cultural differences thesis statement

How to Write an Essay About Cultural Differences

How to Write Research Papers From Start to Finish

Starting your cultural differences essay can be a challenging undertaking. After all, the traditions and social expectations of any culture are so broad that it can be difficult to find a starting point. Choosing a specific aspect of two cultures to research narrows down the topic, leaving you one or two issues to focus on in detail.

Pick Your Topic

When writing an essay on cultural differences, the first question to address is which cultures to write about. The assignment you are given may ask you to compare and contrast two different cultures, or to compare your own culture to a culture with which you are unfamiliar. Pick a culture you are interested in, within the constraints of your assignment. This could be a culture that exists side by side with yours in your town or city, or a culture that exists on the other side of the world. If you are already partially familiar with that culture, pick an aspect of the culture you would like to know more about to ensure that you are engaged in your research.

Conduct Your Research

An encyclopedia may be a good place to begin your search. While an encyclopedia does not go in-depth into the particulars of a culture, it provides a general picture of topics you might want to investigate. These reference books often direct you to more specific references on your topic of interest, such as books, journal articles and online sources. You are likely to find, for example, a variety of sources about different levels of formality expectations in two cultures.

While doing your research, try to note whenever an aspect of a culture strikes you as strange, and ask yourself whether it is a bias based on your own assumptions. This is especially important if you are writing about the differences between your culture and another culture; you do not want your biases to creep into your writing. If possible, interview a member of the culture you are studying to get input on perceived differences.

Structure Your Paper

The next step is writing a thesis statement -- a sentence that expresses the argument of your paper. Since you are writing about a cultural difference, your thesis statement should mention what difference you want to highlight or explain in your paper. For example, if you are an American comparing your social norms of privacy to those of British culture, your thesis statement might go like this:

"The differences in British and Americans standards of privacy are evident in each culture's approach to personal openness and humor."

Once you have your thesis statement, you can plan out the rest of your paper. Outline paragraphs that compare and contrast the two cultures in regard to the issues stated in your thesis. Describe and explore similarities and differences. If possible, provide an explanation for what about the two cultures causes the differences to exist.

Write Your Paper

Begin your paper with an introduction paragraph that includes your thesis statement and additional sentences that define specific topics your paper addresses. Think of your introduction as a way of letting your reader know the topics your paper will cover. Following a well-argued body with strong supporting examples, end your essay with a conclusion paragraph that restates your thesis and the most important points of your cultural comparisons. Ensure that you cite your sources according to the style guide requested by your instructor.

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Jon Zamboni began writing professionally in 2010. He has previously written for The Spiritual Herald, an urban health care and religious issues newspaper based in New York City, and online music magazine eBurban. Zamboni has a Bachelor of Arts in religious studies from Wesleyan University.

Cultural Diversity Essay: Topics, Tips, & Example

Benefits & challenges of cultural diversity.

• 💡 51 Essay Topics
• 📑 Outlining Your Paper
• ✍️ Essay Example

🔗 References

🎎 cultural diversity essay: the key issues.

What does cultural diversity mean? That’s what we need to understand before we start writing. Cultural diversity is when several cultures are mixed.

Take America, for example.

You can taste a vast number of national cuisines. Or you can hear a lot of national music. All that is due to different cultures co-existing here together.

Cultural diversity can be confused with multiculturalism. The first concept means the way society deals with multiple cultures in one place. The second one assumes that the more cultures interact, the better. And there are many ways this interaction can go.

There are two main theories of multiculturalism :

• The melting pot theory. That holds the idea of different cultures “melting” together. They lose their individual features completely, forming one single culture. The situation with American immigrants shows this pretty well.
• The salad bowl theory. The less grim theory describes not full but partial cultural losses. The cultures here don’t cease to exist in order to become one. They rather co-exist, keeping their uniqueness intact. Sounds great, but it leaves more room for discrimination and conflicts.

Cultural diversity is an issue that affects several aspects. Mostly education, business, and the economy in general. And every issue has its pros and cons. Here are some good things and challenges that cultural diversity can bring to a business company.

Cultural diversity benefits:

• More competitive teams
• More markets available
• New cultural horizons
• More creativity
• More skills

Cultural diversity challenges:

• Risks of misunderstandings
• Problems with productivity
• Risks of unhealthy competition
• More stereotypes
• More red tape
• Diverse cultures – diverse teams. And diversion in a group leads to more perspectives on issues the team faces. It keeps the atmosphere fresh and competitive. And as long as you keep this competitive spirit healthy, you are good to go.
• More cultures – more markets available. Diverse companies have more information about foreign markets. Thanks to the fact that for some employees, foreign markets are not foreign at all. As a result, you are less likely to create an offensive ad or product.
• More diverse – more attractive. Trying to find employees with different cultures can be beneficial. You may find a hidden talent for your company. And attract new applicants by opening new cultural horizons.
• More diversity – more creativity. An international team focuses on different experiences in one place. And such a team always comes out with a stream of fresh ideas.
• More diversity – more skills. People with different cultural backgrounds have different skill sets. With that, your company would have way more possibilities. Coming up with a new product or service will become a much easier task.
• Different cultures – different etiquette. Business etiquette is something that differs from culture to culture. It can sometimes lead to misunderstandings or conflicts within the team.
• Different people – different ways to work. Workers from Europe are used to the idea of individuality. Asian employees tend to work as a single organism. Now imagine what happens if you make these folks work together. Correct, a lot of problems with productivity that you’ll need to solve.
• More cultures – more competition. And as we said before, you always need to keep this competition in check. Once it stops being healthy, you will have some voices of the team silenced. And some others will become needlessly loud.
• More cultures – more stereotypes. And stereotypes can lead to barriers between employees. You don’t want your team to fight over nationality issues. So, you should prepare to fight possible prejudices that can occur.
• More foreigners – more red tape. This is a purely practical problem. Law that covers foreigners’ work conditions can be tricky to follow. Additional expenses, necessary documents, and accommodation. All of this need attention, so make sure to give it.

💡 51 Cultural Diversity Essay Topics

Making a cultural diversity essay topic is easy and complicated at the same time. The vastness of the issue gives a lot of possible options. But choosing the option you want can be a bit tricky. Here are some ideas for a possible topic.

• Cultural diversity now and in the medieval ages.
• Multiculturalism is the best way to handle diversity in cultures.
• What misunderstandings can occur between Asian and European business people?
• Tensions between the British and the French: roots and misconceptions.
• Can cultural diversity be unethical?
• Possible alternatives to a multicultural society.
• The importance of language in forming a culture.
• What are the musical tastes of different cultures?
• Women in Muslim societies: the kingdom of strangers.
• Art as a source of cultural knowledge.
• Hispanic American diversity.
• Creating a culturally diverse company in America and China: compare and contrast.
• Diversity & discrimination of women in the workplace.
• Traditional music as a way to know the culture.
• Aboriginal and Chinese Australians: cultural diversity.
• Cultural diversity as a business practice.
• Diversity at the workplace: problem and importance.
• The myth of Irish people being drunks.
• The ethnic diversity in the U.S. metropolitan areas.
• The role of women in different cultures.
• Cultural movement: hip-hop-related films.
• Comparing the most and the least diverse countries in the world.
• Issues of cross-cultural communication.
• Integrating refugees into society and the way to do it right.
• Women and economics: historical and or cultural change.
• The role of the Internet in cultural diversity.
• Cross-cultural communication and barriers.
• Studying abroad. What to prepare for and how to adjust your cultural background.
• Socio-cultural contributions to gender roles.
• The American and the Chinese take on education.
• Universalism vs. cultural relativism in human rights.
• The vital role of cultural heritage.
• Intercultural and cross-cultural communication research.
• The connection between globalization and cultural diversity.
• Family, cultural legacies, and identity formation.
• Different attitudes towards children in different cultures.
• Cultural and traditional values’ importance in society.
• The wrongs of The Melting Pot theory.
• Different aspects of intercultural nonverbal communication.
• The art of making a gift in different countries.
• Chinese culture and cross-cultural communication.
• The biological necessity of cultural diversity.
• Intercultural relationship and communication.
• Cultural diversity in healthcare.
• Intercultural assumptions, prejudices and viewpoints.
• How to promote cultural diversity in schools? The right and the wrong ways.
• Multicultural competence and cultural identity.
• Diversity awareness is a part of any rational mind.
• Cross-cultural differences and interactions.
• The issue of some cultures being violent.
• Food anthropology as the study of food in diverse cultures.

Need more ideas? You are welcome to use our title-making tool !

📑 Cultural Diversity Essay Outline

Every essay needs planning first, and you will need an outline for that. An outline for an essay on cultural diversity has a lot in common with any other essay layout. Let’s see an example of one.

Cultural Diversity Essay Introduction

The introduction serves 3 goals:

• grab readers’ attention,
• provide them with a thesis statement,
• give background information.

The introduction leads your audience to the topic and gives an overall impression of the following text.

An introduction usually includes:

• Background information. Information that the reader needs to know before going deeper into the essay.
• Hook. Serves an attention-grabbing purpose. A hook is usually a controversial or intriguing statement that makes the reader interested in further material.
• For example: “All Irish people are drunks, and all French people like to surrender, right? Wrong.”
• Thesis statement. A thesis gives the general idea of the whole essay. This one can be a huge pain to make. Shortly speaking, it must be concise, brief, and open for discussion. For example:

“While cultural diversity creates a lot of problems, multiculturalism that encourages every culture and discovers new ways to fight prejudice can be the best solution.”

Cultural Diversity Essay Body

The body of an essay is the most significant part of it. In a 5-paragraph work , your body will consist of 3 paragraphs. Each should describe one of the arguments you used to support your thesis.

Cultural Diversity Essay Conclusion

It’s the last paragraph of your assignment that sums up all the text above. You don’t need to add anything new in a conclusion . Just restate your position and show how your arguments helped you prove it.

✍️ Cultural Diversity Essay Example

And finally, let’s take a look at a complete sample of a cultural diversity essay.

Taking note of the disparities in ethnicity, income, health, locations, and education between the two groups described in the foregoing discussions, one cannot fail to recognize the importance of cultural competence in providing various services, including food services to different ethno-cultural groups in the U.S. society. To achieve cultural competence in a food service organization, it is imperative for food service directors to make various accommodations in the workplace. Making culturally competent accommodations in the workplace is essential for a number of reasons listed in the below paragraphs.

The number of aging Americans is projected to increase by the year 2030, and, according to the Healthy People 2010 report, there is a need to eliminate disparities in service delivery by encouraging outreach to the underserved populations, including those in economic need, minorities, and elderly people (85 years and over) (Reppas, Rosenzweig and National Policy and Resource Center on Nutrition and Aging, Florida International University par. 3). As a result, nutrition programs form the basis for promoting health, and therefore it is important for food service providers to promote the provision of culturally competent services through acquiring and training culturally sensitive staff (Reppas et al. par. 4).

