Ecuador vs US
James Sandoval
TCCA 230
10/5/14
Paper Assignment 1
The United States of America is one of, if not the most diverse country in the entire world. There are members of almost every culture that live in the United States. The United States also has a distinct set of cultural values that it is known by. So I was interested in comparing the people and culture of the United States to the people and culture of a different country, this country is Ecuador. I chose to compare the United States to Ecuador because I am interested in traveling abroad to Ecuador someday. I will compare the values of individualism and collectivism, low and high power distances, weak and strong uncertainty avoidance, masculinity and femininity, and the societal contexts of the United States and Ecuador. I will also be figuring out how my values match up with my own culture and the culture of Ecuador. The United States and Ecuador are both countries with a rich heritage and a diverse group of people. In this paper, I will be showing how the United States and Ecuador compare to each other and how my values compare to them both.
The United States of America is known for being very individualistic. This means that the people of the United States mostly rely on themselves to get things done and not on others in the community. People in the United States rarely will reach out to others in their community when they are facing a challenge, they will try to figure out the problem themselves almost every time. Self- achievement is valued, people are encouraged to set private goals, and there is high value on individual people’s freedom. In an article by Claire Andre and Manuel Valasquez it is said that, “What prevents Americans from "taking charge" is, our long and abiding allegiance to "individualism" -- the belief that "the good society" is one in which individuals are left free to pursue their private satisfactions independently of others, a pattern of thinking that emphasizes individual
TCCA 230
10/5/14
Paper Assignment 1
The United States of America is one of, if not the most diverse country in the entire world. There are members of almost every culture that live in the United States. The United States also has a distinct set of cultural values that it is known by. So I was interested in comparing the people and culture of the United States to the people and culture of a different country, this country is Ecuador. I chose to compare the United States to Ecuador because I am interested in traveling abroad to Ecuador someday. I will compare the values of individualism and collectivism, low and high power distances, weak and strong uncertainty avoidance, masculinity and femininity, and the societal contexts of the United States and Ecuador. I will also be figuring out how my values match up with my own culture and the culture of Ecuador. The United States and Ecuador are both countries with a rich heritage and a diverse group of people. In this paper, I will be showing how the United States and Ecuador compare to each other and how my values compare to them both.
The United States of America is known for being very individualistic. This means that the people of the United States mostly rely on themselves to get things done and not on others in the community. People in the United States rarely will reach out to others in their community when they are facing a challenge, they will try to figure out the problem themselves almost every time. Self- achievement is valued, people are encouraged to set private goals, and there is high value on individual people’s freedom. In an article by Claire Andre and Manuel Valasquez it is said that, “What prevents Americans from "taking charge" is, our long and abiding allegiance to "individualism" -- the belief that "the good society" is one in which individuals are left free to pursue their private satisfactions independently of others, a pattern of thinking that emphasizes individual
Cited: -"Hofstede 's Cultural Dimensions: Understanding Workplace Values Around the World." Hofstede 's Cultural Dimensions. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014. - Andre, Claire. "Creating the Good Society." Scu.edu. Santa Clara University, n.d. Web. - "THE HOFSTEDE CENTRE." United States. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014. - "THE HOFSTEDE CENTRE." Ecuador. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014. - Crowder, Nicholas. CULTURESHOCK! A Survival Guide to Customs and Ediquette: Ecuador. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Coorporation, 2006. Print. CULTURESHOCK.