How Culture Drives Behaviours | Julien S. Bourrelle | TEDxTrondheim

Summary

In this insightful talk, the speaker reflects on cultural adaptation and diversity, highlighting the importance of understanding and embracing different social behaviors. From personal anecdotes to the impact of cultural lenses on perception, the speaker emphasizes the need for open-mindedness when encountering unfamiliar customs. The talk concludes with a call to action for small steps towards a world that truly benefits from cultural diversity.

Takeaways

• 😊 The speaker discusses the cultural differences between Norway and other countries, particularly regarding social interactions.
• 🤔 The realization of becoming Norwegian is highlighted through an anecdote about a stranger approaching the speaker in Brussels.
• 🌍 The speaker explains the three ways to relate to a new culture: confront, complain, or conform, with conforming being the most beneficial.
• 👓 Cultural glasses are described as the lens through which we see and interpret the world, affecting our perception and interactions.
• 👩‍💼 An example is given of gender-based educational restrictions in Norway aimed at promoting equality of results over equality of opportunity.
• 🔍 The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding and adapting to cultural differences to benefit from diversity.
• 💬 Misunderstandings due to cultural differences in emotional expression and personal space are discussed, using examples from various cultures.
• 👫 Differences in the concept of friendship and politeness between individualistic and collectivist cultures are explored.
• 🚌 The Norwegian concept of personal space, illustrated with a bus stop example, shows how cultural norms affect behavior.
• 🚀 The benefits of cultural diversity in enhancing problem-solving, creativity, and innovation are highlighted, along with the importance of effective communication.

Q & A

What cultural differences did Julian notice when he interacted with a stranger in Brussels?

Julian noticed that in Norway, people do not typically engage in spontaneous conversations with strangers, which contrasts with the more open and social behavior he observed in Brussels.

How did Julian describe the process of adapting to a new culture?

Julian explained that when moving to a new country, one can either confront, complain, or conform to the local culture. Conforming involves observing, learning, and adapting behaviors to fit the new society.

What example did Julian give to illustrate cultural differences in emotional feedback?

Julian recounted a visit to Catalonia with a friend, where a guide misinterpreted his friend's neutral facial expression as disinterest, highlighting how emotional feedback is viewed differently across cultures.

What was Julian's experience when he tried to enroll in a leadership class for women?

Julian was denied enrollment in a leadership class for women because of his gender, which he had never experienced before. The university offered this class exclusively to women to promote gender balance in professorship positions.

How does cultural diversity impact the performance of boards, according to studies mentioned by Julian?

Studies cited by Julian indicate that boards composed of different cultures perform 35% better, and boards with both genders perform 15% better than those with less diversity.

What project did Julian create to help connect people of different cultures in Norway?

Julian created a project featuring simple, humoristic drawings to explain cultural differences, which he shared via a Facebook page and a free website. The project reached over a million people.

How do different cultural upbringings affect the concept of friendship?

In cultures where group interdependence is emphasized, friendships are close and symbiotic. In contrast, Western cultures often raise children to be independent, leading to more distant friendships.

What is the 'dance' Julian describes that occurs between people from different cultures?

Julian describes a 'dance' where a South American and a North European, comfortable with different personal spaces, continuously adjust their positions during a conversation, reflecting their discomfort and cultural differences.

Why might politeness vary significantly across cultures?

Politeness is culturally relative, with some societies having strict social codes and specific ways of speaking, while others may prioritize not disturbing others and maintaining physical and social space.

What is the key takeaway Julian emphasizes about cultural glasses and diversity?

Julian stresses that everyone views the world through cultural glasses, affecting perception. By understanding and adjusting these lenses, people can better communicate and benefit from cultural diversity.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Adapting to Cultural Differences

The speaker, Julian, shares a personal experience of being approached by a stranger in Brussels, which led him to reflect on his own cultural adaptation to Norway. He discusses the three ways to relate to a new culture: confront, complain, or conform. Julian emphasizes the importance of conforming to truly benefit from diversity, which involves observing, learning, and adapting to the behaviors of the society one is in. He also talks about cultural misunderstandings and the need to change one's 'cultural glasses' to better perceive and understand behaviors in different cultural contexts.

05:02

🌐 The Impact of Cultural Diversity on Leadership and Society

Julian discusses the concept of 'equality of results' versus 'equality of opportunity' through the lens of a university's leadership training program for women. He argues that while such programs aim to balance gender representation in leadership roles, they can inadvertently limit opportunities for others. Julian cites studies showing that diverse boards, both in gender and culture, perform better in terms of problem-solving, creativity, and innovation. He shares his initiative to create a Facebook page and website to humorously illustrate cultural situations, which has helped over a million people understand and connect with different cultures. The speaker also touches on the different expectations of friendship and personal space across cultures, highlighting the importance of recognizing and adapting to these nuances.

