BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES - Universitatea de Medicină şi Farmacie

emotional features of society or a social group and that it encompasses, in
addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living together, value
systems, traditions and beliefs".
Analyzing the mentioned definitions it is possible to conclude that
culture is a quality of an individual, social organization, social group (i.e.
ethnic, or age group) or society as a hole to share the systems of symbols,
beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms of behavior. Culture is a
quality acquired by the means of education and it is a quality which makes
the difference between humans and animals, between individuals of one
community, between organization, social groups and societies (of the same
or different epochs).
7.2. Etiquette and Cultural Differences
Etiquette is French word that literally means ticket of admission.
Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social
behavior according to conventional norms within a society, social class, or
group. Rules of etiquette encompass most aspects of social interaction in
any society, though the term itself is not commonly used. A rule of
etiquette may reflect an underlying ethical code, or it may reflect a
person's fashion or status. Rules of etiquette are usually unwritten, but
aspects of etiquette have been codified from time to time.
Etiquette evolves within culture. Thus etiquette is a component
part of culture. It is dependent on culture. What is excellent etiquette in
one society may shock another. The Dutch painter Andries Both shows
that the hunt for head lice (illustration, right), which had been a civilized
grooming occupation in the early Middle Ages, a bonding experience that
reinforced the comparative rank of two people, one groomed, one
groomer, had become a peasant occupation by 1630. The painter portrays
the familiar operation matter-of-factly, without the disdain this subject
would have received in a nineteenth-century representation.
Etiquette could vary widely between different cultures and nations.
In China, a person who takes the last item of food from a common plate or
bowl without first offering it to others at the table may be seen as a glutton
and insulting the generosity of the host. In America a guest is expected to
eat all of the food given to them, as a compliment to the quality of the
cooking.
The term etiquette is used interchangeable with word manners
which is define as the unenforced standards of conduct which show the
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