跨文化交际案例分析.docx

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