10:02

👥 Navigating Personal Space and Politeness in Cultural Contexts

In this paragraph, Julian explores the cultural aspects of personal space and politeness, using the example of a South American and a North European trying to communicate at an international conference. He illustrates how differing perceptions of comfortable distance can lead to a 'dance of discomfort.' Julian explains that politeness is a culturally relative concept, with varying social codes and norms that facilitate smooth communication within societies. He stresses the importance of understanding these cultural nuances to avoid miscommunication and to embrace diversity effectively. The speaker concludes by reiterating the message that everyone perceives the world through their 'cultural glasses,' and that small steps towards understanding can lead to a greater appreciation of diversity.

Keywords

💡Cultural Glasses

The term 'cultural glasses' metaphorically refers to the lens through which one's cultural background shapes their perception and understanding of the world. In the video, it is used to illustrate how people interpret behaviors and social norms based on their cultural experiences. An example is when the speaker's friend from Catalonia misinterprets the Norwegian man's neutral facial expression as disinterest, highlighting the importance of recognizing and adjusting for these cultural lenses to better understand and communicate with people from different backgrounds.

💡Confront, Complain, Conform

These three concepts represent the speaker's model for how individuals can relate to a new culture. 'Confront' implies resistance and the belief in one's own cultural superiority. 'Complain' suggests dissatisfaction without adaptation, leading to social isolation. 'Conform' means adjusting one's behavior to align with the new culture, which the speaker advocates as the best way to benefit from diversity. The video emphasizes the importance of observing, learning, and adapting to new cultural norms as a means of integration and personal growth.

💡Socialization

Socialization in the context of the video refers to the process of learning and internalizing the norms and behaviors of a society. The speaker contrasts the spontaneous social interactions in the French-speaking part of Canada with the more structured socialization practices in Norway, where interactions are often more formal and organized. This concept is central to understanding cultural differences in communication and interaction styles.

💡Diversity

Diversity is a key theme in the video, emphasizing the value of having a range of different cultures, genders, and perspectives in a group or society. The speaker argues that diverse groups outperform homogeneous ones in terms of problem-solving, creativity, and innovation. The video uses the example of university leadership training to discuss how promoting diversity, even through controversial methods like gender-specific classes, can lead to more balanced and effective outcomes.

💡Cultural Misunderstanding

Cultural misunderstanding is a concept that arises when individuals interpret behaviors or situations based on their own cultural norms, leading to incorrect assumptions about others' intentions. The video provides the example of the Spanish guide misinterpreting the Norwegian man's neutral expression, demonstrating how such misunderstandings can occur and the need for cultural awareness to prevent them.

💡Personal Space

Personal space is the physical distance individuals prefer to maintain between themselves and others during social interactions. The video discusses how different cultures have varying expectations regarding personal space, which can lead to discomfort or miscommunication if not recognized. The speaker uses the example of a Norwegian bus stop to illustrate how cultural differences in personal space can affect everyday interactions.

💡Politeness

Politeness, as discussed in the video, is a set of social norms and behaviors that facilitate smooth communication within a society. It varies significantly across cultures, with some placing a high emphasis on formalities and others valuing more casual interactions. The speaker highlights the importance of understanding these cultural nuances to avoid misinterpretations and foster effective communication.

💡Leadership

Leadership in the video is explored in the context of cultural differences and gender equality. The speaker's experience of being denied entry to a 'Leadership for Women' class due to his gender underscores the complexities of promoting diversity and equality in leadership roles. It also raises questions about the balance between equality of opportunity and equality of results.

💡Independence vs. Interdependence

The video contrasts the cultural values of independence and interdependence, explaining how they shape individuals' expectations of social relationships and group dynamics. Western societies often prioritize independence and self-sufficiency, while other cultures may value strong group connections and interdependence. The speaker uses the concept to explain differences in friendship dynamics and the importance of recognizing these values in cross-cultural interactions.

💡Cultural Adaptation

Cultural adaptation is the process of adjusting one's behavior and expectations to align with those of a new cultural environment. The speaker discusses the importance of this process for successful integration and the benefits of diversity. The video emphasizes that by observing, learning, and understanding cultural behaviors, individuals can adapt and thrive in different cultural contexts.

💡Equality of Results

Equality of results refers to the idea of achieving balance or parity in outcomes, such as gender representation in leadership positions, rather than just providing equal opportunities. The video uses the example of a university's leadership training policy to illustrate how this concept can be implemented, even if it means temporarily treating individuals differently based on their gender to achieve a more equitable result.

Highlights

Cultural adaptation involves confronting, complaining, or conforming to new societal norms.

Adapting to a new culture means observing, learning, and understanding the behaviors of others to fit in.

Cultural differences can lead to misunderstandings in social interactions, such as interpreting emotional feedback incorrectly.

Our perception of the world is shaped by our cultural lenses, which can be changed to better understand and adapt to cultural differences.

Diversity in leadership can significantly improve performance, with gender and cultural diversity showing substantial benefits.

Cultural diversity enhances problem-solving ability, creativity, and innovation in teams.

The importance of effective communication in bridging cultural gaps for better understanding and collaboration.

The speaker's personal experience of cultural adaptation in Norway, where social interactions are more structured compared to his French-Canadian background.

The concept of 'Leadership for women' and its implications for gender equality and diversity in educational opportunities.

The idea of 'equality of results' versus 'equality of opportunity' in the context of gender and leadership training.

The project of using humoristic drawings and a website to connect people of different cultures, particularly in Norway.

Cultural upbringing affects expectations of group contribution and interdependence, influencing behavior.

Differences in the concept of friendship across cultures, from symbiotic relationships to comfortable silence.

The impact of cultural misunderstandings on personal relationships and the importance of recognizing and adapting to these differences.

Physical space and personal boundaries vary across cultures, leading to potential miscommunications in social settings.

The concept of politeness is culturally relative and affects social norms and behaviors.

The speaker's initiative to educate and bridge cultural gaps through lectures and a website reaching over one million people.

Transcripts

Transcriber: Tijana Mihajlović Reviewer: Ilze Garda

I was in Brussels.

I was sitting on La Grand-Place,

which is a beautiful square in the center of the town.

Suddenly, a man came and sat next to me, and started talking to me,

so I turned to him and I answered.

Then I turned back and I asked myself, "Why is he talking to me?"

Suddenly, I realized, "Julian, you're becoming Norwegian."

(Laughter)

So I turned to the man and I said,

"Sorry, I live in a country where people don't speak to each other."

The thing is, in Norway, it is not that people don't speak to each other;

it's that socialization takes part

in a much more framed and organized manner.

I was not expecting this man as a stranger to come and talk to me.

However, this is surprising,

because I come from the French-speaking part of Canada

where that type of behavior is totally normal.

However, my mental programming has changed.

My brain has been rewired,

because during the last five years

I've lived in a tiny little country in the north of Europe

which is called Norway.

When you move to a different country,

there are three ways that you can relate to the culture:

you can confront, complain, or conform.

When you confront,

you believe that your behaviors are the right behaviors.

When you complain, what happens is that you will isolate yourself

into social bubbles of foreigners living in segregation with the society.

When you adapt your way to behave, when you conform to the whole society,

then you can truly benefit from diversity.

But that implies

that you are observing, learning, understanding the behaviors of others,

and adapting your own,

so that it fits with the behaviors of the society you're in.

I was in the north-east of Spain, in a beautiful region of Catalonia,

and I was there with a very good friend of mine.

He is two-meters tall, blond hair, and blue eyes.

We were visiting the beautiful region

where they're making the cava, the Spanish sparkling wine.

After the guided tour,

we asked some more questions to the very charming guide that was there,

and she was explaining us with passion about what she was doing,

and then suddenly she stopped.

She took a step aside, she took my friend, and she shook him.

And then she looked at me and said,

"Why is he not interested in what I'm saying?"

Because she was not getting the emotional feedback she was used to.

(Laughter)

She was seeing his emotional feedback

through her own cultural glasses,

meaning that she was interpreting the fact that he had a neutral face

on what it would mean if someone from her culture would have that face,

and that would mean

that the person was not interested or didn't want to be there.

And we all see the world through cultural glasses.

The lens through which your brain sees the world shapes your reality.

If you can change the lens,

not only can you change the way your brain perceives behaviors,

but you can change the way people relate to cultural differences.

Embedded within that statement is the key to benefiting from diversity.

Three years ago,

I was sitting on the board of directors of one major university in Northern Europe

and I was representing 2,000 academic staff,

and I wanted to become a better leader.

So I've looked around the whole university

for a leadership class that would be suited to my position,

and I found one, and I was thrilled,

because not only would I learn about leadership,

but because I would also learn about how women lead,

because the class was called "Leadership for women".