Most importantly, there is a need for food service staff and volunteers, especially those serving the elderly population, which comprise people from diverse cultures, to have relevant cultural competency skills, such as compassion, respect, and empathy to ensure that their services are appreciated and valued by the primary customers (Reppas et al. para. 4-6).

Today’s business culture demands that an organization recruits and retains a diverse workforce by creating an environment that accommodates and values the employees’ knowledge, values, beliefs, culture, and skills. This can be achieved through integrating culturally competent values into the organization’s mission, business strategies, and vision. As a result, this move will encourage employees to share their ideas, skills, and innovations, which will contribute to the success and growth of the entire organization.

A culturally diverse workplace encourages equity and increases staff skills in different departments, especially customer care where language skills and cultural competence are imperative because of the need for the staff to understand and communicate efficiently with the primary customers. In a culturally diverse environment, employees are given the opportunity to interact and learn from their colleagues. This experience exposes them to new ideas and skills for decision making, which will result in responsive service delivery to people from different cultures.

And with that, all that is left to do is wish you good luck on your assignment. By the way, if you’ll need to make a title page for your cultural diversity essay, you might want to use our title page generator .

Let us know which part of the article you found the most useful, and have a great day! Thank you for your time.

❓ Cultural Diversity FAQ

What does cultural diversity mean.

Cultural diversity is a situation when several cultures co-exist together. The bigger the number – the more diverse community is. The term can include representation and acknowledgment of each culture.

How to promote cultural diversity in schools?

Promoting diversity in a school can be achieved in various ways. Hiring a diverse team of teachers or organizing student meetings. Having regular open conversations on inequality is also a good idea. All of that can contribute to the cause significantly.

How to promote cultural diversity in the workplace?

Diversity in the workplace can benefit from different things:

• Forming multicultural teams.
• Encouraging less represented cultures.
• Hiring mentors to work the issue through.

How do you promote cultural diversity in early childhood?

Letting your child interact with members of different cultures can be incredibly beneficial. It will erase any possibility of forming a prejudice. The market lately is blooming with children’s literature covering diversity issues. Make sure to use it well.

• Cultural diversity – UNESCO
• The Importance of Diversity in the Classroom | Drexel University
• Multiculturalism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
• Culture and diversity – NSW Department of Education
• What Is Multiculturalism? Definition, Theories, and Examples
• Multiculturalism | Definition, Impact, Challenges, & Facts

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How to Write a Cultural Diversity Essay

December 14, 2016

Understanding Cultural Diversity

To write an effective cultural diversity essay, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of what cultural diversity truly means. Cultural diversity refers to the coexistence of different cultures, values, and traditions within a society. It encompasses differences in language, religion, beliefs, customs, and practices. Understanding cultural diversity involves recognizing and appreciating the unique perspectives and experiences that each culture brings.

When writing an essay on cultural diversity, it is important to explore the reasons behind its importance in today’s globalized world. This includes examining how cultural diversity promotes tolerance, understanding, and inclusivity. Additionally, understanding cultural diversity entails acknowledging the challenges and barriers faced by different cultural groups and examining strategies for achieving cultural harmony. By grasping the concept of cultural diversity, you can effectively convey your thoughts and insights in your essay, providing a comprehensive understanding to your readers.

Choosing a Topic for the Essay

Selecting the right topic is vital when writing a cultural diversity essay. With such a broad subject, it is important to narrow down your focus to a specific aspect or issue related to cultural diversity that interests you. Consider topics such as the impact of immigration on cultural diversity, the role of education in promoting cultural acceptance, or the influence of globalization on cultural identity.

When choosing a topic, ensure that it is researchable and allows for a comprehensive exploration of different perspectives. It is important to select a topic that you are passionate about, as this will help you maintain motivation and produce a well-written essay. Furthermore, consider the relevance and significance of your chosen topic in today’s society to ensure that your essay contributes to the discussion and provides valuable insights.

Possible Cultural Diversity Essay Topics:

• The Impact of Immigration on Cultural Diversity
• Cultural Assimilation versus Cultural Preservation
• Cultural Diversity in the Workplace: Benefits and Challenges
• Cultural Stereotypes and their Effects on Society
• Exploring Cultural Identity in a Globalized World
• The Role of Education in Promoting Cultural Acceptance
• Cultural Appropriation: Understanding the Controversy
• Gender Roles and Cultural Diversity
• Traditional versus Modern Practices in Different Cultures
• Cultural Diversity and Social Justice: Addressing Inequality

Organizing Your Thoughts

When writing a cultural diversity essay, it is crucial to organize your thoughts effectively to ensure a coherent and logical flow of ideas. Start by brainstorming and jotting down all the ideas, examples, and arguments that come to mind. Once you have a list of key points, group them into categories or themes that relate to your chosen topic.

Next, create an outline that includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction should provide a brief overview of cultural diversity and present a clear thesis statement. Each body paragraph should focus on a single idea or argument, supported by evidence and examples.

Consider using a logical structure such as comparing and contrasting different perspectives, discussing the historical context, or analyzing the impacts of cultural diversity. Finally, conclude your essay by summarizing your main points and reinforcing the significance of cultural diversity in contemporary society. By organizing your thoughts effectively, you will create a well-structured and impactful cultural diversity essay.

Writing an Effective Introduction

The introduction of a cultural diversity essay is the first opportunity to capture the reader’s attention and provide a clear direction for the essay. To craft an effective introduction, follow these tips:

• Start with a hook: Begin your introduction with an attention-grabbing statement, question, or anecdote that relates to cultural diversity. This will engage the reader and make them curious to learn more.
• Provide background information: Offer a concise background on the topic of cultural diversity, highlighting its significance and relevance in today’s society. This sets the stage for the essay and helps the reader understand the context.
• State the thesis statement: Clearly state your main argument or position on cultural diversity. The thesis statement should be concise, specific, and arguable. It establishes the purpose of the essay and gives the reader a roadmap of what to expect.
• Outline the main points: Briefly mention the main points or arguments that you will discuss in the body of the essay. This gives the reader an overview of the essay’s structure and keeps them engaged.

Remember, the introduction should be concise, captivating, and informative. It should set the tone for the essay and create a strong first impression for the reader. By following these guidelines, you can write an effective introduction that engages the reader and lays the foundation for a compelling cultural diversity essay.

Developing the Main Body

The main body of your cultural diversity essay is where you delve into the key arguments, ideas, and evidence that support your thesis statement. To effectively develop the main body of your essay, consider the following:

• Start with a clear topic sentence: Begin each paragraph with a concise and focused topic sentence that introduces the main point or argument you will discuss. This helps guide the reader through your essay and ensures a coherent flow.
• Provide evidence and examples: Support your arguments with relevant evidence and examples. This can include statistics, research findings, case studies, personal experiences, or cultural anecdotes. Use a mix of primary and secondary sources to strengthen your claims.
• Explore different perspectives: Cultural diversity is a complex and multifaceted topic. Consider discussing different perspectives or contrasting viewpoints within your essay. This demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the subject and enriches your analysis.
• Use logical transitions: Ensure a smooth transition between paragraphs by using logical transitions. Connect ideas between paragraphs to maintain a cohesive and logical flow of thoughts.
• Consider counterarguments: Address potential counterarguments to your thesis statement. Acknowledge and refute opposing viewpoints to strengthen your own arguments and demonstrate critical thinking.

Remember to maintain a balanced approach, provide sufficient evidence for your claims, and avoid generalizations. By developing a well-structured and evidence-based main body in your cultural diversity essay, you can effectively present your ideas and engage the reader in a thought-provoking discussion.

Avoiding Stereotypes

When writing a cultural diversity essay, it is important to avoid stereotypes and generalizations that can perpetuate prejudice and discrimination. Instead, focus on presenting a nuanced and accurate portrayal of cultural diversity that acknowledges the complexity and diversity of different ethnic, racial, and cultural groups. To avoid stereotypes in your essay, consider the following:

• Avoid using sweeping generalizations or attributing traits to entire groups of people based on their cultural background.
• Use specific examples and evidence to illustrate your points and avoid assumptions.
• Acknowledge the diversity within cultures and avoid treating them as monolithic entities.
• Respect and consider multiple perspectives on cultural diversity, acknowledging that cultural experiences are complex and nuanced.

By avoiding stereotypes, you can present a thoughtful and objective analysis of cultural diversity that recognizes the complexity of the subject and contributes to a more informed and inclusive society.

Including Personal Experiences

When writing a cultural diversity essay, incorporating personal experiences can add depth, authenticity, and a unique perspective to your writing. Personal experiences allow you to connect with the topic on a deeper level and provide firsthand insights into cultural diversity. Here’s how to effectively include personal experiences in your cultural diversity essay:

• Choose relevant experiences: Select personal experiences that directly relate to the topic of cultural diversity. This could include encounters with different cultures, cross-cultural friendships, or experiences that highlight the impact of cultural diversity in your own life.
• Reflect on the significance: Share why these experiences are meaningful to you and how they have shaped your understanding of cultural diversity. Reflecting on your experiences adds a personal touch and demonstrates your engagement with the topic.
• Connect to broader themes: Situate your personal experiences within broader themes or issues related to cultural diversity. This could involve discussing the challenges and benefits of embracing cultural differences or sharing examples that highlight the importance of cultural understanding and acceptance.
• Maintain objectivity: While incorporating personal experiences, it is important to strike a balance between personal perspective and objective analysis. Avoid generalizations and ensure that your personal experiences are grounded in critical thinking and supported by evidence and research.

By including personal experiences, you can add a unique dimension to your cultural diversity essay, fostering a deeper connection with readers and enhancing the overall impact of your writing.

Analyzing Cultural Conflict and Harmony

Cultural diversity can often lead to conflicts or misunderstandings between different groups with different beliefs and values. It is important to analyze these conflicts and seek ways to promote harmony and understanding in your cultural diversity essay. Here are some tips for analyzing cultural conflict and harmony in your essay:

• Identify causes of conflict: Explore the underlying factors that contribute to conflict between different cultures. This could include issues such as cultural stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, or misunderstanding.
• Discuss potential solutions: Consider ways to promote cultural harmony and understanding. This could include cultural education, intercultural communication, or promoting inclusive policies that support cultural diversity. If you need help crafting a compelling essay on this topic, consider paying someone to write an essay tailored to your specific requirements.
• Highlight success stories: Share examples of cultural harmony or success stories where cultural diversity has been successfully embraced and celebrated.
• Acknowledge challenges: Recognize the challenges involved in achieving cultural harmony, including power imbalances, political and economic factors, and historic tensions.

By analyzing cultural conflict and harmony, you can develop a more nuanced understanding of the complexities and opportunities that arise from cultural diversity. This can lead to meaningful insights and solutions that promote a more inclusive and harmonious society.

