- Publish On: 01 March 2019
The Individual
Culture forms part of our personal identities that shape the way we live; the way we eat, think and interact. Hence, we inherently act and behave in the same ways. For example, Singapore’s culture of being ‘kiasu’ (afraid of losing out), creates more self-centered citizens, hence cases such as the need for designated reserved seats for the elderly in buses and trains so that when the younger and more able people refuse to give up their seats, the elderly, disabled or pregnant are still able to sit.
A Society
Culture influences our social interaction, such as the how we communicate and via which means. For instance, because almost everyone has a smartphone, people tend to interact via communication apps such as Whatsapp. Additionally, culture may bring forth unintended conflicts and misunderstandings due to the difference in behaviour.
An Economy
Culture impacts economic developments as it shapes our mindsets and values that influences our behaviours at work. This could be the cause of social pressure to fit in. An illustration would be the very small country of singapore where the competitive culture is very much apparent. This created hard workers and most labour heavy to be low wage jobs.
The Government
Culture affects political developments which serve as supporting pillars or even obstacles. This can be seen in terms of cultural influences that shape the perceptions of individuals to advocate policy changes. Alternatively, the clash of cultures may give rise to conflicts that destabilizes societies. For instance, some caucasian Americans often take raised voices as a sign that a fight has begun while other ethnicities like Jewish, Italians and Hispanics interpret it as a sign of an exciting conversation.
Question: How has culture impacted your community?
