1) We are supposed the wrote about the 5 dimensions of culture and compare and contrast them with our country and the US 

2.We need to understand the meaning of the 5 dimensions and write about it of the country we chose 

 

Five Cultural Differences Between China and the U.S.

Culture is an umbrella term that entails a range of concepts, including the beliefs, behaviors, morals, values, religion, language, and knowledge associated with different demographics found in various regions of the world. There are thousands of cultures and subcultures, and they are all unique in various ways, with some sharing common similarities because they are located in the same region ("United Cultures," 2021). For instance, Buddhism religion is practiced by most Asian cultures, including those in China, North Korea, and Vietnam. Houkamau and Sibley (2019) note that besides being used as a unique marker for communities, culture plays other significant roles which are broadly classified under economic, political, and social development. In these three domains, advancements are partly fostered by the incorporation of cultural values that serve the interests of specific communities. The social, economic, and political aspects of the United States and China have various discrepancies and similarities, which can be comprehended by exploring the five dimensions of culture: performance orientation, institutional collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, gender egalitarianism, and power distance.  

Power distance is the difference between the socioeconomic status of individuals in a given geographical location. Notably, some cultures have a high power distance, meaning that there is a huge gap between high-ranking and low-ranking individuals, while others have a low power distance which is noted by closely knit communities that strive to share resources equally. The U.S. culture is perceived to have a moderate power distance with a score of 40, and this implies that a majority of people believe in equality, and at least everyone is entitled to some kind of power (Park et al., 2019). The Civil Rights Act of 1964, which, if amended, will be renamed The Equality Act, evidently shows that the U.S. has a moderate power distance because it prohibits all forms of discrimination that are the root causes of high-power distance. Contrary to the U.S., China has a high-power distance score of approximately 80, and this is denoted by the willingness of society to accept and tolerate inequalities that group individuals as superior or inferior (Lam & Xu, 2019). Wang and Guan (2018) demonstrate that the rationale for China's high power distance is the lack of legislative policies that protect underserved communities and strict laws that prohibit superiors from misusing their authority. The two countries have a similar score in uncertainty avoidance. 

Uncertainty avoidance is a cultural phenomenon that shows how different cultures react to avoid or tolerate risks and their perceptions towards major social, economic, and political changes. Societies with low uncertainty tend to have few laws and regulations, the citizens have a high interest in politics, protests are encouraged, and a majority of people are protestants. Conversely, societies with high uncertainty tend to have strict laws, people have a low interest in political issues, protests are highly prohibited, and a majority of people are either Muslims or Catholics. With regard to these differences, the U.S. and China have a relatively low uncertainty avoidance score of approximately 46 and 30, respectively, and they are different from countries like Germany and Greece, which have an alarming score of 70 (Adair et al., 2018). Pufpaff and McCann's (2021) study backs up these claims by showing that the constitution of the People's republic of China recognizes the need for community protests; hence people have freedom of speech, demonstration, and press. Similarly, in the U.S., the First Amendment guarantees Americans the freedom of expression through protests or the press to express their views. This is evident in recent events where individuals in various States were allowed to protest against police brutality, extrajudicial killings, and profiling of African Americans. In China, the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement, commonly known as the 2019-2020 Hong Kong Protests, also shows that uncertainty avoidance in China is low because people were allowed to object to the proposed criminal laws as well as demand for democratic amendments. The two countries have a slight difference in performance orientation.

Performance orientation can be described using the elements of cultural competence, including excellence in the working environment, technology advancements, innovativeness, and consistency in economic growth. Countries with a high-performance orientation score discern competitiveness as an approach to growth; communities value leaders, and they expect them to provide direction, procedures and make policies that regulate economic development. Conversely, countries with a low-performance orientation have less value for materialism, and their leaders emphasize establishing social and family relationships, conserving the environment, and coexisting harmoniously with other cultures. Although the U.S. has a high-performance orientation score, China supersedes it as it is among the most innovative and technologically advanced countries. The culture of continuous innovation in China can be traced back to 105 AD when the "Four Great Inventions" were created. Hua (2020) notes that, in 105 AD, China was the first country in the world to invent paper, gunpowder, printing machines, and the compass, which were later adopted by other states. Currently, developed countries, including the U.S., Japan, and those in Europe, have heavily invested in the four technologies and even made advancements to make them more efficient and reliable. For instance, Japan and Netherlands are leading in the global printing industry, and in 2019, the two exported machinery worth $28 billion (Hua, 2020). Besides the Four Great Inventions, China is currently focused on inventing more sophisticated Artificial Intelligence (AI) products, and the spirit of competitiveness can be noted in the country's top AI companies, including UBTECH Robotics, Megvii, Rokod, and ROOBO. China has a low gender egalitarianism score than the U.S.