Writing the Conclusion

The conclusion of your cultural diversity essay should summarize the key points made in the main body and restate the thesis statement in a clear and concise way. Here’s how to write an effective conclusion for your essay:

• Summarize the key arguments: Begin by summarizing the main arguments or findings presented in the main body of your essay. This reminds the reader of the main points and demonstrates the coherence of your writing.
• Restate the thesis statement: The thesis statement should be restated in the conclusion, using different words to maintain interest and reinforce the message.
• Provide final thoughts: Use the conclusion to provide final thoughts or insights on the topic of cultural diversity. This could include a call to action, a prediction, or a reflection on the implications of the topic.
• Avoid introducing new information: The conclusion is not the place to introduce new information or arguments. Ensure that all ideas presented in the conclusion have been discussed in the main body.
• End with impact: End your conclusion with a lasting impact. This could involve a memorable quote, a thought-provoking question, or a powerful statement.

By following these guidelines, you can write a conclusion that reinforces the main message of your cultural diversity essay and leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Diversity Essay Example

In today’s globalized world, cultural diversity is an undeniable reality. As I reflect upon my own experiences, I am reminded of the profound impact that cultural diversity has had on my life. Growing up in a multicultural neighborhood, I had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the richness that arises from the coexistence of different cultures.

One particular experience stands out in my memory. During a school project, my classmates and I were tasked with creating a presentation about a culture different from our own. I chose to explore the traditions and customs of an indigenous tribe from my country. Through extensive research and engaging conversations with members of that community, I gained a deeper understanding of their unique way of life.

This project taught me a valuable lesson about cultural diversity. It showed me that diversity is not limited to external appearances or superficial differences. It encompasses a wealth of knowledge, traditions, and perspectives that can enrich our lives and broaden our horizons.

Furthermore, this experience highlighted the importance of cultural respect and empathy. I realized that by approaching cultural diversity with an open mind and genuine curiosity, we can foster meaningful connections with individuals from different backgrounds. Rather than viewing diversity as a challenge or obstacle, it should be seen as an opportunity for growth and understanding.

In conclusion, my personal experiences have provided me with profound insights into the importance of embracing cultural diversity. This diversity essay example demonstrates the transformative power that cultural exchange can have on individuals and communities. By sharing our stories and celebrating our differences, we contribute to a more inclusive and harmonious society that values and respects the richness of cultural diversity.

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• How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

How to Write a Thesis Statement | 4 Steps & Examples

Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on August 15, 2023 by Eoghan Ryan.

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . It usually comes near the end of your introduction .

Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. But the thesis statement should always clearly state the main idea you want to get across. Everything else in your essay should relate back to this idea.

You can write your thesis statement by following four simple steps:

• Start with a question
• Write your initial answer
• Develop your answer
• Refine your thesis statement

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Table of contents

What is a thesis statement, placement of the thesis statement, step 1: start with a question, step 2: write your initial answer, step 3: develop your answer, step 4: refine your thesis statement, types of thesis statements, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about thesis statements.

A thesis statement summarizes the central points of your essay. It is a signpost telling the reader what the essay will argue and why.

The best thesis statements are:

• Concise: A good thesis statement is short and sweet—don’t use more words than necessary. State your point clearly and directly in one or two sentences.
• Contentious: Your thesis shouldn’t be a simple statement of fact that everyone already knows. A good thesis statement is a claim that requires further evidence or analysis to back it up.
• Coherent: Everything mentioned in your thesis statement must be supported and explained in the rest of your paper.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

The thesis statement generally appears at the end of your essay introduction or research paper introduction .

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts and among young people more generally is hotly debated. For many who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education: the internet facilitates easier access to information, exposure to different perspectives, and a flexible learning environment for both students and teachers.

You should come up with an initial thesis, sometimes called a working thesis , early in the writing process . As soon as you’ve decided on your essay topic , you need to work out what you want to say about it—a clear thesis will give your essay direction and structure.

You might already have a question in your assignment, but if not, try to come up with your own. What would you like to find out or decide about your topic?

For example, you might ask:

After some initial research, you can formulate a tentative answer to this question. At this stage it can be simple, and it should guide the research process and writing process .

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Now you need to consider why this is your answer and how you will convince your reader to agree with you. As you read more about your topic and begin writing, your answer should get more detailed.

In your essay about the internet and education, the thesis states your position and sketches out the key arguments you’ll use to support it.

The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its many benefits for education because it facilitates easier access to information.

In your essay about braille, the thesis statement summarizes the key historical development that you’ll explain.

The invention of braille in the 19th century transformed the lives of blind people, allowing them to participate more actively in public life.

A strong thesis statement should tell the reader:

• Why you hold this position
• What they’ll learn from your essay
• The key points of your argument or narrative

The final thesis statement doesn’t just state your position, but summarizes your overall argument or the entire topic you’re going to explain. To strengthen a weak thesis statement, it can help to consider the broader context of your topic.

These examples are more specific and show that you’ll explore your topic in depth.

Your thesis statement should match the goals of your essay, which vary depending on the type of essay you’re writing:

• In an argumentative essay , your thesis statement should take a strong position. Your aim in the essay is to convince your reader of this thesis based on evidence and logical reasoning.
• In an expository essay , you’ll aim to explain the facts of a topic or process. Your thesis statement doesn’t have to include a strong opinion in this case, but it should clearly state the central point you want to make, and mention the key elements you’ll explain.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

• It gives your writing direction and focus.
• It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

Follow these four steps to come up with a thesis statement :

• Ask a question about your topic .
• Write your initial answer.
• Develop your answer by including reasons.
• Refine your answer, adding more detail and nuance.

The thesis statement should be placed at the end of your essay introduction .

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Essay About Cultural Differences: Writing Guidelines

EssayEdge > Blog > Essay About Cultural Differences: Writing Guidelines

It is often difficult for international students to know what to write for their personal statement for US universities. My advice is to write about what you know best:  your dreams and goals. Cultural diversity is a major factor in the composition of many university classrooms, so celebrate your differences while you tell the reader in your personal statement why you want to learn about your similarities by studying abroad.

There are many ways to approach the personal statement, including the most popular: begin with a detailed description of your background, from childhood to now. Where did you grow up? In a small town on a remote mountainside in China, perhaps? In a large family in a bustling city? Describe the location so the reader will be able to ‘see’ it. Give context to your essay’s introduction to capture the reader’s interest.

Write about what you know best – not what you think the reader will want to read.  Be yourself – analytical, brave, adventurous, compassionate, driven, quiet, tenacious. Describe your family and cultural background, hardships, and education. Offer a specific single story to create an image in the reader’s mind so strong they will not be able to forget it – for all the right reasons. The story should illustrate your motivation to study in the United States.

If there are people important to your story, tell the reader about them with such care and detail that the admissions representative will be able to see their eye color and work-roughened hands. What are your dreams that motivate you to travel far away from home to study at a foreign university? Everyone’s story is unique.  Share the reasons behind your educational goals with the reader. Do you want to teach children in remote villages? Or do you want to start a company or an NGO to fund improvements to the water supply or infrastructure of the country of your childhood? Do you want to study marketing or accounting to be able to take over the family business?  If you grew up in a village with no doctor, do you hope to study nursing or medicine to return to help others? Or do you want to create films that will tell the story for you in pictures? Your dreams belong to you.

Be personal, honest, concise, and clear while writing your personal statement.  Your own voice should shine through your words, allowing the reader to understand why you want to study in an unknown environment in a different culture.  Write as you would talk to someone in a face-to-face meeting and avoid using too many words discovered through the thesaurus. Communicate your motivation, such as studying with outstanding teachers and using cutting-edge technology, having access to advances in laboratory research, and enjoying the opportunity to learn more about the world so that you can have a greater impact on your corner of it.

Need help? Check out EssayEdge editing services:

Near the conclusion of your personal statement, tell the reader what special talents you offer the university, such as leadership abilities, strong communication skills, musical talent, or expertise in mathematics or computer science. What will be your special value to the university? Perhaps you will engage in thought-provoking classroom discussions, sharing a perspective on politics or philosophy or science that the other students had not considered. Or you may introduce your friends to the literature and music of your culture. Write about what you will ‘bring to the table’ of the campus community – not just what you will learn from the experience.

In your conclusion, tell the reader what you plan to do with the degree that you earn from their institution. Will you stay in the US for further education or to work in your field or will you return home to use the degree there?

If you are not sure yet what your long-term plans are, you can offer a few options that you are considering so the reader will know that you are a serious student with dreams and goals. Share your enthusiasm for the adventure of being an international student and feel free to dream big.

As always, I look forward to your comments and questions.

If you’re a foreign student applying to a US college, choosing a topic for an admission essay shouldn’t be a problem. Cultural differences are an amazing theme to cover. It lets you show your background and your knowledge of different cultures and make your personality stand out. If you get stuck with finishing your paper, send it to our essay editing company

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Concept of Cultural Differences in Society Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

Introduction

The secret life of bees, cultural factors, cultural differences, cultural identity and cultural bias as displayed in the film, the concept of cultural patterns, verbal and non-verbal intercultural communication.

The history of cultures is as old as human existence and generally involves the values of a community, society, or a group of people living or working together.

People’s way of interpreting issues including verbal and non-verbal communication signals or body language, events, dressing modes, and general lifestyles lead to creation of a particular cultural pattern of a specific community or social set up.

These similar attributes of a particular lifestyle to a specific community or group of people contribute to the cultural identity of that community. People with the same cultural identity interpret experiences the same, behave the same, lead a similar lifestyle, and understand the world from a similar point of view.

However, cultural identities differ from one community to another and from country to the other. With little knowledge on the cultural differences, one can easily assume some conventions, notions, and taboos and interpret them differently not knowing that different values mean different things across different cultures.

In cases where one culture assumes other cultures, then cultural biasness hulks which in most cases causes adverse effects including frustration even in public.

Cultural differences also are of importance in the business world; for instance, during or after business negotiation, a handshake may signify different things in different cultures. In some cultures, it may mean a deal has been sealed or an agreement reached while others may interpret it as the start of serious negotiations.

The aspects of cultural differences remain of great importance to the peaceful coexistence of different people of the world, good business performances, healthy families and good relationships.

Many films and movies together with many volumes of books seeking to exemplify the importance of upholding and acknowledging the diversity of cultural differences focus on bring out the cultural factors and dimensions of cultural patterns across different communities and societies.

One of the many films of such calibre is “The secret life of bees.” This film contains a story of Lily, a fourteen-year-old girl and the setting of the story is South Carolina in 1964 directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. The story entirely revolves around the lives of Lily, her caregiver Rosaleen, and her father T. Ray.

Lily’s mother dies when Lily is just four years of age. The death of Lily’s mother leaves Lily under the care of her father and a caregiver, Rosaleen.

The relationship between Lily and her father is poor and at the age of fourteen, Lily and the caregiver run away from the family especially the father to other town. Lily’s family is probably nuclear because there is no mention of her uncles, aunts or anyone else from an extended family.

This insight might underscore the reason why upon the death of Lily’s mother, she remains under the care of an unloving father. According to Hofstede’s dimensions of cultural patterns, this family practised individualism, it lived separated from the extended family and only integrated between the members of the nuclear family.

