跨文化交際期末

1、定義題1. What is “intercultural communication”? P6refer to communication between people whose cultural backgrounds are distinct enough to alter their communication event. There are three kinds of things you need to learn if you want to be able to communicate effectively with Westerners. First, you need

2、 to learn a foreign language, usually English. Second, you should learn as much as possible about Western cultures. However, studying English language and Western culture is not enough. You should also learn something about what happens when people from different cultures try to communicate with eac

3、h other in other words, intercultural communication. 2. What is a culture? P13 A culture is essentially a group of people who carry many of the same ideas in their heads. Culture: can been seen as shared knowledge, what people need to know in order to act appropriately in a given culture. Culture: a

4、 learned set of shared interpretations about beliefs, values, and norms, which affect the behavior of a relatively large group of people3. What are stereotypes?P13 Stereotypes means very broad generalizations such as “British people are polite,” “Americans are friendly”, and so forth. It is a deroga

5、tory word. It means that image, idea, character that has become fixed or standardized in a conventional form without individuality and is therefore false and shallow. Stereotypes may have a basis in fact, but they are too broad and shallow, and they give us the mistaken idea that a peoples culture c

6、an be summed up easily in a few short , simple statements. Stereotypes are also dangerous because they may trick us into believing that knowing a few stereotypes is the same thing as understanding another culture.4. What does “interpretation” means?P24 A very important aspect of intercultural commun

7、ication is “interpretation”, the process of deciding what foreigners words and actions mean and why they do what they do. For example, when Xiao Li tries to understand why the taxi driver asked for so much money, she is “interpreting” his behavior.5. Individualist p32Individualist culture is one in

8、which people tend to view themselves as individuals and emphasize the needs of individuals. In general, Western culture tends to be individualist. They view themselves as independent of collectives; are primarily motivated by their own preferences, needs, rights, and the contacts they have establish

9、ed with others; give priority to their personal goals over the goals of others; and emphasize rational analyses of the advantages and disadvantages to associating with others.6. Collectivist P32Collectivist culture is one in which people tend to view themselves as members of groups (families, work u

10、nits, tribes, nations), and usually consider the needs of the group to be more important than the needs of individuals. Most Asian cultures, including Chinas, tend to be collectivist. People see themselves as parts of one or more collectives; are primarily motivated by the norms of, and duties impos

11、ed by, those collectives; are willing to give priority to the goals of these collectives over their own personal goals; and emphasize their connectedness to members of these cultures.7. What is “hierarchy”?P50 Hierarchy is differences in rank and power. Every society has hierarchy to some degree. In

12、 other words, some people have higher rank and more power than others, perhaps because they are older, stronger, wealthier, or have some kind of official position. 8. What is “culture shock”?P58 “Culture shock” is often used to describe what happens whenever a person encounters a culture different f

13、rom his or her own. The term culture shock describes what happens when a sojourner from culture A goes to live in culture B, and needs to adapt to life there. The constant effort and uncertainty of dealing with a foreign language and culture can lead to a condition called “culture shock”. It is a fe

14、eling of being confused and overwhelmed by life in another culture. People who experience culture shock often feel fatigued, impatient and irritable. They may also begin trying to avoid interaction with foreigners, and even become increasingly critical and hostile toward them. Foreigners in China so

15、metimes experience culture shock and so do Chinese who go to live in other countries. 9. Low context P66 The way to communicate tends to be relatively explicit and direct. In other words, people tend to put most of heir ideas and feelings plainly and openly. Its generally considered a good thing to

16、“get the point” and “say what you mean”, and it is largely the speakers responsibility to ensure that his/her message is stated in a way that is clear and easy to understand.10. High context P66High context is more indirect and subtle and listeners are expected to take more responsibility for interp

17、reting messages correctly. People are expected to pay much attention to the context in which communication takes place and when people interpret what others mean, they often give more weight to the context than to the actual words said. In fact, people in high context cultures often view direct, exp

18、licit communication as unsophisticated or even rude.11. What is “projected cultural similarity”? P74Projected cultural similarity is a phenomenon which is the tendency to assume that people from other cultures basically think and feel more the same way we do. In other words, we sometimes assume that

19、 while foreigners may look different, dress differently, and speak different languages, inside we are all more or less the same. 12. “Loose” cultures P83“Loose” culture do not demand a high degree of conformity. In loose cultures, people have a relatively wide range of views as to what is considered

20、 normal behavior. Of course, such cultures have some consensus on what is and is not considered appropriate behavior, but the consensus is not very strong and there is often much disagreement. People in loose cultures also tend to be relatively tolerant of behavior that does not conform to cultural

