Grand Knowledge, Globalization, & the Muslim World! – Part Four
Hasan Yahya, Ph.D
What Jihadist think that Western materialism takes Muslims from their prayers and from their Islamic cultures is not accurate assessment. A society with crimes, violence, drug abuse, alcoholism, prostitution, pornography, homosexual exploitation of people and resources is not common among Americans. In addition the perception that of reducing life to a meaningless excuse in fertility is not also common but generalized by outsiders especially Islamists. Many Muslims believe these negativity about America. While America is not unique in these negative social deviances, all nations have the same in various levels.
A great proportion of American society are good people, and trying to live normal life with no involvement in crime, violence, or drug abuse. Americans cannot be enemies and should not be enemies for Muslims, because of simple reason, they are also victims of western secular materialism.
The materialist pop-culture does not represent reality of America. America is not only the political figures, Muslims are thinking about, but social thinkers too, such as Freud, Shakespeare, Nitche, Marx, and Victor Hugo. Furthermore, Hollywood portrayal of American life in films and TV shows is simply do not represent American society at large. These perceptions have to be known by Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
I think Islam has a different concept of political community, with religion going much further in shaping the state than most Christians would support. Muslims know little about real Americans and vise versa, Most Americans have a distorted view of social attitudes and beliefs of Muslims. I think there is a mutual distrust rooted in religious differences alone. Therefore, it is necessary for different religions followers to share religious worldview to assist the common grounds on issues of ethics and morality. For example, family life, elaborate rituals, holidays, and symbols associated with family very seriously, the good family ethics is highly appreciated. All Americans share the will to have a decent familial life.
It is a striking matter to find that much of Muslim communities are closely paralleled the concerns voiced by parents in traditional communities in America. The Amish farms residents suffer like Muslims from outside world culture, commitment to work, faith, family ties and values, are common between Muslims and American Conservative Christians. Americans are friendly, cherish hard work, and enjoy fun times in holidays. The wonderful habits among Americans and all residents of America regardless of race, ethnic backgrounds, or religion is “mutual respect” among human beings. In the Muslim world too, much of the traditional people have these habits. But films, stereotyping, make Arabs and Muslims take a position as with or against a person for his nationality, race, or sex. With no mutual respect, which needs, to be learned in schools, workplaces, and universities. Religion never calls for discrimination among people. Ethnicity in culturally bound with the past history and traditional norms negate principles of religion. “La Ikraha fiddin” is a rule from God, means no compulsion in religion, who wants to be disbeliever, let be, and who wanted to be believer, let be. And if God Wishes all of the people on earth to be Muslims, He will do it, but His Wish is you be different. These are Qur’an rules. But cultural practices of racism, discrimination and begotry follow tribal and national lines, take for example, Kuwatization, Saudization, and Jordan First, etc., are taken symbols seriously in many Muslim nations. The nation created these discriminative rules among the same religion followers. The Gulf states citizens act as if they are masters, different and privileged over foreigners, Arabs or non-Arabs. The topic continues. (6227 words)
Hasan Yahya, is an American Arab scholar, a professor of Sociology, a columnist at wfol.tv, Malaysia, and TINA International News Agency, Chicago, USA. www.hasanyahya.com
CULTURAL & ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON CONSUMER
CULTURAL & ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES ON CONSUMER
BEHAVIOUR
Introduction
Everybody in this world is a consumer. Everyday of our life we are buying and consuming an incredible variety of goods and services. However, we all have different tastes, likes and dislikes and adopt different behaviour patterns while making purchase decisions. Many factors affect how we, as individuals and as societies, live, buy, and consume. External influences such as culture, ethnicity, and social class influence how individual consumers buy and use products, and help explain how groups of consumers behave. The study of culture encompasses all aspects of a society such as its religion, knowledge, language, laws, customs, traditions, music, art, technology, work patterns, products, etc. Culture is an extremely critical and all pervasive influence in our life.
