Notes on How Culture Shows Itself: Aesthetics, Religion, Folklore, and Gift-Giving

AESTHETICS

  • Aesthetics is the area of philosophy that deals with beauty; origin of the word aisthētikos means perceptible by the senses.
  • Culture’s aesthetics are expressed in art, drama, music, folklore, and dance; art (color and form) carries symbolic meanings that reveal values.
  • Color symbolism across cultures:
    • United States and Mexico: mourning color is black.
    • East Asia: mourning is black and white.
    • South Africa: mourning is red.
    • Brazil and Thailand: mourning is purple.
    • Islamic world: green is an optimistic and hopeful color; ads and packaging featuring green tend to evoke positivity.
    • Northern Ireland Catholics: orange is associated with the Protestant Orange Order, signaling hostility to Irish Catholics; the slogan “The future’s bright. . . . The future’s Orange” by an Orange-brand telecom (originally British, now French) wasn’t aligned with intended messaging.
  • Body aesthetics and cultural standards:
    • Ideal body weight varies by culture and income level; in richer countries the affluent are thinner, while in poorer countries the indigent are thinner.
    • Japan: sumo athletes intentionally obese.
    • Some areas of Nigeria: girls may enter fattening rooms to bulk up.
  • Tattoos as an aesthetic and cultural signal:
    • Otzi the Iceman (c. 3300 BCE) was tattooed; demonstrates ancient aesthetic practice.
    • Japan: criminals were historically tattooed by authorities to humiliate them; today, Yakuza members tattoo themselves for in-group identity.
    • Tattoos can convey beauty or be seen as desecration depending on culture.
  • Music and folklore as conveyors of aesthetics:
    • US advertising with a ballad may be better received in Mexico if accompanied by mariachi, or in Brazil with samba.
    • Folklore reveals a culture’s way of life; sample case: KFC in Japan used imagery linked to rustic origins and a background of “My Old Kentucky Home” with Colonel Sanders statues; Loy Weston leveraged local folklore to create a romantic, agricultural past and male-elder veneration.
  • Folklore’s impact on branding:
    • Incorrect use can cost market share (e.g., Marlboro Man image less romantic in Chile/Argentina where being a cowboy is just a job).
    • Smirnoff used Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s image in a Cuba ad for spicy vodka; Cubans viewed it as diminishing Guevara’s stature.
    • Pampers’ Asia launch used stork imagery signaling a mythical “baby delivery”; many Asian cultures don’t associate babies with storks, so images confused the message; in Japan babies are folklorically associated with large peaches.
  • Folklore’s emotional packaging:
    • Folklore conveys a package of emotions and connotations efficiently, often with a single image.
  • Cultural maxim:
    • ❝ WHEN YOU LEARN SOMETHING FROM PEOPLE, OR FROM A CULTURE, YOU ACCEPT IT AS A GIFT, AND IT IS YOUR LIFELONG COMMITMENT TO PRESERVE IT AND BUILD ON IT. 99 ❞
    • - Yo-Yo Ma, musician
  • Cross-cultural considerations:
    • Telling a friend they have gained weight can be a compliment in parts of Africa, but insult in Europe, North America, or Australia.
  • Practical implications for international managers:
    • Design and messaging must align with local aesthetics to avoid miscommunication or offense.
    • Color, imagery, body norms, and folklore references should be validated in local markets.

