Last Wednesday, the world witnessed the spectacular rescue of the 33 Chilean miners who had been trapped in a collapsed mine under the Atacama Desert. Although they were trapped for 69 days, most of the miners were in better health than expected. Psychologists were also surprised at how well they had coped with the situation mentally. People all over the world began to ask themselves the same question: how did they manage to survive?
 © istockphoto.com/ Ferhat Mat
|
There is strong evidence that their cultural identity played an important role. One of Chile’s cultural characteristics is patriotism. Chileans tend to be very proud of their country and its achievements. When the miners were rescued, 33 balloons in the Chilean colours were released into the sky. The shift supervisor, Luis Urzúa was wrapped in a Chilean flag after he was brought up. He then led the crowd to sing the national anthem. No doubt their love for their country helped the miners to keep their spirits up.
Another Chilean core value is the focus on the group rather than on the individual. President Pinera said that the unity and the solidarity of the Chileans made him very proud. He added that Chile is now more unified than ever before. The entire country took part in the miners’ tragedy and supported the families who waited desperately for the rescue of their relatives. Perhaps surprisingly, there were no riots in the mine or individual attempts to separate from the group or take charge. The miners managed to stay together as a group. The collectivist approach was also highlighted by the miners’ families’ attitude towards future financial benefit from their ordeal. Before the miners’ rescue, the families drew up a contract agreeing to share the money expected from various media deals.
The president also claimed that the miners never lost hope because they had a “great leader” who held the group together. The shift supervisor, Luis Urzúa, assumed this role and made sure the miners had a daily routine. Three groups of 11 each worked eight hour shifts of cleaning, measuring oxygen level and reinforcing mine walls. This behaviour reveals another key value in Chilean culture, the emphasis on hierarchy and status. Whereas hierarchy is often perceived as negative in the Western world, it plays an important role in Chilean society. In this case, hierarchy and structure helped the miners to prepare for rescue.
Bearing in mind how the Chilean culture influenced the miners’ behaviour, an interesting question to ask is how other cultures would have reacted in such a situation. Can you imagine what behaviour would have been typical for your culture? If you want to find out more about how different cultures determine our behaviour, consider one of Communicaid’s cross cultural awareness training courses. You will not only learn more about your own cultural identity but also develop strategies to communicate effectively across cultures.
© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010
© admin for Communicaid Blog | Cross Cultural Training and International Communication Skills, 2010. |
Permalink |
No comment |
Add to
del.icio.us
Post tags: Chile cultural values, Chile national identity, Chilean miners, cultural awareness, Cultural Awareness training, cultural identity, Cultural values, Culture, culture courses
Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh