新编跨文化交际 Case Study.docx
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新编跨文化交际CaseStudy
Case1
Inthiscase,thereseemedtobeproblemsincommunicatingwithpeopleofdifferentculturesin
spiteoftheeffortsmadetoachieveunderstanding.WeshouldknowthatinEgyptasinmanycultures,thehumanrelationshipisvaluedsohighlythatitisnotexpressedinanobjectiveandimpersonalway.WhileAmericanscertainlyvaluehumanrelationships,theyaremorelikelytospeakoftheminlesspersonal,moreobjectiveterms.Inthiscase,Richard‘smistakemightbethathechosetopraisethefooditselfratherthanthetotalevening,forwhichthefoodwassimplythesettingorexcuse.Forhishostandhostessitwasasifhehadattendedanartexhibitandcomplimentedtheartistbysaying,―Whatbeautifulframesyourpicturearein.‖
InJapanthesituationmaybemorecomplicated.Japanesepeoplevalueorderandharmony
amongpersonsinagroup,andthattheorganizationitself-beitafamilyoravastcorporation-is
morevaluedthanthecharacteristicsofanyparticularmember.Incontrast,Americansstress
individualityasavalueandareapttoassertindividualdifferenceswhentheyseemjustifiablyin
conflictwiththegoalsorvaluesofthegroup.Inthiscase:
Richard‘smistakewasinmakinggreat
effortstodefendhimself.Lettheothersassumethattheerrorswerenotintentional,butitisnotrighttodefendyourself,evenwhenyourunstatedintentistoassistthegroupbywarningothersofsimilarmistakes.Asimpleapologyandacceptanceoftheblamewouldhavebeenappropriate.ButforpoorRichardtohavemerelyapologizedwouldhaveseemedtohimtobesubservient,unmanly.WhenitcomestoEngland,weexpectfewerproblemsbetweenAmericansandEnglishmethanbetweenAmericansandalmostanyothergroup.Inthiscasewemightlookbeyondthegestureoftakingsugarorcreamtothevaluesexpressedinthisgesture:
forAmericans,―Helpyourself‖;fotheEnglishcounterpart,―Bemyguest.‖AmericanandEnglishpeopleequallyenjoyentertainingandbeingentertainedbuttheydiffersomewhatinthevalueofthedistinction.Typically,theidealguestatanAmericanpartyisonewho―makeshimselfathome,‖eventothepointofansweringthedoororfixinghisowndrink.Forpersonsinmanyothersocieties,includingatleastthishypotheticalEnglishhost,suchguestbehaviorispresumptuousorrude.
Case2
Acommonculturalmisunderstandinginclassesinvolvesconflictsbetweenwhatissaidtobe
directcommunicationstyleandindirectcommunicationstyle.InAmericanculture,peopletendto
saywhatisontheirmindsandtomeanwhattheysay.Therefore,studentsinclassareexpectedto
askquestionswhentheyneedclarification.Mexicanculturesharesthispreferenceofstylewith
Americancultureinsomesituations,andthat‘swhythestudentsfromMexicoreadilyadoptedthe
techniquesofaskingquestionsinclass.However,Koreanpeoplegenerallypreferindirect
communicationstyle,andthereforetheytendtonotsaywhatisontheirmindsandtorelymoreon
implicationsandinference,soastobepoliteandrespectfulandavoidlosingfacethroughany
improperverbalbehavior.Asismentionedinthecase,tomanyKoreans,numerousquestionswouldshowadisrespectfortheteacher,andwouldalsoreflectthatthestudenthasnotstudiedhardenough.
Case3
Theconflicthereisadifferenceinculturalvaluesandbeliefs.Inthebeginning,Marydidn‘trealizethatherDominicansistersawherasamemberofthefamily,literally.IntheDominicanview,familypossessionsaresharedbyeveryoneofthefamily.LuzwasactingasmostDominicansisterwoulddoinborrowingwithoutaskingeverytime.OnceMaryunderstoodthattherewasadifferentwayoflookingatthis,shewouldbecomemoreaccepting.However,shemightstillexperiencethesamefrustrationwhenthishappenedagain.Shehadtofindwaystocopewithherownemotionalculturalreactionaswellasherpracticalproblem(thebatteriesrunningout).
Case4
Itmightbesimplyaquestionofdifferentrhythms.Americanshaveonerhythmintheirpersonal
andfamilyrelations,intheirfriendlinessandtheircharities.Peoplefromothercultureshave
differentrhythms.TheAmericanrhythmisfast.Itischaracterizedbyarapidacceptanceofothers.
However,itisseldomthatAmericansengagethemselvesentirelyinafriendship.Theirfriendships
arewarm,butcasual,andspecialized.Forexample,youhaveaneighborwhodropsbyinthe
morningforcoffee.Youseeherfrequently,butyouneverinviteherfordinner---notbecauseyou
don‘tthinkshecouldhandleaforkandaknife,butbecauseyouhaveseenherthatmorning.
Therefore,youreserveyourmoreformalinvitationtodinnerforsomeonewholivesinamore
distantpartofthecityandwhomyouwouldnotseeunlessyouextendedaninvitationforaspecial
occasion.Now,ifthefirstfriendmovesawayandthesecondonemovesnearby,youarelikelyto
reversethis---seethesecondfriendinthemorningsforinformalcoffeemeetings,andthefirstoneyouwillinvitemoreformallytodinner.
