Cultural-Stereotypes

CulturalStereotypesCulturalstereotypesareinflexiblestatementsaboutacategoryofpeople.Itusuallyoversimplified,overgeneralizedandexaggerated.Theworldweliveinisfullofdifferentgroups,eachofwhichhasitsowncustomandfeatures.Stereotypingisaeasierwaytogeneralizeculturecharactersofacertaingroup.Tosomeextent,itisrealandreasonable.Peoplefromdifferentcountriesalwayshavestereotypesabouteachother.Itisabsolutelynaturalaseachculturealwayscontainssecrets.Itisoftencoveredwithmystery,unrealstoriesandsubjectiveattitudes.Butsomeofexistingstereotypesarecorrectandothersarewrong.Stereotypescanpreventusfromlearningsomeaspectsaboutthecountryandunderstandingadifferentcultureinamoreappropriateway.Russiancultureisverycollectivisticandrelationshiporiented,sothisdetermineshumanattitudesandbehaviorstoalargeextent.AlotofstereotypesareconnectedwithmimicryandgesticulationofRussianpeople.WhatshockstouristsmostofallinRussiaisthatRussiansseldomsmile.FromthefirstsightRussiansseemveryunfriendlyandgloomy.Andmanypeoplethinkthatwearedeeplyunhappyanddepressed.Thisisthemaincauseof“culturalshock”foralltouristsfromabroad.Thisreallymakestouristsfeeluncomfortableandupsetinourcountry.ButaftersomedaysoflivingandcommunicatingwithRussiansmostvisitorsunderstandthatthisisjustthefeatureofourcharacterandourmentality.Smileisaculturallyloadedphenomenon.Differentcultureshavedifferentattitudetosmiles,facialexpressionsandbodylanguage.ForEuropeanculturesaswellasforAmericans,asmileisanexpressionofone’spoliteness.AsmileforRussiansissomethingveryintimate.Itisasignthatapersonlikestoseeanotherperson,usuallyacloseandawellknownone,forexampleafriendorarelative.Russiansperceivesmileasapersonalfavorstowardssomeonetheyknow.Wedon’tusuallysmiletostrangersasitcanbemisunderstood.Anotherpopularstereotypeisaboutourreligion.SomepeoplethinkthatRussiansareverypious.Russiaisamultinationalcountry.AlthoughOrthodoxyisourStatereligion,contemporaryRussiacontainsmorethan68religiousstreamsandeachofthemmoreorlessinfluencesthelifestylesofRussians.ReligionhasalwaysplayedaspecialroleinRussianlife.Asurveyshowsthatnowadaysabout90percentofallRussiansarereligious.ButatthesametimeIcan’tsaythatreligionplaysanimportantroleinoureverydaylifeasitprobablyplayedmanyyearsago.Wehaveaproverbaboutreligion:“Everyoneisabelieverinhardtimes”.Asforourattitudetosuperstitions,itseemstobeinborn.ManypsychologistsholdthatRussianshaveaspecialsenseofintuitionandpremonitionbutIaminclinedtobelievethatitsjustaninfluenceofourpaganpast.About45percentofRussiansstillcontinuetobelieveinsigns,tokensandsupernaturalstrength.PagantimesofourhistorygreatlyaffectedRussianlifestyleandfurtherdevelopmentofourculture.Andnowthesetwointer-excludingreligionsco-existinRussiansociety.Forinstance,aFinnmayfeelthat'theFinns'arehard-working/diligentandhonest,butatthesametimetheythinkthat'theSwedes'consider'theFinns'tobedrunks,backwardandsimple,andthat'theSwedes'considerthemselvestobemoreeducatedand'betterpeople',whereasfor'theFinn',theyareboastfulandcold!Tosummarize,Russiancultureisverycollectivisticandrelationshiporiented,sothisdetermineshumanattitudesandbehaviorstoalargeextent.Although,cultureisdynamicandchanging.Also,somesortofgeneralizationisunavoidable,whenwetrytocharacterizenationalculturalbehavior;stillIconsiderthiskindofresearchonpeoplerelationshipsverycriticaltoraiseculturalawarenessabouteachother