Objectives
Define culture Identify the various influences on culture Describe sub-cultures and its influences
CULTURE – Meaning
For the purpose of studying consumer behaviour, culture can be defined as the sum total of learned beliefs, values and customs that serve to guide and direct the consumer behaviour of all members of that society. Howard and Sheth have defined culture as “A selective, manmade way of responding to experience, a set of behavioral pattern”. Thus, culture consists of traditional ideas and in particular the values, which are attached to these ideas. It includes knowledge, belief, art, morale, law, customs and all other habits acquired by man as a member of society. An accepted concept about culture is that includes a set of learned beliefs, values, attitudes, habits and forms of behaviour that are shared by a society and are transmitted from generation to generation within that society.
Culture is learned through the following three ways:
1. Formal learning: parents and elders teach children the proper way to behave. For instance, you have been taught that you need to study to be successful and happy in life. This learning may influence your response both as a student and individual towards education.
2. Informal learning: we learn by imitating the behaviour of our parents, friends, or by watching TV and film actors in action
3. Technical learning: instructions are given about the specific method by which certain things to done such as painting, dancing, singing etc.
Characteristics of Culture
?Culture is learned.
?Culture regulates society –Norms, standards of behaviour, rewards and punishments.
?Culture makes life more efficient
?All members follow same norms.
?Culture is adaptive.
?Culture is environmental.
?Multiple cultures are nested hierarchically.
Culture also determines what is acceptable with product advertising. Culture determines what people wear, eat, reside and travel. Cultural values in India are good health, education, respect for age and seniority. But in our culture today, time scarcity is a growing problem, which implies a change in meals. Some changes in our culture:
1. Convenience: as more and more women are joining the work force there is an increasing demand for products that help lighten and relieve the daily household chores, and make life more convenient. This is reflected in the soaring sale of Washing machines, microwaves, Pressure cookers, Mixergrinders, food processors, frozen food etc.
2. Education: People in our society today wish to acquire relevant education and skills that would help improve their career prospects. This is evident from the fact that so many professional, career oriented educational centers are coming up, and still they cannot seem to meet the demand. As a specific instance count the number of institutions offering courses and training in computers that has opened in your city.
3. Physical appearance: Today, physical fitness, good health and smart appearance are on premium today. Slimming centers and beauty parlours are mushrooming in all major cities of the country. Cosmetics for both women and men are being sold in increasing numbers. Even exclusive shops are retailing designer clothes.
4. Materialism: There is a very definite shift in the people’s cultural value from spiritualism towards materialism. We are spending more money than ever before on acquiring products such as air-conditioners, cars CD players etc, which adds to our physical comfort as well as status.
Types of Culture
? ?National culture
o The culture prevalent in a nation, common to everyone
??Popular culture
o The culture of the masses with norms of mass appeal
?? Subculture
o The culture of a group within the larger society
o Group identification based on nationality of origin, race, region, age, religion, gender, etc.
?? Corporate culture
o The company’s values, rituals, customs, myths and heroes
Hofstede’s five Dimensions of Culture
Culture has a profound impact on the way consumers perceive themselves, products they buy and use, purchasing processes, and the organizations from which they purchase. Marketers, however, are giving more attention, to understanding macro cultures and how they affect consumer behavior. Hofstede found five dimensions of culture that are common among 66 countries. These dimensions serve as a foundation for characterizing, comparing and contrasting specific national cultures, and they are helpful in identifying
environmentally sensitive segments of the market.
CULTURAL INFLUENCES
Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs and any other capabilities and habits acquired by humans as members of society.
Culture influences the pattern of living, of consumption, of decision- making by individuals. Culture is acquired. It can be acquired from the family, from the region or from all that has been around us while we were growing up and learning the ways of the world. Culture forms a boundary within which an individual thinks and acts. When one thinks and acts beyond these boundaries, he is adopting a cross-cultural behaviour and there are cross-cultural influences as well.
