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Cultural anthropologists main job is to study different cultures all over the world and then to compare the similarities and differences to their own culture or other cultures. This Is typically done by that anthropologist going and living with that cultural group for an extended period of time so they can learn everything there Is to that particular culture. While they are there, they learn about everything that they can, from the religion to how food and goods are obtained.
In a cultural anthropology class, the students are exposed to these cultures and study the differences and molarities that are present in different cultures. By studying different cultures, the perspective of the world and the awareness of other cultures can be broadened. However, there are people out there who have not been exposed to other cultures and In a sense, are naive to the world around them. While this Isn’t necessarily a bad thing, there is a great probability that not being aware of other cultures can have a negative affect on a persons career or way of life.
Someone who is considered ethnocentric judges other cultures based on their own beliefs and culture. Typically, hey believe that their way of doing things, is the right way. The phrase “my way or the highway” Is a phrase that fits these types of people extremely well. In the business world, these people might act very confident and quite ambitious. While that Is a trait often looked for In business, let alone most careers, It can hinder that persons ability to work effectively with international people and companies. My uncle has been working internationally in the oil industry for the last 15 years.
His first international location was in Indonesia. This was also one of his first times in a place here the culture was very different from what he was used too. His position in Indonesia was the engineering operations manager. He basically saw to the Nathaniel Fires Dry. Kant-Byers day to day operations of the facility and planned everything out. The managers before him were not successful In keeping the local from quitting their Jobs. The reason was actually quite simple but due to their Inability to conform to the work side of the Indonesian culture, prohibited them from being successful at their job.
Everyday at lunch time, all the workers would leave their Job and go home to their implies to eat lunch. The lunch breaks were very long too. Because of this, production suffered because of the long break. While all the workers were at home, nothing was being made. The previous managers demanded that the workers not have such long lunch breaks so that the company would be able to produce more. More, it would never work. Going home to eat lunch and spend time with the family was a thing almost everyone did in Indonesia. Every time a manager tried to enforce the employees to stay and work, they would quit. This happened all the time.
The managers were unable to conform to the culture that already existed in Indonesia. Their own culture was getting in the way, the American work culture where time is money and the work day is quite long. They thought that their was the best way and the only way to run the oil field. Having an ethnocentric attitude affecting the way the employees worked, which affected the productivity of the company, which affected how they would advance in the company. When my uncle stepped in to the manager role, he realized that no production, from the employees quitting, was worse than sees production due to the long lunch break.
My uncle didn’t fight the culture because that was how it was and it wasn’t going to change. This helped his career out because he was able to take an oil field that barely met its quota, and turn it around to help improve his company. Because of this, he was able to move up in the company while the managers before him were not able to because they could not adapt to the Indonesian culture. In the case of the managers of the Indonesian branch, they all had an ethnocentric attitude and it had a very negative impact. Not Just on them but also on the company and the workers in Indonesia.
They were not promoted, the company suffered loses in not being able to make the quota and the workers were out of Jobs. When my uncle was there, his culturally relativistic attitude was very beneficial for all the parties. He was recognized as someone who was able to influence his workers and was able to meet the quota. Having an open mind and understanding that other places have different cultures from your own and that there isn’t Just one correct culture out there, has way more benefits than having an ethnocentric attitude.