跨文化交際書(shū)上案例分析case

1、Case1Inthiscase,thereseemedtobeproblemsincommunicatingwithpeopleofdifferentculturesinspiteoftheeffortsmadetoachieveunderstanding.WeshouldknowthatinEgyptasinmanycultures,thehumanrelationshipisvaluedsohighlythatitisnotexpressedinanobjectiveandimpersonalway.WhileAmericanscertainlyvaluehumanrelationship

2、s,theyaremorelikelytospeakoftheminlesspersonal,moreobjectiveterms.Inthiscase,Richardsmistakemightbethathechosetopraisethefooditselfratherthanthetotalevening,forwhichthefoodwassimplythesettingorexcuse.Forhishostandhostessitwasasifhehadattendedanartexhibitandcomplimentedtheartistbysaying,Whatbeautiful

3、framesyourpicturesarein.IIInJapanthesituationmaybemorecomplicated.Japanesepeoplevalueorderandharmonyamongpersonsinagroup,andthattheorganizationitselfbeitafamilyoravastcorporationismorevaluedthanthecharacteristicsofanyparticularmember.Incontrast,Americansstressindividualityasavalueandareapttoassertin

4、dividualdifferenceswhentheyseemjustifiablyinconflictwiththegoalsorvaluesofthegroup.Inthiscase:Richardsmistakewasinmakinggreateffortstodefendhimself.Lettheothersassumethattheerrorswerenotintentional,butitisnotrighttodefendyourself,evenwhenyourunstatedintentistoassistthegroupbywarningothersofsimilarmi

5、stakes.Asimpleapologyandacceptanceoftheblamewouldhavebeenappropriate.ButforpoorRichardtohavemerelyapologizedwouldhaveseemedtohimtobesubservient,unmanly.WhenitcomestoEngland,weexpectfewerproblemsbetweenAmericansandEnglishmenthanbetweenAmericansandalmostanyothergroup.Inthiscasewemightlookbeyondthegest

6、ureoftakingsugarorcreamtothevaluesexpressedinthisgesture:forAmericans,HelpyourselfII;fortheEnglishcounterpart,Bemyguest.IIAmericanandEnglishpeopleequallyenjoyentertainingandbeingentertainedbuttheydiffersomewhatinthevalueofthedistinction.Typically,theidealguestatanAmericanpartyisonewhomakeshimselfath

7、ome,Ieventothepointofansweringthedoororfixinghisowndrink.Forpersonsinmanyothersocieties,includingatleastthishypotheticalEnglishhost,suchguestbehaviorispresumptuousorrude.Case2Acommonculturalmisunderstandinginclassesinvolvesconflictsbetweenwhatissaidtobedirectcommunicationstyleandindirectcommunicatio

8、nstyle.InAmericanculture,peopletendtosaywhatisontheirmindsandtomeanwhattheysay.Therefore,studentsinclassareexpectedtoaskquestionswhentheyneedclarification.MexicanculturesharesthispreferenceofstylewithAmericancultureinsomesituations,andthatswhythestudentsfromMexicoreadilyadoptedthetechniquesofaskingq

9、uestionsinclass.However,Koreanpeoplegenerallypreferindirectcommunicationstyle,andthereforetheytendtonotsaywhatisontheirmindsandtorelymoreonimplicationsandinference,soastobepoliteandrespectfulandavoidlosingfacethroughanyimproperverbalbehavior.Asismentionedinthecase,tomanyKoreans,numerousquestionswoul

10、dshowadisrespectfortheteacher,andwouldalsoreflectthatthestudenthasnotstudiedhardenough.Case3Theconflicthereisadifferenceinculturalvaluesandbeliefs.Inthebeginning,MarydidnrtealizethatherDominicansistersawherasamemberofthefamily,literally.IntheDominicanview,familypossessionsaresharedbyeveryoneofthefam

11、ily.LuzwasactingasmostDominicansisterswoulddoinborrowingwithoutaskingeverytime.OnceMaryunderstoodthattherewasadifferentwayoflookingatthis,shewouldbecomemoreaccepting.However,shemightstillexperiencethesamefrustrationwhenthishappenedagain.Shehadtofindwaystocopewithherownemotionalculturalreactionaswell