The resources of this family provided only to its members. Moreover, the events surrounding the death of Lily’s mother indicate strongly that the family is nuclear.

Shortly before the death of Lily’s mother, Lily sits close to her mother and immediately her father comes in, a quarrel ensures and lily’s mother packs her belongings ready to leave the house and probably the estranged marriage.

Amidst the heated quarrel, Lily’s mother picks a gun ready to kill her husband but the gun ends up in the hands of Lily’s father then to the floor and finally in the hands of Lily who shoots her mother and this typifies Hofstede’s individualistic cultural pattern.

Conventionally, many societies, communities, and cultures hold that men should be superior to women; that is before the emergence of the affirmative action that ‘threatens’ manhood as many men would love to think.

From Lily’s family, it is clear that, their culture is deeply rooted in this believe. Lily’s mother wants to kill Lily’s father but she fails utterly for no apparent reason; perhaps being a woman, she is weak to kill a man.

Given the cultural misconstrued conceptions of male dominancy and superiority, Lily’s father has to struggle under all means and get the gun out of his wife’s hands and he succeeds to the chagrin of the berated woman.

Furthermore, this aspect of masculinity dominance spiced with chauvinism comes out clearly, when Rosaleen is beaten and arrested; she admits, “…I was beaten by Posey and other men” (Prince-Bythewood).

Rosaleen insults some men playing cards and in retaliation, the best way for these men to punish seemingly uncouth woman is by beating her thoroughly.

Lily hates the punishment her father gives her of kneeling on the white grit on the kitchen floor for going to the peach orchard. All these uncalled mistreatment of women typifies a society characterized by chauvinism.

Another major cultural factor, which many cultures look into, involves avoidance of uncertainties. This factor rotates around the search by the members of the society to know the truth about why things are the way they are.

Lily in this film runs away from her father to another town, which bears the history of her mother. In that town, she even cheats by claiming that she is orphaned simply because she fears to tell the truth but she looks for ways of acceptance as she seeks the truth about her mother. Lily says, “…that’s what I knew about myself.

She was all what I wanted but I took her away…” (Prince-Bythewood, 2008). By the time Lily’s mother dies, Lily has known little about her and this fact is among other reasons why she chooses to run away.

She wants to know more about her mother; a cultural factor that most cultures withhold. Cultures often seek to establish issues like their origin among other things and Lily follows the same line when she seeks to know the truth regarding her mother’s ancestry and origin.

According to Edward Hall’s perspective, cultural differences occurring across cultures involve context, time, and space. Some cultures have their values and beliefs explained clearly and in details in what Hall terms high contextual culture while others assume many details with no clarity of the cultural values and therefore, every person views the world differently to form the low contextual culture.

Lily’s culture is in the low contextual culture because, what Rosaleen tells her about bees is what she believes. Rosaleen tells Lily that bees’ swarms are omen that usually heralds death. Lily believes this version of story simply because her culture does not give details and meaning of bees swarming.

The August house where Lily and Rosaleen are living is a big house with many cots, beekeeping area, and honey processing chambers. The cots are spacious and the entire territory remains under the custody of a woman called August.

Some people naturally want to dominate in terms of space such as owning a big house, big car, big office and/or even big living room, which is the culture in Augusts’ house.

This family is also different from the family, which Lily has known since birth. August lives here with her sister keeping bees for their livelihood. People here love one another and culture of relationships with opposite sex is allowed. Lily’s gets a boyfriend and nobody punishes her contrary to what happened back at home when her father finds her in the peach orchard garden at night only to think she is with a man.

In the August’s community where Lily and Rosaleen live after running away from Lily’s father, has unique identity. Women are actively involved in beekeeping and to the Lily’s surprise; the honey from bees is used in many ways apart from what Lily thinks. Lily says, “They eat it, bathe in it, take it as medicine and make candles with it” (Prince-Bythewood).

Most cultures use honey as food but they do not bathe in it, but in this culture, things are different. In this community also, women work; they are not homemakers only. Lily says, “I enjoyed learning how to tend to August honey making machine” (Prince-Bythewood, 2008). These are specific cultural identities for the August’s community.

On the other hand, Lily’s community is characterised by male superiority leading to male biasness both in power leadership and in economy.

Community cultural patterns also come out in the film through worship and people’s beliefs. In Lily’s community, nothing is said concerning worship whatsoever.

Therefore, presumably most of the people in this (Lily’s) community are atheists. Nevertheless, to the August’s community, worship forms part of their lifestyles; the honey containers bear the image of Virgin Mary.

Back in the August’s house, there is also the statue of the ‘black’ Mary where people from the community come to pray during turbulent times. For instance, Zach’s mother prays before the black Madonna when Zach disappears from home. Zach finally comes back even though May has killed herself because of Zach’s disappearance.

The Lily’s community bears a unique characteristic of people running away from sour marriages and poor performing families. Those running away normally have little instinct of coming back.

In a conversation between Lily and her father, the father says, “…your mother was packing to go away and never return back to us” (Prince-Bythewood, 2008).

The mother wanted to ran away from problems in her marriage and family other than solving them. In addition, Lily and her caregiver run away from the unloving father and when the father finds her in August’s house, Lily refuses to go home with him and this prompts her father to give August the permission to take care of her.

Placing the long statue of Virgin Mary in the living room signifies and conveys the message that the family believes in one true God. This phenomenon non-verbally shows that, members of the community worship a heavenly being whose mother was Virgin Mary.

On verbal communication, Lily looks straight to her father’s eyes and says, “People who tell lies like you should burn in hell” (Prince-Bythewood, 2008) which shows boldness and sincerity of the heart; in fact, Lily is tired with her father and so she simply puts her feelings plainly.

To some communities, it is a taboo to talk straight to the eyes of elders especially parents but Lily’s culture seems different. However, in August’s community, things are different; people write the things disturbing them in pieces of paper and paste them in cracks of a wall that typifies a notice board.

People like May die out of frustration which would have otherwise been solved by speaking out of her mind if the culture allowed such. The forms of communication highlighted in the two scenarios, relate to the acculturation and the adjustment theory of intercultural communication in that, Lily and Rosaleen, from a different culture adjust their cultural patterns to fit in August’s culture.

On a more general overview on the economic growth globally, many modern multinational and multicultural organizations are now in existence comprising employees from different diverse communities.

In such organizations, therefore intercultural communication becomes of great importance. Acceptance, understanding and appreciating other cultures in these organizations creates a sense of belong which culminates into friendship, togetherness and good performance.

As Lusting & Koester observe, “The international business world contains a mix of diverse cultural backgrounds and work experiences resulting in the demand to know what the other culture is all about” (2010, p. 279).

Good Intercultural relations created by good intercultural verbal and non-verbal communication among the different cultures in these organizations would help good business performance and economic targets realization.

Cultural differences do exist between different communities and these differences in most cases cut across all communities and societies locally and internationally.

Cultural patterns strengthen the cultural values and beliefs, which comprise the cultural identification of a particular community. The differences in the cultures across communities call for a clear understanding of the cultures before one can interpret an experience to avoid cultural biasness and frustrations because different things mean or signify different issues in different communities.

Furthermore, in businesses and work places, cultural differences remain an important aspect of concern because signals in one culture might imply something different in another culture.

Lusting, M., & Koester, J. (2010). Intercultural competence: Interpersonal Communication Across cultures (6 th Ed.). New York: Allyn & Bacon.

Prince-Bythewood, G. (Director). (2008). The Secret of Bees. [Film]. USA: Fox Searchlight Pictures.

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Home > USC Columbia > HONORS_COLLEGE > SENIOR_THESES > 374

Senior Theses

Understanding the impact of cross-cultural communication between american and japanese businesses.

Scott Jenkins , University of South Carolina Follow

Date of Award

Spring 2020

Degree Type

Moore School of Business

Director of Thesis

Shunko Muroya

First Reader

Harrison Howell

Second Reader

This thesis aims to investigate the cultural differences between American and Japanese society most relevant to successful business collaboration in relation to SIOS Technology Group. First, by providing an examination of the issues SIOS Technology Group has experienced as a company with businesses in both Japan and the United States, this case will provide context for the use of relevant frameworks for researching cultural differences. Second, this thesis analyzes relevant theories of cross-cultural research such as the CAGE Distance Framework, Hall’s Cultural Elements, Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions, and Schwartz’s Cultural Values in order to apply their concepts to SIOS Technology Group’s experience. In doing so, this paper attempts to identify what basis of understanding in cross-cultural communication American firms need in order to successfully do business with Japanese companies.

Recommended Citation

Jenkins, Scott, "Understanding the Impact of Cross-Cultural Communication Between American and Japanese Businesses" (2020). Senior Theses . 374. https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/senior_theses/374

© 2020, Scott Jenkins

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Cultural Sensitivity in Thesis Statements: A 2024 Perspective (with Do’s and Don’ts)

In today’s fast-changing world, making sure your thesis statements are culturally sensitive is key. Did you know a bad thesis can lead to a Fail instead of a First in your work 1 ? As we move towards 2024, cultural sensitivity will be more important than ever. It will help our research and writing connect with people from all backgrounds.

This article will show you how to make thesis statements that are culturally sensitive. We’ll talk about understanding different cultures, using language that includes everyone, and making sure our research is fair. By the end, you’ll know the best ways to write thesis statements that are both strong and respectful of different cultures.

Key Takeaways

• Importance of cultural sensitivity in thesis statements for academic success
• Understanding cultural differences and potential biases in thesis statements
• Using inclusive language and avoiding biases in thesis framing
• Incorporating diverse perspectives and acknowledging diverse experiences
• Maintaining respectful discourse and thoughtful phrasing when addressing sensitive topics

The Significance of a Thesis Statement

In academic writing, a thesis statement is key. It sums up the main argument or position of your essay 2 . It acts as a guide for both the writer and the reader, showing the essay’s main points and insights.

A strong thesis statement is crucial. It shows your essay has fully answered the question or topic 2 .

What is a Thesis Statement? Why is it Crucial for Academic Writing?

A thesis statement is a clear, focused sentence that states your essay’s main idea or claim 2 . It’s the base of your essay, giving it a clear structure 2 . Writing a strong thesis statement is key for academic writing. It makes sure your essay is organized, persuasive, and clearly shares your main points 2 .

A good thesis statement sets the essay’s tone and helps the reader see why your argument matters 2 . It shows you understand the topic and can analyze it well. Plus, it keeps your essay focused and on-topic 2 .

In short, a thesis statement is a powerful tool in academic writing. It sets the essay’s focus, guides your argument, and boosts the quality and impact of your work 2 .

Factoring Cultural Sensitivity

Writing thesis statements needs a deep understanding of cultural differences and biases. Writers must know how cultural backgrounds shape our views, norms, and expectations 3 . The traditional way of writing may not fit everyone’s experiences.

It’s key to see where cultural differences might cause gaps. By checking our own biases and trying to see things from different cultures, we can make thesis statements that reach more readers. This approach respects the diversity in our academic world.

