cultural differences between kenya and america

Its geography extends from the warm coastal waters of the Indian Ocean to volcanic mountains in the Great Rift Valley to the lacustrine highlands near the largest freshwater lake on the continent. Should yourespond otherwise or unitretersted, they think you are acting white. Education. I once lived in a place where a Chinese contractor was constructing the firs tarmac road in the district. American Here! I once worked in a certain place where greetings would take a whole five minutes! Kenyans table manners are relatively formal. It could mean "hopefully," "I hope so," "maybe," "who knows," or "it's not my problem," among a dozen other things. Jeans, jeans, jeans. In Kenya, the top tax rate is 30.0% as of 2016. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Cultural Differences: Kenyans, Malaysians, Chinese and Americans. And how would you categorize traditional Pokot dressing in Nasokol, West Pokot District or the Turkana far up by the border with South Sudan? These mainly consist of tribal African languages as well as a minority of Middle-Eastern and Asian languages spoken by descendants of foreign settlers (i.e. Americans tend to be impatient. ?So I like tour culture of having pple who atleast seems concerned on how ur doing.I always say barabara za rami,buildings kubwa,speaking English ,wood houses don't make USA/Europe better.In the quoted countries divorce rate is upto 70%,abusing drugs,sucide n depression n stress!but in Africa is very minimal. Hours of productivity and economic output are lost every day to Nigeria's power grid, marking a stark departure from the consistent presence of electricity (WiFi) in my New York life. Although innovativeness is regarded as a virtue in American culture, it is not as valued as it is in Saudi Arabian. Ethnic Make-up: Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab) 1%. Explore similarities and differences. If you are from a culture that prizes directness, you may wish to moderate your delivery style. In the process of socialization, human beings adopt a certain culture; culture is defined as commonly experienced attributes and traits that can be seen in a homogenous group of people mostly living within the same locality. He has not judged them as bad or good. He just made an observation and put pen to paper. Irio Kikuyu staple; mashed peas and potato mixed together with maize. As time is money, those who waste time on trivialities, daily rituals and ceremonial greetings are bound to lack in good things of life. That is beside the point. Remember Wahome Mutahi's writing? Next time, address more topical and interesting issues of the day. It's fairly common in Africa in both North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa to eat the traditional way: with your hands. Except for formal functions, there is generally not a seating plan. After staying with blacks for quite a while, I have observed on them, exactly what no. I They are nothing but a bunch of savages, dark like all, jigger-infested, and with brown teeth and lice infested hair." That was not the case in Tanzania. Americans provide a small tip on top of the total cost of their bill. Men in ill-fitting suits and poorly tied ties, boots, mtumba sneakers, NBA and European clubs T-shirts. clear in leadership, food, religion, family, and work. It's a free, question-and-answer based forum to discuss That doesn't mean you have to. The ceremony will involve the slaughtering of a goat or a sheep has to please the gods. as well as other partner offers and accept our, Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories, After spending months in the Middle East, I'm convinced a single phrase with more than a dozen meanings is key to understanding Arab culture, traffic cost Egypt about 3.6% of its gross domestic product, A year ago I left New York to travel around the world as Business Insider's. Masala chips - French fries coated with a tomato base and plenty of spices. In most cases in the United States, children stop living with their. You are better than that & you can rise higher than that. Though with recent developments, such as lowering of tariffs and the installation of the optic fiber cable, things seem to be looking up for the telecommunications industry. In United States, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2022. WebIn China and Japan, for example, people are very punctual, that is, they dont waste on unnecessary issues. As you might expect in a group-orientated culture, the extended family is the basis of the social structure. When is doubt, watch what others are doing and follow their lead. We eat that meal for a week and Thanksgiving left overs are the highlight of our year. Be cognitive of the fact you too speak with an accent that may not be familiar. During that time, I experienced countless culture clashes, culture shocks, miscommunications, and misunderstandings. In Morocco, I made the mistake of offering alcohol to an observant Muslim, who replied with a smile that he drinks only "Berber whiskey," or Moroccan mint tea. An hour? 5 May. Food and drink > Alcohol > Alcohol consumed from > Homemade and illegal drinks. You are truly ridiculous..exactly what is wrong with that? Some of these must be jammies. They respect their elders and that is why ancestors play a big role in the culture in Kenya. How long is