12、asherpracticalproblem(thebatteriesrunningout).Case4Itmightbesimplyaquestionofdifferentrhythms.Americanshaveonerhythmintheirpersonalandfamilyrelations,intheirfriendlinessandtheircharities.Peoplefromothercultureshavedifferentrhythms.TheAmericanrhythmisfast.Itischaracterizedbyarapidacceptanceofothers.H

13、owever,itisseldomthatAmericansengagethemselvesentirelyinafriendship.Theirfriendshipsarewarm,butcasual,andspecialized.Forexample,youhaveaneighborwhodropsbyinthemorningforcoffee.Youseeherfrequently,butyouneverinviteherfordinner-notbecauseyoudontthinkshecouldhandleaforkandaknife,butbecauseyouhaveseenhe

14、rthatmorning.Therefore,youreserveyourmoreformalinvitationtodinnerforsomeonewholivesinamoredistantpartofthecityandwhomyouwouldnotseeunlessyouextendedaninvitationforaspecialoccasion.Now,ifthefirstfriendmovesawayandthesecondonemovesnearby,youarelikelytoreversethis-seethesecondfriendinthemorningsforinfo

15、rmalcoffeemeetings,andthefirstoneyouwillinvitemoreformallytodinner.Americansare,inotherwords,guidedveryoftenbytheirownconvenience.Theytendtomakefriendseasily,andtheydontfeelitnecessarytogotoagreatamountoftroubletoseefriendsoftenwhenitbecomesinconvenienttodoso,andusuallynooneishurt.Butinsimilarcircum

16、stancespeoplefrommanyothercultureswouldbehurtverydeeply.Case5InChina,itisoftennotpolitetoacceptafirstofferandHepingwasbeingmodest,politeandwell-behavedandhadeveryintentionofacceptingthebeeratthesecondorthirdoffer.ButhehadnotfiguredonNorthAmericanruleswhichfirmlysaythatyoudonotpushalcoholicbeverageso

17、nanyone.Apersonmaynotdrinkforreligiousreasons,hemaybeareformedalcoholic,orhemaybeallergic.Whateverthereasonbehindtherule,youdonotinsistinofferingalcohol.SounconsciousandsostrongaretheirculturalrulesthattheAmericansequallypolitelynevermadeasecondofferofbeertoHepingwhoprobablythoughtNorthAmericansmost

18、uncouth.However,whatwehavetorememberisthatculturesareseldomastricteither-orineveryinstanceforallpeopleandtherearealwaysindividualdifferences.ProbablythisyoungChinesenursewasverydifferentfromHepingor,unlikeHeping,shemayhaveknownsomethingabouttheAmericanculturalrulesandwasjusttryingtobehavelikeanAmeri

19、canwhenshewasinanAmericanfamily.Case6Whenaspeakersayssomethingtoahearer,thereareatleastthreekindsofmeaningsinvolved:utterancemeaning,speakersmeaningandhearersmeaning.Inethdialogue,whenLitzsaidHowlongisshegoingtostay?shemeanttosaythatifsheknewhowlonghermother-in-lawwasgoingtostayinFinland,shewouldbea

20、bletomakeproperarrangementsforher,suchastakingherouttodosomesightseeing.However,hermother-in-lawoverheardtheconversation,andtookLitzsquestiontomeanLitzdoesnotwantmetostayforlongII.FromtheChinesepointofview,itseemstobeinappropriateforLitztoasksuchaquestionjusttwodaysafterhermother-in-lawsarrival.Isfh

21、efeelsshehastoaskthequestion,itwouldbebettertoasksometimelaterandsheshouldnotlethermother-in-lawhearit.Case7Keikoinsistsongivingvaluablegiftstohercollegefriends,becauseincountrieslikeJapan,exchanginggiftsisastronglyrootedsocialtradition.Shouldyoureceiveagift,anddonthaveonetoofferinreturn,youwillprob

22、ablycreateacrisis.Ifnotasseriousasacrisis,onewhodoesntoffeargiftinreturnmaybeconsideredrudeorimpolite.Therefore,inJapan,giftsareasymbolicwaytoshowappreciation,respect,gratitudeandfurtherrelationship.KeikoobviouslyhastakenthoseuseditemsfromMary,EdandMarionasgifts,forsheprobablydoesntknowthatAmericans

23、frequentlydonatetheirusedhouseholditemstochurchortothecommunity.Mary,EdandMarionwouldneverconsiderthoseusedhouseholditemsgivento29Keikoasgifts.NowondertheyfeltveryuncomfortablewhentheyreceivedvaluablegiftsinreturCase8AstheChinesegirlAmyfellinlovewithanAmericanboyatthattime,itseemsthatshepreferredtoc

