When conducting research on the subject of culture there are so many places to study and, try to understand. I have chosen the culture of India. This culture is so far away from the United States that I couldn’t help but study it. The following are little facts from the website http://www.indianmirror.com/culture/cul8.html
“India has almost an equal number of men and women and almost half of the women belong to the uneducated category.”
“The Indian girls mostly prefer arranged marriages, by their parents and they take it naturally to deliver babies in the coming year.” “In earlier times mostly boys were preferred to girls, as raising girls, giving them education and then giving a hefty dowry seemed impossible.”
“An Indian woman is best depicted wearing flowers on her hair, with colorful bangles on her wrists and sporting a lengthy sari neatly tucked in.”
This is the culture of the Indian women so it’s completely normal for them to follow this way of life, they don’t know anything else. As it says above, most girls’ prefer to be set up in an arranged marriage. In the U.S., statistics have shown that arranged marriage just doesn’t exist.
More Indian cultures are as follows provided by the website:
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/india-country-profile.html
In relationships in India they all involve hierarchies. In schools, teachers are called gurus and are viewed as the source of all knowledge. The patriarch, usually the father, is considered the leader of the family. The boss is seen as the source of ultimate responsibility in business. Every relationship has a clear- cut hierarchy that must be observed for the social order to be maintained. And they respect this way of living. This is how they grow up so it’s nothing out of the ordinary for them.
. Religion, education and social class all influence greetings in India.
. This is a hierarchical culture, so greet the eldest or most senior person first.
. When leaving a group, each person must be bid farewell individually.
. Shaking hands is common, especially in the large cities among the more educated who are accustomed to dealing with westerners.
. Men may shake hands with other men and women may shake hands with other women; however there are seldom handshakes between men and women because of religious beliefs.
Dining Etiquette
. Although Indians are not always punctual themselves, they expect foreigners to arrive close to the appointed time.
. Take off your shoes before entering the house.
. Dress modestly and conservatively.
. Politely turn down the first offer of tea, coffee, or snacks. You will be asked again and again. Saying no to the first invitation is part of the protocol.
Table manners are somewhat formal, but this formality is tempered by the religious beliefs of the various groups.
. Much Indian food is eaten with the fingers.
. Wait to be told where to sit.
Guests are often served in a particular order: the guest of honour is served first, followed by the men, and the children are served last. Women typically serve the men and eat later.
. You may be asked to wash your hands before and after sitting down to a meal.
. Always use your right hand to eat, whether you are using utensils or your fingers.
. Leaving a small amount of food on your plate indicates that you are satisfied. Finishing all your food means that you are still hungry.
If an Indian women chooses not to listen to what her husband, father, or any male telling her to do something that is communicating with her has to say, then she shall be punished. This would be considered a limit of culture.
I hope you find this interesting and enjoyable! I can’t believe how different cultures are from what I know, and this is just one!