Understanding Cultural Differences and Potential Biases

Being culturally aware is now a big part of library and information science. Scholars like Kikanza Nuri Robins 3 and Ghada Elturk 3 show how cultural competence helps in libraries. Researchers like Overall 3 and Mardis and Oberg 3 offer ways to improve cultural skills in libraries and museums.

These insights help us deal with cultural differences and biases in thesis statements. This lets us write statements that speak to everyone, making our discussions more open.

Recent studies highlight how important cultural sensitivity is in PR campaigns. A study of 4 115 Senior Honors Projects showed how crucial cultural awareness is in PR. The study’s details 4 show the need for a full, culturally aware approach in writing.

By using these insights, we can make thesis statements that are more detailed, culturally aware, and powerful. These arguments will speak to a wide audience and help make our discussions more inclusive 3 4 .

Inclusive Language and Bias Avoidance

When writing thesis statements, it’s key to use inclusive language and steer clear of biases 5 . Using specific age ranges helps avoid making assumptions about certain age groups 5 . Keeping language structured the same helps dodge biased and discriminatory terms 5 .

Using inclusive language makes sure thesis statements speak to everyone and share many viewpoints 5 . It’s shown that updating terms for sexual identity makes research more inclusive and fair 5 . Changing how we talk about sexual identity shows why it’s vital to work with communities for the right words 5 .

When talking about race and ethnicity, using similar terms helps ensure fairness and prevents bias 5 . It’s important to use people-first language to make individuals feel more human and not just by their conditions 5 .

Cultural competence and humility are key in writing inclusive thesis statements 6 . Being culturally competent improves health care and working with people from different backgrounds 6 . Cultural humility means always working to understand and challenge our own biases about other cultures 6 .

Intersectionality shows how different kinds of oppression can affect people’s lives in complex ways 6 . By using inclusive language and avoiding bias, writers can make thesis statements that speak to a wide audience 6 .

“Inclusive language is not about being politically correct; it’s about ensuring that all individuals feel valued, respected, and represented.” – Dr. Emily Perkins, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant

Diverse Perspectives in Thesis Framing

In academic writing, it’s key to go beyond one view and include many viewpoints in our thesis statements. This makes our arguments richer and more. It also shows the wide range of human experiences that shape our topics.

By including diverse experiences in our theses, we make our stories more welcoming and true to more people. This is vital in areas where culture, social inequality, and intersectionality greatly affect people’s lives 7 .

Embracing Multifaceted Perspectives

We should aim to think about many views and experiences when writing our theses. This means looking at the struggles of underrepresented groups, giving a voice to different people, or exploring how cultures interact 7 . This way, our theses will better reflect the world’s diversity.

Adding diverse views also makes our research stronger and more complete. It pushes us to see things from other angles and question our own biases 7 . This not only improves our academic work but also helps make scholarship more fair and open.

“Embracing diverse perspectives in our thesis statements is not just a matter of political correctness, but a crucial step towards understanding the complex realities that shape our world.”

By incorporating diverse perspectives in thesis statements and acknowledging diverse experiences , we make our knowledge more inclusive and meaningful. This approach helps us connect with a wider audience and deepens our understanding of the world.

Cultural Sensitivity in Thesis Statement

Creating culturally sensitive thesis statements is key in today’s diverse world. Cultural sensitivity means we respect and value the differences in how people see the world. This comes from their unique backgrounds 8 . By doing deep research and finding diverse sources, we learn about the subtleties and biases in our arguments 9 .

When writing thesis statements, it’s important to use language that includes everyone. We should pick our words carefully to avoid leaving out or hurting certain groups 8 . We should avoid stereotypes and words that might offend. Instead, we aim to show different views with respect and care 9 .

It’s also key to recognize bias in our work. We need to question our own beliefs and look for other views that might change or add to what we think 8 . By considering many perspectives, our thesis statements can reach more people and give a deeper look at the topic 9 .

Creating culturally sensitive thesis statements takes careful thought. By focusing on understanding different cultures, using inclusive language, and considering various views, we make statements that are strong in research and reflect the world’s diversity 8 9 .

“Embracing cultural diversity in our thesis statements is not just a matter of political correctness, but a genuine opportunity to deepen our understanding and enrich our academic discourse.”

Respectful Discourse and Thoughtful Phrasing

As scholars, we must talk about sensitive topics with respect and care. The rhetorical situation tells us to think about how our words affect others. We should make sure our arguments are open to different views and experiences.

Being precise in our writing is key. We should use language that is fair and doesn’t carry negative meanings 10 . When talking about people, only share details that fit the study’s goals 10 . It’s important to show the diversity of the group being studied for better results 10 .

By choosing our words carefully, we show we value respectful discourse . This makes our thesis statements connect with more readers. Writing thesis statements that consider different cultures and shows we’re good at academic writing 10 .

Maintaining a Professional and Considerate Tone

When talking about tough topics, we need to stay professional and kind. We should pick our words carefully to avoid hurting or leaving out others. It’s important to use specific terms when talking about things like age, disability, or race to be clear 10 .

• Use labels that respect how people see themselves and avoid words that shame them 10 .
• Choose labels that show the unique qualities of each person in your study 10 .
• Make sure to explain what you mean by different labels to avoid confusion 10 .
• Be careful when comparing groups to avoid making it seem like some are better than others 10 .
• Think about the order you present groups to avoid giving the wrong idea 10 .

By being mindful in our words and actions, we can write thesis statements that are strong and considerate. This way, we respect the varied experiences and needs of our readers 11 10 .

Equitable Representation in Research

Today’s academic world is more diverse than ever. It’s vital that the research and sources used in thesis statements show this change. Having diverse research is key, making sure many viewpoints and experiences are heard in academia 12 .

By using research from people from different backgrounds, writers can challenge old ideas. This brings new views that better show the academic community’s true diversity. Diverse sources make research better and more useful 13 .

This way, thesis statements can better reflect the wide range of views in academia. It helps create a fair and welcoming place for everyone 12 13 14 .

By making research more inclusive, writers can make thesis statements that reflect the whole academic world. This helps make education fairer and more just 12 13 .

“Culturally responsive leadership is essential for supporting minoritized students in educational settings.”

As academia changes, it’s important to value equitable representation in thesis statement research and diversity in research sources . It’s not just right, but also crucial for a more open and lively academic community 12 13 .

Culturally Responsive Thesis Statements

Creating thesis statements that connect with different people means being culturally aware. Culturally responsive thesis statements recognize the special experiences and views of people from various cultures. This makes the academic talk more inclusive and relevant 15 .

Crafting Thesis Statements for Diverse Audiences

Good thesis statements do more than just state a main point. They connect the writer’s ideas with the real-life stories of the audience. By thinking about the cultural background of the readers, writers can make thesis statements that are both strong in research and caring about the audience’s needs 15 .

To do this, writers should include different viewpoints, respect cultural differences, and use language that is fair and welcoming. This makes the thesis statement more useful and supportive for everyone 15 .

Also, culturally responsive thesis statements can start deep conversations, encouraging readers to see things from a place of understanding and respect for different lives. By making thesis statements that speak to everyone, writers help make the academic world more fair and open 16 .

By using a culturally aware approach to thesis statements, writers can make the academic world more welcoming and fair. This way, different voices and views get heard, respected, and celebrated 16 .

“Culturally responsive thesis statements acknowledge the unique experiences and perspectives of individuals from various cultural backgrounds, fostering a sense of inclusivity and relevance within the academic discourse.”

As we wrap up our deep dive into cultural sensitivity in thesis statements, we see how crucial it is. It shapes our academic talks. By being aware of our cultural biases and bringing in diverse views, we make thesis statements that speak to everyone. Creating a strong thesis is key , and doing it with cultural sensitivity is vital today 17 .

We’ve looked at the main points of cultural sensitivity. This includes using inclusive language, recognizing diverse experiences, and speaking respectfully on sensitive topics. By avoiding anthropomorphism and being more, our thesis statements become more engaging, professional, and reliable 18 .

Going forward, making thesis statements culturally sensitive helps both individual writers and academic discussions. It brings more diversity and inclusivity to our studies. This leads to a fairer and more enriching learning space where ideas flow freely and knowledge grows 19 .

What is the importance of cultural sensitivity in thesis statements?

What is a thesis statement, and why is it important in academic writing, how do cultural differences impact the development of thesis statements, what is the importance of using inclusive language and avoiding bias in thesis statements, how can writers incorporate diverse perspectives and acknowledge diverse experiences in their thesis statements, what are the best practices for crafting culturally sensitive thesis statements, how can writers maintain a professional and considerate tone when addressing sensitive topics in thesis statements, why is equitable representation in research sources important for crafting thesis statements, what is a culturally responsive thesis statement, and how can writers craft them, source links.

• https://www.oxbridgeessays.com/blog/how-to-write-a-thesis-statement-with-real-examples/
• https://knight.as.cornell.edu/writing-resource-strong-thesis-statements
• https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1474&context=ischoolsrj
• https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1131&context=honors202029
• https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarlyvoice/avoidingbias
• https://www.apa.org/about/apa/equity-diversity-inclusion/language-guidelines
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10227466/
• https://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/html/g1375/build/g1375.htm
• https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3083&context=utk_chanhonoproj
• https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/bias-free-language/general-principles
• https://www.politicseastasia.com/studying/how-to-do-a-discourse-analysis/
• https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED574461.pdf
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK584396/
• https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5981&context=tqr
• https://web.library.uq.edu.au/blog/2023/03/cultural-advice-statements-cultural-safety
• https://equityhealthj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12939-019-1082-3
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7756036/
• https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/writing-in-college-from-competence-to-excellence/chapter/constructing-the-thesis-and-argument-from-the-ground-up/
• https://phdnursewriter.com/writing-a-nursing-essay-on-cultural-sensitivity/
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Home > Books > Understanding Multiculturalism and Interculturalism in Cross Cultures [Working Title]

Cultural Differences in Human Reasoning: Some Philosophical Reflections on Theories and Implications

Submitted: 20 July 2024 Reviewed: 26 July 2024 Published: 23 September 2024

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.1006673

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The target of this chapter is cultural differences in thinking. Westerners think in a linear way whereas Easterners think dialectically. Three explanations have been proposed for the cultural differences in thinking. The first is based on the framework of between individualist (in the West) and collectivist (in the East) cultures. The second is based on Chinese philosophy (Taoism, Buddhism, etc.), which is contrasted with ancient Greek philosophy. The third is based on the distinction between Westerners’ low-context culture and Easterners’ high-context culture. The third explanation can be developed to a socio-ecological theory in the sense that a low-context culture is likely to be nourished by multicultural environments. The socio-ecological explanation can be in the frame of ‘big history’ approach which describes how contemporary cultural diversity has been achieved, although it is criticized by some institutionalists.

• cultural difference
• linear thinking
• dialectical thinking
• low-context culture and high-context culture
• socio-ecological approach
• multicultural communication

Author Information

Hiroshi yama *.