24、elebrateChristmasintheAmericanway,forshewantedverymuchtoappearthesameasotherAmericangirl.ShedidnotliketoseeherboyfriendfeeldisappointedattheshabbyIIChineseChristmas.ThatswhyshecriedwhenshefoundoutherparentshadinvitedtheministersfamilyoverfortheChristmasEvedinner.ShethoughtthemenufortheChristmasmealc

25、reatedbyhermotherastrangeonebecausetherewerenoroastturkeyandsweetpotatoesbutonlyChinesefood.Howcouldshenoticethenthefoodschosenbyhermotherwereallherfavorites?Fromthiscase,wecanfindalotofdifferencesbetweentheChineseandWesternculturesinwhatisappropriatefoodforabanquet,whataregoodtablemanners,andhowone

26、shouldbehavetobehospitable.However,oneshouldneverfeelshamefuljustbecauseonescultureisdifferentfromothers.AsAmysmothertoldher,youmustbeproudtobedifferent,andyouronlyshameistohaveshame.Case9HierarchyissignificantintheJapaneseculture.ThisstructureisreflectedeverywhereinJapaneselife,athome,school,commun

27、ity,organizations,andtraditionalinstitutionssuchasmartialartsorflowerarrangements.Inthiscase,theyoungchairmanmusthavehadhisownideasabouthowtomanagethecompany;however,whenencounteredwithhisgrandfathersdissentingopiniosn,hedarednottotakeastandagainsthim.Thismaymanifesttherigidhierarchicalstructureinth

28、eJapanesesociety.IntheJapanesesociety,howhierarchyisformeddependsmainlyonseniority,socialroles,andgender.Asarespectableseniormemberofthefamilyandtheformerleaderofthecompany,thegrandfatherobviouslyoverpoweredtheinexperiencedyoungchairman.Inotherwords,thegrandfatherseemedtobeanabsoluteauthorityforthey

29、oungchairman.InJapaneseculture,challengingordisagreeingwitheldersopinionswouldbedeemedasbeingdisrespectfulandisoftencondemned.Peopleinlowerpositionsareexpectedtobeloyalandobedienttoauthority.Thatswhytheyoungchairmandidntsayanythingbutjustnoddedandagreedwithhisgrandfather.ButPhilseemedtoknowlittleabo

30、uttheJapanesecultureinthisaspect.InmanyWesterncultures,particularlyAmericanculture,seniorityseldommattersverymuchinsuchsituations,andyoungpeopleareusuallyencouragedtochallengeauthorityandvoicetheirownopinions.Unfortunately,hisoutspokenprotestcouldeasilyoffendthegrandfatherandhemightberegardedasarude

31、andill-bredpersonbyotherJapanese.Case10InJapan,acompanyisoftenverymuchlikeabigfamily,inwhichthemanger(s)willtakegoodcareoftheemployeesandtheemployeesareexpectedtodevotethemselvestothedevelopmentofthecompanyand,ifitisnecessary,tosacrificetheirownindividualinterestsfortheinterestsofthe44company,fromwh

32、ich,inthelongrun,theemployeeswillbenefitgreatly.ButfortheFrench,acompanyisjustaloosely-knitsocialorganizationwhereinindividualsaresupposedtotakecareofthemselvesandtheirfamilies.Moreover,thewaytheFrenchmakedecisionsinthefamilymightalsobedifferentfromthetypicalJapaneseone,whichmaynotofteninvolvefemale

33、sandthepowertodecideusuallylieswiththedominatingmale.AstherearesuchculturaldifferencesbetweentheJapaneseandtheFrench,Mr.LegranddescisionmadeMr.Tanakafeeldumbfounded.Case11Incidentssuchasthesecanpointtopossibleculturaldifferencesinso-calledpoliteIIbehavior,andatthesametimehighlightthetendencyforpeopletoreactemotionallytounexpectedbehavior.Peopleinmostcultureswouldprobablyagreethatanapologyisneededwhenanoffenceorviolationofsocialnormshastakenplace.However,theremaybedifferingopinionsastowhenweshouldapologize(whatsituationscallforanapology)andhowweshouldapologize.TomanyWesterners,Japanese