CUSTOMS OF THE WORLD illuminates how thousands of years of history and a legacy of practices passed down through generations create differences in behavior that may seem rude or strange to some and perfectly acceptable to others.
In the first half of the course, you’ll analyze 10 cultural value dimensions that researchers have identified as helpful for comparing cultures; and you’ll see how these “sophisticated stereotypes” or “archetypes” play out in day-to-day lives.
For example, you’ll explore the differences between cultures that adhere to clock time, as in the United States, and cultures that operate on event time, as in Brazil. And you’ll identify the differences between “being” cultures such as in Mexico and “doing” cultures like that of the Japanese.
In the second half of the course, you’ll look at 10 cultural clusters around the world, including Nordic, Germanic, Arab, Sub-Saharan Africa, and six more. Once you combine your understanding of the 10 cultural dimensions with your knowledge of these 10 global clusters, you’ll have strategic insight into how to be more effective as you live, work, and travel in our globalized world.