your commute? The In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line as of 2010. Especially Muranga men and their love for the Cowboy hats. The reason being that the Americans are serial polygamists- meaning they may have multiple lovers in their lifetimes. Each tribe is further divided into clans I once saw a notice in a restaurant, "After eating leave within five minutes." learned behavior of people, including their languages, belief systems, social structures, institutions, and material goods. In Kenya, that number is 4.6% of GDP as of 2019. If you know that you are going to visit someone's house for lunch, it is advisable to warn them beforehand so they do not go to the expense of purchasing meat. In certain villages, the villagers would be very upset if the Catholic Father ends a burial ceremony by 11AM. Countries in Africa have a reputation for widespread corruption. And I am talking about men and women leaving their homes to come and see for themselves and for posterity. Much of the country lacks a power grid, and even in Lagos, the business hub, power can go off for hours at a time without notice. Ati Mzee Moja - I think it should be Mzee Mmoja, Kiswahili sanifu.acha zako bana! Also: a group of people that share the same Mobile phones are "As an Egyptian woman, you spend your entire life dealing with sexual violence," an Egyptian woman told Der Spiegel. However, there may be a special place for the most honoured guest. Mzee Moja leo kweli umenichekesha! Back home, I was medium size but when I came here, I am considered a size small to extra small-something that upset me terribly! Most businesses and major complexes like hotels, company campuses, or schools have their own diesel generators that kick on when the power goes out, but sometimes generators break. https://studycorgi.com/cultural-differences-kenyans-malaysians-chinese-and-americans/. After a divorce, children are the properties of the woman in America while in Saudi Arabian; men should take the role of taking care of the children. I had a similar experience while leaving a national park in Tanzania, though my tour guide was able to talk the officer out of asking for a bribe. Kenya vs. United States Culture Compare Kenya vs United States for Most Kenyans interweave native beliefs into a traditional religion. If the relationship is intimate the communication style will become more direct. And they wear them with pride. Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. Weak signals and poor reception are common challenges, especially in the rural areas. Every hotel had a strict 10 a.m. checkout. WebCultural differences range from differences in language and dress to body modification, beliefs, mores, landscapes, and even gear. If it was earlier, concierges had no trouble pushing my checkout time by an hour or two to accommodate me. Guests are expected to wash their hands before and after the meal. The African languages come from three different language families - Bantu languages (spoken in the center and southeast), Nilotic languages (in the west), and Cushitic languages (in the northeast). Join the Elsewhere community and ask a question about Kenya.or United States As a culture, we do pay quite a bit of attention on niceties. And by the way, what exactly did you want to convey in this piece? Hong Kong Culture: Word and Image. At work, people act like I dress up when the truth is, they are too dressed down. - Often (not always) Pan-European oriented - Strong influence from American culture - More openly Pagan - Cultural/Spiritual movement instead of a Political Party What else? StudyCorgi. In Kenya, there are only four telephone service providers. Beyond your first assertion about food wastage, which is generally true relative to Kenya and perhaps the rest of the world, the rest of your observations are entirely wrong. About Thanksgiving. The Kenyan Constitution guarantees freedom of religion. The most common greeting is the handshake. The practice of the culture is that male is the dominant gender and women are supposed to be submissive and should take orders from men. Blue jeans, faded jeans, torn jeans, sagging jeans, mom jeans. Sometimes it feels as if you're in a slow-moving mall. Retrieved from https://commisceo-global.com/resources/country-guides/afghanistan-guide. Beyond the turkey, they will make mountains of pies, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes and the whole gamut of mishmash added to a variety of drinks. Mom's stayed home with the children. Americans comment about what a firm handshake I have. No wonder in many banks, they intentionally have one or two very lazy cashiers serving customers even when there are 12 cashier windows. If this was Ngugi wa Thiogo Or Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie I think such critism would be fair. Poor Moody Awori tried to introduce the National Dress, we told him, why fix something thats not broken. Muslim men/women do not always shake hands with women/men. Signing in allows you to change your location, ask questions in our community, contribute to our cost of living database, and more. Kenyans pride themselves on their emotional control and expect the same in others. Some people would go bananas if they went to a banking hall and find only a few customers. Kenyans may gesture for emphasis when speaking. Just because we do not agree with