• Osaka Metropolitan University, Osaka, Japan

*Address all correspondence to: [email protected]

1. Introduction

Is human nature culturally universal? This question has been posed to the followers of Social Darwinism, which posits Westerners as the fittest in the world. The assumption of human universality has criticized this false theory, which was once used to explain the hegemony of Westerners and to justify colonialism by Western countries. This assumption has been carried forward by the philosophical stance that the human mind is inherently rational and consistent across cultures. In addition, the concept of universality was taken up by twentieth-century psychology [ 1 ]. However, it does not always support Social Darwinism when it comes to cultural differences. Rather, some proponents of the universality assumption may have been misled by the idea that all peoples are like Westerners. Criticisms of the universality assumption are summarized by Henrich, Heine, and Norenzayan [ 2 ]. They claim that the majority of psychological data comes from WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) populations. Consequently, it is invalid to make general statements about the human mind based solely on this data, given the evidence for cultural variations in cognition, fairness judgments, cooperation, and other aspects.

Recent cross-cultural research is beginning to move away from the idea of universality and toward a perspective that sees the human mind as shaped by the interaction of culture and individual experience. Cultural differences in human behavior and thinking have been recognized, and it has been suggested that many psychological tasks can be interpreted differently depending on the culture in which an individual is born and raised. Underlying cultural psychology are the ideas of Vygotskians, who emphasized the non-evolutionary nature and mechanism of the development of higher mental functioning. This framework emphasizes the transmission of cultural elements like values, beliefs, customs, and skills from one generation to the next. Every culture has a structure of shared views and values in terms of customs, pragmatics, morals, educational systems and so on. In this sense, culture and the human mind are inseparable. Shweder [ 3 ] claimed that no individual mind can be isolated from its culture. He argued that the concept of independence stemmed from the European view of humanity during the enlightenment: The belief was that because humans possess intelligence and rationality, their minds are considered separate from cultural influences.

Evolutionary psychology is occasionally viewed as conflicting with cultural psychology because it tends to focus on human universals and innate traits. Nevertheless, some psychologists who study culture have incorporated evolutionary psychology perspectives [ 4 ]. Evolutionary psychology offers a framework for examining how humans adapt within a cultural context and how they develop cultures to address adaptive challenges. The process of adaptation might be consistent across different cultures. As a result, the issue of which aspects of human nature are universal and how universally they apply becomes significant for cultural psychologists as well [ 5 ].

According to the interactive view, cultural systems, each of which has a structure of shared views and values regarding customs, pragmatics, morals, educational system, and so on, are created and invented so that people can solve adaptive problems, but once they are established, people have to be adaptive to the given systems. Their minds must be shaped for such adaptation. For example, a moral system may be designed so that people can cooperate well; therefore, this system requires them to obey the moral rules. Furthermore, some argue that a new cultural system may have triggered human genetic evolution [ 6 ]. A cultural system may thus be able to shape human biology.

A socio-ecological approach to cultural differences has made it possible to explain the uneven development of the world, including the hegemony of Westerners, without assuming that some people (mostly Westerners) are genetically more intelligent than others. This approach examines how minds and behavior are shaped by their natural and social environments, and how natural and social environments are in turn partly shaped by minds and behavior [ 7 ]. For example, Diamond [ 8 ] identified specific geographical and ecological factors to account for current cultural differences and aimed to explain why Eurasian civilizations have endured and dominated others without attributing this to any supposed intellectual, moral, or genetic superiority of Eurasian peoples. In short, explanations of cultural differences need not involve ideas associated with Social Darwinism and do not require us to abandon the assumption of universality.

This chapter addresses the issue of cultural differences in thinking and reasoning between Westerners and Easterners. First, we present some pinioning studies on cultural differences in thinking [ 9 ] and discuss what kinds of cultural differences can really be confirmed. Next, we examine two types of explanations for cultural differences: one based on different social patterns and self-concepts across cultures, and the other based on different cultural and philosophical traditions. Third, I present an explanation of cultural differences in thinking in the light of the socio-ecological approach [ 10 ]. Finally, we show how the explanation can be developed into a socio-ecological theory in line with the adaptation approach.

2. Cultural differences in human thinking

It has been suggested that those who do not receive a Western-style education are less likely to engage in logical reasoning [ 11 ]. Although the observed fact that tribal people in Africa are less likely to use deductive rules has not been attributed to a disability in logical ability, some people have accepted this fact as reflecting the glory of Western-style education. However, Medin and Atran [ 12 ] compared the performance of ornithologists, American university students and Maya people in reasoning about bird categories and found that the Maya data showed a similar pattern to that of the ornithologists. This does not mean that the differences between ornithologists and American university students are due to professional training in biology, but rather to how people conceptualize living species. Their findings, gathered from standard populations in industrialized societies, are often not generalizable to humanity as a whole.

Similarly, the style of reasoning in which people do not favor logical rules cannot be attributed to deficiencies in Western-style education. Norenzayan, Smith, Kim, and Nisbett [ 13 ] found that when choosing which of two groups a target object resembled, Americans typically concentrated on one specific property for categorization, whereas Koreans did not. Americans favored linear reasoning (referred to as “formal” and/or “rule-based” in the original paper), which involved focusing on a single characteristic. In contrast, Koreans preferred similarity-based, nonlinear reasoning (described as “intuitive” in the paper), where they viewed items within a group as sharing a family resemblance.

Instead of the term “Easterners’ intuitive thinking,”, many researchers accept the term “Easterners’ dialectical thinking,” which means that people consider several characteristics or rules based on family resemblance as a key for categorization. In other words, they look at rules dialectically. Similarly, instead of the term Westerners’ rule-based thinking, many researchers accept the term Westerners’ linear thinking. The term “rule” can be understood as a conditional statement like if p then q, so “rule-based” suggests that people use this formal logic for reasoning. However, since Westerners’ thinking patterns do not always align with strict logical reasoning, we use the term “linear thinking” in this chapter instead.

Peng and Nisbett [ 9 ] claimed that the thinking of Easterners is dialectical. They found that the thinking style of Chinese people was more dialectical than that of Americans. Compared with Americans, Chinese were less bothered by and more accepting of contradictory proverbs such as “Too modest is half proud,” suggesting a higher tolerance for contradiction and a preference for dialectical thinking. In addition, Peng and Nisbett found that Chinese participants expressed more moderate agreement with two contradictory statements when presented together than when each statement was presented separately. This pattern was not found in the American data. These findings suggest that the Chinese are more likely to take the middle ground when faced with conflicting opinions.

The contrast between Westerners’ linear thinking and Easterners’ dialectical thinking may be related to differences in the tendency to consider more or fewer rules, factors, and properties in thinking and reasoning [ 14 ]. It is proposed that Easterners make more situational attributions, whereas Westerners make more dispositional attributions [ 15 , 16 ]. In Easterners’ dialectical reasoning, the tendency to consider two contradictory possibilities was observed in a cross-cultural study of hindsight bias. Hindsight bias is the tendency, after an event has occurred, to see it as predictable. Yama, Manktelow, Mercier, Van der Henst, Do, Kawasaki, and Adachi [ 17 ] confirmed in a study with Japanese, Korean, British, and French participants that hindsight bias was stronger in Easterners than in Westerners [ 18 ]. Easterners were more inclined to engage in dialectical thinking when faced with both a plausible and an unexpected outcome in a vignette, while Westerners’ judgments were less affected by the unexpected outcome.

The distinction between the linear thinking of Westerners and the dialectical thinking of Easterners has been interpreted in different ways. Some who still believe in the superiority of Westerners see it as evidence that Easterners are irrational and illogical thinkers. Others believe that dialectical thinking reflects the wisdom of Easterners, which can serve as a way to break through the impasses of contemporary civilization. In general, dialectical thinking focuses on how an individual perceives conflicting concepts to develop a comprehensive point of view. Hegelian dialecticism is the best-known of these forms of thought. Hegel proposed that dialecticism involves deriving a synthesis from a thesis and its antithesis. Consequently, dialecticism aims to achieve a higher-level resolution of conflicting viewpoints. While dialectical thinking embraces contradiction and may appear illogical, it is also viewed as a more advanced form of reasoning that transcends the binary nature of propositional logic.

The principle of contradiction

Due to the interrelated nature of things and the constantly changing world, paradoxes and contradictions frequently emerge. It is possible for two opposing statements to both be true and apparent opposites may merely be illusions.

The principle of change

The universe is continuously in motion and evolving, so concepts that represent it must also be adaptable. What seems stable is often an indication that change is imminent.

The principle of holism

Nothing exists independently; everything is interconnected.

Paletz, Bogue, Miron-Spektor, and Spencer-Rodgers [ 20 ] identified two key differences between Hegelian dialecticism and the naive dialecticism found in Eastern cultures. The first difference concerns the nature of cognitive styles: naive dialecticism is a practical, culturally shaped set of beliefs, whereas Hegelian dialecticism is a philosophical theory with various forms used for different purposes. The second difference pertains to how contradiction is handled. Hegelian dialecticism focuses on creating a synthesized solution to contradictions, while naive dialecticism emphasizes the acceptance and tolerance of contradictions without necessarily seeking to resolve them. In this regard, East Asian philosophy does not aim to resolve contradictions.

The naive dialecticism of Easterners is reflected in their self-concept. Spencer-Rodgers, Boucher, Mori, Wang, and Peng [ 21 ] developed a questionnaire, the Dialectical Self Scale (DSS), consisting of 32 items. Their participants were asked if they often agreed with both, when they heard two sides of an argument, for instance. It was designed to measure the individual’s level of naive dialecticism and thus the individual’s ontological worldview, which is either contradictory or consistent. Their finding that DSS scores were higher among Easterners than Westerners supports the claim that Easterners tend to have a more dialectical self-concept compared to Westerners and perceive the world as inherently full of contradictions. This claim is consistent with the finding that Chinese gave more contradictory responses in their self-evaluations than Americans [ 22 ]. Chinese respondents’ self-evaluations were both positive and negative, whereas American respondents’ self-evaluations were not.

3. Do Easterners really think dialectically?

Do the cultural differences reported in scientific journals describe what they really are? This doubt arises because psychological differences are sometimes overestimated due to publication bias. Cross-cultural studies that find cultural differences are more likely to be published in scientific journals, while those that do not find cultural differences are less likely to be accepted for publication. As a result, the cultural differences reported by scientific journals are overestimated.

While Peng and Nisbett [ 9 ] demonstrated that Easterners are more inclined to adopt a middle way, their finding about Chinese dialectical judgment was only observed when contradictory statements were presented simultaneously. Some studies report that Easterners do not take the middle way when faced with contradictory statements. Mercier, Zhang, Qu, Lu, and Van der Henst [ 23 ] replicated Peng and Nisbett’s study with French and Chinese participants but found that neither group adopted a middle way when presented with contradictory statements. Additionally, Mercier, Yama, Kawasaki, Adachi, and Van der Henst [ 24 ] discovered that neither French nor Japanese participants chose a middle way when given advice that conflicted with their own views. In other words, both French and Japanese participants maintained their original opinions. Is this because the cognitive style of the French is different from that of other Westerners? We can conclude that this cultural difference is not robust [ 25 ].

