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Here we will show you the MOST interesting things about the beliefs, values and norms of different countries around the world.
You can tell us what you want to see.
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viernes, 4 de noviembre de 2011

Beliefs In France

In France there is no mix of religion and politics because is very private. For example the French president would never say his religious beliefs and it can be considered rude to start a conversation about it in a party or dinner.
Besides France is less religious than other countries such as the United States, they have religion but is a personal choice. The term "Laïcité" means that the state is separate from the church but all the religious beliefs are treated equally but also including having no religious beliefs.
This term can be considered as a value that represents beliefs.

jueves, 3 de noviembre de 2011

Incas


If you ever visit Peru make sure to go to Machu Pichu ruins, here the Inca culture developed. The Incas believed in afterlife and cared for their dead, they had to be embalmed, mummified and placed into tombs. Then relatives took food and other objects .They believed that dead could hear them and would use the multitude of objects that were brought there.
They offered different things to their gods, and they thought that with these the balance of nature and society would stabilize and they influenced their well-being, happiness and crop production.

African Values



For Africans community is really important, there is a popular African proverb that says "Go the way that many people go; if you go alone, you will have reason to lament", with this we can realize that their idea of security and its value depends on the community, maybe because of the dangers that living in this wild-animal continent implies. Another important value for them is religion, this is an integral and inseparable part of their entire culture; actually, in traditional African societies there were no atheists because it wasn’t an independent institution and social morality was completely dependent of it.

Values in South Africa

South Africa is a multicultural country because of the colonialism and immigration.
There is a difference between population, for example, white farmers often think very narrow but value human decency over materialism.
The outlook for the ones who live the fast life is affected such as the people from Johannesburg which consider themselves as urban but are more interested in what you own that what you are.
Many black communities are still attached to their heritage and they combine their roots with the urban environment and international influences around them.
This makes a richer but complicated society but still marks the values of the South African people. http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/south-africa-country-profile.html 

Hawaiian values and beliefs


They define themselves by their relationships to each other, their ancestors and their land. It is expected to know and understand what it means to be a contributing member of the community. Everyone is responsible to use their talents to benefit their family (ohana).

Family is the basic unit of society; they are big community that supports each other. Hawaiians cherish their ancestors, committing to memory generation.
The revival of Hawaiian cultural values is reviving the conflict between Western technological superiority and Hawaiian tradition.

The principal value in Hawaii is family and union, everyone is there for help.

- http://www.moolelo.com/                                            

lunes, 31 de octubre de 2011

Believes in China

Years before people with the same last name couldn’t get married but now a days people just exchange 8 characters: for the ones with traditional mentality the 8 character are based on compatibility by year, month, day and time of birth and for the astrologers the character are based on time and date of birth.
People believe in the inmortality of the soul.
When someone dies they have to stop eating big meals for 49 days.
When the someone of the parents, grandparents or great grandfather dies and someone has plans for getting married they have to do the wedding in the first 100 days of the dead person otherwise they have to wait for a year.

argentina

People in Argentina ear meet almost every day due to its large production. the population uses the left hand to hold the fork. It is considered rude to eat in the street or on public transportation.
There is a lot of different cults but the most popular is Catholic, others could be Protestantism, Pentecostalism, Judaism and Islam, among others.
Some religious festivities are:
* Religious Freedom Day on november 25
Our Lady of Itatí: July 9.
* Virgin of Carmen de Cuyo: July 16.
Pacha Mama: August 1.
* San Cayetano: August 7.
* Our Lady of Luján: October 1.
* St. Martin of Tours: November 11

Denmark

In Denmark family is really important, most of them are small, boys and girls become independent at a young age, and even though family is the centre of the social structure, marriage is not a prerequisite to start a family like in other countries, many couples live together without been legally married.
When they greet each other they don´t give kisses such as Mexicans, they only shake hands, women are greeted first and they only use their first name when they introduce themselves.
Punctuality in business and social situations is important to Danes, other way you are disrespecting other’s time, so if you are invited to a party or a reunion be sure to be on time.

martes, 25 de octubre de 2011

Italian values

In Italy the values are formed since the children are born. The presence of the mother is very important for the values of a person, and once they are formed, the values are reflected in society.
Religion is also an important factor that infer in a person; the concepts that should be followed as a catholic are also some of the norms that should be followed in a society, that’s why in Italy the values are generally followed. They are not distinguished for being a society where people misbehave and practice vandalism.  

domingo, 23 de octubre de 2011

Values In Brazil


Family is the base of the social structure and stability for most people.
For the Brazilian people, families tend to be large, with many members and the extended family is quite close (aunts, grandparents, cousins,etc).
Nepotism is considered a positive thing, since it implies that employing people one knows and trusts is of primary importance which in other countries the belief is better to think of the needs of everyone else before yours to grow as a better person.
But when it comes to meeting other people, men usually shake hands, women too but they kiss both cheeks and if a woman wants to shake hands with a man, she has to extend her hand first.

Think green

Switzerland is the cleanest country in all Europe; it has one of the best environmental records among nations in the developed world.
People there is conscious of the impact that human activities have in our planet. 28.7 % of Swiss lands are protected areas. It’s very common that families recycle all they consume, statistics show that 66% to 96% of recyclable materials are recycled.  About energy production, almost 60% of their energy comes from hydropower plants and 38% from nuclear power; nowadays Swiss government is planning to make a long-term phase out of nuclear energy because of the risks and high costs it implies and replace them for more hydro-electric energy. This must be an example to follow for all countries in the world, remember we only have ONE planet and we must take care of it. 

viernes, 7 de octubre de 2011

Mexican Values

The family is at the centre of the social structure, mexican people value the family above everything else.
Must mexican families are extremely tradicional, with the father as the head, the authority figure and the decision maker, the mother as the house keeper and her role is seen as the secondary.
In most of the mexican families it is used to have 3 or 4 children.
It is very common to invite friends or family over for dinner, drinks or just to visit. It is customary to bring a gift such as a bottle of wine or flowers.
http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/mexico-country-profile.html

Norms

In Mexico there are some rules that travelers have to follow:

Travelers require proof of citizenship and identification card (with photograph) to enter Mexico.No passport or visa required for tourist stay for up 180 days. The value of goods that can enter de U.SM citizens entering Mexico by air or sea to $300 per person and land is $50 per person.

lunes, 3 de octubre de 2011

Diversity

Our beliefs affect the way we behave, dress and think.  While you are traveling around the world you’ll find different cultures and obviously different beliefs, even if you don’t agree with what they think and do, you should respect them. 
Respect doesn´t mean you accept them, we have to know all their circumstances to really understand them, for example in which society they were raced and how it influenced their way of thinking and act. 
While you are traveling  you'll get to know each country's culture and your perception of things will change because you'll realize things you didn’t know, try to open your mind so you can comprehend people from different parts of the world. 

Beliefs in Mexico: Etiquette

When you arrive to a new country, you don’t always know how to greet when you meet people and it can be a little bit awkward.
In the case of mexico, the common greeting is when a woman meets other woman or a man meets a woman, they kiss on the cheek once and can be sometimes accompanied with a hug. But when a man meets another man they just shake hands.
When refering to someone who has a better position or is older than you, the appropriate term is “usted” ; if it is someone closer you can refer as “tu” which is more informal.



For more information you can go to http://www.everyculture.com/Ma-Ni/Mexico.html