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and emotions (e.g., joy, sadness). Symbols help people
communicate, develop attitudes toward life and others, and
understand socially accepted behavior. Symbols make culture
possible and readable. Although meaning cannot be Observed
and measured, but meaning can help to understand the behavior
of others. For example, in some cultures patting a child's head is
unacceptable because the head is considered the center of
intellectual power (e.g., Malaysia), while in other cultures patting
the head is acceptable. In Poland, patting a child's head is
considered a caring gesture and a protective gesture.
19. Perception. Culture is a way of perceiving the environment.
Culture is "a set of perceptions of oneself and of their world..."
(Urriola, 1989). The similarity in perception indicates cultural
similarity, sharing and understanding of meaning (Samovar,
Porter, & Jain, 1981).
20. Differences and similarities among human beings. Culture is
about human differences and similarities. Culture is often
interpreted as the difference between groups of people who do
things differently and perceive the world differently. These
differences indicate the existence of different cultures. It is
important to understand how cultural differences affect human
perception of the world.
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