跨文化交际许力生研究生英语cases.docx
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跨文化交际许力生研究生英语cases.docx
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跨文化交际许力生研究生英语cases
Case1:
P17
TheshippingagentisservingthecustomersinthewaythatisconsideredefficientinVenezuelanculture.TotheCanadian,however,thisisunfocusedactivitythatisnotnearlyasefficientasitwouldbe—particularlyfromherpointofview—iftheagentsimplydealtexclusivelywithherscheduledappointment.InCanada,businesspeopletypicallywriteappointmentsandactivitiesintotheday’sagendaeveryday.Theythenworksequentiallythroughtheagendauntiltheyhavecompletedeachtaskorthedayisover.Inotherwords,Canadiansprefertodoonethingatatime,whiletheSouthAmericans,includingVenezuelans,tendtodoafewthingssimultaneously.
Case2:
AsaWesterner,theAmericanvisitingprofessordoesnotquiteunderstandthecollectiveownershipofinformationinsomeotherculturalenvironments.Whatmadeherannoyedisadifferentattitudetowardinformationaboutpeople.IntheUnitedStates,itisgenerallyassumedthatpersonalmattersareprivate.Teachersgothroughelaborateprocedurestoassurethatstudentsdonothaveaccesstoeachother’sgrades.Inbusinessitisthesame.Evaluationsareconfidential.
Case3:
Asamatteroffact,theAmericanwomanwasnotbeingdisrespectful.However,itisclearthatherwayofshowingrespectandwelcomewasdifferentfromtheancienttraditionofkeepingphysicaldistancefromsuperiors,whichisstillwidelyobserved,especiallywhenroyaltyisinvolved.
PaulKeating,theAustralianprimeminister,mayhaveintendedtosuggestbyhisgesturethatAustraliawouldnolongeracceptthequeenasheadofstatebutjustasoneoftheirhonoredguests.Obviously,theBritishwouldnotlikeitatall.
Sometimes,suchseeminglytrivialthingscaninfluencerelationsbetweencountries.That’swhyprotocolistakenseriouslyandpeoplewhoarebegivendetailedandcarefulinstructions.
Case4:
P37
WeChineseareknownforourhospitality.Forexample,whenaChinesefamilyhasahouseguest,especiallyacloserelativeorafriendfromfaraway,likeaforeigner,theguestautomaticallybecomesthefocusofthewholefamily’sattention.Thehoststreattheirguesttothebestfoodtheycanaffordandtailorthefamilymenutotheirguest’staste.Sometimeseitherthehostorhostessasksforleavefromworktotaketheirguestsightseeing.
Americans,however,welcometheirguestsbytakingtheminasoneofthemselves,partofthefamily,withoutgivingthemanyspecialattention.Westernersmayfeelathomewiththis,butAsiansarenotusedtoitandmaymisinterpretitasneglect.
Case5:
Culturaldifferencenecessarilyimpliesdifferentassumptionsaboutnaturalandobviouswaystobepolite.
TotheAmerican,politenessrequirestalkbetweenstrangersforcedtoshareaboothinacafeteria,ifonlyafleeting“DoyoumindifIsitdown?
”oraconventional“Isanyonesittinghere?
”evenifit’sobviousnooneis.Theomissionofsuchtalkseemedtoherlikedreadfulrudeness.TheAmericancouldn’tseethatanothersystemofpolitenesswasatwork.(Shecouldseenothingbutred.)Bynotacknowledgingherpresence,theBritishcouplefreedherfromtheobligationtoacknowledgetheirs.TheAmericanexpectedashowofinvolvement;theBritishwerebeingpolitebynotimposing.
Case6:
TheChinesetraditionalvalueplaceduponmodesty,humility,andreservecanoftenbemisunderstoodbyWesterners,whoseculturesareverydifferent.Oneofthemostseriousdifficultiesforpeopleinvolvedininterculturalcommunicationisthattheyarenotonlypronetomisinterprettheintentionsofthosefromotherculturalbackgrounds,but,asinthiscase,theirownbehaviorisalsoopentoseriousmisinterpretation.Theresultisthattheynotonlytakeoffense,butfrequentlygiveitquiteunintentionally.Thissortofembarrassmentandmisunderstandingmayoftenoccurininteractionsbetweenmembersofdifferentculturesiftheyarenotfullyawareofsuchdifferencesinthewaytheybehaveverballyandnon-verbally.
Case7:
P63
WhentheCanadianyoungmansaid,"Whotookmypeanutbutter?
"whathereallymeantwas"Whereismypeanutbutter?
Ican’tfindit."TheChinesedoctorfeltaccusedandupsetbecauseinChineseculturequestionslikethis,especiallyexpressedinthewaytheyoungCanadianmandid,oftenimplythatsomeoneistoblame.Chinesecultureprohibitsdirectaccusationunlessapersonhasbeentargetedforshame.However,truetoherlearnedculturalbehaviorofnevershowingangerinpublic,theChinesedoctordidn’tsayanything,thoughshewasdeeplydistressed.
Later,thephysiotherapistwasmakingajokewhenshesaidtheChinesedoctorhad"threehands".Shewasn’tserious,ofcourse,andexpectedthepatienttobeamusedbyherfancifulexplanationforhispain:
thatthedoctorontheothersideoftheroomcouldhavereachedanimaginarythirdhandouttotouchhim.Shedidn’tknowthatinChinesea"third-handedperson"isslangforathief.
