Taizhou Uni -Study Notes - Intercultural Communication - June 2011(1)

Study Notes – Intercultural Communication
Unfortunately, I am unable to give you the questions – and answers for the examination ! However, I trust that these study notes will be helpful.
The examination will consist of about 11 or 12 questions, of which you will be expected to attempt any 3 questions.
-Recall the case study, “The Barbecue”.What does it tell us about American culture ? Alan appears very laid-back and casual.eg, although he has a very
responsible job (a middle-manager), he arrives at the party dressed in a very
casual style – in fact, he is wearing the sorts of clothes that are usually worn by
students, as well as people who are ordinary workers. The other people at the
party are also mainly middle-managers , and although they were wearing non-
business clothing, their clothes were nowhere near as casual as to what Alan was wearing – those people (French, Spanish, etc) would, undoubtedly, have felt that even though they were not in the office,they should still act ,and appear, as
managers – otherwise, they might lose the respect of the non-managerial staff.
Alan, on the other hand, would have felt that outside of work, he should be free to act and dress how he wished – in other words, he saw his working life and his
social life as separate. Alan could be regarded as “individualistic” – eg, when he
realised that he was dressed differently from everyone else, his reaction was that
they should “take me as I am”, rather than saying to himself that he should do
something to make himself look more like the others - in other words, he felt that he need not act or look like the others ; rather, the others need to change their
attitudes by accepting how he looks and acts ! Also, by not going home to change his clothes, and appearing in a way different from the others, show us that he was very confident about himself – self-confidence is often regarded as a typical
American cultural trait. What really upset the Frenchman was when Alan offered to go to the boss’s fridge in order to get some drinks for the others – this shows
that the American does not see the social barrier between himself and his boss as very significant – the Frenchman would think that Alan does not respect his
boss’s position and authority.This attitude is also illustrated by Alan’s referring to his boss by his given name, while the Frenchman refers to the boss more formally (“Mr Fukuhara”). Such an attitude is very common in the US, and some other
English-Speaking countries (most notably, Australia).Although everyone knows
that there are rich and powerful people in society, most people try to minimise
some of the divisions between the classes.Thus, many bosses allow their workers to address them by their given names, invite them to their homes for occasional
barbecue parties, etc.
Thus, “The Barbecue” gives us some insights re American culture in the following ways: -individualism: Americans will do what they feel like/what makes them comfortable, etc.If other people don’t like it, then it’s their problem – they just
have to accept that Americans do things in different ways , rather than Americans having to change the way that they do things!
-confidence: even when he realised that he was dressed differently from the others, Alan didn’t rush home to change his clothes ! He went on t o mix with the other
people as if there was nothing unusual about the situation.
-egalitarianism: Alan refers to his boss by that person’s given name. Also, he offers to get the other guests drinks from the boss’s own fridge ! To people in
other cultures, there should always be a social distance between different social
classes In other cultures, people in authority need to act - and dress differently –
from other people, in order to make sure that the workers respect them. But to
Americans, while there is definitely a division of power and wealth between
“people at the top” and others, such respect should be based on more substantial
things other than appearance and other trappings.Also, many bosses in the US like others to think that they have the “common touch”; eg they go to football games, wear very casual clothes on occasion, allow their workers to address them by their given names, etc
Ask yourself, what does Alan’s behaviour have to do with intercultural communication ?
-for example,his behaviour helps to perpetuate the image that Americans are very laid-back and egalitarian (a stereotype) – thus, this image could influence the way that other people will perceive them; and how they might attempt to communicate with Americans ( but, remember this is very much a stereotype – as there may
well be Americans who are NOT like Alan, and may not be too happy if you
addressed them by their first names ! )
-also, Alan’s view that other people “should accept him the way that he is” – in real life, when outside one’s home country, one should learn something about the customs/expectations/do’s and don’t’s of the local people –don’t expect the local people to always make adjustments to suit you !
-coming late – in many societies being late helps to create a bad impression –whatever you might be saying to someone in a conversation, the other person may not take you seriously because of your (perceived) rudeness, as evidenced by
arriving late.Recall what we covered in class re certain people, eg the Germans,
who are often very strict about time.
-offering to go to the boss’s fridge is seen as an infringement of that person’s private space – we discussed this in class – as you might recall, the Germans are
very particular re this issue.Also, it might be seemed as arrogance, as well as
giving the impression that you regard yourself as being “equal” to the boss,
or/and that you are “friendly” with him; even though everyone knows that you
hardly know him !
