Dimensions of Culture
On this page 9 headings
Start here In India, students call their teacher “Sir”. In the US, students called the same professor “Shiva” on day one. Who is being rude? Nobody. They just sit at different points on a “dimension” of culture.
What is a dimension?
A dimension is a way in which one culture can be different from another.
The key idea: When you understand the difference, you understand how to deal with the other culture.
The professor shows four dimensions. He uses India as the example, but he is clear: don’t judge other cultures. Love your own culture, and stay curious about others.
1. Collective or individual (how we see our identity)
Question: Do people see themselves as an individual, or as part of a group (family or organisation)?
When the professor says “I am Shiva”, he immediately sees his father, mother, brother and sister. He cannot see himself apart from them. That is collective.
| Collective | Individual |
|---|---|
| Extended family, loyalty, protection | Responsible for self and immediate family only |
| Identity comes from the social group | Identity is based on the individual |
| The group gives expertise, order, duty and security | Values autonomy, variety, pleasure and personal financial security |
| Group decisions | Individual decisions |
Language shows culture
English uses one word, “uncle”, for many relations. Many Indian languages have a separate word for each relation. This shows that relationships matter a lot.
| Relation | English | Hindi | Tamil |
|---|---|---|---|
| Father’s brother | Uncle | Chacha | Chitappa |
| Mother’s brother | Uncle | Mama | Mama |
| Sister’s son | Nephew | Bhanja | Marumagan |
| Brother’s son | Nephew | Bhatija | Pillai |
(Words as shown on the lecture slide.)
India is collective
- The family joins in decisions: the child’s name, the school, and more.
- The family is part of weddings, funerals and other functions.
Lecture example — how “Shiva Subramaniam” got his name His two grandfathers were named Sadashivan and Subramaniam. To please both families, his parents joined the names: Shiva Subramaniam. Later, friends in Maharashtra shortened it to “Shiva”. His grandfather took a long time to accept the short name.
When the two meet
An Indian meets someone new and asks: “Where are you from? How are your parents? How many brothers and sisters?” It shows care.
In the more individual US culture, a colleague may skip all that. He is task-oriented: “Here is the job. Do it.” The Indian may feel hurt.
What to do: Before getting into conflict, ask why the other culture behaves this way. Over coffee, you can gently say, “It would be nice if you asked about my family.” And when he visits India, don’t push him with too many family questions. Meeting halfway like this creates cultural synergy (see the next page).
| Relationship-oriented | Task-oriented | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | First make friends, then do the work | Do the work; the relationship is less important |
| Usually found in | Collective cultures (India, Japan) | Individual cultures (US) |
2. Equal or unequal (how we see authority)
Question: Do people see everyone as equal? Or are some people “more equal” because of age, education or position?
| Equal cultures | Unequal cultures |
|---|---|
| Call a teacher or boss by first name | Say “Sir” or “Madam” |
| Everyone is treated the same | Parents, bosses and teachers get special respect |
In India, parents are respected at home, bosses at work, and teachers at school. Indians accept the “unequal” dimension.
Lecture example — the maths tutor A young tutor, about 35–40, came early each morning to teach the professor’s children. His mother, about 70, would stand up when the tutor came in, because he was educated and taught her grandchildren. On the tutor’s last day, he touched her feet, because she was much older. Each respected the other, one for education and one for age. That is the unequal dimension at work.
Lesson: If you go to an “equal” culture as a senior leader and juniors call you by your first name, just smile. They are not being rude. You know why they do it.
3. Certainty or ambiguity (how we deal with the unknown)
Question: Does a culture want clear rules and structure? Or can it live comfortably with uncertainty?
| Certainty | Ambiguity |
|---|---|
| “Everything should be rules.” | “Rules are fine, but I can live without everything written down.” |
| Wants to know the exact office hours, salary and holidays | Comfortable when things are not fully certain |
| A bus at 6:10 must come at 6:10 | A bus at 6:15 instead of 6:10 is no big deal |
Indians constantly deal with ambiguity: traffic on the road, and train and bus schedules. The professor finds Indian traffic easy. At a roundabout with no signal, people slow down, signal to each other and pass.
Why? Cultures that depend on the monsoon tend to be more comfortable with ambiguity. You never know when the rain will come or how much will fall. So people learn to manage with what they have.
4. Time is scarce or time is plentiful (how we see time)
Question: Is time scarce and precious? Or is it plentiful and never runs out?
| Time is scarce | Time is plentiful |
|---|---|
| Time is linear (a straight line) | Time is cyclical (it comes round again) |
| Every minute must be accounted for | Timeliness is an intent. “I’ll try to be on time, but traffic happens.” |
| There is only the present; everything is urgent | There is always a tomorrow |
For Indians, time is plentiful. Weddings go on for 3–4 days. Festivals last 10 days (like Durga Puja). Conversations and visits go on and on, even at the open door after saying bye.
Why? Cultures with lots of sunlight see time as plentiful. Cultures with only a few hours of daylight must finish everything quickly, so they see time as scarce.
Careful: This dimension is not about punctuality. Punctuality is a separate topic. This is only about how a culture sees time. In some countries you arrive exactly on time for a meeting, in some you arrive early, and in some a little late is fine.
In one line: Cultures differ on four dimensions: collective or individual, equal or unequal, certainty or ambiguity, and time scarce or time plentiful. Exam words: dimension, collective, individual, relationship-oriented, task-oriented, equal, unequal, certainty, ambiguity, monsoon, time is scarce (linear), time is plentiful (cyclical).