certain observations, we should not crucify those who make them. Many restaurants throw uneaten food out. Photo taken in Nairobi by Lorenzo Cerato on Unsplash. WebKenya and Canada living comparison. More than half of the country's ethnic groups have Bantu origins. !watch the Oscars n the Grammys,start theirKenyans don't dress better than Americans..heck Kenyans don't even dress better than Ta. While many Westerners tend not to associate Africa with Islam, it is the most common religion on the continent. Prepare five-year growth plan for Caf Kenya Explore the current target market of cafe. With this in mind, criticism should be delivered in private and given in a circumspect manner. The continent is larger than North America and comprises over 3,000 ethnic groups, speaking over 1,500 languages, residing in 54 countries. It is all a part of the experience. While it is not impossible to live on a vegetarian diet in Kenya (there are many people descended from South Asia who are vegetarians), expect to see meat in many Kenyan diets. In fact, Kenyans are amused at the concept of an ending time, since they believe the meeting only ends when all parties are finished. The country is known for its deep harbors and is one of the worlds densely populated countries. We sip and bite as slow as possible until we finish reading the Nation newspaper tied to the table with a steel chain by the restaurant owner for reasons better known to you and me. Many languages, religions, and cultural traditions converge in Kenya making it a dynamic and vibrant place to visit and experience. I will admit that in the beginning, I definitely suffered from culture shock. Capital: Nairobi. If so, hold your hands over the basin while water is poured over them. Typically, with both dishes, a large platter is placed in the center of the table, and each person takes turns either rolling balls of couscous or using pieces of Moroccan bread to scoop up pieces of meat or sop up sauce. In a culture where majority mind their own business, the kind of conformity in dressing ( kila mtu na suit, tie, trouser suits etc) is rare. Lakini go to Nairobi, and all colors of the rainbow are in exhibition. This makes it difficult for Americans to the Kenyan culture or Kenyans, to adapt to the American culture. Fresh Fruit bananas, mangos, passion fruit, and other deliciousness is colorful and plentiful. Back home, food is served in moderate portions so that if one needed more, they could always ask for more. This led to lots of early-morning scrambling to pack my bags. In reply to Your discussion evidences the by Mwakilishi. Ladies in lesos, and Khangas, and African design clothes, and skirt suits, and pant suits, and short skirts, and long ones, and stilettoes, and sneakers, and sandals, and head scarfs. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider So we have Chinese, Kaunda suits, West African, European, and American dressing styles. Kaburini au sio? Serving the University of Rochester community since 1873. Kenya and the United States have long been close allies and have enjoyed cordial While each country had a distinct culture and customs, I experienced many culture clashes while visiting Africa. When poverty mentality superceeds abundance mentality; people turn to misers fearing to spend lest they become destitute like so and so in their midst. WebThe one major difference that Ive noticed is that even though the Czech Republic has a lot of religious imagery most Czechs arent religious. To rush a greeting is extremely rude. Photo by Belle Maluf on Unsplash, Always take your time when meeting people to properly chat. Showing anger is considered a sign of mental instability. Despite the lack of systematic differences among geographical groups of prominent researchers in terms of the total number of publications and collaborations, a more nuanced analysis of the structure of the collaboration network between prominent researchers (that is, excluding Saudi Arabian has a culture of innovativeness and invention; it is greatly regarded as red as a virtue for one to devise his way of operating and doing things. Personal values, attributes, ideologies, beliefs, and religion are elements of culture. WebIn Kenya, that number is 7.1% of people as of 2016. live 10.9 years less In United States, the average life expectancy is 81 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of Many other African countries, like Kenya, Tanzania, and Ethiopia, have cuisines designed to be eaten with your hands. They are all proudly in display in the city, in the suburbs and in the village. In United States, 3.9% of adults are unemployed as of 2018. Two of the biggest were getting accustomed to not using my left hand to eat in Nigeria and underestimating the extent to which traffic affects the pace of life in Lagos and Cairo. Religions: Protestant 45%, Roman Catholic 33%, Muslim 10%, indigenous beliefs 10%, other 2%. For this reason, I will never comment on any of your blogs. Americans will buy a whole turkey during Thanksgiving Day to be eaten by a family of two. In Kenya, on the other hand, 27.9 children do as of 2022. be 15.0% less likely to have access to electricity. WebBeing that Kenyan and America are two different countries from different continents, they might be differences in cultures and customs. 