Tag Archives: culture

The Demise of Our Culture?

I was watching an interview with a Fox News contributor and author, Laura Ingraham, who was talking about her newest book, “Of Thee I Zing.” Apparently her book is about the demise of our culture. There was a person on this show who totally agreed with everything she was saying and there was another one who didn’t. One of the comments made is how each generation says the same thing, how much worse kids are “today” than they were “in my time.” Even back in the 50’s during the time of “I Love Lucy,” when a married couple depicted on … Continue reading →

Resources for Learning the History of Other Cultures

When I decided to adopt from Korea, I knew next to nothing about the culture. In what little mention of them there is in books, Korea, Vietnam, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia are often presented as victim nations, poor and often governed by puppet regimes of other countries. This is not great for self-esteem. (Regarding self-esteem: I’ve always thought some women were too sensitive to non-inclusive language. I’ve always been fine assuming that “all men” included me. But as I get older I see subtle discrimination more than I ever thought I would, and I realize the power of hearing … Continue reading →

Creating a Home Business Culture

I know that the term “culture” has become a bit of a buzz word in recent years. Every business, company, family, and organization seems to be exploring what its “culture” is and we all talk about whether or not we fit in to a certain “culture.” We have appropriated a term that was used previously on a much larger scale and now use it for all sorts of small groups and organizations that we may be a part of. It is probably not surprising then that I think we can apply it to our small home businesses too. Surely you … Continue reading →

Does Your Web Site Have a “Culture”?

By now, you probably know that I think unique is good when it comes to a home business and how we market and promote ourselves. In my opinion, we don’t want to look and sound and seem like everyone else and this goes for our web sites too. If your business web site looks like a copy or a template of hundreds of other web sites, you might not be making the most of your online presence. I think that a web site should have an “image” and a “culture” that lets people know what you about and helps separate … Continue reading →

The Use of Mr., Mrs., and Ms.

I have begun working with an organization in Barcelona, Spain for a future project and I was struck by the fact that everyone in the paperwork I have received is listed with a Mr., Mrs., or Ms., preceding their names. I know that when I first started out in the work world nearly three decades ago—it was quite common to address people with a prefix, but we have become increasingly casual—at least in the fields that I work in. What is the role of using those prefixes nowadays and what do we small home business owners need to know? I … Continue reading →

When the World Seems Un-Single Parent Family-Friendly

Things have changed in the world and it is definitely “easier” to be a single parent these days, at least it there is normally an environment that seems more hospitable to single parent families here in the United States. The reality of taking care of a family as a solo parent is still tough, but many of us have found more support and understanding for our situation. Even with these changes, however, there can still be those times when things do not feel so hospitable and the world seems pretty un-single parent family-friendly. Fortunately, there are things we single parents … Continue reading →

Is Yours a “Shake Hands” Kind of Business?

Recently, I was involved in a quick chat about how the business world has changed and the person I was talking to told me that she was impressed at how many hugs she got while working. As she explained it, “I’m just not in a hand-shaking type of business anymore, now it is all about hugging.” I realized that I do make some “classic” assumptions about running a home business and one of them is that business relationships are founded on the handshake. This isn’t necessarily true for many… Strange that it wouldn’t dawn on me since I do conference … Continue reading →

Do You Understand Culture and Customs That Might Affect Your Business?

Even if you are operating your home business in a small town where you have lived your entire life—there are social issues that can affect your success. If you are working internationally, or with demographics and populations of people who are different from you—taking the time to learn about customs and culture can really pay off as you build and grow your business. There are all sorts of social nuances and customs that can come into play when one is interacting with a variety of people. Just because you are “doing business” does not mean that culture and manners don’t … Continue reading →

‘Walking’ Marriages

So I was channel surfing this weekend and I came across a show on PBS that was talking about the Mosuo people of China. I’d never heard of them before, but what caught my interest was the statement about the matriarchal style of society that the Mosuo have. Apparently, the Mosuo people live in an area of the Himalayas around Lugu Lake in the Southern part of China. What makes this society so unique is that they are one of the world’s few remaining matriarchies. Among the Mosuo people, the women are in charge of all aspects of their society. … Continue reading →

Trying too Hard?

I have to make two dishes when I go to a potluck. I realize this doesn’t sound like much of a problem. But here’s the thing: our preschool has several potlucks a year. It’s a very diverse community and the invitation is always the same: bring a dish from your family’s ethnic heritage. Well, my family has at least seven different ethnic heritages. Six of them are some form of European. These are represented by my son. The seventh is Korean, represented by my daughters. My son and a daughter were both students at the preschool. I always worry that … Continue reading →