful Approach to Relationships, 2020a

U.S. is number 19 out of 76); whereas, feminine countries are represented by Sweden, Norway, Latvia,
Netherlands, and Denmark. As you can imagine, depending on the type of culture you live in, you
will have wildly different social interactions with other people. There’s also a massive difference in the
approach to marriage. In masculine cultures, women are the caretakers of the home, while men are to
be healthy and wealthy. As such, women are placed in a subservient position to their husbands are often
identified socially by their husbands. For example, an invitation to a party would be addressed to “Mr.
and Mrs. John Smith.” In feminine cultures, men and women are upheld to the same standards, and
their relationships should be based on mutual friendship.
The next category identified by Hofstede involves the concept of uncertainty avoidance. 30 Life is full
of uncertainty. We cannot escape it; however, some people are more prone to becoming fearful in
situations that are ambiguous or unknown. Uncertainty avoidance then involves the extent to which
cultures as a whole are fearful of ambiguous and unknown situations. People in cultures with high
uncertainty avoidance can view this ambiguity and lack of knowledge as threatening, which is one reason
why people in these cultures tend to have higher levels of anxiety and neuroticism as a whole. In fact,
within the latest edition of the book examining these characteristics, Hofstede and his colleagues title
the chapter on uncertainty avoidance as “What is Different is Dangerous,” calling out the threat factor
people in high uncertainty avoidance cultures feel. 31 Cultures at the high end of uncertainty avoidance
include Greece, Portugal, Guatemala, Uruguay, and Belgium Flemish; whereas, cultures at the low
end of uncertainty avoidance include Singapore, Jamaica, Denmark, Sweden, and Hong Kong. The
United States ranks 64 th out of 76 countries analyzed (Singapore was number 76). From an interpersonal
perspective, people from high uncertainty avoidant cultures are going to have a lot more anxiety
associated with interactions involving people from other cultures. Furthermore, there tend to be higher
levels of prejudice and higher levels of ideological, political, and religious fundamentalism, which does
not allow for any kind of debate.
In addition to the previous characteristics, Hofstede noticed a fifth characteristic of cultures that he
deemed long-term and short-term orientation. Long-term orientation focuses on the future and not the
present or the past. As such, there is a focus on both persistence and thrift. The emphasis on endurance
is vital because being persistent today will help you in the future. The goal is to work hard now, so you
can have the payoff later. The same is true of thrift. We want to conserve our resources and underspend
to build that financial cushion for the future. Short-term oriented cultures, on the other hand,
tend to focus on both the past and the present. In these cultures, there tends to be high respect for the
past and the various traditions that have made that culture great. Additionally, there is a strong emphasis
on “saving face,” which we will discuss more in the next section, fulfilling one’s obligations today, and
enjoying one’s leisure time. At the long-term end of the spectrum are countries like China, Hong Kong,
Taiwan, and Japan; whereas, countries like Pakistan, Czech Republic, Nigeria, Spain, and the Philippines
are examples of short-term. The United States ranked 31 out of 39, with Pakistan being number 39.
Interpersonally, long-term oriented countries were more satisfied with their contributions to “Being
attentive to daily human relations, deepening human bonds in family, neighborhood and friends or
acquaintances” when compared to their short-term counterparts. 32
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Interpersonal Communication