The Effect Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions Have On Student-Teacher Relationships In The Korean Context

Abstract

This paper explores the role that culture plays in the classroom setting through Hofstedes Cultural Dimensions. Hofstede categorizes four dimensions of cultural differences, but this paper will focus on power distance, which Hofstede describes as the phenomenon in which less powerful members of a society accept inequality in power as a societal norm. The effect power distance has on student-teacher interactions in a Collectivist society, such as Korea, among South Korean University students and an EFL teacher from an Individualistic culture will be discussed.