RELIGION

  • Religion is both a spiritual and cultural component that shapes attitudes and behavior; understanding major religious beliefs helps in marketing, negotiation, and operations.
  • Core features across religions:
    • Form and traditions: worship and prayer, rituals, dietary rules, modes of dress.
    • Personal belief can trigger ethnocentric tendencies; managers must be mindful of potential conflicts with religious values.
    • Example: Nike faced Muslim customer criticism in 2019 where a shoe sole design resembled the Arabic word for Allah; this was perceived as blasphemous and led to criticism and petitions.
  • Five major religions and their followers (Table 3.1):
    • Christianity — Followers: N_{ ext{Christianity}} = 2359 ext{ million}; Cultural tradition: West Asian/Abrhamic.
    • Islam — Followers: N_{ ext{Islam}} = 1775 ext{ million}; Cultural tradition: West Asian/Abrhamic.
    • Hinduism — Followers: N_{ ext{Hinduism}} = 996 ext{ million}; Cultural tradition: Indian.
    • Buddhism — Followers: N_{ ext{Buddhism}} = 501 ext{ million}; Cultural tradition: Indian.
    • Judaism — Followers: N_{ ext{Judaism}} = 14 ext{ million}; Cultural tradition: West Asian/Abrhamic.
    • Source references include Center for the Study of Global Christianity, Pew Research Center, World Religion Database, and others.
  • Brief descriptions of major religions:
    • Christianity:
    • Belief in one God revealed through human history.
    • Jesus is God’s son, who lived in Israel/Palestine, was crucified around 30 CE, and resurrected; believers who profess faith in the resurrection are promised heaven after death.
    • Islam:
    • Origin in the 7th century CE in the Middle East; name derives from Arabic meaning “submission.”
    • Belief in one God, Allah; Qur’an as revealed scripture; Mohammed regarded as the last and most important prophet who received God’s words directly via visions.
    • Hinduism:
    • Oldest major religion; began in India around 2500 BCE.
    • Belief in Brahman, a single Supreme Reality in many forms; ethical living, wealth sharing, and adherence to Vedas; belief in reincarnation and eventual union with God.
    • Buddhism:
    • Founded between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE in northeastern India by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha).
    • Various schools of thought; belief that earthly life is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth causing suffering; nirvana is the ultimate escape and enlightenment.
    • Judaism:
    • Began around 1900 BCE in Israel (Canaan); shared belief that God acts in human history, especially in times of struggle and oppression.
    • Tanakh (Scripture) recounts liberation and covenant; the Jews believe in a covenant with God to protect them as long as they adhere to worship of the one God.
  • Visual resource:
    • FIGURE 3.1 Map of the World’s Religions (referenced in the text as a map illustrating the global distribution of religious traditions).
  • Practical implications for international business:
    • Knowledge of religious holidays, dietary laws, and dress codes can prevent missteps in product design, labeling, and workplace policies.
    • Ethical marketing must avoid religious offenses and respect sacred symbols.

FOLKLORE

  • Folklore is a powerful carrier of cultural emotions and connotations; it can efficiently convey a culture’s values through a single image or symbol.
  • Branding and advertising examples leveraging folklore:
    • KFC in Japan used an agricultural origin story with a background of “My Old Kentucky Home” and large Colonel Sanders statues; success attributed to sensitivity to local folklore and symbolic associations with rural heritage.
    • The negative consequences of misaligned folklore:
    • Marlboro Man: in Chile/Argentina, the cowboy is not a romantic figure but a job; thus the image failed to resonate.
    • Smirnoff’s use of Ernesto Guevara’s image in an ad in Cuba sparked controversy because Guevara is a national hero; using his image to sell vodka diminished his status in public perception.
    • Pampers’ introduction into Asia used stork imagery to signal baby delivery; many Asian cultures don’t envision babies being brought by storks, creating confusion; in Japan, babies are culturally associated with peaches instead.
  • Additional cultural note:
    • Tastes and perceptions of weight and body aesthetics vary with folklore-inflected expectations about beauty and motherhood in different regions.
  • Practical implications:
    • Folklore can be a rapid signal of in-group belonging or cultural meaning; do not misuse iconic figures or symbols in advertising without local validation.
  • Notable quote:
    • ❝ When you learn something from people, or from a culture, you accept it as a gift, and it is your lifelong commitment to preserve it and build on it. ❞ — Yo-Yo Ma, musician

ADDITIONAL CONTEXT: GIFT GIVING, LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION, SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

  • Culture manifests in more areas than aesthetics and religion, including:
    • Material culture: tangible objects, technologies, and physical goods.
    • Language and communication: how people speak, nonverbal cues, politeness norms, and message framing.
    • Social organization: family structures, social hierarchies, and community practices.
  • Gift giving (not expanded in this transcript but noted as a complex cultural area for new international managers):
    • As a social transaction, gift giving can convey respect, status, and reciprocity expectations; misreading local norms can damage business relationships.
  • Ethical and practical implications:
    • Marketing and product design must respect local aesthetics, religious sensibilities, social norms, and folklore associations.
    • Practical takeaway: validate branding and messaging with local partners or cultural consultants before market entry or product launches.