Communication Between Cultures

Being. A being orientation refers to spontaneous expression of the human personal-

ity.“People in being-orientated cultures accept people, events, and ideas as flowing

spontaneously. They stress release, indulgence of existing desires, and working for

the moment.”^38 Most Latino cultures consider the activity they are engaged in as

the one that matters the most. In Mexico, forexample, interpersonal relations are

valued more than accomplishments, and people take great delight in the simple act

of conversation with family and friends. Mexicans will talk for hours with their

companions, for they believe that the act of“being”is one of the main goals and

joys of life.

Being-in-Becoming. Being-in-becoming stresses the idea of development and growth.

It emphasizes the kind of activity that contributes to the development and

improvement of all aspects of the self as an integral whole. This usually correlates

with cultures that value a spiritual life over a material one. For example, in both

Hinduism and Buddhism, people spend time in meditation and contemplation in

an attempt to purify and fully advancethemselves.TheNewAgemovementin

the United States also stresses the need to develop the being-in-becoming approach

to daily life.

Doing. The doing orientation describes activity in which accomplishments are mea-

sured by standards external to the individual. The key to this orientation is a value

system that stresses action. It is the doing orientation that most characterizes the

dominant American culture, as is summed up by Kim:

Americans are action oriented; they are go-getters. They get going, get things done, and get

ahead. In America, people gather for action—to play basketball, to dance, to go to a con-

cert. When groups gather they play games or watch videos. Many Americans don’t have the

patience to sit down and talk....Life is in constant motion.^39

While many cultures

crave excitement and

activity, there are

cultures that welcome

solitude and members

spend long periods of

their lives alone in

meditation and

contemplation.

Courtesy of Edwin McDaniel

Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck’s Value Orientations 219

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