D1: Analyse cultural variations can influence communication
The world culture is a word for people's 'way of life', meaning the way groups do things like for example when you are Muslim you choice to where a burkas in public and if you are a Hindu you choice where about they put their bindi if it is high on their head to represent if there rich or poor. In families the culture of the family will be passed down for example if you are born into a family that believe in wearing a burka so the young children will be brought up to wear it and it will be passed down through the family. Different groups of people may have different cultures. A culture is passed on to the next generation by learning, whereas genetics are passed on by heredity. Culture is seen in people's writing, religion, music, clothes, cooking, and in what they do. Culture refers to the ethos of a group of people that believe in the same things and they believe it to be a culture. A culture of participation should demonstrate a commitment to the involvement of children and young people that might be shared by managers, practitioners, children and young people. Culture has frequently been identified as a barrier to communication. As Davies and Marken (1998) suggest 'our popular and official culture in deeply embedded ways defines young people as too uninformed, unreliable and untrustworthy to carry responsibility.' There is a fear that somehow children are going to ask for the wrong things or say the wrong thing to someone and they will take offence to it. On the one hand, you want to give them a voice to be able to say what they think and what they want to express to a group of people, but on the other hand, you don't want them to say anything that goes against what the organisation believes in and to offend people. This issue may happen for the staff that work in health and social welfare services who have a statutory responsibility to safeguard children. In this context, the vulnerability - rather than the capacity and resilience of children and young people - may be emphasised. Hill et al (2004) suggest that one of the foremost barriers to participation is 'adults' perceptions, including their images of children's capacities, and their self-interest in maintaining their own position with respect to children'.
Gestures, signs and symbols can differ in action and meaning around different parts of the country like shaking hands with other people. For many people shaking hands when meeting someone is as routine as taking a breath. But for some Muslims shaking hands isn’t that easy. Many conservative Muslims believe unrelated men and women should never touch one another – in Great Britain a Muslim asylum seeker lost a prize for volunteer work when he refused to shake a woman’s hand. But that’s not to say every Muslim will refuse to shake the hand of someone of the opposite sex – scholars from different schools of Islamic law all say different things. With some even saying no such prohibition exists. And this is not just about gender. There are moments when even shaking the hand of someone of the same sex can pose a problem. For some traditional Shias any contact with any non-Muslims, male or female, makes the Muslim spiritually impure. After such contact a believer most go through ritual purification. There are even some Sunni for whom all non-Muslims, regardless of gender, are impure. But Sunnis typically don’t require ritual purification after touching non-Muslims. Whereas in Europe is a good thing to do as it is when you meet them and it is saying hello to them as they are walking towards you can offer your hand out for they know it is formal and it is a polite way to say hello. It can also mean that they are say goodbye. But in different parts of the world like in Saudi Arabia it represents that they have poor manner if they shake your hand and it is also if you shake a women’s hand it means that it is a sin if you do this. Whereas in Fiji they will wont shake your hand it will be a very stiff and strong hand shake.
Another gesture that means different things in other countries it smiling. In America, a smile is usually regarded as a friendly, positive gesture of trust. In contrast, among some Asian societies people smile when they are embarrassed, angry, sad, confused, apologetic, and sometimes if someone is happy. But smiling is seen as a lighthearted activity, and smiling for a government document for example looking at someone’s driver’s license photo might have indicated that the person did not take the responsibility of driving seriously. In Korean smiling is seen as wrong because in Korean they believe that, “He who smiles a lot is not a real man.” In Western culture at least, the “smile” is only produced as an involuntary response to genuine emotion. This kind of smile might be a good sign if seen on your date’s face, as it can’t be faked. Well, easily at least.
A gesture that can means different things different countries is doing the okay sign with your fingers. In Brazil, Germany, Russia, and many other countries around the world, the OK sign is a very offensive gesture because it is used to show a private bodily opening. The OK sign actually does mean "okay" in the United States, however in Japan it means "money," and it is commonly used to signify "zero" in France. Clearly the OK sign isn't offensive everywhere; however, it is not OK to use in many parts of the world, nor does it necessarily mean "okay".
Chinese will typically avoid eye contact in conversation, especially when talking to strangers or to the opposite gender. Generally it is considered aggressive and rude to look directly into another’s eyes while talking. Westerners typically stand two to three feet apart, while the Chinese are comfortable with a smaller distance. Shaking hands is considered acceptable. Unless you are a very close friend, do not touch another person’s arm when speaking, as it is a sign of close familiarity.
The common Westerner’s habit of shrugging the shoulders has a very different meaning to the Chinese. This gesture is a sign of disrespect and disdain for the Chinese, so avoid using this gesture at all. Also, never point to someone by using your head or foot to refer to someone, it is considered very disrespectful. If the Chinese wish someone to come closer, they will put one arm out and with the palm down move fingers in a scratching motion. If you use your thumb and index finger to make the “OK” sign, it will be meaningless to a Chinese person. “Thumbs up” will mean the same to a Chinese and Western person as a gesture.
Another gesture that people use is the v sign with two fingers opened. In America, the V sign could mean peace and love or victory as popularized by Richard Nixon. However, if the outside of your hand is facing your target, you’re giving somebody a long-established insult in Great Britain and many English-speaking countries such as Australia, Ireland and New Zealand.