Furthermore, Friedman, Chen, and Vaid [ 26 ] did not replicate Peng and Nisbett’s [ 9 ] findings using contradictory proverbs. Their study was designed to confirm Peng and Nisbett’s claim, but both Chinese and Americans preferred dialectical proverbs better to non-dialectical ones and decided dialectical proverbs to be wiser. Their study was designed to control for the effect of poeticism, which possibly covaried with preference judgments. They concluded that the cultural differences identified by Peng and Nisbett were influenced by the poetic quality of the proverbs. Specifically, the Chinese perceived dialectical proverbs as more poetic than non-dialectical ones and thus preferred them. This means that the results found by Peng and Nisbett do not support the idea that Easterners think more dialectically than Westerners.

The cross-cultural study by Zhang, Galbraith, Yama, Wang, and Manktelow [ 27 ] was designed to investigate whether cultural differences in cognitive style could be found. They used the DSS questionnaire and counter-attitudinal pairs. They reported that the mean DSS scores for Japanese and Chinese participants were higher compared to those of British participants. This result mirrored the findings of Spencer-Rodgers et al. [ 21 , 22 ], which indicated that Easterners generally had higher mean scores than Westerners. However, when participants were presented with pairs of opposing opinions and asked to rate their agreement with each opinion, the Japanese and Chinese did not exhibit a greater tendency toward dialectical responses compared to the British. In other words, Easterners were no more likely than Westerners to agree or disagree with both sides of an argument. In summary, while Easterners often believe they agree with both sides when presented with opposing views, this does not necessarily translate into making dialectical choices. On the other hand, our recent cross-cultural study [ 28 ] found that Japanese were more dialectical thinkers than the British and French when confronted with opposing religious beliefs such as Hell and paradise are real” and “Hell and paradise are superstitions.” The result is inconsistent with Zhang et al. [ 27 ], but suggests that Eastern religious traditions may influence Japanese religious dialectical thinking. we will discuss this further in the next section.

In summary, my tentative conclusions are as follows. First, it is very doubtful that Easterners are more likely than Westerners to take the middle way when confronted with opposing opinions. Rather, Easterners’ dialectical thinking is naive, and thus different from Hegelian dialecticism, and may not include taking the middle way to infer a higher-level resolution. Therefore, the data of Mercier et al. [ 23 , 24 ] do not provide a counter-example to the naive dialectic of Easterners. Second, it is doubtful that Easterners are more likely than Westerners to agree with contradictory statements, but for religious contradictions, and that Easterners are more likely than Westerners to prefer proverbs with contradictions. Third, however, the results on the DSS consistently support Easterners’ naive dialecticism, so there are certainly cultural differences in individual ontological worldviews. In contrast to Westerners, Easterners are more likely to perceive the world as inherently contradictory and, as a result, often view their thoughts as encompassing both positive and negative elements within their cultural practices.

4. How shall we explain cultural differences in thinking?

Three types of explanations have been proposed for cultural differences in thinking styles, as shown in Table 1 . The first is based on the distinction between the individualist culture of Westerners and the collectivist culture of Easterners. It has been argued that Westerners have developed a more individualist culture, while Easterners have developed a more collectivist culture. According to Triandis [ 29 ], individualism is characterized by a social pattern where individuals are loosely connected and view themselves as independent from groups such as family, colleagues, tribes, or nations. They are driven mainly by their preferences, needs, and rights, and by the agreements they form with others. They prioritize their personal goals over those of others and focus on rational evaluations of the benefits and drawbacks of interactions with others. In contrast, collectivism is described as a social pattern where individuals are closely connected and see themselves as part of one or more groups. They are primarily motivated by the norms and responsibilities of these groups, are willing to place the goals of the groups above their own personal objectives, and emphasize their connection to other members of these groups.

Three kinds of explanations for cultural differences in thinking.

There are two ways of explaining the link between cultural patterns and thinking styles. The first emphasizes the direct influence of culture on thinking style. Focusing on contradiction, Peng and Nisbett [ 9 ] propose that resolving contradictions by finding a middle way is adaptive within a collectivist cultural tradition and has influenced the implicit ontology and epistemology of Easterners. They argue that dialectical thinking serves as a cognitive tool for managing social conflict, which is beneficial in collectivist cultures that value group harmony. In contrast, dichotomous judgments, which aim to avoid contradictions, are less adaptive in such cultures. However, as mentioned earlier, it remains uncertain whether Easterners are indeed more inclined to adopt a middle way compared to Westerners. Therefore, this route of explanation may not be necessary.

The second route is to see thinking styles as an aspect of the distinction between analytic and holistic cognition. The goal of this approach is not specifically to account for the cultural differences between linear thinking by Westerners and dialectical thinking by Easterners, but to propose an account for the distinction between analytic cognition by Westerners and holistic cognition by Easterners. This distinction has been discussed in terms of the contrast between Westerners’ analytic cognition and Easterners’ holistic cognition [ 30 ]. Linear thinking is a form of analytic cognition, whereas dialectical thinking is a form of holistic cognition. Analytic cognition involves separating an object from its context, concentrating on the object’s attributes to categorize it, and using category-based rules to explain and predict its behavior. On the other hand, holistic cognition focuses on the overall context or field, considers the relationships between the focal object and its surroundings, and prefers to explain and predict events based on these relationships. In cultures where individuals are required to prioritize group goals, such as maintaining group harmony, people must consider not only the object itself but also its contextual information to uphold harmony within their groups. Dialectical thinking is a form of holistic cognition because people have to consider many situational elements and factors to make a dialectical decision.

Both routes are from a group level (individualism/collectivism) to an individual-level cognitive style. However, as with the second route, Varnum, Grossman, Kitayama, and Nisbett [ 31 ] suggested an individual-level explanation linking Westerners’ independent self-concept to analytical cognition, and Easterners’ interdependent self-concept to holistic cognition. According to this perspective, the self-acts as a bridge between culture and cognitive style. In collectivist cultures, Easterners exhibit a greater inclination toward sociability and interdependence compared to Westerners.

The second explanation is based on philosophical traditions. Spencer-Rodgers and colleagues [ 19 , 21 , 22 ] emphasize the influence of philosophical traditions on ways of thinking and ontology: Western (ancient Greek) philosophy and Eastern (ancient Chinese) philosophy. This explanation may coincide with that based on the individualist culture of Westerners and the collectivist culture of Easterners [ 30 ], in the sense that Western philosophical traditions have nurtured an individualist culture, while Eastern philosophical traditions have developed a collectivist culture. However, this perspective differs from the individualism/collectivism explanation for two reasons. First, Spencer-Rodgers contends that the difference between linear and dialectical thinking is not the same as the difference in attention between analytical and holistic. Instead, she recognizes that this distinction is related to those manifested in causal inference [ 16 ] and the perception of change [ 32 ]. In short, the style of thinking that Spencer-Rodgers was concerned with is different from the style of attention. Second, Spencer-Rodgers proposes that this distinction is not closely linked to the individualism/collectivism distinction. This is supported by findings from Spencer-Rodgers et al. [ 22 ], which showed that Latinos in the United States, who come from collectivist cultures, did not exhibit contradictory self-views [ 33 ]. Therefore, the individualism/collectivism framework does not adequately explain the cultural difference between Western linear thinking and Eastern dialectical thinking.

Spencer-Rodgers et al. [ 19 ] assert that linear thinking originated from ancient Greek philosophy, such as Aristotle’s logic, while dialectical thinking emerged from ancient Chinese philosophical traditions, including Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. This dialectical approach is closely linked to the Eastern perspective of a mutable world, influenced by broader beliefs about contradiction and change. Easterners’ naive dialectic and folk beliefs are rooted in the Taoist concept of yin (negative aspects) and yang (positive aspects), which illustrates how opposing forces are interconnected and interdependent in reality. This concept reflects the Chinese ontology that the world is in a constant state of change, oscillating between yin and yang, and is inherently full of contradictions.

This tradition is evident in their reluctance to make hasty final judgments. For example, the well-known story of Sāi Weng’s lost horse , featured in the Huáinánzǐ —a classic Chinese text that integrates Taoism and Confucianism—illustrates this. The story tells of an old man named Sāi who raised horses and faced fluctuating fortunes without making definitive judgments about whether each event was good or bad. This narrative gave rise to a proverb about the reversal of fortune, where bad luck can turn into good and vice versa. Similarly, many classic Japanese tales and essays reflect the folk belief in constant change, emphasizing the absence of permanence and the concept of impermanence. The term ‘impermanence’ embodies the Buddhist idea that all conditioned existence is transient and perpetually in flux, often interpreted as a reminder of the mutable nature of individual life. For instance, Japanese classical literature, the Tale of the Heike , provides examples of this concept. The story tells impermanence of prosperity. The Tale of the Heike depicts the story of the Heike clan which rose to the top of power in the twelfth century but fell within a short time.

Furthermore, this explanation is strongly supported by our findings that the Japanese were more dialectical thinkers than the British and French when confronted with opposing religious beliefs [ 28 ]. It is plausible that the dialectical religious beliefs of Easterners have been influenced by the tradition of Taoism and Buddhism, and thus the world view of naive dialecticism has been formed among Easterners.

The third explanation is based on context and communication [ 10 ]. Hall [ 34 ] proposed the distinction between the high-context culture of Westerners and the low-context culture of Easterners. Context consists of implicit beliefs, such as common sense, that are shared by people and can be used for communication. In high-context cultures, people can understand messages from others without needing detailed descriptions because they share implicit information that aids interpretation. These shared understandings are further supported by established relationships within the group. In contrast, individuals in low-context cultures require explicit verbal communication since they do not rely as heavily on shared implicit knowledge. Consequently, they depend on communication that is direct and explicit. According to Hall, Western cultures are generally low-context, while Eastern cultures are high-context. Thus, the distinction between high-context and low-context cultures can be viewed as a facet of the broader individualism/collectivism distinction [ 29 ]. However, this contextual distinction is based on differences in communication practices and language use rather than on data about human relationships. Additionally, the low-/high-context dimension does not always align perfectly with the individualism/collectivism distinction.

Hall [ 34 ] did not provide an explanation for the cultural differences between Westerners’ linear thinking and Easterners’ dialectical thinking, but his idea has been extended by Yama and Zakaria [ 10 ] to explain the differences in thinking. It is uncertain whether Easterners are actually more likely than Westerners to draw a middle conclusion regarding contradictory opinions, but they may have a stronger tendency than Westerners to hold a view that the world is contradictory. According to their explanation, the norm that contradictions can be resolved through context is likely to be formed in a high-context culture, from which people do not hesitate to see the world as full of contradictions.