REMEMBER – not all Westerners are the same ! And regarding Americans, you could also say that not all Americans are the same ! As the US has always been a country of immigrants, many Americans, because of their ethnic/cultural origins, may well have attitudes and follow certain practices which may appear to be at odds with what one normally associates with the “American Way”. Also, be aware that even with respect to “mainstream” America, there would be many people (even those whose ancestors came from Britain) who would not have acted like Alan did ! Refer to the section on stereotyping.
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Class exercises on translation (pages 143-145)
-what do you find most difficult about translation work ?
-does translation work merely involve the use of a dictionary and a book of grammar ?
-pay particular attention to the exercises we did in class on the “Dragon Boat Festival” and “The Dream of the Red Chamber”.What would seem wrong with
the description of the Festival, from the point of view of an American or
Australian? Remember that what might seem satisfactory to a Chinese person
might seem somewhat incomprehensible to a Westerner. Thus the description of
the Festival, would probably frustrate a “typical” American, because of the use
of too much “flowery”/highly descriptive language. When translating, always ask yourself : who will be reading the translation, what is the reason why the person
wants to read the translation (to get some basic information - or, in-depth
knowledge ). What background knowledge do you expect the reader to have – or,
doesn’t have ? Thus, would you really expect an ordinary tourist to have to wade through a lot of brochures, many of which might contain a lot of very over-
descriptive/flowery language , simply in order to get to the sort of basic
information that tourists usually want to know about ? Thus,a lot of
information/descriptions could have been omitted.. The writer of the tourist
brochure might have included some additional information,eg the significance of the festival,when it is held, what happens, etc. Remember, foreigners often don't
know very much about the sorts of basic Chinese historical and cultural facts
which you all have been familiar with since childhood !
-compare the two translated versions of the “Dream of the Red Chamber” – can you remember the differences between the two – which one is the most effective, and why ? Also, consider the reader – whilst a Chinese reader might prefer one
version, a Westerner woild probably prefer the other – why ? Maybe,one assumes that the prospective reader already has a background knowledge of the traditional Chinese family,and its power structures, as well as knowing something about the
feudal period..If a reader do esn’t possess such background knowledge, then
he/she might have some difficulty with a translation, esp one that merely involves
a word-for-word translation ! Thus, when translating we have to ask ourselves
whether such-and –such word/expression would make sense to our prospective
reader. Also,be aware to avoid ambiguous/archaic/quaint terms,eg “Old
Ancestress” (By the way, would such a term be understood by a Chinese reader,
nowadays ?).
-in class we also discussed the issue that it may not always be possible to appreciate the significance of a story’s theme if the language in which it is
expressed in is “too modern” ! Certain words and expressions help to evoke
images of certain periods in history – thus, enabling one to appreciate the social
/historical setting of the story, which in turn help you to more fully understand the story. For example, terms like “old ancestress” , although it might appear quaint
and old-fashioned to modern readers, might be more appropriate than “granny
dear” ; as the story is set in feudal times, the latter term would not enable you to
fully appreciate the role of the old woman in question – who was quite powerful .
Having modern terms might make it easier to follow the basic story; but, you
would not sense the mood and atmosphere of the social/historical setting , thus
preventing you from developing a deeper understanding of the story.And
expressions such as “old ancestress” could be far more effective in helping you to appreciate the spirit of the time much better than more modern terms such as
“granny dear”.The term “old ancestress” has connotations of old traditions and
inherited wealth/social position, all seen as very important by those who held
social and economic power during the feudal era. What do you think ?
-also, look at the difficulties in translating idioms.Translating an idiom word-for-word often will not provide the reader with an accurate understanding of the
original.eg, “kick the bucket” – would a Chinese person appreciate what this
means if you merely translated it word-for-word ? Maybe, we should use a
Chinese equivalent –but what, exactly ? “Passed away” ? – but that expression is
often used in a serious/respectful manner – we should , instead, be looking for an
expression meaning “had died”, but in a no t-too-serious/humorous tone, as
reflected in “kicked the bucket” –thus, something like “has gone to Mao” (or
Marx), or “his hair is standing up straight”, might be more appropriate.
- read pages 138-140 for some more insights re the difficulties involved when
doing translation work.