Gender egalitarianism is a cultural perspective that focuses on equal treatment of the male and female gender. Equality is emphasized in various economic, social, and political aspects, including fairness in political representation, reproductive responsibilities, employment opportunities, religious freedoms, medical care, job segregation, and access to quality education. Notably, countries with a high gender egalitarianism score value equality and advocate for more women's opportunities to eradicate existing gender gaps. Conversely, countries with a low gender egalitarianism score have few opportunities for women, and men are considered superior to the female gender. A 2020 survey conducted by the Global Gender Gap Report shows that China's gender egalitarianism score is low, and the country dropped from position 103/149 in 2019 to 106/153 (Tone, 2021). Further, the report shows that gender inequality in China has worsened over the years, and there is generally a decreasing trend in labor force participation, wage equality, literacy rate, and healthy life expectancy for women. In the political landscape, women are disproportionately represented, and Tone (2021) shows that only two positions are allocated for the female gender in the National People's Congress. Unfortunately, the same image has been reflected in the economic domain, where women have negligible representation in China's corporate ladder. Unlike China, the U.S. has a high gender egalitarianism score, which is denoted by opportunities created by the government and private sector to accord women leadership roles and social responsibilities. China has a high score for institutional collectivism, while the U.S. has a low value.

Institutional collectivism is a cultural concept that encourages communities to take collective actions that favor the interests of the society rather than individuals. In some cultures, acts of institutional collectivism are perceived as a maker of loyalty, and at the organizational level, they are honored by giving rewards or incentives. Most Asian cultures, including China, tend to promote institutional collectivism chiefly because of their religious beliefs and teachings, which persuade people to be mindful and care for each other. Premasiri (2019) notes that Buddha's teachings revolve around solving social conflicts through institutional collectivism, and to maintain harmony, individuals in the society must be loyal and act with compassion. Unlike China, the U.S. has a low score for institutional collectivism, and so society tends to favor the individual interests of people, families, organizations, or political circles. As a result, the gap between underserved and lavish communities continues to increase, and in the corporate sector, employees tend to focus on building personal networks and improving their skills instead of working towards achieving organizational goals. 

In summary, China and the U.S. have contrasting and similar dimensions of culture. Similar dimensions include uncertainty avoidance and performance orientation, while gender egalitarianism, institutional collectivism, and power distance differ. As discussed, for each dimension, there are either positive or negative impacts on the social, economic, and political aspects of both countries.

Five Cultural Differences Between China and the U.S.: An Outline

Thesis statement: The study aims to identify five cultural dimensions and exploring their differences and similarities in China and the U.S. The five dimensions: performance orientation, institutional collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, gender egalitarianism, and power distance, are perceived to have negative and positive implications on the political, social, and economic domains of China and the U.S.

Introduction

Culture is an umbrella term that refers to a range of concepts, including the beliefs, behaviors, morals, values, religion, language, and knowledge associated with different demographics found in various regions of the world.

Dimension 1: Power distance

Power distance is the difference between the socioeconomic status of individuals in a given geographical location.

Dimension 2: Uncertainty avoidance

Uncertainty avoidance is a cultural phenomenon that shows how different cultures react to avoid or tolerate risks and their perceptions towards major social, economic, and political changes.

Dimension 3: Performance orientation

Performance orientation can be described using the elements of cultural competence, including excellence in the working environment, technology advancements, innovativeness, and consistency in economic growth.

Dimension 4: Gender egalitarianism

Gender egalitarianism is a cultural perspective that focuses on equal treatment of the male and female gender.

Dimension 5: Institutional collectivism

Institutional collectivism is a cultural concept that encourages communities to take collective actions that favor the interests of the society rather than individuals.

Conclusion

Uncertainty avoidance and performance orientation are similar in China and the U.S., while gender egalitarianism, institutional collectivism, and power distance differ