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Cultural Conflict in Inter-American Relations

Cultural Conflict in Inter-American Relations

By William A. Naughton, Ph.D Copyright © 2003

The more I work with Latin Americans and with U.S. policymakers, diplomats, businessmen and others dealing with Latin Americans, the more sensitive I become to the dangers of cultural conflict in inter-American relations.
It's not just that we come from differing cultural heritages with distinct values, traditions and customs. Those differences are to be expected. And with the right attitude, people can learn to be sensitive to other views and adjust their own approach to respect the values and customs of other cultures.
The problem is when people fail to realize that their own values and customs are the product of their cultural upbringing and believe instead that their way is in fact the only proper way of perceiving and doing things. Such ethnocentric attitudes get us in trouble every time. They lead to faulty assumptions, misperceptions and misunderstandings, and can create resentment, tension and serious conflict. Unfortunately, such attitudes are seen frequently in inter-American relations--at the government, business and personal level.

Cultural Values are Elusive

Worst of all, many people are not even aware of the potential for cultural conflict until it occurs. Cultural values are elusive because they are so deeply ingrained and taken for granted that they are often unconscious. They are the very attitudes and behaviorial norms we were taught by our parents, church and schools, and which are "expected" in our society, workplace, and government. That's why we see them as the "natural" and "right" way to do things.
They have a major influence on a society's religious beliefs, political and economic thinking, and even legal systems and governmental institutions. And they affect perceptions of other countries and people, attitudes toward private enterprise and foreign investment, and the content of diplomatic and business styles and negotiating strategies and techniques. In the broadest sense, cultural values form part of a country's "national psyche" in that they are all-pervasive and affect how we think and how we judge others.
And when another culture has "different" values and customs, there is a natural tendency to distrust them--even when they may be shown to be more effective. They are simply not our way.

Cultural Values are Complex

While we all share many values, there are complex differences:

Predominantly "North American" values based on Anglo-Saxon influences
Predominantly "Latin American" values based on strong Iberian influences
Differences in values among and within individual Latin American countries because of distinctive national, regional, ethnic, class and educational influences
Separate sets of values found among former English, French, and Dutch colonies
Cultural differences within the United States, especially among various ethnic groups.
Changes occurring in values in all countries under the impact of modern communication, education, immigration, travel, and expanded international relations and commerce.

The need is to understand and accept--or at least tolerate--the values and perspectives of the people with whom you are working and to be able to deal positively and in the most effective way with both shared and divergent values. Fortunately, people with open minds can recognize and appreciate the benefits of cultural diversity.

Understanding One's Own Values Also Needed

Working successfully together requires not only an indepth understanding and appreciation of each other's culture but also an acute awareness of one's own views and practices--especially those which may clash with the other culture's values and styles. Sometimes what we consider our most prized qualities can become our own worst enemy when dealing with people from another culture.

One particularly troublesome North American trait is the ethnocentric assumption that the "American way" is the best way of doing things and that it will work as effectively in Latin American countries. Too many U.S. programs, whether governmental, institutional or commercial, simply attempt to transfer U.S. management and operational styles without change to a Latin American environment. Latin Americans are eager for improvements, but they find such U.S. attitudes patronizing and arrogant. They point out that while such styles may be effective in a U.S. setting, they often need to be modified to fit in with Latin American values and customs. Many failures of North American diplomatic and commercial efforts in Latin American countries result from attempting to apply U.S. approaches uncritically in a Latin American culture.
The Latin American trait that probably most confuses and often irritates North Americans is their more relaxed attitude of time, which clashes so sharply with the virtual U.S. obsession with punctuality and tight schedules and deadlines.
Both attitudes and customs are changing to some extent.

What Needs to be Done to Avoid or Minimize Cultural Conflict

My personal experience convinces me that we can avoid or minimize cultural conflict only if we have greater mutual understanding, empathy and a willingness to respect and accommodate diverse cultural values.

We must show respect by learning more about each other's values and customs, including proper social and business protocol.
We must see and accept--or at least tactfully handled--the divergent values in each other's culture.
We must understand our own values and perspectives well enough to help others understand us.
We must recognize that some of our own values, customs and traits may irritate others.
We must follow the golden rule: Treat others as you want to be treated.

Such understanding, respect and acceptance of cultural diversity are the best guarantee for minimizing cultural conflict and maximizing trusting relations and cooperation. And when misunderstandings do occur--and they inevitably will--sensitivity to cultural differences increases the likelihood that they will be handled with minimum damage. Such sensitivity can mean the difference between success or failure in inter-American cooperation.

For more information or to provide comments, please send an e-mail message to Dr. Naughton at WmNaughton@netscape.net:
You may also find the following of interest:
The Need for Greater Understanding in Inter-American Relations
The Importance of Shared Values in Inter-American Relations
Conflicting Interests in Inter-American Relations
Differing Styles and Business Practices in Inter-American Relations
Ten Mistakes to Avoid in Working With Latin Americans
Two Core Studies on Inter-American Understanding:

Working Successfully With Latin Americans
Negotiating Successfully With Latin Americans
About Dr. Naughton
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