Culture gap

A culture gap is any systematic difference between two cultures which hinders mutual understanding or relations. Such differences include the values, behavior, education, and customs of the respective cultures.^[1] The term was originally used to describe the difficulties encountered in interactions between early 20th century travellers and pre-industrial cultures,^[1] but has since been used more broadly to refer to mutual misunderstandings and incomprehension arising with people from differing backgrounds and experiences.

Culture gaps can relate to religion, ethnicity, age, or social class. Examples of cultural differences that may lead to gaps include social norms and gender roles. The term can also be used to refer to misunderstandings within a society, such as between different scientific specialties.

Historical

Modern era

As international communications, travel and trade have expanded, some of the communication and cultural divisions have lessened. Books on how to handle and be aware of cultural differences seek to prepare business people and travelers.^[2] Immigrants and migrant laborers need to learn the ways of a new culture.^[3] Tourists can also be confronted with variants in protocols for tipping, body language, personal space, dress codes, and other cultural issues. Language instructors try to teach cultural differences as well.^[4]

Legal

Main article: Legal culture

A legal culture is a system of laws and precedents peculiar to a nation, region, religion, or other organized group. A culture gap occurs when incompatible or opposing systems might be applied to the same situation or assumed by the parties. Legal constructs such as contracts and corporations are not uniform across cultures. In some cases, such a gap is intentionally sought by one party, as in forum shopping for a more favorable legal framework or in libel tourism, wherein speech that is protected in one jurisdiction may be actionable in another.

Generational

Main article: Generation gap

A generation gap occurs when the experiences and attitudes of one generation differ significantly from those of another. The world wars contributed to generation gaps in several nations. The term first saw widespread use in contrasting the Baby Boomer generation with their parents. The "Youth culture" of adolescents and teenagers seeking to stake out their own identity and independence from their parents often results in a cultural divide. Younger generations have experienced different technologies, freedoms and standards of propriety.^[5]

Gender and sexual identity

Further information: Gender differences

Urbanicity

Further information: Urban culture

Professional

Communication between and collaboration among scientific disciplines is sometimes hindered by use of different paradigms or competition between the desires to describe a simple explanatory framework and elucidate fine details. The framework of the questions to which each field lends itself may differ, leading to frustration and wasted effort.^[6]

Education

The education culture is the different education people receive in their life. A culture gap occurs when the people who have different culture background sit together and take the same class. Different people behave differently towards the teacher in class and also after class. Basically, the differences can be noticed in assessment method and the direction method of the class. The Asian students focus on the books and exercises a lot while the European and American students are willing to raise questions in the classes. The cultural gap in education is due to the different education mode in different regions and places. For example, the Asian students receive a kind of “exam-oriented education in their countries and the European and American students’ education is comparatively free and the students are strongly encouraged to challenge the teachers in class, which makes a big difference between the Asian students and Western students. China and Japan both have a strict education system and usually the exams are used to show a student’s ability while in American and Britain, the instructors graded a student according to his/her multiple ability. The two totally different education ways all have their pros and cons. However, they form the cultural gap between people. They people receive different education have different ways of thinking and analyzing things, which makes the views completely differently towards one thing.”^[7]

See also

• Cross-cultural communication
• Cultural identity
• Cultural diplomacy
• Culture shock
• Cultural bias
• Cultural dissonance
• National psychology
• Cultural anthropology
• Cultural relativism
• Ethnocentrism
• Generation gap
• Intercultural competence
• Legal culture
• Red states and blue states, a political manifestation of a culture gap in the United States
• Us Girls, sitcom about the culture gap among three generations of West Indian women.
• WOJB, a Wisconsin public radio station

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Oxford English Dictionary
2. ^ Penny Carte, Chris Fox Bridging the Culture Gap: A Practical Guide to International Business Communication Kogan Page Publishers, 2008 ISBN 0749452749, 9780749452742 192 pages [1]
3. ^ Carola Suárez-Orozco and Desirée Qin-Hilliard Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the New Immigration Taylor & Francis, 2001 ISBN 0815337086, 9780815337089 2100 pages page 54 [2]
4. ^ Joyce Merrill Valdes Culture Bound: Bridging the Cultural Gap in Language Teaching Cambridge University Press, 1986 ISBN 0521310458, 9780521310451 222 pages [3]
5. ^ Gerhard Falk and Ursula A. Falk Youth culture and the generation gap Algora Publishing, 2005 ISBN 087586368X, 9780875863689 254 pages [4]
6. ^ Pasieka, A (2002), "Physics meets biology: Bridging the culture gap", Nature 419 (6904): 244–246, doi:10.1038/419244a, PMID 12239534, http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v419/n6904/full/419244a.html 
7. ^ Zhao, Zhou, Huang, Y., X., L. (2008), "Chinese students’ Knowledge and Thinking about America and China", Social Studies 99 (1): 13-22, ISSN 00377996