跨文化交际案例分析.docx
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跨文化交际案例分析
Case1:
SheHasThreeHands
Inthefollowingscenario,aChinesedoctor,apatientandaphysiotherapistinteract.
AfemaleneurologistfromBeijingwasworkingonaresearchprojectinaTorontohospital.ShesharedasmallofficewithayoungCanadianmalefromalargefamily,wholovedpeanutbutter.Hewassofondofpeanutbutterthathekeptajarintheoffice.Onedayhecameintotheofficeandexclaimed,“Whotookmypeanutbutter?
”ButtheChinesewomanimmediatelyfeltaccused.Afterall,therewereonlytwoofthemintheoffice.
Shewasdeeplydistressed,buttruetoherlearnedculturalbehaviorofnevershowingangerinpublic,shesaidnothing.Laterthatdayshewasworkinginaroomwherethephysiotherapistwastreatingapatientwhosufferedparalysisofhislegsandarmsfromamotorcycleaccident.Thephysiotherapistmovedoneofthepatient’slegsinawaythatcausedhimpain.
“Ouch!
”hecried.
“Oh,Ididn’tdothat,”saidthephysiotherapist.“Itwasthatdoctoroverthere,”andhepointedtotheChinesewoman.
“Howcouldshehavedoneitsinceshe’sontheothersideoftheroom?
”thepatientpointedout.
“Ah,shehasthreehands.”thephysiotherapistreplied.
AtthesewordstheChinesedoctorbecameevenmoreupset.Shewassodisturbedthatshebehavedinawayuncharacteristicofherculture.Shewaiteduntilthepatienthadgone,andthensaidtothephysiotherapist,“I’mveryupsetbywhatyousaid.”Thephysiotherapistwastakenaback.“WhathadIsaid?
”“YousaidIhadthreehands,”theChinesedoctorfinallychoked.“YouthinkItookthepeanutbutter.”
Answerthefollowingquestions:
1.Howdoyouunderstandthephrase“tohavethreehands”?
(3分)
2.Whatcausedtheircommunicationconflicts?
(7分)
Case1:
ThiscasecanreflectthedifferentcommunicationstylesbetweenChineseandCanadians.Inwesterncultures,communicationisthemeansoftransmittingideas.Westernpeopleusuallycommunicatedirectlywitheachother.ThatiswhytheCanadianinthiscasesayswhatisinhisminddirectlyinfrontoftheChinesewomanwithouthidinganything.WhileChineseculturestressesharmonyandemphasizestherelationshipsbetweenthecommunicators.Chinesepeopleviewcommunicationasaprocesswhereallpartiesaresearchingtodevelopandmaintainasocialrelationship.SotheChinesewomaninthiscasetriesnottoarguewiththeCanadianfacetofacetokeepthe“harmoniousrelationship”betweenthem.
Case2:
LeftintheCold
KatherinecametoBeijingin1998andfoundajobasanEnglishteacherinaforeignlanguageinstitute.Soonafterherclassesbeganshefoundthatherstudentsshowednointerestinherteachingstyle.Quiteafewofthemavoidedattendingherclass.ShewasfeelingquiteupsetanddiscouragedsoshedecidedtoasktheDirector,Prof.Wangforhelp.Prof.Wangreviewedhistimetableandsuggestedtheymeetatteno’clockonThursdaymorning.WhenThursdaycame,KatherinearrivedatProf.Wang’sofficeattheexactlyteno’clockfindinghimtalkingwithanotherteacherinChinese.Seeingthatshehadcome,Prof.Wangsmiledandgesturedhertositdown.Katherinesatdownandtheprofessorexcusedhimselfandcontinuedtotalkwiththeotherteacher.Afterfiveminutes,hefinishedhisconversation,andapologizedtoKatherine,andbegantofocushisattentiononhersituation.Prof.Wangshowedgreatconcernandaskedherwhattheproblemwas.Justasshewasdiscussingherproblem,anotherChineseteacherinterrupted,withaformthatrequiredtheDirector’ssignature.TheDirectorsmiled,apologizedtoKatherineagain,andturnedtotalkwiththeChineseteacherinChinese.Katherinebecameimpatient,andwonderedwhytheirdiscussionshouldbeinterruptedsinceshehadmadeanappointment.Also,shewasupsetandfrustratedthattheycontinuedtospeakChineseinfrontofher.Althoughtheirtalkcontinued,shewasapparentlyunhappyaboutwhathadhappened.
Answerthefollowingquestions:
1.HowwouldyouexplaintheDirector’sbehaviortowardKathrine?
(5分)
2.HowwouldyoumaketheDirectorunderstandwhyKatherinefeltfrustratedandangry?
(5分)
Case2:
Comment
ThisisatypicalculturalclashbetweenChineseandWesterners.Thereisagreatdifferenceintheconceptofappointmentanditsbehaviorpatternindifferentcultures.ToAmericans,anappointmentisaconfirmationtomeetataprecisetime.Ifanappointmentisscheduled,bothpartiesshouldrespecttheappointmenttime.Forexample,ifaprofessormakesanappointmentwithastudentatacertaintime,itshouldnotbeinterruptedbyotherthingsorpeople.Inaddition,Westernersaregoodtimekeepers;theyadherestrictlytoschedules.However,Chineseviewappointmentsinamoreflexiblemanner.Theyaremorecasualaboutcommitments.ThisdifferenceinattitudestowardappointmentwastherootofKatherine’sunhappiness.SincetheDirectormadeantena’clockappointment,heshouldhavetriedtoavoidanyinterruption.However,whenKatherinearrivedontime,theDirectorwasstilltalkingwithanotherteacher.Whentheirmeetingfinallybegan,itwasinterruptedagain.ThereisnowonderKatherinebecamefrustratedandangry.