Case8:
InAmericanculture,people’spersonalgoalstakepriorityovertheirallegiancetogroupslikethefamilyortheemployer.Theloyaltyofindividualstoagivengroupisusuallyweak.Americansareapttochangetheirrelationshipifitsuitstheirindividualneeds,andtheyarenotlikelytobeemotionallydependentonorganizationsandinstitutions.
InJapanesesociety,therelationshipbetweenanemployeeandthefirmismuchmoreinterdependent,somewhatsimilartoachild-motherrelationshipwherethemother(firm)isobligedtotakecareofherchildren(employees)andchildren(employees)havetoobeyandfollowthecommandsoftheirmother(firm).
ItisnotsurprisingforanAmericantotrytofindanotherjobbeforeheorsheleaveshisorherpresentemployerifheorsheconsidersitnecessaryforhim-orherself.However,thisactionwasregardedbytheJapanesefirmasdisloyal,underminingthetrustbetweenthetwoparties.Inspiteofthis,themanagerofthefirmdidnotlikethepartingtobeunderstoodasBrentbeingfired,becausetheappearanceofharmonyandagreementwithinthegroup(thefirminthiscase)isimportantinJapanesesociety.
Case9:
Whentheywerebeingscoldedbythetrainersforbeingrepeatedlylateforafternoonsessions,theChinesetraineesfeltbewilderedbecausetheythoughtitinappropriatefortheCanadiantrainerstobecomesoangryaboutit.Intheiropinion,oneshouldnotlethim-orherselfbehaveasemotionallylikethis.Theappropriatewaytodealwithsuchapersonwouldbetobecomecoolertowardandmoredistantfromthepersonwhobehavedsoirresponsibly.Itwasunderstandablethatonewouldfeelangryinthissituationbutitwasnotappropriatetoshowanger,fortheotherpersonwouldcertainlylosefaceifangerweredirectedtowardhimorher,andtheangrypersonwouldlookfoolishandchildishandthereforewouldalsoloseface.
Canadiansseesuchsituationsinaverydifferentway.Theytendtoexplicitlyexpresshowtheyfeelandopenlycriticizethepersonwhotheythinkhasbeenwrongorirresponsible.Itseemstothemthatthishaslittletodowithface.
Case10:
P85
Theconflicthereisadifferentinculturevaluesandbeliefs.Inthebeginning,Marydidn’trealizethatherDominicansistersawherasamemberofthefamily.IntheDominicanview,familypossessionsaresharedbyeveryoneinthefamily.LuzwasactingasmostDominicansisterswoulddoinborrowingwithoutaskingeverytime.OnceMaryunderstoodthattherewasadifferentwayoflookingatthis,shewouldbecomemoreaccepting.However,shemightstillexperiencethesamefrustrationwhenthishappenedagain.Shehadtofindwaystocopewithherownemotionalculturalreactionaswellasherpracticalproblem(thebatteriesrunningout).
Case11:
SomepeoplemayarguethatthepeoplethesaleswomandealswithareintheUnitedStatesandthereforeshouldadapttoAmericanpractices.However,withthatattitude,thewomanwouldnotreachhercustomers,whoarefromEastAsiancountries.Asaresult,herbusinesssuccesswouldbelimited.HerabilitytocommunicateinEastAsianlanguagesandatthesametimeunderstandtheculturalbackgroundofherclientsmakeshersuccessful.Forinstance,byenteringintolong-termrelationshipswiththoseAsianpeople,shehasmorebusinessopportunities.
Case12:
Justasasayinggoes,"Oneman’smeatisanotherman’spoison."WhatweChineselovetoeat,suchasseacucumbersandsomeanimalparts,mayberegardedasawfulbyAmericans,andwhatAmericansprefertohave,forinstance,spaghettiorbakedbeans,maynotbeappreciatedbyChineseatall.ItispossiblethatbothChineseandAmericansmayenjoythesamefood,buthowtocookandeatitwillstillbeverydifferent.
WhenweChinesepeopleinviteguestsfordinner,wewouldusuallydoanelaboratemeat,withasmanyaseightortencourses,makingsuretherewillbemorethanenoughfoodonthetable.Oftenthecourseswillbebroughttothetableoneafteranother.Sothehostandhostessmayhavetobebusycookingwhenthedinnerhasalreadystarted.Incontrast,averytypicalAmericanmealwillbeginwithdrinksandsomesmallitemsoffoodknownasappetizers.Itusuallyfeatureslargeamountsofasmallnumberofdishes,servedallatthesametime.Americansprefertogeteverythingreadybeforetheguestsarrive.ByourChinesestandards,anAmericanmealoftenappearstobetoocasualandsimpletoentertainone’sguests.
Case13:
P116
Inthiscase,theoldChinesemanfounditunnecessarytoputintowordsanythingabouthistiredness,becausethesituation—themeetinginanairportatnight,hislongjourney,hisage—communicatedtheobvious.
However,forAmericans,thishastobeputintowordstobecommunicatedtoothers.
Case14:
TheTurkishstude
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