Analysis of the American and Asian Cultures (Essay Sample)

Analysis of the American and Asian Cultures
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Abstract
My culture of interest is the Asian culture. The Asian culture is the human civilization. This culture features a number of cultural heritages due to the fact that different people of different nationalities dwell in the Asian region. This makes the Asian culture to be a collectivistic culture rather than a individualistic culture. Furthermore, the residents of Asia are of different ethnic groups and belong to different societies (Cohen, H.1996). Asia is large and makes a continent. This continent is divided into different natural cultural regions. These regions include the Central Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, North Asia and West Asia.
It is important to note that there is very little unity that exists among the Asian people. However, this culture is of great interest because of its music, literature, cuisine and even art; they are quite different from those of other people in other parts of the world. Furthermore, they have several major religions unlike other cultures where one or two religions reign. The Asians have Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism and Hinduism. There are other small religions but the main ones are the ones listed above. Additionally, there is a strange relationship between the culture of the western world and the Asian traditional culture.
The Asian culture is quite different from the American culture, which is the culture that I identify with (Crunden, R. 1996).
Differences as well as similarities between Asian and American Cultures can be defined as the ways of acting, ways of thinking and generally as the material objects that make up a person's way of life. Both cultures have resemblances when dealing with family and religion. Asian and American cultures have differences when it comes to dealing with diet, family and food. The cultures of Asia and America share similar religious beliefs. Numerous people in the Asian community also share the same religious beliefs just as it is done by Americans.
However, the difference falls in the fact that the American culture is shorter in their requirements for grades. The Asian community prides themselves in having a four point zero grade point on average. The Americans encourage their children to excel. I take this to mean that it is not more of a priority for the Asian community. Other areas in which both cultures differ is in food. The American culture and Asian culture prepare meals with different styles and tastes. Another difference would be at the time of meals. The Asian community loves making meal-time the time for socialization, family gathering and celebration. (Williams, B. & Stacey C. 2005).
Cultures in Asia generally write their language using symbols, whereas we in the American culture, write using letter and words. Also both cultures normally speak in different ways. We have adopted using English language in the American cultures, but Asians have different languages depending on the area.
THE SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY
Social cognitive theory assumes an agnatic viewpoint to human development, adaptation and change. The theory segregates among three modes of agency:
1 personal agency exercised at individual level;
2 proxy agency where people acquire desired outcomes by influencing others to act on their behalf; and
3 Collective agency in which people performs in concert to shape their future.
Contentious differentiations infiltrate our field pitting self-sufficiency against interdependence; individualism against collectivism and communality; and personal agency against social structure. The determining factors and agentic blends of proxy, individual, and collective instrumentality vary across the cultures. But all agentic means are required to make it happen, whatever the cultural context in which one comes from. Cultures are diverse and dynamic social systems not static standing stones.
Intra-cultural diversity and intra-individual variation in psychosocial orientations across domains of functioning highlight the complex dynamic nature of cultures. The growing globalization and cultural diversification of societies, and enmeshment in a cyber world that surpasses time, distance and national borders, call for expansion of the scope of cross-cultural studies. The issues of interest center are on how national and global forces interact to shape the nature of cultural life.
Due to the expanded conception of human agency, the social cognitive theory is well suited to explain human personal development, change in diverse cultural settings and adaptation (Williams, B. & Stacey C., 2005). The basic issue of whether there is a universal human nature or many human natures spawned by diverse cultural backgrounds must be addressed by the Cultural analyses. This calls for a brief discussion of the nature of human nature in social cognitive theory.
These cultures influence human development in different ways. They also help in developing identity and in development of personality. For example, education in the United States is and has historically been provided mainly by government, with funding and control coming from three levels: federal, state and local. Attending school is mandatory and nearly universal at the elementary and high school levels (often known outside the United States as the primary and secondary levels).
This tendency for application of scientific ideas continued throughout the 20th century with innovations that held strong international benefits. The twentieth century saw the arrival of the Space Age, the Information Age, and a renaissance in the health sciences. This culminated in cultural milestones such as the creation of personal computers, initiation of the Human Genome Project and the moon landings by Apollo. Throughout its history, American culture has made some notable gains through the open immigration of well established and experienced scientists. Such scientists include Alexander Graham Bell, who is credited with the development and patent of telephone devices. Additionally, a German scientist known as Charles Steinmetz also immigrated into America. This scientist developed the new AC electrical systems in the year 1889. Another famous scientist included Vladimir Zworykin. This is the Russian scientist who is credited for the invention of the motion camera in the year 1919; Nikola Tesla, a Serbian scientist was also among the immigrants. This scientist is credited with the invention of a brush-less electrical induction motor that is based on rotating magnetic fields. This significant invention was done in the year 1888 (Crunden, R. 1996. Other scientists also immigrated into US after the rise of the Nazi party in Germany. These scientists who were mainly Jewish fled Germany and immigrated to the United States. Among these scientists included Albert Einstein, who is considered as one of the greatest theoretical physicists (Lindley, J. 1889).
During and after the World War II, several scientists immigrated to the U.S. from Europe. Such scientists include Enrico Fermi, who migrated from Italy in the year 1938. Enrico spearheaded the work that resulted into the production of the first ever produced self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction. After the war, many of Europe’s scientists, such as Wernher von Braun who was a rocket scientist were recruited by the US as part of Operation Paperclip.
In the field of religion, U.S. is among the most religious based on its demographics. The 2002 study by Pew Global Attitudes Project indicated that U.S. was the only developed nation in the survey where a large number of citizens reported that religion was very significant in their lives. The same opinions were found in Latin America. Today, governments at the local, state and even national levels are a secular institution. This is commonly referred to as the separation of state and the church".
Though the participation in organized religion has gradually been diminishing, the popular culture and public life of the US incorporates many Christian ideals specifically about salvation, morality, conscience, and redemption. Examples include the popular culture obsessions with forgiveness and confession and forgiveness which extend from reality television to twelve-step gatherings. Americans normally expect their public figures to confess and have public remorse for any moral wrongdoings or sins that they may have caused. Examples of inadequate public penitence include the fallout regarding Alex Rodriguez , Larry Craig, Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong and Mel Gibson.
Many of the 13 original colonies were established by Irish and English settlers who preferred practicing their own religion without persecution or discrimination: Pennsylvania was established by Quakers, Massachusetts Bay Colony by Puritans and Maryland by Roman Catholics. Additionally, Separatist Congregationalists (Pilgrim Fathers) established the Plymouth Colony in the year 1620. They had the conviction that a democratic form of government was God’s will (Williams, B. & Stacey C. 2005). They, together with other Protestant groups, applied the representative democratic organization of their congregations. The same system was applied to the administration of their communities in worldly matters. Connecticut, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania included religious freedom to their democratic constitutions. This made their territories to be a safe haven for the religious minorities being persecuted.
The Germany immigrant, Christopher Sauer wrote the first Bible in a European language in the Colonies. Nine out of the thirteen colonies had their own official public religions. In the year 1787, during the time of the Philadelphia Convention, the US became one of the first countries in the entire world to codify freedom of religion into law. This law was applicable to the federal g...