Pay particular attention to the case study re Katherine (pages 250-251).Why was she so annoyed by the professor ? If Americans/Australians, etc, want to discuss something important with their boss, especially regarding something confidential (eg career matters, problems relating to their job or fellow staff members, etc), they don’t want to be disturbed.Why is that ? Being interrupted might disturb a person’s “train of thought” (ie, he/she might be saying something, then there is an interruption, then that other person might have forgotten exactly what he was saying just before the interruption ).Usually talking to a boss about something important re his/her career/job performance can be
somewhat stressful; but it will be even more so if there are constant interruptions ! Also, as the subject-matter is of a particular personal matter, people from
America/GB/Aust,etc, will get annoyed if they sense that other people are in a position to listen to their conversation. Westerners are particularly concerned about privacy. What’s the situation in China – would it worry you if you were engaged in a private conversation with your boss or teacher, and there was someone else close by ? Wouldn’t you feel that the other person could be listening to your conversation ?
-another point could be that when the visitors were in the professor’s office,they probably all spoke in Chinese with each other –in Katherine’s presence ! That
sort of situation often irritates Americans and English people, as they often feel
that the Chinese are probably talking about them !
-most importantly, someone like Katherine would feel that by allowing other people to come into the office at the same time, the professor is not showing any respect or politeness towards her.She would think that the professor does not
respect her, or that he thinks that her concerns about her teaching problems, are
not really important enough to warrant his full attention – otherwise, he would
have kept his door locked or/and instructed his secretary to tell visitors to come
back later, or to sign any documents on his behalf.
From re-reading this case study, can you come up with any other elements that are relevant to the subject of cross-cultural communication ?
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Verbal Communication (pages 159-163)
-re-read the section dealing with the conversation between the American and the Mexican (pages 157-58 ).Even though both men could speak English, there were some difficulties – the American expected that the conversation would focus on what he expects the main topic to be;the Mexican brings in other topics, that the American finds very distracting. Why does the Mexican act in this way ? Is this
also the case with Chinese speakers ? Maybe, with Chinese speakers, different
topics are brought up for the purpose of enabling a speaker to learn something
about the background/character/personality of the other person; such knowledge probably seen as essential for the maintenance/enhancement of business
relationships –ie to say, such conversation could provide the other person with
some insight into whether he/she is, say, open-minded, flexible, able to look at a subject from various points of view, open to new ideas/perspectives, curious, etc;
thus, providing an insight into what sort of person one is dealing with . Does this assumption of mine actually apply to the Chinese situation ? If not, then what
would be the reasons why Chinese speakers would want to bring in other topics
into a business conversation ?
-also, ask yourself why the American would be annoyed at the Mexican for bringing up subjects that are not related to business ? Apart from feeling that such
a conversation involves a lot of time wasting, the American might begin to have
some doubts about the Mexican – eg, he might think that the reason that the
Mexican had brought up a topic completely un-related to the subject-matter of the conversation, could be because he (ie, the Mexican) simply had not come properly prepared for the discussion, and decided to talk about the stars because he simply could not think of anything substantial to say about the business topic on hand –
and, thus, would conclude that the Mexican may not be the right sort of person to do business with again ! The American might also have thought that the Mexican is eccentric or “a bit strange” – and, therefore, not the sort of person whom you
would want to do business with, as such a person could not focus completely on
the subject one is meant to be dealing with. On the other hand, the Mexican might regard the American as “unfriendly” for not wanting to take an active part in a
discussion on the stars –or even “boring” for not appearing to have any interest in anything other than business –thus, some “evidence” that the American is
“inflexible”, not open to new perspectives, too focused on his own particular area of business, contemptuous of people with interests/outlook different from his own –and, thus, probably, is not the “sort of person” one would want to do business
with !
-think about the preceding paragraph. Two people in the same social situation will often interpret that situation in different ways – because of their different cultural perspectives. Again, read the passage in the textbook carefully, and compare the situation with what could arise if, say, an American and a Chinese were having a business discussion – would the Chinese bring in non-business topics into a
conversation and, if so, for what purpose ?
(Please note: the situation re the Mexican and the American does not involve the issue of “small talk”. Americans are quite happy to bring in some small talk at the beginning of the meeting (a sort of “ice breaker”) – and, possibly, also during a tea/coffee break.But, after such “small talk” the speakers should then focus on the main topic. However, in this particular situation, the Mexican brought in an entirely different topic some time after the business conversation had started. )
Discourse Styles (pages 179-188)
-try to understand what the term “discourse style”means. It is often a very complex subject – in the academic discipline known as Applied Linguistics, many books
and articles have been written on the subject of discourse style ! Thus, the section of the text book, because of space and the complexity of the subject, does not go
too deeply into it. Also, because of time, in class I mainly touched on only one of
the areas that appears to cause considerable difficulty in communication between, say, an Australian and a Chinese, even when the latter might happen to have a
good command of English ! I'm, of course, referring to a tendency of Chinese
people ( others, too) who either leave their main point/proposal/thesis, etc, to the
very end of a conversation or letter – or, put it among the secondary issues;thus,
making it very difficult for , say, an American to know exactly what the Chinese
person is trying to say. By comparison, the Anglo-American discourse style
usually begins with one's main idea/proposal, etc.What do you think are the
advantages/disdavantages of both the Chinese/Anglo-American discourse styles ?
