Being an American has always called to mind those visualizations that have traditionally been shared by all citizens: democracy, the Constitution, the Statue of Liberty, the President all the way to apple pie and baseball. Yet today I sense a shift in what being an American means to large groups of people living here and it is causing a cultural rift in the country. To be more specific, I am referring to Democrats and Republicans, Liberals and Conservatives, the Alt-Left and the Alt-Right or whatever new label may be applied to either side of these diametrically opposed groups. What I believe to be the biggest driving factor is that individuals in these groups are confounding organizational culture for national culture.
National culture is the imprinting of ideas from the time we are born until we reach puberty where most of the imprinting of ideas is done unconsciously of the individual and is also the most permanent (Hofstede, 2011). Since this indoctrination occurs when the brain is the most receptive to developing lasting patterns of thought, I believe it is fair to say that the national culture could be heavily influenced by organizational culture doctrine if the influencers all share a deeply held political or social belief. People can and will switch their organizational culture throughout life as they switch jobs, go to new schools or even join new churches; however, changing your national culture is viewed as traitorous (Pennsylvania State University World Campus, n.d.).
Deeply ingrained mindsets held by both sides that their version of America is the more truthful national culture has created ethnocentric sentiments. Not only is there a “belief in the inherent superiority of one’s own group…it may be accompanied by a feeling of contempt for those considered as foreign” (Moran, Abramson, & Moran, 2014, p. 25). There is evidence with elected officials calling for impeachment of the sitting President representing the other party; the inability to put aside differences to pass a budget resulting in government shutdowns and the desire to only support partisan policies and politics as to not give an iota of credit to the other party. These steadfast attitudes are being fed bilaterally between the constituency and the elected, further strengthening the ethnocentrisms. Instead of doing what is best for the most people, these groups are myopically concerned with doing what is “best” according to their own visions which are often very heavily skewed.
National culture imprinting without bias would allow for individuals to look past party or organizational differences to ensure that the best possible results are achieved that will benefit the largest percentage of the population regardless of affiliation. The strength of that foundation should never vacillate. Organizational culture should always be secondary which is where it gets muddled for a large number of the members of these political parties. As these secondary cultures take a firm, primary root in our society, I do not see this trend shifting back to a more neutral, communal national culture.
References
Hofstede, G. (2011, October 22). Geert Hofstede on Culture. Retrieved September 1, 2017, from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdh40kgyYOY
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Maaging Cultural Differences (9th ed.). London: Routledge.
Pennsylvania State University World Campus. (n.d.). Lesson 2 Introduction to Culture. Retrieved September 1, 2017, from OLEAD 410: Leadership in Global Context: https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1867265/modules/items/22824704
Kelsey,
Thank you for taking the time to read my post and for your thoughtful response. I too fear for the direction of the partisanship country we are now faced with. The good and bad with democracy is that people can and will be elected and removed from office after so many years, so there is always a time of winning and losing for each party. It seems as though mere disagreements have now turned into vitriol, which creates bigger chasms between the people. My hypothesis was the level of the hatred between the two politically leaning sides was so great, that it appears to me to be a more ingrained belief (national culture) than a secondary belief (organizational culture) which is the driving force. I am a political free agent in that I will vote for a Republican, Democrat or Third Party representative if I believe they give the community and country the best options. My national culture is that I want to see America have the best communities and be the best nation it can be and I will not allow myself to be swayed to vote “party line” just because I sense a deeper “connection” to a political party. This falls in line with your thought that “these groups are more concerned with vying for power rather than coming to a mutually beneficial outcome”. I couldn’t agree with you more and I will continue to vote with my mind and not my heart and try to always choice the best candidate regardless of affiliation.
Jim
America has always been seen as a “force for freedom and prosperity” (Moran, Abramson & Moran, 2014). This belief has been held by those that live here and by those that have chosen to immigrate to America. It is something we have been taught in history courses since childhood and is a key component of our national identity. However, upon arrival, it becomes clear that America is far more vast and complicated than the “American dream” suggests. There are glaring cultural differences between the north and the south, between the east coast and the west coast, and between country-living and life in the city. Cultural differences become even more prevalent when you involve party affiliations, religion, racial tensions, and/or monetary wealth. I agree with your observation that ethnocentrism plays a central role in the tensions within our borders. I also agree that many of these groups are more concerned with vying for power rather than coming to a mutually beneficial outcome. Moran, Abramson and Moran (2014) discuss how “the great divisions among human-kind and the dominating source of conflict will be culture.”
My challenge is regarding how to bridge these gaps. You state that you do not see this trend shifting toward a neutral, communal national culture. However, I am curious what the outcome may be if that is the case. Does the struggle for power continue until one of these groups is victorious? What does that mean for the losing side? Do tensions rise so high that our government shuts down or we get thrown into a civil war? I attempted to come up with some suggestions to rectify the situation but there are so many different variables to consider. I am hopeful one day we can come to a mutually beneficial outcome. I fear the alternative does not necessarily bode well for the happiness, health, and prosperity of the American people.
I very much enjoyed your post. It was thought provoking and well executed. Great job!
Kelsey
Moran, R. T., Abramson, N. R., & Moran, S. V. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences. (9th ed.). London: Routledge.