Cultural Identity Journal Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Cultural Identity Journal - Research Paper Example Having been in the United States for nine years now, my job as a yoga instructor paved the way for me to belief in the benefits accorded by meditation. I feel yoga sets us on a journey of self discovery, where we no longer need to continue searching for happiness, we realize it is already within us. Still, I do not lose track of my purpose for living and that when I die, the life I lived would be judged and would be decided on the fate of my eternal existence. II. VALUES I value relationships more than any material blessings. I treasure the times I spent with my family in Poland, especially the bond that we shared and the happiness felt by the mere presence of family members. My primary values are sharing my talents to others so that others’ lives would be enriched by their interaction with me. This would enable me to attain a sense of worth through my personal contribution to life: by doing good in the tasks and responsibilities as an interpreter and a yoga instructor. I hone stly believe that relationships are worth dying for: that we strive hard in life for the benefit of those we love. The people we love dearly are worth protecting more than any material things, which we ultimately leave on earth when we die. III. CULTURAL PATTERNS A. Application of Hofstedes's Five Dimensions I am basically a COLLECTIVIST. Poles often form extended families - with grandparents who take care of grandchildren while parents are working. In many instances children live in the same town or neighborhood where the parents and grandparents live. Polish people, especially young, are very attached to their parents, family and home in Poland and feel unsecure on their own. As explained in Hofstede’s dimension, collectivism manifests finding â€Å"societies in which people from birth onwards are integrated into strong, cohesive in-groups, often extended families (with uncles, aunts and grandparents) which continue protecting them in exchange for unquestioning loyaltyâ₠¬  (Itim International par. 2). B. UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE Poles are basically averse of taking risks and therefore manifest high levels of UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE. Polish society is not that mobile as American or western European societies from many reasons and partly because of this cultural dimension, therefore the unemployment is high in some areas of Poland but people are not willing or cannot move somewhere else. I believe that I am more than an exception to the rule since I bravely took the risk of living away from my family and pursuing opportunities in America. C. POWER DISTANCE I also believe that there are inequalities in societies but that the roles that each person plays determine their power. Therefore in terms of the POWER DISTANCE INDEX, I believe that power and inequality are matters of perspectives. I treat people of higher authority with due respect but I do not acknowledge that they are better or more authoritative than me. I contend that it is their roles and respo nsibilities that require people to classify them to belong to higher or lower levels in an organizational hierarchy, for example; but their inner self and category as a member of the universal world is just the same as mine. D. MASCULINITY versus FEMININITY In terms of defining MASCULINITY versus FEMININITY, I still believe that although contemporary societies exhibit more equality in gender, still more societies are