Culture is that the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/culture). Culture is very extensive phenomenon. It can change country to country or city to city where in one country. If we want to narrow it, we can see that culture can change family to family.
When I went to university in Turkey, I found that every student has different customs. Now, I am Erasmus student in Denmark and I have already noticed lots of differences. But I learned to be open-minded and now I speak without stereotypes. I try to attend all cultural activity. Christmas time is very good chance to observe the culture.
According to our self-study we tried to analysis of Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions and educational system in Turkey. Geert Hofstede's using dimensions are:
Sometimes it is really difficult to analysis. Because Turkey is still developing country and conditionals are changing. But we tried to make analysis what we know. Here is our cultural dimensions at educational system in Turkey:
- Individualism/Collectivism
- Uncertainty/Avoidance
- Power/Distance
- Masculinity/Femininity
- Long-term/Short-term
Hofstede – 5-Cultural Dimensions
School is a national institution educating students collectively, but evaluates them individually. The schools are independent from each other and they are just dependent on MEB, standing for Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı, meaning Ministry of National Education. That’s why we can say the schools in Turkey are institutions depending on the state. In this article, we have inspired by our school experiences. However, some points discussed below may have been changed over time.
1. Individualism/Collectivism
When we look into Turkey's education system, individualism is in the foreground in the schools. Especially in primary and high schools, students work by themselves under the guidance of their teacher. In primary school level, teachers give their students some projects to be done as homework, but again students work by themselves, the main purpose in this level is to teach by practice. In high schools, the system is based on taking notes and question-answer method, this points out individualism again.
When it is considered, the education system of Turkey tends to individualism more than collectivism. Tasks, homework or assignments, which are given to students, are generally examined individual skill of the students.
As a result of t education system, there can be rivalry among students. Getting a higher grade than other students is significant for a student. In addition, there is hardly group works in primary and secondary schools. For instance, although Turkey’s culture is more about collectivism, activities in Turkish schools are more about individualism. Not only homework or anything else that is given to the students pushes them to work individually but also, because of that, individualism spreads among students. Many students start to think of their interests. Collectivism is common in the university education. Many students see how to collaborate. Actually, at the beginning, it might be difficult for the students who are used to work individually, because students want to be dominant this time. However this is getting to be easier for them coming days.
2. Uncertainty/Avoidance
Turkey’s education system has certain, clear, and strict rules. Students have to oblige with these rules; otherwise, because of their behaviors, they may be punished. For instance; students had to wear uniform but this changed last year; moreover, growing a beard or long hair is prohibited for boys and making-up is forbidden for girls. For teachers, growing beard, wearing jeans, T-shirts are forbidden. There are also many rules which are made by the Ministry of Education and the school’s headmaster, which shows the strong uncertainty avoidance.
If we consider the weak uncertainty avoidance, students don’t want homework generally. Besides, in general, there are flexible rules in schools. For instance, students do not have to wear school uniforms, but of course this can change from school to school.
3. Power/Distance
Large Power Distance:
In Turkey, beside educational system, examination system is always changed, but nobody can change it however they want. There is a saying like: “Coffee Speech”: people sit, discuss and they try to change the country, they just speak; however, there is no action. This matter can also be seen among students. For instance, students can want to have much more selective courses as they want; however, the headmaster may not agree with them. This shows that students have to obey the rules coming from the superior.
There is a high level of power distance at schools in Turkey. The teachers are dominant and students are expected to be respectful to the teacher. Calling the teacher by his or her name is considered extremely rude. Students have to call them “my teacher”. Students in elementary and high schools greet their teacher by standing up every time the teacher walks into the classroom. The teacher’s decision cannot be questioned.
4. Masculinity/Femininity
We have a patriarchal society. In the other words, masculinity is superior than femininity and masculine traits are more dominant in Turkish schools. In masculinity features, we can see that people are much more decisive, ambitious, challenging, and supporting heroism. When it comes to class environment, we can see that students want to be the most dominant in the class. Turkey’s education system is based on exams that create a big competition among students. Students have to work for their exams and they must have good grades to sustain their education. The boys, during the classes, can be loud and competitive, while girls are only interested in sharing their opinion, often this can make it hard for girls to participate in the class because of the boys’ behavior. This may cause the class to appear masculine.
5. Long-term/Short-term
Generally in Turkey, people depend on their traditions. After so many years, some of the people in Turkey try to protect their traditional. With globalization, some people leave their customs to be modern.. When we look our educational system, we cannot decide in which term we are. Students and teachers seem like in the short term, on the other hand, our system forces them to be in the long term. Students and teachers are used to behave according to cultural system, but the system forces them opposite.
We follow our leader, Atatürk’s principles. We celebrate so many Bayrams, referring a nationally celebrated festival or holiday, applicable to both national and religious celebrations. In general, students do not have plans for the future for a long term. As we know, students should study decisively and patiently to make long term plans come true; however, in the schools, there isn’t something like that. When a child is asked what he/she will become in the future, maybe, his/her answer would be “engineer”, but when he/she takes the obligatory university exam, he/she chooses his job according to the grade / result he/she gets. That is to say, the student’s future and his/her ideal are changing after the examination.
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