The key point is that a low-context situation typically arises when people engage in intercultural communication and interaction [ 35 , 36 ]. In this regard, Gudykunst [ 37 ] suggested that implicit common sense (context) cannot be relied upon in intercultural communication. Individuals are uncertain about how much-shared knowledge exists between them and their interlocutors from different communities. Consequently, explicit, intentional, and careful communication is necessary to achieve mutual understanding in the absence of shared context. Building on the differences in communication between humans and other primates, Tomasello [ 38 ] proposed that the evolutionary roots of human communication lie in gestures rather than vocalizations. Early humans relied more on nonverbal communication tools, such as gestures, and could not effectively interpret others’ messages without contextual cues. When common contexts are absent, this form of communication becomes ineffective. The very early human communication is thought to have been in a high-context culture. Thus, with the evolution of language, humans were able to create a low-context culture in which they could engage in explicit communication. Humans have sought clearer and more general rules that can be applied in situations where there is no shared context. General rules are especially necessary when interacting with different cultural groups. Therefore, the tendency to focus on a single property [ 13 ] is an adaptive strategy in this situation. This tendency helps people address inconsistencies resulting from changes, which can become more frequent in cross-cultural interactions. Consequently, individuals adapt their ontological views to align with naive dialecticism. This adjustment likely causes Westerners to perceive the world as less fluid compared to Easterners, since viewing the world as changeable complicates the development of a few general rules or principles. Conversely, those in high-context cultures, who share implicit beliefs, can communicate effectively without explicit expressions. Because they have fewer interactions with other cultural groups, they do not require explicit rules or a universal rule for cross-cultural communication. They are more attuned to the inconsistencies arising from various factors and more accepting of these inconsistencies due to their cultural practices, unlike those in low-context cultures. This sensitivity to change and acceptance of contradictions may explain Easterners’ perception of the world as full of contradictions and their preference for dialectical thinking. Additionally, when faced with apparent contradictions, Easterners tend to resolve them more easily using implicit contextual beliefs within their high-context culture.

5. Socio-ecological explanations for cultural diversity

Although we do not reject the explanation based on philosophical traditions [ 19 , 21 , 22 ], what is lacking is an explanation of how these traditions were formed in history. That is, we should know how such philosophical traditions have been formed, accepted, and transmitted by socio-ecological and geographical factors. However, it is beyond the scope of this chapter to fully discuss socio-ecological explanations for each of these traditions, Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and ancient Greek philosophy.

Some socio-ecological explanations have been proposed for the difference between individualist and collectivist cultures, as shown in Table 1 . Note that the distinction between individualist and collectivist culture can be linked to a social-ecological approach. For example, Talhelm, Zhang, Oishi, Shimin, Duan, Lan, and Kitayama [ 39 ] found that individuals from the southern rice-growing regions of China are more holistic in their thinking and interdependent compared to those from the northern wheat-growing areas, who exhibit less holistic cognition and interdependence. They suggest that the history of rice cultivation fosters greater interdependence in cultures than wheat farming does and that these agricultural traditions continue to influence people in contemporary society. In short, their explanation is based on livelihoods constrained by socio-ecological factors.

We will show that the explanation based on the high/low-context contrast is promising as a socio-ecological theory. As noted above, the basic idea is that a low-context culture typically emerges when people engage in multicultural communication. Context shapes the type of information needed to produce an accurate interpretation of meaning. The absence of any of these three elements - context, information, and meaning - makes it difficult for a high-context culture to work with a low-context culture, and vice versa. It is advantageous for people to develop a low-context culture where relying on context-dependent styles not shared by strangers is minimized, especially when they frequently engage in intercultural communication and interactions [ 35 , 36 ]. Therefore, a multicultural environment is crucial for fostering a low-context culture, where clear and unambiguous expressions are preferred over those that require extensive contextual information. Further support for this was provided by Rychlowska, Miyamoto, Matsumoto, Hess, Gilboa-Schechtman, Kamble, et al. [ 40 ], who found that individuals in countries with high historical (cultural) diversity need to use more explicit facial expressions. Historical heterogeneity refers to how a country’s current population descends from a large number of source countries, which is typically greater in Western nations. They analyzed data from 32 countries, representing both Western and Eastern regions, to examine the explicitness of facial expressions. They reported that explicitness is determined by historical heterogeneity, which is associated with the norm favoring explicit facial expressions. In a historically heterogeneous society, people have less context to interpret others’ facial expressions. Therefore, they need to make explicit facial expressions. Although Rychlowska et al.’s study does not address the distinction between dialectical and linear thinking, the principle that ambiguous expressions are avoided in multicultural settings can be applied to distinctions in thinking styles. Although Rychlowska et al. did not extensively address the low-/high-context distinction, it is evident that shared beliefs (context) are less accessible to individuals in historically heterogeneous—essentially, low-context—cultures. Generally, people in low-context cultures should avoid using ambiguous language and must ensure that their communication is consistent and clear.

So the next step is to identify the factors of multicultural communication. Our ancestors lived in tribal or clan societies where they predominantly used nonverbal communication and developed a high-context culture. However, upon encountering and interacting with different cultural groups, they likely developed a low-context culture. Originally, human culture was highly contextual in a self-sufficient society where there was much less need to interact with other cultural members. We point out two necessary conditions for a low-context culture. The first condition is a multicultural environment, as has been mentioned repeatedly. This notion is possibly consistent with the socio-ecological approach, since many socio-ecological factors form the multicultural environment. For instance, if there is an unbalanced distribution of resources (e.g., edible livestock, natural resources, etc.) among different social groups, if they can move to obtain distant resources (by foot, horseback, boat, etc.), and if different groups are not hostile to each other, then multicultural interactions involving cross-cultural communication will be widespread and likely to form a multicultural environment. It is then adaptive for people to create a low-context culture because they do not share much context. Intercultural interaction also occurs in times of human migration, as most human migration is caused by socio-ecological factors such as climate change, which may cause famine. However, if the groups are hostile to each other, it is unlikely that a low-context culture will develop even in this multicultural environment, and the interaction will result in war. Interaction is likely to be hostile when trade is a zero-sum game rather than a win-win game.

Even when people form a low-context culture, some negative factors prevent such a development and restore a high-context culture. The key factor is that if various cultural groups come together and form a unified monocultural group through interaction, it is highly probable that they will revert to a high-context culture. Thus, a second requirement for maintaining a low-context culture is that people do not merge into a single monoculture. This unification is more likely to occur when one cultural group holds more power and exerts influence over the others. Geographic and ecological factors can also play a role in this process. For instance, if cultural interactions occur in expansive plains with large rivers, it is likely that distinct cultural groups will blend into larger, more homogeneous cultural groups. This explains how the philosophical traditions that have been used to explain cultural differences between the linear thinking of Westerners and the dialectical thinking of Easterners were formed in history. Ancient Greece is a typical place that fulfills both conditions. It consisted of small, loosely connected, not unified city-states among which there was extensive trade and interaction. Although there were some conflicts between the cities, they needed to trade with each other because none of the cities formed a self-sufficient society. For example, the level of food self-sufficiency in Ancient Athens was low; Ancient Athens could not produce enough food for its people. It is not certain whether Ancient Greece had a low-context culture, but we do know that the Greeks created logic, which is a set of rules for resolving contradictions. This is in stark contrast to the case of ancient China, which developed on a vast plain with large rivers that nourished the philosophical tradition of dialectic. Although there were several countries on the North China Plain before the third century B.C., these countries were united into one under these ecological conditions. The Han Chinese, who resided in the plains, emerged as the dominant cultural group in China. Consequently, despite interacting with surrounding ethnic groups, most of these groups were assimilated into Han Chinese culture. In this way, in spite that the Chinese had the opportunity to develop a low-context culture, they maintained a high-context culture. This may explain how the tradition of logic was developed in Ancient Greece and the tradition of Taoism and Buddhism was nurtured in ancient China.

As mentioned above, a socio-ecological approach to cultural differences is expected to provide explanations for this uneven development around the world without introducing the idea that some people are genetically more intelligent than others. This means that this approach is one of the recipes for reducing peoples prejudices against those who live in undeveloped areas [ 41 ]. In fact, there is little difference in IQ between people [ 42 ]. Therefore, the explanations for the uneven development of civilization worldwide, without recourse to the concept of intellectual ability, are consistent with the empirical evidence. Initially, the term “big history” described an academic field that examines history from the universe’s “big bang” to the present day. However, the term is in use in the fields of psychology and anthropology to focus on human evolution and cultural development from the time of the earliest humans to the contemporary world. The migration of Homo sapiens out of Africa some 60,000 years ago begins the great story of how modern cultural diversity developed. This approach has brought outstanding works on explaining cultural diversity and how contemporary civilizations developed [ 43 ].

There are still more facts that we do not know than those that we do know about how each culture has been shaped and how cultural diversity has emerged in human history. Psychologists should join research teams of historians, archaeologists, sociologists, and economists to describe the exact process in the grand scheme of history. Cultural diversity is a consequence of the human struggle for survival and prosperity. Diamond [ 8 ] sought to account for cultural diversity through ecological and geographic factors, specifically addressing why Eurasian civilizations have endured and expanded while challenging the notion that Eurasian dominance stems from intellectual, moral, or genetic superiority.

However, this approach has been criticized by those who focus on institutions or cultural products [ 44 ]. For example, Acemoglu and Robinson [ 45 ] argue that political institutions are the strongest factor responsible for the political and economic success or failure of states. Political institutions can be seen as one of the products of culture invented to solve an adaptive problem (adaptation to the ecological environment) in the interactive view of the adaptation approach. However, once an institution is established, it constrains how people think and behave. Thus, it becomes more important for people to adapt to the institution than to the original ecological environment. Similarly, Henrich [ 46 ] emphasizes the importance of Western Christianity, which has led to the decline of close kinship, making Westerners more individualistic than other peoples. Western Christianity may be a consequence of peoples adaptation to the ecological environment, but it has become more influential on human thinking and behavior than ecological factors. The acceptance of Buddhism and Taoism by the Japanese may be a result of adaptation. However, the results of our study [ 28 ] suggest that Japanese dialectical thinking has been strengthened by Buddhism and Taoism, which have inherent dialectic, in addition to their adaptive purpose.

6. Conclusion

After introducing the distinction between Westerners’ linear thinking and Easterners’ dialectical thinking, we present three explanations for cultural differences: the distinction between Westerners’ individualistic culture and Easterners’ collectivist culture, philosophical tradition (ancient Greek philosophy and ancient Chinese philosophy), and the distinction between Westerners’ low-context culture and Easterners’ high-context culture. The third explanation is promising to be developed into an interactive view of the adaptation approach, which holds great promise for providing socio-ecological explanations for cultural differences and for contributing to the development of the big history approach. The explanation of cultural differences in thinking discussed in this chapter may be one such socio-ecological explanation, and thus one of the big pieces of big history. We should recognize, however, that there are some critics of the socio-ecological approach, which places too much emphasis on ecological and geographical factors in explaining cultural diversity.

Conflict of interest

The author has no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

This research has been supported by a grant-in-aid from the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (No. 21KK0042).

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