Examining the Cultural Impact of Common Jobs Across the Globe

In today’s global village, the farther apart we live geographically, the closer we are, thanks to seamless communication made possible by information technology. You might be born and bred on one continent but spend your adulthood in a different corner of the world. After living there for some decades, you could choose to spend your retirement and old age in another location that meets your needs at that point in life.

It’s the same for careers and jobs that millions do worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic made the reality of remote working and remote living bring a unique culture impact on many lives, making it even more practical. And who benefits from this innovative lifestyle more than millennials and younger generations, who’re more open to learning from other cultures and experimenting with new ideas? Here’s a look at the cultural impact of common jobs worldwide.

1. The Wedding Industry

A much-anticipated event in many people’s social lives is a wedding. That’s the day two people in love are proud to tell the whole world who they love and are planning to settle down in marriage with. Movies have popularized white weddings, a tradition that began in England in the Middle Ages within royal families and remains popular in many parts of the world. It’s blended with various cultural traditions, bringing a new culture impact to wedding ceremonies.

While white weddings typically feature a traditional church setting, others have their vows in outdoor venues, with a growing culture of setting the whole wedding event in a garden. Then there are other unique ideas, such as having a barn wedding. This theme sits comfortably with couples who want a countryside theme, surrounded by stunning views of the rolling fields and fresh flowers.

With weddings come loads of superstitions and preferred habits to induce positive outcomes for the new couple. For example, among the English, it is believed that Wednesday is the best day to marry. Among Moroccans in northern Africa, traditions encourage the bride to bathe in milk before her wedding ceremony as a sign she has purified herself.

When attending a wedding ceremony in a different culture, you’re bound to find different ways of doing things, better known as traditions. You’d do well to be armed early with what to do in such an event so you can play your part comfortably.

2. Aftercare Services

A host of aftercare services are affected greatly by the norms and values of the community you’re going to work in. After-care services include helping recovering drug-dependent persons adapt to normal community life after completing treatment.

As a caregiver, you’ll be expected to be compassionate when dealing with clients. Arm yourself with skills such as giving basic counseling to a person going through this recovery phase while being mindful of their health.

There’s an enormous difference in how people mourn their dead and handle the burial process. You’ll find that rituals done during the mourning season are significantly different from what you’ve experienced and are mostly influenced by the faith or beliefs of people. For instance, if you work in a funeral parlor, prepare to experience the culture impact of different families, communities, and faiths during mourning, so you can offer them support in the kindest way possible.

Remember, they’re going through a difficult mourning period, and be sensitive to their beliefs when providing them with funeral pre planning services. Some practices, such as cremation, are gaining popularity worldwide, yet the same practice was a crime punishable by death until the 1880s. Today, it’s become widely accepted by many cultures and faiths as an appropriate method of disposing of the deceased.

3. Healthcare Services

There is a wide range of healthcare-based jobs in the market, and if this is your area of job interest, you’ll get many opportunities to serve the community. Consider a career in nursing, nursing assistantship, and oral health, among others.

You have fixed an appointment with the dentist whose contacts you picked online. You’re perhaps wondering if they approach oral health procedures like those you have encountered elsewhere. Your experience at the dentist will either encourage you to go back or put you off.

A culturally competent dentist can provide sensitive care to more diverse patient populations. This is important for areas with underserved communities, meaning these locations have less dental healthcare access.

As a professional health care worker, a dentist who can connect and communicate with people from different cultural settings can respond appropriately to the needs of patients in those environments.

4. Legal Services

The legal services profession is highly influenced by the context, the traditions, and the norms of where one practices. You can make a career as a contract lawyer, immigration lawyer, family lawyer, etc.

As an attorney, you’ll need to understand how culture impact your ability to influence a case you’re handling, a negotiation you’re engaged in, and other unofficial habits you be sensitive to for successful outcomes in your work.

How you will interpret a crime in one corner of the world is likely to vary from how it’s defined in another part. What about the concept of trust, and how different people are expected to uphold such a value? What you’d assume to be the norm could be deeply offensive elsewhere. Body language and other non-verbal cues are a powerful means of communicating with people, and you’ll be surprised humans respond to non-verbal cues faster than they respond to verbal instructions.

As a legal practitioner, remember that the legal rules become norms over time. The law can influence what people believe is true, and this also shapes the value systems of a people. At the same time, remember that cultural norms affect lifestyles and living standards.

Take your time and research the traditions and beliefs of the people you’ll be working with to win their trust and grow your business. Find out whether the new culture crosses physical boundaries and use the information to tweak your approach and ethics to work. For instance, some people do not shake hands. Others give a kiss on the cheek as a form of greeting.

5. Roofing Services

The construction industry is usually among the busiest markets. As an expert roofer, your services in one location in the world may not differ much technically, but there’s more on the culture impact front that you should look into to succeed in a new land.