The nature of cultural influences is such that we are seldom aware of them. One feels, behaves, and thinks like the other members of the same culture. It is all pervasive and is present everywhere. Material culture influences technology and how it brings cultural changes like use of telephones, mobile phones, clothing styles and fashions, gives the marketers a chance to improve the product, packing, etc. to meet the needs of the customers. Norms are the boundaries that culture sets on the behaviour. Norms are derived from cultural values, which are widely told beliefs that specify what is desirable
and what is not. Most individuals obey norms because it is natural to obey them. Culture outlines many business norms, family norms, behaviour norms, etc. How we greet people, how close one should stand to others while conducting business, the dress we wear and any other patterns of behaviour. Culture keeps changing slowly over time; and is not static. Changes take place due to rapid technologies. In case of emergency, war, or natural calamities, marketers and managers must understand the existing culture as well as the changing culture and culture of the country where the goods are to be marketed. Major companies have adapted themselves to international culture and are accepted globally. Coca Cola is sold allover the world. Procter & Gamble and other companies give cross-cultural training to their employees. By making cross-cultural mistakes, many companies have difficulty in pushing their products for example,
(i) Coca Cola had to withdraw its 2 litres bottle from Spain, because it did not fit in the local refrigerator; (ii) Many countries are very traditional and do not like women displayed on the products. This acts as a detriment to business in those countries.
SUBCULTURES AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Culture can be divided into subcultures. A subculture is an identifiable distinct, cultural group, which, while following the dominant cultural values of the overall society also has its own belief, values and customs that set them apart from other members of the same society.
R.yuvarni
M.phil scholar,
Department of Commerce,
Periyar University, Salem-11
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Sydney – The Melting Pot Of World Cultures Down Under
Sydney is often mistaken for the capital city of Australia, which is in fact Canberra. However with its iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House famous in visually establishing the image of Australia all over the world, it is no surprise that Sydney has been the port of call for many tourists and businessmen.
This thriving metropolis was just an empty and basic city three decades ago but now is one of the major financial centers of the word and offers a lot of business opportunity and sightseeing opportunity for people who would like to visit down under.
Sydney Is a Melting Pot for the World
The country has adapted and adopted many nationalities of the immigrants who made Australia their home in the past three decades. You can see familiar faces of Greek, Italian, Chinese, French and even Lebanese descent that make up the culture and face of modern-day Sydney. Tourists and businessmen will be delighted to know that with the influx of immigrants many international food stuff and brands are now easily available in local markets.
Adventure and Culture both Available in Sydney
A business trip or personal visit to Sydney can be made memorable even if you are short on time. Whether it’s local culture or outdoor adventure Sydney offers the best of both. You can easily access the Sydney Harbour Bridge or Sydney Opera House and enjoy a free stroll across the bridge taking memorable photographs of your trip to Sydney. If you do not want to spend money on watching a recital at the Sydney Opera House then you can simply book a tour around the beautiful architecture.
Getting Around in Sydney
When you arrive in Sydney the planned metropolis is easy to navigate by bus, train or taxi and there are many wonderful sites to visit during your stay. It is common for people to cycle around in Sydney as the weather is pleasant and there are many tracks for cyclists. The beach is frequented by people who love to surf and you can catch surfing classes at Bondi Beach. An interesting fact about Sydney is that the winter is in June and July since it is a city based in the south of the equator.
Accommodation in Sydney during Short Stays
A good option for living in Sydney is provided by the many facilitated and equipped serviced apartments dotting the central business district. This area used to be very quiet around three decades ago when the business district did not have permission to build residential units.
However, in the last few years the district has evolved into a commercial and financial power house and is also frequented by tourists. In order to facilitate them, serviced apartments and residences have been constructed in this area. Accommodation in Sydney is bent on international standards and the apartments are fully functional and equipped to handle the needs of both businessman and tourists alike. This accommodation is very sensible for families who will require spacious living and for a businessman who would like the space and comfort of home for the price of a room in one of Sydney hotels.
