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Cultural observation: Implementing change in society

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Your assignment is to provide a comprehensive discussion and analysis of a selection of the power of space, rituals, signs and symbols that reinforce culture, and to explain how these can act as bar ... riers and inhibitors, or as enablers and transition symbols of culture change. In conducting this analysis, you should include photographs, provide artefacts (web, logos, etc.), and to make observations of the symbolic elements of an organization of choice. The cultural observation matrix provided below should inform your assignment, but it is not necessary that this is submitted in the tabular format provided below. It is recommended that you only focus on two or three cultural elements in your chosen organisation. Assignments that analyse fewer cultural elements in greater depth tend to be awarded more marks than those that superficially explore a large number of cultural elements. Why are you doing this task? Most people think change is about identifying a vision and mission, and verbalising it. They will create a project plan, do lots of communication, spend lots of money – and as we know about 70% of change projects still fail. Experience shows that often it fails because we do not pay sufficient attention to the symbolic and material aspects of culture – those things that are wrapped up in our identity. For example, many religions have clear symbolic interactions to reinforce what they do (confession, circumcision, baptism, marriage etc.), and these become socially embedded and hard to change, even when they no longer serve an obvious purpose. Another example might be the university graduation ceremony. You no longer need to attend the ceremony to get your degree, but for many people the ceremony is an extremely important ritual, dating back over 800 years. In some cultures, it is critical that a child graduates from university. In many families, a picture of their child in their gown, holding their degree, may sit proudly as a symbolic representation [Show More]

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