Case3:
PersonalSpace
MarkhadrecentlymovedfromDenmarktoSydneytoworkasasalespersonforalargeAustraliancompany.Afterthreeweeks,hewasinvitedtojoinalocalclub.Duringthefirstfewweeksattheclub,Markwouldeitherstandinthecornertalkingwithsomeoneorsitonasofalisteningtootherpeopletalkandchat.Astimewentby,hecametoknowmostoftheclubmembersandseemedtoenjoytalkingwiththem.Oneday,ataneveningpartyoneofthefemalemembersapproachedhim.Markimmediatelyshowedhisinterestbytalkingabouttheatmosphereoftheparty.Atfirst,theconversationbetweenthemseemedtogoquitesmoothly,butasitprogressedtheladyseemedtostepfurtherandfurtherawayfromMarkashehadbeengraduallymovingclosertoher.Theladyobviouslyseemeduncomfortable.AsMarkwasabouttoaskherquestionsregardingAustraliansocialcustoms,anothermanstandingnearbydirectedaglancetowardthelady.Sheexcusedherselfandwenttotalkwiththatman,leavingMarkstandingaloneandwonderingwhytheirconversationhadcometosuchasuddenstop.
Answerthefollowingquestion
1.WhydidthatwomansuddenlystoptalkingwithMarkandturnedtoanotherman?
(10分)
Case3:
Thisisatypicalcaseofmisunderstandingcausedbydifferentperceptionsabutbodydistance.
Thereisalotofevidencetoshowthatbodydistancevarieswithdifferentpeople,differentcircumstances,anddifferentcultures.InDenmark,ataformalevent,theintimatespaceisusuallybetween20to30centimeters;whileinAustraliasuchanoccasionrequiresabodydistanceof40to50centimeters.ThereforewhenaDanetalkswithanAustralian,theproblemarises:
theDaneisaccustomedtoaclosedistancewhiletheAustralianiscomfortablewithagreatdistance.
Inthiscase,Mark,bytryingtoestablishhisnormalintimatespace,infringedontheAustralianlady’sspace.Becauseofthis,shefeltsomewhatthreatenedandlosthersenseofcomfort.Atthatmoment,thenearbymanofferedhertheopportunitytoexcuseherselffromMark.IfMarkhadhadsomeknowledgeabouttheexpectedpersonalspaceforAustralians,theencountermighthavebeentotallydifferent.
Case4
LiMing,amaleChinesegraduatestudent,studiedintheUnitedStates.HesharedaroomwithhisAmericanclassmateTonyinaresidencehall.Attheverybeginning,LiMingfounditeasyandenjoyabletogetalongwithTony,forhewasanopen-mindedpersonandsometimeshecouldgiveLiMingquitealotofhelpfuladvice.Butlater,LiMingfeltitreallyhardtodotherealeffectivecommunication.Forexample:
OnedayTonywentintothebathroomandcompletelyshavedhishead.LiMingeasilydiscoveredthisfactwhenhehimselfvisitedthebathroomandsawthehaireverywhere.HereturnedtohisroomandsaidtoTony,“You’veshavedyourhead.”Tonyreplied,“Yeah,Idid.”
LiMingwaitedawhile,thensaid,Idiscoveredyou’dshavedyourheadwhenIwentintothebathroomandsawthehair.“Yeah.”Tonyconfirmed.LiMingwasataloss.HebelievedhehadcommunicatedinthestrongestpossiblelanguagehiswishthattheAmericanwouldcleanupthemesshe’dmadeinthebathroom.ButLiMingwasverymuchdisappointedathisroommateTony!
LaterhediscussedthesurprisingepisodewithsomeChinesefriendswhotoldhim,“Listen,withAmericansyouactuallyhavetosay:
Cleanupthebathroom!
”LiMingbelievedhismessagehadbeenveryclear.However,hewasrelyingonthecontextofthecommunicationforthemessagetobeunderstood:
hairwasalloverthebathroom,andhisroommatenowwasbare-headed.
Questions:
1.WhydoyouthinktheAmericanstudentTonyfailedtounderstandwhathisChineseroommateLiMinghadwantedtosay?
2.SupposethemaincharactersinthestoryaretwoChinesestudentsortwoAmericanstudents,inwhatwaywilltheydealwiththematter?
Case 7 (P30)
Case analysis:
Cultural differences decide the two students are going to communicate in different ways. 案例分析:
文化差异决定这两个学生要沟通的方式不同。
The Chinese student wants the American student to understand the underlying means of his words, but the American student is used to the direct style of communication. This is decided by culture. In Chinese culture, people want to save face of both themselves and others, so they would not express their ideas directly. However, in the United States, unless you express yourself clearly and directly, the others cannot understand you.
Case5
BartRapsonhadbroughthisfamilytothePhilippinesonajobassignmentforamultinatioalcorporation.Whilenotparticularlyreligiousthemselves,havinglargelyabando