My American Values, an Experience of Using Cognitive Dissonance, and The Theory of Comparative Advantage as The Keystone of International Trade

How culturally determined are the values you hold dear? You can see some “American” values on page 110. What are some of these values that you ascribe to? Why do you believe this? What are the differences in how the four factors of values from chapter 5 deal with other cultures? (page 119-120)

I think that many of my personal values are based on “American Values” that I piced up culturally being raised here in the US. For example equal rights is something that I feel very passionate about and though not all Americans believe the LGBT community should have the right to marry who they want it is something that I feel is a human right and we should work to provide throughout the US.

In the US the manager should get some respect but when necessary its okay to go around your manager to their boss and address and issue. In other countries the manager is followed without question. The US also tends to have much flatter group based teams rather than a top-down approach.

In the US being an individual is looked at as something desirable. People like to customize themselves and the things around them to stand out and be different (especially in Portland). In other nations there is more of a “Borg” collective effort for the common good of the group. In the US individual achivment is highly rewarded and looked to with desire. In many other nations the success of the company or nation is more important.

The US tends to be okay with some doubt or uncertainty and it is more seen as adventure or an opportunity whereas in other nations this is view as irresponsible and reckless. In the US showing up to a job interview or important meeting 15-20 minutes late is looked at as disrespectful and will often cost you a job or a sale. In other nations being prompt and “on-time” isn’t as important. Share an experience of a time when you used cognitive dissonance in your life? How did you react? What strategies did you use to lessen the impact of the dissonance in your life?

In my life there was a time where I blatantly plagiarized a paper that I knew my professor likely wouldn’t read and I got away with it. I knew that it was wrong and I felt uncomfortable turning the paper in and getting an A on work that wasn’t mine. I also knew that in college the consequences could have very different results for my future. I learned how to cite my sources over the next few years and learned to enjoy writing so that the desire to plagiarize really disappeared.

Discuss the keystone of international trade, the theory of comparative advantage. Comparative advantage is the idea that nations often are more or less efficient at producing a certain good. The nation that is better at producing one good should focus on that one and the other nation should trade with the other nation with something they are good or efficient at producing. For example France has ideal climate and soil for great wine but they struggle at producing good cars. Germany on the other hand is great at making awesome cars but struggles with making great wine. So Germany exports their cars to France and France exports their wine to Germany.