2.5. Commisceo Global Consulting Ltd. (2020). Around half the population are Christians, 10% Muslim and there are small Hindu and Sikh minorities. 2021. I think President Moi had learnt some important lessons from Wazungu; he would attend various functions in a day and always kept time. No wonder a Kenyan will waste their phone credit to ask you Wiku mani? (Where are you man?). Mzee Moja, take a walk into the black community and interact more with them if you can and you can see no. (2021) 'Cultural Differences: Kenyans, Malaysians, Chinese and Americans'. 1 Jan. 2020 https://commisceo-global.com/resources/country-guides/afghanistan-guide, Commisceo Global Consulting Ltd. (2020, January 1) Afghanistan - Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette. Na T-shirt. It is no wonder to see a girl nurse changing inside her car at the hospital parking lot; because she did not have time to do so between her two jobs. This is a major issue. United States spends 16.8% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2019. Having lived my childhood, young adult and part of adult life in different parts of Kenya, and then living across the pond these last few years, I have observed quiet a number of cultural differencesand similarities between the two spaces that needs mentioning. After that, a Hi would suffice, better still, a superficial grin would also act as greetings. Even if you have paid your house off, the property taxes will be paid until you sell off the property, an income that will still be taxed. Harambee, (coming from the Bantu word meaning to pull together) defines the peoples approach to others in life. What should happen is that parents from the mans side should seek permission from parents of the womans side to have their daughter hand in marriage. No worries, a baseball cap and a pony tail will do. Before you enter any public building, hotel, bar, restaurant, or shopping complex in Lagos and Nairobi, you will have to go through a security check akin to what you might experience at an airport in the US. Indian, Japanese, Lebanese, Chinese, Mexican, as well as American and A 2013 United Nations study found that over 99% of Egyptian women said they had been harassed. Hong Kong is situated on Chinas south coast; it is one of the two SARs (Special Administrative Region) of the larger China, the region is has a fast growing economy. Reciprocity. Electricity is notoriously hard to come by in Nigeria. It is considered polite to finish everything on your plate, although it is not mandatory. We sit down in a restaurant, order for tea and mandazi. Americans have no time to waste with greetings. UNIVERISTY OF CALIFORNIA DAVIS ARE 119 GROUP ASSIGNMENT PART II Please form groups of 4 to 6 people (not to exceed 7) for this assignment. He simply made a few observations. Sometimes it is not enough. Three Cultural Differences Between Kenya and The USA 1. Each, Do equally intelligent groups of college students and non-college attenders change their religious orientation in the same direction between the ages of 18 and 22? Slowly but surely, the multiculturalism that made America strong will be the very reason that will make America weak. THANKS FOR READING OUR GUIDE TO KENYA! 2022 MyLifeElsewhere.com All rights reserved. Regions and countries are sometimes as different from one another as America is from them. In nearly every country I have visited, the standard hotel checkout time is noon or, at the earliest, 11 a.m. Mzee moja tried his best but I critical think I can comment is the way He said Americans brush their teeth in the car,Always jumping from this job to the other or changing kids diapers in the car?? Make no mistake, the sheer amount of food wasted in one county in the USA per day is enough to feed the Horn of Africa for a month. Kenya r better dressers than Ugandaa.pia than Somalia.. @Sam Ngugifirst I don't blog..I post comments.Second,am not a kikuyu.but I will say this,everything I write about kikuyu's nimeambiwa na wakikuyuhahahakwanza hata I have not written about how kikuyu give birth bila mpangookuz. Tofu is available at health food stores and sometimes at larger grocery stores. NO ONE should ever just drop in without a phone call to allow us to tidy up the house. I stayed in multiple hotels and lodges in northern Tanzania near or in the Serengeti National Park and on the island of Zanzibar. The Massai of Kenya. I read the comments and obviously the iphone guy was .I am so proud of the writer of this article ..A mugikuyu by the few words i read in that language. Hong Kongs birth rate stands 11.7 per 1,000. According to the Kenyan culture, after marriage and payment of dowry, a wife becomes one property of the husband; she is not supposed to visit her parents without the approval of the husband. Children are not supposed to shake hands with adults but they are expected to bow and give adults a chance to touch their heads as a sign of blessing and respect (Kam, 2010). I think a lot of people writing comments need to chill out. 2 depicts Kenyans. Little do they know it comes from a lifetime of handshaking in Kenya! 5. That is unlike us Kenyans where you can talk as you eat. Everyone had one car for the Dad to go to work. Am so sorry .You have reasons to be angry with all kikuyus because you are an idiot. Just relax people. Jambo, is what you are most likely to hear if you look like a foreigner. You must be one of those simpletons who have been swallowed whole by the idiocy that American values and traditions are supreme to everyone's else-what balderdash! mom and dad both work, sometimes two jobs. WebKenyaUnited States relations are bilateral relations between Kenya and the United States. Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad was a prophet of God and should be respected in all aspects. A short intense period of honest love and then part ways with your spouse in divorce (American love). When conducting a prayer he is expected to bow down and not look upright at the mountain just in case he sees the face of God whom they call Ngai, which Joel explains means the giver of life and distributor of wealth (Sobania, 2003). Other times, it's a polite cover for something someone doesn't want to tell you, like when a guesthouse had given up my room because of a double booking. Do not be surprised if a conversation you thought you are a part of winds up in another language. And most other African countries are also the same. The largest ethnic group in Kenya is the Kikuyu people (22%). Kenya is not a homogeneous country ethnicity wise. Women over the age of 21 are often addressed as Mama and men over the age of 35 are often addressed as Mzee. When greeting an elder or someone of higher status, grasp the right wrist with the left hand while shaking hands to demonstrate respect. I never met anyone who had actually been to Kenya or even Africa until I was 17. Learn more. The article tels the truth, is not researche and the truth is simply told that only a fool like iphone4g and his comrades look at the "shorter" picture. To submit feedback, or to report an issue, email the Web Staff at [email protected]. While I was visiting Business Insider's Lagos office in January, there was a power outage followed by the office building's generator breaking. Ranked 24th. 1. Both are the countrys official languages and used for instruction in schools: Kiswahili in lower primary and English through upper primary and high school. On the other hand those whose professions require dressing do really clean up well and in quality. Time. You might pay a little bit less (flour, milk, sugar) or a little bit more (cheese, pickles, etc.) Globalization vs. Frequently, and unconsciously, many people use all the three languages simultaneously in a conversation. If women disrespect their husbands, it is seen as an omen to the family and a cleansing ceremony needs to be conducted by elders. While you are likely to have some cultural mix-ups as an American visiting European countries, it's nothing compared to Africa, where things seem to work completely differently from the US. In terms of cultural management styles will continue to present significant differences. By logging in or registering, you agree to our. In some cases that is accurate, while in others it's more about Western perceptions. (We dont even dress up for that here unless its a holiday.) "Cultural Differences: Kenyans, Malaysians, Chinese and Americans." You are best served asking for clarification rather than making assumption. Beverages are not generally served with meals since Kenyans think it is impolite to eat and drink at the same time. The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. 28 Apr 2023 19:10:25 "Cultural Differences: Kenyans, Malaysians, Chinese and Americans." Weak signals and poor reception are common challenges, especially in the rural areas. Therefore, it is a good idea to provide a historical framework or context when attempting to introduce a new idea or process. WebIn Kenyan culture, communities are generally conservative, with some embracing progressive changes in lifestyle in urban centers. Finally, am just curious where the well dressed kenyans learnt their dressing from. Business cards are exchanged without formal ritual. In America we say to our children "do not waste food, there are children starving in India." Not only are these foods inexpensive to buy, but by buying them one is promoting the local economy and directly helping someone to support their families. Official languages: Swahili, English. Or developed world problems as we call them. Read more: After spending months in the Middle East, I'm convinced a single phrase with more than a dozen meanings is key to understanding Arab culture. After wife inheritance, children born thereafter are children of the deceased and establish themselves as so. @Guesthehehe..hata mimi nimeshangaa.which part of America does he live..Americans dress to the NINES! Do you think we dress like actors and actresses? , Sunday was church day (I had never met a non-Christian until I left for university. Use the honorific title plus any academic or professional title and the surname. It was expected we would put our some sweets and coffee or even an entire meal.. Today everyone has at least two cars. "My mother is in her mid-fifties and she still gets harassed.". Sobania, N. (2003).Culture and customs of Kenya. The honoured guest is usually served first, followed by the men, children, and women. 1[caption1 id=attachment_12710 align=alignleft width=300 caption= The Test http://www.iupui.edu/]. In Kenya, however, that number is 36.1% as of 2016. Loud voices are generally only used during disagreements in business situations, although in rural areas, louder speaking tones are the norm.
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