Please note, that this topic is different from what was covered in the topic dealing with the conversation between the Mexican and the American. In that
situation,the two men were talking about business, but the Mexican brought in a
topic ( stars, solar eclipses,etc) which had nothing whatsoever to do with the
subject of business.However, with the discussion between the Chinese
businessmen, referred to above (and in the handout), an American or Australian
listening to the conversation , would have no difficulty in understanding that the
participants are talking about business (if it's in English, of course !); but, there
would be considerable confusion on the part of the foreigner as to what exactly
(about business) the Chinese speakers are talking about ! Generally speaking,
people from English-speaking countries expect that in communication (whether
oral or written) that people “don't beat about the bush”, but rather should “get to
the point”.
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-Thus, read the transcript of the conversation between the Chinese businessmen a couple of times. Does it make sense to you ? Can you see why foreigners from
English-speaking societies might have difficulty in understanding what the
speakers are trying to say ? For a Chinese criticism of the Anglo-American ,
please refer to the handout.Also read pages 179-183. In particular, refer to the
bottom of page 179 regarding the perception of Westerners that Chinese often
seem to be “insincere” and “untrustworthy”.This perception also has relevance to
the topics of stereotypes and culture clash.
- remember, that discourse style refers to both written and oral situations.Recall the letter from the young man to the professor. The important point that I emphasized is that the main idea/purpose/request, etc, should be indicated very early in a letter (or conversation, for that matter). Take note of my version of that letter – also, note how the secondary issues are arranged in the letter. For a H/W assignment, I got you all to do a
similar letter (ie the one in which you are to write a letter to Senior Sales Manager re a PC.I will shortly be returning the marked H/W, and will also be giving you my own version.
Intercultural Perceptions (pages 263-295)
-you should know what the terms “intercultural perceptions”, “ethnocentrism” and “stereotypes” mean .
-in inter cultural communication, is knowing the other person’s nationality/cultural background important in how you relate to him/her ? If so, can you think of any
examples ?
-recall the anecdote of the sinking ship ( pages 264 ).What are the stereotypes that relate to the nationalities of those businessmen ? Go back to the question
above in regards to how knowing of a for eigner’s nationality will affect the way
in which you relate to that person. If there were a Chinese businessman on the
ship, what would the captain have said in order to induce him to put on a
lifejacket ? In other words, what stereotypes are usually attached to being
Chinese ? Are such stereotypes always accurate – in other words, are there any
Chinese that are different from those that are implied by the stereotypes ? Have
you met any ? Thus, you should be aware of the need to generalise about
national stereotypes.eg, Australians, generally speaking, are regarded as very
open/friendly/informal when dealing with others – this is regarded as a stereotype –but, there are many Australians who are very formal and “distant”in their
dealings with others !
-in previous classes, students referred to a couple of things that the captain could have said to induce the Chinese businessman to get into the lifeboat, such as
“everyone is doing it ”.In one of this term's classes, one student said that the
captain shoul d have said something along the lines that “your survival depends on your getting into the lifeboat. Do both instructions accurately reflect any typical stereotypes regarding the Chinese ? Such instructions seem to imply that
Chinese people are either very “conformist” or/and very much concerned with
“survival” , ie to say, they’ll do something merely bec ause other people are doing it; or, they are “expected” to do so, especially if they know that the alternative
might be very unpleasant, indeed. Maybe, Chinese history over the past few
hundred years has often involved invasion, civil war, revolution, famine – thus, it is understandable that in such times the number one concern of most people
would have been survival; and that such a cultural memory still affects present-
day attitudes and behaviour. Do you agree ? ( Maybe, that could explain why
many Chinese jump queues, say at bus stops, maybe thinking that if they didn’t
get to the head of the queue as quickly as possible than they would be left
behind ! ). Could you think of anything else that the captain could have said to
the Chinese businessmen; something that refers to another common stereotype
that is often applied when describing the Chinese ?