As a professional roofer, your skills could take a backseat in a place where the roofing needs are different. Recognizing the culture impact of the place you’re moving into will make you stand out as a professional in your trade. Always remember you’ll work on different building designs as a roofer. For instance, when roofing a church building, elements such as the steeple of the building will need your keen eye. The size of the building is also culturally driven; thus, you must take into account your assignment in such a project.

There are some places where the owners do not budget for regular maintenance of the roof or even the entire building after a building is constructed. This encourages a culture of reluctance to set aside money for future maintenance needs. You could find yourself working in such a culture, which might be difficult to change. At least not so fast. Convincing your customers to do something they don’t normally do, such as repairing a roof, may be frowned upon until their roofs start to cave in.

6. Landscaping Companies

When you travel to different parts of the world, you’re bound to notice unique behaviors and norms among the people. Even if you’re relocating for work purposes, the same job is possibly approached differently depending on the culture of the place you’re going to.

As a landscaper, be sensitive to local beliefs, taboos, and culture impact, which are the norms of your prospective clients for landscaping services. While landscaping people’s homes, you’ll need to know their beliefs and make suggestions for curb appeal without being insensitive to their likes and dislikes. Consider if the homeowner prefers to keep plants, herbs, shrubs, and trees. The type of flowers they choose for their walkway matters a great deal. For instance, there are beliefs associated with some types of plants. Be sensitive to such beliefs and avoid being condescending or making fun of such beliefs.

7. Hair and Beauty Services

People are sensitive about their hair. In some places, it has a deep culture impact. A job in the hair industry can be lucrative depending on the corner of the world you’re working from. If you’re a specialist in plaiting and other hair styling techniques, the market is waiting.

For girls and women, hair expresses one’s social status and gender identity. In other lands, a woman can shave her hair but only trim it to a certain level. If you work in a place with such sensibilities, be sensitive to the client’s needs and seek to accommodate their social norms.

A man’s hair can be styled differently depending on the place, status, and the events they’ll attend. In some areas, a bald head speaks of power. In other places, growing hair to a particular level and trimming it in a specific style can portray class. For instance, the beard movement is currently trendy. If you’re working in an area where men love their beards, avoid making derogatory or insensitive statements about beards.

As an expert in haircuts, your services could be the most sought-after in your area. However, your specialty haircuts may not be as popular elsewhere, so you must find out what’s accepted and adapt accordingly. Arm yourself with information and an open mind when working in an area that’s culturally different from yours.

8. Hospitality Services

As a professional in the hospitality industry, you’re likely to be exposed to different cultures in your work. It’s a job that easily gets you stationed in another land or places like cruise ships. Depending on where you’re stationed and the kind of restaurants you’ll be working in, you’ll be better off learning a thing or two about the new cultures.

For instance, if you’re working in an Indian restaurant, study up on the Indian culture impact in terms of their food and mannerisms. The use of chilly spices and herbs characterizes the preparation of their meals. If you’re working in a Latino eatery, you’ll handle more tacos and tortillas, while Spanish restaurants could offer more seafood meals.

9. Animal Health Services

As a professional in the animal health sector, understand that your clients love their animals and avoid denigrating remarks about animals. Be in touch with their ethical side. For instance, while offering veterinary services, treat the animals with tender loving care and don’t underestimate culture impact aspect of working with animals.

People love their pets. They want them to be treated with kindness when they bring them to you, even if it’s just a routine check. While there are numerous advancements in vet medicine, sensitivity to the culture of the area you work in is essential.

Think about how you’ll handle the emotional stress of ending an animal’s life and how to comfort its owners, who must face the prospect of life without their pet. Cultivate positive relationships with animal owners to win their trust. Otherwise, they may not allow you to touch their beloved animals.

Ethical dilemmas in veterinary work are many and diverse. They include issues such as whether to euthanize a pet to relieve it of its misery and pain. Another dilemma is the problem of competing interests between the doctor and client, especially concerning beliefs in how to handle an animal. How you deal with such scenarios will determine whether you’ll succeed in your work.

10. Contractor Services

You’ll deal with many home design jobs as a home contractor. Each client has personal tastes and unique ideas they’d want to incorporate into their home. As a contractor, learn the culture impact of different professionals you’ll work with to complete a client’s home successfully. For instance, carpenters are highly skilled in framework, cabinet making, and applying finishing touches to a home.

Contract electricians to wire the house. They’ll provide critical advice on where to fix lighting, fire alarms, and sound equipment for the home. They’ll advise you on the type and quality of wiring you need, how long wiring will take, etc.

When working in different cultures, you interact with people and norms that could be alien to you. Adjusting to these cultures, or at least being sensitive to them, must be intentional. Don’t assume you know everything when working in a new culture, and avoid casting aspersions or trivializing others’ beliefs, cultures, and traditions.