(Laughter)

And so, as naive as I was, I've registered for the class.

The next morning,

the gender equality adviser of the university calls me and says,

"Julian, this is leadership for women. You're a man. You cannot attend."

It was the first time in my life

that I was denied education based on my gender.

(Laughter)

This is my cultural perspective about what happened there.

However, why is the university doing this?

Because the government had been putting in place a scheme

that allowed the university to take candidates in full academic position

before someone that has higher academic training

if the candidates can document leadership training.

By offering leadership training only to women,

the university was fast forwarding

the track of women into full professorship position

at a place where less than 20% of women had professorship.

I call this equality of result.

Not equality of opportunity; equality of results.

I did not have the same opportunity to flourish to my full potential,

but the result is that we have a balance in society.

We enforce diversity, and there is a good reason to do this.

Studies show that boards composed of both genders

will perform 15% better then boards that are composed of mainly one gender.

But studies also show that boards that are composed of different cultures

will perform 35% better than boards that are composed of only one culture.

Cultural diversity increases problem-solving ability.

It increases creativity and innovation.

The real challenge here

is to make people being able to communicate well together.

And this you do through explaining cultural differences.

Two years ago, I was sitting in my living room.

I was sitting there with a friend

and we started to draw typical cultural situations.

Then we made a Facebook page,

and then we made a free website,

and then I started to lecture all around the country.

I'm happy to say we've just crossed one million people

that have seen these drawings to help to connect culture.

And the idea behind that project is to create a simple, humoristic way

in connecting people of different cultures,

especially in Norway.

You know that most people around the world are raised with the idea

that they will need to contribute to a group,

that they will be part of a group and interdependent on their members.

And it affects the way people behave.

Other parts of the world, especially the Western world,

we raise our children to be independent and to be self-sufficient,

and we create certain independence in society,

and it changes behaviors.

You see the difference?

This basic principle tells a lot

about how you're going to expect a friendship to look like.

In certain societies where the group prevails,

the friendship will be much stronger,

in terms that people will live in symbiosis with each other

and dependent on each other,

and they will be expected to be invited

to every single event that the very good friend will do.

However, in other cultures, friendship will be much more distant.

I've asked a Scandinavian man one day what a good friend was.

You know what he answered?

"It is someone I can sit in silence in a room and feel comfortable."

If you tell this to a South American,

they won't understand what the principle is.

This is about friendship and love,

and contact with people is one of the six basic human needs.

If you're not able to see

how this friendship and love is communicated to you

because you are blinded by your cultural glasses,

you will spend years believing you have no friends.

You will spend years believing that people are rejecting you.

It is about changing these cultural glasses.

This is when you know that a Norwegian bus stop is full

and that you need to stand.

(Laughter)

What happens if you sit in the middle?

It could very well be that one of the two persons

stands up, takes a step aside, starts playing on his phone.

Now, what if you look different? What if you're wearing a religious symbol?

How easy it is to believe that the person has moved away

because you're of a different skin color or of a different religion?

A typical cultural misunderstanding and a very basic of human interactions:

you've came into the personal space

of someone who has a much bigger personal space.

In most cultures in the world, there's place for 4 people on that bench.

Not understanding these very subtle physical differences with people

will actually lead to lot of miscommunication.

If you want to observe it yourself, go to any international conference

and try to observe a South American

that tries to communicate with a North European.

What will happen there

is that the South American will be very eager

and will stand at a distance that's comfortable for him.

The North European will be also very eager,

but stand a little bit further away,

because he's not comfortable that the South American is so close.

If you observe it over time,

you will see that a little dance starts

(Laughter)

and people go around the room,

none of them realizing that they are feeling uncomfortable,

or they both feel uncomfortable, but they don't realize why.

It's just a simple thing of culture

and being able to feel that distance between people,

which is different in every culture.

And that has to do as well with politeness.

Politeness is a concept which is very much culturally related.

It's a group of norms and social codes that everyone obeys to,

so that communication goes well in the society,

and in certain societies it is very strict,

and you have a way to talk, and you have a way to behave.

You change the way - you're changing the words in the sentence.

In other places,

politeness might only mean not to disturb others,

to leave more space, both in friendship and physical space.

And if you move to another country

and no one explains you what politeness means,

how can you expect people -

how can you expect that someone will behave as he's expected to

in a foreign culture?

The key here is to benefit from diversity.

Everyone sees the world through cultural glasses.

It's not about what you see; it's about what you perceive.

It's not about what you see; it's about what you perceive.

And it is by taking small steps

that we will one day help the world to truly benefit from diversity.

Thank you.

(Applause)