Cultural Metaphors: Unifying Symbols of Culture

Cultural metaphors is a cultural system wherein people with the same beliefs, traditions, ideologies, morals or values associate with each other. People belonging to the same culture, share or participate in a particular interest activity, event, or organization, and any other means, that represents their culture is an example of a cultural metaphor. (Gannon, 2008) Moreover, these interest activities, events, organizations, etc. are specifically identified to one particular culture, influencing the way of life of its people.

Cultural metaphors create a more discernible way of exhibiting a unique feature of a particular culture to other people.

Since these unique features of a particular culture differ from other cultures, most people would probably have different opinions about them. Examples of cultural metaphors that most people know of include the Italian Opera or the American Football. These cultural metaphors associate certain activities or events, in this case the opera and football as distinct to a particular culture.

Furthermore, basing it on the examples given, cultural metaphors, although distinctive to a particular culture, is also well known or popular to other cultures.

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(Gannon, 2002) Rules, ideologies, knowledge and rituals are several cultural concepts that make up the cultural metaphor. The rules that make up the cultural metaphor are either written or unwritten rules that people of a particular culture follow. For instance, rules that govern American football may differ from its European counterpart.

Ideologies are certain beliefs or values that are accepted and practiced by a particular culture. For example, the Chinese believes in placing their idols in an altar for health and good luck.

The concept of knowledge in cultural metaphors involves information that only a specific culture knows, as Americans are knowledgeable about football, while Europeans are more adept in soccer. Rituals are rites or customs practiced by a particular culture. For example, Muslims all over the world pray at the same times of the day for five times. References Gannon, M. J. (2008).

Cultural Metaphors:

1. Applications and Exercises. Retrieved April 2, 2008, from Sage Publications. Website: www. csusm. edu/mgannon/Documents/CULTURAL METAPHORS. doc Gannon, M. J. (2002).
2. Cultural metaphors: Their use in management practice and as a method for understanding cultures. In W. J. Lonner, D. L. Dinnel, S. A. Hayes, & D. N. Sattler (Eds. ), Online Readings in Psychology and Culture (Unit 16, Chapter 4), (http://www. wwu. edu/~culture), Center for Cross-Cultural Research, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington USA.