21、norms.13. “Tight” cultures P83Tight cultures expect a relatively high degree of conformity. There is a clear consensus as to what is and is not acceptable behavior, and there is more pressure on people to conform to the norms of the culture.14. What is “ethnocentrism”? P93Ethnocentrism is the tenden

22、cy to think of ones own culture as being at the center of the world in other words, to assume that ones own cultures way of thinking and acting is more natural, normal, and correct than the way people from other cultures think and act.15. What are “in-groups” and “out-groups”? P107 In-Groups: “In-gr

23、oups” are the people we have the most in common with and identify most closely with, such as our family, classmates, or co-workers. We also have larger in-groups such as people who are from our own region, religious group, ethnic group, or nation. Out-groups: out groups are those groups of people wh

24、o we do not identify with-people from other families, regions, ethnic groups, or nations. Toward outsiders, we tend to be more critical, suspicious, and willing to pass harsh judgments.16. Collectivist cultures Collectivist generally have a high sense of loyalty and obligation to their in-groups, an

25、d will often go to great lengths to help people they consider members of their in-groups. However, they feel less obligation to outsiders. The main distinction people usually make is between “us” and “them”.17. Individualist western cultures P114While individualist westerners also treat outsiders di

26、fferently from members of their out-groups, the difference is generally not so great; for example, individualists generally assist members of their in-groups as much as collectivists would, but they may offer more assistance to outsiders than collectivists would. The main distinction people usually

27、make is between “me” and “others”.18. What are “war stories”? P125The term “war stories” originally referred to the kinds of stories soldiers would tell after experiences in battle. Now “war stories” refers more generally to any stories people tell after strange or stressful experiences, including s

28、tories about unusual encounters with foreigners. War stories naturally tend to be biased against outsiders, so they tend to reinforce negative views toward foreigners. Whats more, negative views based on an experience with one foreigner are often used as evidence to draw conclusions about foreigners

29、 in general.19. What is giving the benefit of the doubt? P142 When you encounter a foreigner whose behavior seems unusual or hard to understand, you should keep an open mind and try to delay or suspend interpretation. Giving the benefit of the doubt is less likely to cause us to think or act in ways

30、 that will unnecessarily damage our relationships with foreigners. 簡答題 (定義+評論）1. What are the problems in intercultural communication?/Why is it so hard to communicate with foreigners? P9 refer to communication between people whose cultural backgrounds are distinct enough to alter their communicatio

31、n event. Learn about what happens when people from different cultures try to communicate with each other in other words, intercultural communication. Part of the problem is that there are many different languages, so it is very hard to communicate with foreigners. Also, cultures are different and it

32、s difficult for foreigners to understand why students acted as they did. Another part of the problem is the way foreigners handle the intercultural communication. When Chinese do or say things that seem strange to them, foreigners tend to jump to conclusions and they are more likely to jump to negat

33、ive conclusions instead of considering other possible explanations for the Chinese students behavior. 2. What are the characteristics of Chinese culture? P17 定義“culture” 1. collectivism-emphasis on the doctrine of the mean 2. large power distance-hierarchy 3. Inter-group (in-group) harmony and avoid

34、ance of overt (covert) conflict in interpersonal relations 4. hypocritical 5. hypocrisy 6. belief in the “naturalness, necessity, and inevitability of hierarchy.” 7. inequality based on achievement, especially academic, moral, and financial achievement 8. belief that “the judgment of wise people” is

35、 a better way to regulate life than rigid, artificial laws 9. people exist “in and through relationship with others.” 10. academic emphasis on memory, attention to detail, and lengthy homework3. What are the virtues of Chinese culture? P31 定義“culture” 1. formality 2. hierarchy 3. industriousness/dil

36、igent/assiduous 4. being filial 5. hard work 6. modesty (modest)-humility (humble) 7. thriftyeconomical-frugalfrugality4. Comment on: “Never a borrower or lender be” P32定義“individualist” Individualist culture is one in which people tend to view themselves as individuals and emphasize the needs of in

37、dividuals. In general, Western culture tends to be individualist. They view themselves as independent of collectives; are primarily motivated by their own preferences, needs, rights, and the contacts they have established with others; give priority to their personal goals over the goals of others; a

38、nd emphasize rational analyses of the advantages and disadvantages to associating with others. “Never a borrower or a lender be”, this sentence means that it is best to not lend money to other people and to not borrow from other people. When we lend something we risk losing both the thing we lend an

39、d the friendship with that other person. To begin with, it is because westerners are in Individualist Cultures. Individualists tend to view themselves as individuals and to emphasize the needs of individuals. Individualists feel less obligation to others, whether they are in-groups or out-groups. Se