Americansare,inotherwords,guidedveryoftenbytheirownconvenience.Theytendtomake
friendseasily,andtheydon‘tfeelitnecessarytogotoagreatamountoftroubletoseefriendsoftenwhenitbecomesinconvenienttodoso,andusuallynooneishurt.Butinsimilarcircumstancespeoplefrommanyothercultureswouldbehurtverydeeply.
Case5
InChina,itisoftennotpolitetoacceptafirstofferandHepingwasbeingmodest,politeand
well-behavedandhadeveryintentionofacceptingthebeeratthesecondorthirdoffer.Buthehad
notfiguredonNorthAmericanruleswhichfirmlysaythatyoudonotpushalcoholicbeverageson
anyone.Apersonmaynotdrinkforreligiousreasons,hemaybeareformedalcoholic,orhemaybeallergic.Whateverthereasonbehindtherule,youdonotinsistinofferingalcohol.SounconsciousandsostrongaretheirculturalrulesthattheAmericansequallypolitelynevermadeasecondofferofbeertoHepingwhoprobablythoughtNorthAmericansmostuncouth.
However,whatwehavetorememberisthatculturesareseldomastricteither-orineveryinstanceforallpeopleandtherearealwaysindividualdifferences.ProbablythisyoungChinesenursewasverydifferentfromHepingor,unlikeHeping,shemayhaveknownsomethingabouttheAmericanculturalrulesandwasjusttryingtobehavelikeanAmericanwhenshewasinanAmericanfamily.
Case6
Whenaspeakersayssomethingtoahearer,thereareatleastthreekindsofmeaningsinvolved:
utterancemeaning,speaker‘smeaningandhearer‘smeaning.Inthedialogue,whenLitzsaid‗Howlongisshegoingtostay?
‘shemeanttosaythatifsheknewhowlonghermother-in-lawwasgoingtostayinFinland,shewouldbeabletomakeproperarrangementsforher,suchastakingherouttodosomesightseeing.However,hermother-in-lawoverheardtheconversation,andtookLitz‘squestiontomean―Litzdoesnotwantmetostayforlong‖.FromtheChinesepointofview,itseemstobeinappropriateforLitztoasksuchaquestionjusttwodaysafterhermother-in-law‘sarrival.Ifshefeelsshehastoaskthequestion,itwouldbebettertoasksometimelaterandsheshouldnotlethermother-in-lawhearit.
Case7
Keikoinsistsongivingvaluablegiftstohercollegefriends,becauseincountrieslikeJapan,
exchanginggiftsisastronglyrootedsocialtradition.Shouldyoureceiveagift,anddon‘thaveone
toofferinreturn,youwillprobablycreateacrisis.Ifnotasseriousasacrisis,onewhodoesn‘tofferagiftinreturnmaybeconsideredrudeorimpolite.Therefore,inJapan,giftsareasymbolicwaytoshowappreciation,respect,gratitudeandfurtherrelationship.KeikoobviouslyhastakenthoseuseditemsfromMary,EdandMarionasgifts,forsheprobablydoesn‘tknowthatAmericansfrequentlydonatetheirusedhouseholditemstochurchortothecommunity.Mary,EdandMarionwouldneverconsiderthoseusedhouseholditemsgiventoKeikoasgifts.Nowondertheyfeltveryuncomfortablewhentheyreceivedvaluablegiftsinreturn.
Case8
AstheChinesegirlAmyfellinlovewithanAmericanboyatthattime,itseemsthatshepreferredtocelebrateChristmasintheAmericanway,forshewantedverymuchtoappearthesameasotherAmericangirl.Shedidnotliketoseeherboyfriendfeeldisappointedatthe―shabby‖ChineseChristmas.That‘swhyshecriedwhenshefoundoutherparentshadinvitedtheminister‘sfamilyoverfortheChristmasEvedinner.ShethoughtthemenufortheChristmasmealcreatedbyhermotherastrangeonebecausetherewerenoroastturkeyandsweetpotatoesbutonlyChinesefood.Howcouldshenoticethenthefoodschosenbyhermotherwereallherfavorites?
Fromthiscase,wecanfindalotofdifferencesbetweentheChineseandWesternculturesin
whatisappropriatefoodforabanquet,whataregoodtablemanners,andhowoneshouldbehavetobehospitable.However,oneshouldneverfeelshamefuljustbecauseone‘scultureisdifferentfromothers‘.AsAmy‘smothertoldher,youmustbeproudtobedifferent,andyouronlyshameistohaveshame.
Case
TomanyChinese,Mr.QianandMr.Zhaoarereallygoodfriends,fortheyhavehelpedeachotherfromtimetotime.SinceMr.ZhaolentMr.Qianalargesumofmoneytohelphisbusinessgetoverthedifficulty,Mr.QianwasgreatlyindebtedtoMr.Zhao.InChineseculture,friendshipmeansawillingnesstobeindebtedandtorepaythedebtmorethanowed.However,manyAmericans,likeJackson,wouldsaythatMr.Zhaowasaskingtoomuch,forwhattheyvaluemoreareindividualachievementandindependenceratherthanrelationshipwithoneanother,andtheydonotliketoputthemselvesinothers‘debt,especiallyin