GIFT GIVING IN DIFFERENT CULTURES

By: Hassan Jan Habib

BS Commerce

3rd Semester

AGENDAW

hat is Culture?

F

unctions of Culture

C

ulture Difference

G

ift Giving in Different Cultures

C

onclusion

WHAT IS CULTURE?

C

ulture is a social heritage, transmitted from one

generation to another.

I

t consists of the sum total of skill, beliefs,

knowledge and products that are commonly

shared by a number of people and transmitted

to their children.

FUNCTIONS OF CULTURE

Culture makes communication possible by means of a language

Culture provides standards for differentiating right and wrong.

Culture provides the knowledge and skills needed for survival

Culture helps people identify with others and make them feel a sense of belonging.

CULTURE DIFFERENCE

A

lmost everyone experiences culture shock when

they come to a completely new environment.

E

verything is different: the language, the food,

the people.

GIFT GIVING IN DIFFERENT CULTURES

GIFT AT FIRST MEETING

I

n Malaysia and Paraguay, it is considered as bribe

I

n Singapore, government employees are not allowed to accept gifts

U

nited States limits the acceptable dollar value to $25

I

n some countries like Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines,

exchanging gifts is strongly rooted in tradition

I

n western Europe, it is considered bad manners.

Europe – Czech Republic, Poland,

Russia, Ukraine

L

atin American –Columbia, Costa Rica

P

acific Rim – China, Hong Kong,

Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan,

Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand

A

frica

A

ustralia

E

ngland, France, Hungary, Italy

U

ruguay

D

enmark

P

akistan, Saudi Arabia

U

nited States

Countries in which a gift is

expected

Countries in which a gift

is not expected

MUSLIM BUSINESS GIFT GIVING CULTURE

G

ifts of liquor or any product that contains alcohol, such as perfume,

would never be selected to give.

A

lso, forbidden are products or foods from scavengers, which

includes pork, birds, etc

A

good gift for a devout Muslim is a compass.

Gifts are presented using the right hand, or both hands

HINDU BUSINESS GIFT GIVING CULTURE

I

n the Hindu culture the cow is sacred, and all animal products

except milk or butter are shunned.

M

ost Hindus also don’t drink alcohol. Don’t ever offer a gift of

liquor unless you know the person drinks

G

ifts are given and accepted using your right hand, or both

hands, and are not opened at the time they’re received.

JEWISH BUSINESS GIFT GIVING CULTURE

O

rthodox Jews are not allowed to eat pork and shellfish

T

he dietary laws are very specific regarding which foods are

acceptable to eat, and their processing and preparation

F

ood items are required to be kosher

Y

ou can select a fine bottle of liquor as a gift to a Jewish client

I

t’s best to shop at a kosher store to guarantee you’ll be

giving an acceptable gift to your Jewish business associate

CONCLUSION

F

rom the above discussion we are clear that each

and every society has a culture of its own.

C

ulture is not only diverse but also unequal, but

is found in societies throughout the world.