-can you see any dangers in ethnocentrism and stereotyping ? Often, ethnocentrism, along with stereotyping, can be used to make members of a
particular race or culture appear “inferior” in the eyes of others (racism). Read
pages 272-278. In particular,refer to pages 276-77 for comments regarding the
Arabs, who many people in the West often regard as “terrorists” – probably as a
result of high the media frequently portrays Moslems and Middle East peoples. - as was covered by the case study “Plague and Prejudice” , even educated Westerners might have distorted ideas about what life is like in developed countries –they might see such countries as being “backward” ( eg , full of superstitious religious beliefs, uneducated people, squalor everywhere, all women being 2nd class citizens, poor public hygiene, disease-ridden cities and villages, lack of qualified doctors, etc.One day you may come across foreigners who have distorted/outdated ideas of what China is really like.You need to explain the real situation – without getting angry or condescending.In that case study, should Javesh decide to ring Miriam, he should not only “ not loose his cool” (ie, remain calm), but also not to “talk down” to her (ie, use words/expressions/tone which suggest that she is ignorant and backward herself ! Maybe, Javesh would be more effective if he took a more casual and light-hearted approach – otherwise, Miriam might see him as being a crank and appearing too over-sensitive .
-Also, stereotyping can refer to people belong to different parts of one’s own country – eg, people who live in the countryside, in certain cities or provinces. It
appears that many students have certain ideas regarding the people of Shanghai,
eg being “arrogant”, etc ! This is what you have “heard about” the people of
Shanghai – but, for those who have actually met people from that city, just how
accurate are the usual stereotypes ? What about people from certain provinces –
do people from certain provinces have a reputation for being, say, more dishonest than those who come from other parts of China ? Just how accurate are those
stereotypes ? If that topic of cultural differences within one’s own country, even within the same language/ethnic group, read page 315.Even though it deals with
Thailand, it will get you to think a bout the differences between China’s big cities and its small villages..re that country’s big city/small village comparison with that of China’s.
-stereotyping can also be used to create prejudice against people belonging to certain social classes.
-in the West, the Women’s Movement is still very much concerned with the traditional stereotypes regarding women’s roles in society/abilities, etc.
Unfortunately,lots of men still think that women are “not really suitable” for
important jobs in society, as they rely too much on their emotions rather than on
their intellect ! Thus, for example, in many schools in the West there are efforts
to remove books that during the past have helped to create stereotypes of
women being “over-emotional”, “not having practical business ability”, etc, and
replacing them with books that depict women as being ambitious, powerful,
rational, creative, etc. Such action is seen as essential in not only changing the
perception of boy students in how they see the abilities/potential of their girl
classmates, but also how the girls see themselves. Although they are still
unrepresented within the top levels of management, in English-speaking countries
one would still find that there are women who hold very important postions
within the corporate world.However, many male business leaders in those
countries where women are usually c onfined to “traditional” roles often find it
uncomfortable when they have to discuss business matters with female executives
from the US,UK, etc. What about the situation in China – do you think that male
executives regard important decision-making as a male prerogative and, if so,
how would they react if they have to deal with female managers from the West ?
-Just how does one learn of the stereotypes that are commonly associated with people from different countries, cultures, social classes, provinces, etc ? From
images portrayed in movies, in books,etc.Are the images part of traditional
Chinese culture – conveyed through classical Chinese works of literature,
possibly ? Or, learnt as a result of what your classmates ar primary school taught
you, or from your parents ? As already mentioned, the origins of many of our
prejudices may have been forgotten, but we often fear/despise peoples from
various countries but we often don’t know why we hold such feelings;even
though,intellectually, we see such thoughts as being irrational Something to
think about !
Influence of the Past on Present-day Chinese Cultural Values – and, their impact on the subject of Inter-cultural Communication.
Confucianism (pages 91 – 94)
-read the pages in question,especially in relation to the concern with social relationships/preserving harmony
-also refer to the section re the Mexican and the American. In it, I opined that Chinese people might engage in a lot of talking – including bringing in different
topics – in order to know more about the other person ? Do you agree ? If so,
what sorts of things would a Chinese person want to find out about the other ?
Family background , education, experience ? What will such information tell us
about the other person ? The person’s social status ? If so, such knowledge will
let us know not only of the correct title to address the other person as, but also
what verb usage to use. Knowing such information is essential for preserving
harmony. How ? What are your thoughts on the matter, especially with respect to
the need to know the other person’s social status ? Knowing about the other。