2025 Nora's Blog

An analysis of Hofstede's Cultural Dimension  Power Distance Canada  scores  39  on this graph, indicating a society that values equality and shared power. It is often described that Canadians are straightforward communicators (Meyer, 2014), and as someone who grew up in Canada, I can confirm that Canadians tend to be polite and direct. This egalitarian approach helps maintain group harmony without relying on strict status differences. Japan  scores  54 , making it a "borderline hierarchical society" (Hofstede Insights, n.d.). While not as rigidly stratified as some Asian neighbors, the hierarchy is strictly observed in business and education. The Japanese education system emphasizes that hard work and perseverance ( ganbaru ) can achieve anything (Dweck, 2006). I have observed this personally in Japan: workers take immense pride in their roles, and attention to detail is ubiquitous—even taxi drivers wear white gloves and hats, signaling a deep professional...

  Hofstede Model: Indulgence vs. Restraint Hofstede’s Indulgence versus Restraint dimension explains how different cultures view happiness, enjoyment, and self-control. Indulgent societies encourage people to enjoy life, express emotions freely, and prioritize leisure. Restrained societies, on the other hand, place limits on gratification through strict social rules and discipline. Coming from a Middle Eastern cultural background, I notice many features of restrained societies. In many Middle Eastern cultures, enjoyment and leisure are influenced by social expectations, religion, and family responsibilities. Even though being too open and spending money recklessly is not the norm, I see many Middle Eastern families doing that, but maybe that a biased view. Many people would describe being happy to having good family relashionships which I can relate to, growing up we are tought that family is the most important and to value you them no matter what. Japanese culture also r...

  Shopping Culture in Japan and the World   In Lesson 12, I observed how shopping culture reflects deep-seated social values. Growing up in an Arab family and later living in Canada, I experienced two main types of shopping. Arabic markets, where people bargain and buy necessities, these markets (which are referred to as Bazars) are usually owned by locals and contain daily fresh goods and lots of handmade stuff.  In Canada, my experience in shopping malls was different, as they served more as social spaces to meet my friends and hang out.  Another thing I experienced in Canada is the Farmers Market, which is very similar to  Bazaars except that the location is usually not fixed. In Japan, however, shopping is influenced by the value of harmony. As The Japanese Mind explains, “the concept of harmony, or Wa, became an important factor in Japanese life” (Davies & Ikeno, 2002, p. 10). In stores and shopping malls, employees work to create a calm, orderly, and c...