Post 378: Past Oriented Cultures vs Future Oriented Cultures

Past Oriented Cultures vs Future Oriented Cultures

When I teach Intercultural Communication or when I teach Asian American studies, I often compare Western/European culture with Eastern/Asian culture.  I love the look of surprise and realization as American students learn more about how American culture compares with other cultures around the world.

Past Oriented Cultures believe strongly in the importance of past events.  History, established religion, tradition, are extremely important. The past is the guide to the future.  People in past-oriented cultures use the past to make important decisions.

In China, there is a respect for the elder in a Chinese family. The eldest person in the family is the repository of family tradition and history. Chinese children are taught to respect and admire the past. Elders in a family tell stories about the family's past and all the members of the family gather around the elder to learn from the past in order to have a better children.

In China, children memorize the sayings of Confucius who lived centuries ago in China.  Confucius, during his lifetime believed in preserving the ways of the elders. He believed the path to a moral society is to use the past as an example and as a role model.

Present-Oriented cultures such as the United States emphasize the future and expect the future to be better than the present. In America, what is coming next, or the newest trend is important. The past is left behind and discarded and seen as obsolete. Americans are always planning for the future instead of living for the moment.

If you look at how technology is evolved in the US, gadgets from 20 years ago are now in museums and no longer used or sitting in junk yards. Americans, unlike the Chinese, are always looking forward. They are always 'doing' something. Americans are always in constant motion.

What makes the study of culture fascinating for me is when I teach ESL, I meet students from other cultures. Japanese, Chinese, Korean ESL students tell me how 'fast' or 'in a hurry' Americans always seem to be. Also, in America, Americans are always looking to the future for the next best thing. Americans get bored easily and cannot pay attention for long periods of time.

When I teach Asian students ESL, they like learning about American history because it gives them context into what makes America tick just like when they learned history in their countries.  So, if you are teaching Asian students, you will find teaching American history fun because Asian cultures value the past and value history and tradition while Americans love to look into the future!