Cultural “Self” Awareness & Self-Introductions

The Concept of Cultural “Self” Awareness

The definition of cultural self-awareness can be defined in many ways, however it focuses on the knowledge of how culture has affected the self (Lu and Wan, 2018). This can refer to the ability to recognize and appreciate one's own cultural identity, biases, beliefs, and values, and the interaction with other people from different cultural backgrounds (Oxford Review, 2024). Another core concept that relates to cultural self awareness is the encounter of contrasting cultural experiences between native and host cultures or better known as "culture shock" (David, 1971).

Meeting Others for The First Time

Cultural awareness gives off the concept of "professionalism" and how humans present themselves to actively understand the basis of what may be respectful or disrespectful to others of a different background. This value leads to enhanced communication, more positive interactions and outcomes from other people (Taylor et al., 2006). With ignorance, it leads to cultural tension, affected relationships, and intercultural miscommunication (Sha, 2024) - this may start to create further problems in the future such as negative stereotypes of a certain race or the perception of inferiority of others. To overcome this, it is noted to shift the human mindset from ethnocentrism, the judgment of other cultures based on one's own (Wagner, 2024), to ethnorelativism (Sha, 2024). Ethnorelativism is the belief that cultures can only be understood relative to one's own values and cultural contexts (Wilkinson, 2024). This allows us, humans, to view every diverse culture as equals and boost cultural appreciation and respect.

Videos Insights (Conan O’Brien & Other Videos)

The main difference between Malaysia and Japan's culture is that Malaysia is a multicultural country with races such as Malay, Chinese, Indians, and indigenous people coexisting together. Hence, Malaysian people may be more expressive, direct, and noisier in terms of being in public spaces and social gatherings. Moreover, Malaysia's working culture is seen to be more relaxed and informal compared to Japan's working culture where respect, politeness, and tip-top customer service is the number one priority. Another fascinating difference is the communication style between the two countries - Japanese people tend to be more indirect, also known as 'reading the air'. This could be seen in Figure 1 of Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions where Japan's uncertainty avoidance has always ranked high whilst Malaysia has a more straight-to-the-point communication culture.

Figure 1: Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions between Japan and Malaysia.

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References

1. David, K.H. (1971). Culture shock and the development of self-awareness. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 4(1), pp.44–48. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02110274.

2. Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., and Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the mind, USA: McGraw-Hill.

2. Lu, C. and Wan, C. (2018). Cultural Self-Awareness as Awareness of Culture’s Influence on the Self: Implications for Cultural Identification and Well-Being. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 44(6), pp.823–837. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167217752117. 

3. Oxford Review (2024). Cultural self-awareness - Definition and Explanation. [online] The Oxford Review - OR Briefings. Available at: https://oxford-review.com/the-oxford-review-dei-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-dictionary/cultural-self-awareness-definition-and-explanation/.

4. Sha, L. (2024). Cultivating Cultural Self-Awareness to Teach Intercultural Communication. [online] 21(3), pp.127–131. doi: https://doi.org/10.17265/1539-8072/2024.3.005.

5. Taylor, L., Willies-Jacobo, L. and Dixon, S.D. (2006). Cultural Dimensions in Child Care. Encounters with Children, pp.44–71. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/b0-32-302915-9/50007-0.

6. ‌Wagner, G. (2024). Ethnocentrism | EBSCO. [online] EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | www.ebsco.com. Available at: https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/ethnic-and-cultural-studies/ethnocentrism.

7. Wilkinson, D. (2024). Ethnorelativism - Definition and Explanation. [online] The Oxford Review - OR Briefings. Available at: https://oxford-review.com/the-oxford-review-dei-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-dictionary/ethnorelativism-definition-and-explanation/.

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