40、condly, because of their characteristics, their individualism, western people tend to be very independent and self-reliant. They will always solve their problems by themselves. So they dont want others to rely on them, either. 5. What are some differences between an individualist culture and a colle

41、ctivist one? P35 定義：individualist and collectivistThere are two basic difference between cultures. One illustration of the difference between collectivist and individualist cultures can be found in the way schools are organized. Chinese students generally function as a group. They are organized into

42、 class groups and have the same courses with students in the same class. In contrast, North American students are expected to function as individuals. They generally choose courses according to their own interests and have different classmates in different courses. Parties serve as another illustrat

43、ion. Chinese parties often have a group focus. Western parties are different, for example, the cocktail party in which people chat together in pairs or small groups and may change conversation partners during the party.6. What are some ways in which Western societies differ in how they view the issu

44、e of equality? P51 定義：equality 和 hierarchy Most modern societies believe that equality is a virtue, at least to some extent. In other words, people these societies try to minimize rank and power differences, and try to place limits on the power of people in authority. Hierarchy is differences in ran

45、k and power. Every society has hierarchy to some degree. In other words, some people have higher rank and more power than others, perhaps because they are older, stronger, wealthier, or have some kind of official position. In US culture, “equality” almost always means “equality of opportunity”, not

46、equal wealth. Americans tend to believe that, as much as possible, all people should be given an equal chance, but then people deserve whatever rewards they work for. In contrast, Western Europeans, especially, Scandinavians, tend to feel that equality of opportunity alone will not guarantee social

47、or material equality. So these cultures place more emphasis on material equality, and their tax and social welfare systems are designed to ensure that difference in wealth between citizens is not large.7. A prescription for culture shock. P61 “Culture shock” is often used to describe what happens wh

48、enever a person encounters a culture different from his or her own. The term culture shock describes what happens when a sojourner from culture A goes to live in culture B, and needs to adapt to life there.1. accept the occurrence of culture shock as natural2. learn about the host culture3. find a l

49、ogical reason for everything strange or bad about the host culture4. look for the positive things in the host culture5. avoid foreigners who are critical of the host country6. do not always say critical things about host culture7. keep a good sense of humor8. find another foreigner who knows the hos

50、t culture9. make friends with people from the host culture10. you wont lose your own culture11. keep busy and active12. if you feel fatigued, take a little vacation13. prepare a presentation about your own culture8. Why does PCS cause intercultural communication problems? P74Projected cultural simil

51、arity is the tendency to assume that people from other cultures basically think and feel more the same way we do. In other words, we sometimes assume that while foreigners may look different, dress differently, and speak different languages, inside we are all more or less the same. 1. People from di

52、fferent culture assume they understand each other instead of asking each other what they think. Because they each expect the other person to react more or less the same way they would, they dont check to see whether or not the other person actually has the same feelings and reactions they would. For

53、 this reason, the misunderstanding become worse over time rather than getting better. 2. Languages are different. 3. Misinterpret non-verbal communication. 4. Stereotypes and preconceptions. 5. Evaluate before really understanding.9. the golden rules -Do unto others what you would have them do unto

54、you. P77 定義 Projected cultural similarity The sentence means that its better not to do things to others what you dont want others do to you. This behavior shows the phenomena “Projected cultural similarity”. In our cultural system, if you dont like thing done to you, you just dont impose on others.

55、Its a kind of virtue. But from the aspect of PCS, people just assume people from other cultures view things the same way we do. What we think is right, we consider others will think it is right, too. However, it just doesnt work out like that. Because of different cultural background, we have differ

56、ent interpretations of everything happened .we can not expect others to think or act the same as we do.10. Comment on: conformity in Western cultures. P83 定義：”loose culture” and “tight culture” Chinese culture is tight culture ,and western cultures are loose cultures. So conformity in western cultur

57、es is less than that in Chinese culture.Western individualist cultures tend to be “l(fā)ooser” than collectivist cultures. This tendency toward looseness can be seen in a variety of ways. One reflection is a widespread reluctance to pass laws that prohibit unusual behavior. Another reflection can be see

58、n in Western advertising.11. Comment on: What factors lead to /contribute to looseness or tightness in culture？P86 定義：”loose culture” and “tight culture” 1. the degree of change in the population-the more people move, the looser and individualist a society tends to be“a country on the wheels” 2. the density of the populationsmall dense society tend to be collectivist, hence tighter. Large dense society tend to be more complex, hence not quite so tight-“a melting pot”3. the nu