On Monday we had a lecture about cultures. I don't know if I learned really much this time but it was a relatively interesting topic. Culture was defined as a system of values and beliefs which we share with others, all of which gives us a sense of belonging or identity. Each culture exhibits differing value and belief systems, which affect how people perceive reality and react to it. There can be some cross-cultural conflicts. That is quite common becouse every culture is different.
Some examples:
- time consciousness
- relation to money-material goods
- politeness rules
- non-verbal communication
- concept of "personal space/territory":
* distance between bodies
* touching
* kissing
* eye contact
I can be sure that these differences have caused some troubles between people who don't know how people from different cultures act. If you are going on a business trip to some other country, be sure that you have read about that country's culture and habits. Then you won't be accidentally rude and ruin for example some possible contract.
Learn about other cultures
On the same day we had a quest lecturer, Lynn-Marie Sederlöf-Airisto. She talked for example about international marketing. And also marketing online. It was really interesting becouse that is a really important topic and our course's name is digital marketing so it was exiting to hear and learn more about that.
Lynn-Marie Sederlöf-Airisto
She emphasized that it is really important to know your target market becouse they may be nothing like you. I think that that was a really good point. That is really important in marketing becouse you want to reach your target market and also to be alluring. Sederlöf-Airisto told us about some really really important tools that you need in marketing. They are called Google Analytics, Hootsuite, Crazyegg and Hotjar. She knows much about them also becouse she has a company called Lacy Box and she uses these tools on a daily basis.
Our one homework was to create our own cultural baggage. www.celt.iastate.edu's definion of cultural baggage "when you visit another country, you take along more than what is in your suitcase. You will also be carrying your "cultural baggage". It is the collection of all the values. beliefs, concepts and behiviors that you learned as a child and that will have a great effect on the way you see the world".
This is my cultural baggage. I have never heard about cultural baggage before, so it was interesting to think that what is in my cultural baggage. I hope that I understood it right.
Our group task was to make a presentation about a culture. We chose Norway becouse Camilla has lived there. Here is a link to our video. It took something like 15 hours to make it but I think that we pulled it off really well. Teachers also said that it was really good so we were happy and proud.
Our group making the video
I leaned most about cultural baggage, online marketing and editing and creating a video this week. I hope that in upcoming weeks we are going to learn even more about marketing becouse I want to do that in my future.
Tanja