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Cross +Cultural Confusions
+Joseph +J. Green
+Northern +Arizona University
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Dealing +with different cultures certainly has its share of hurdles. Different +cultures have opposite meanings, or no meaning at all, for certain +gestures. Various cultures have different ways of communicating in +general. Some prefer to be absolutely direct, and others tend to be +more indirect. Eye contact, which many Americans are thought is +exceptionally important and polite to practice, other cultures, they +might not feel quite the same way. There are, of course, some +precautions that can be taken when interacting with other cultures to +try to maintain the best relationships possible, and communicate our +ideas as cleanly as possible.
+Eye +contact is a particularly hard issue to overcome. In many countries, +it is incredibly impolite to not make eye contact, in others making +eye contact is a challenge, and others still vary depending on +situation. For example, in Mexico, it is polite to avoid eye contact +with people of a higher authority. Mexican children are taught this +from a young age in an effort to respect their wise elders +(Philipchuck, Tuttle and Moreland, 2001). While Americans, on the +other hand, may become agitated or feel that the other person isn’t +showing proper respect if they avoid eye contact in any situation.
+Gestures +are another source of discontent between people of different +cultures. The same hand symbol in one country, could be completely +obscene in another. For example, the American sign for “A OK,” +where they put their index finger on their thumb, means something +completely obscene in Brazil (Darkwing.uoregon.edu, n.d.). Or a +“thumbs up” which means approval to Americans, means something +horrible in Argentina (Rhani.public.iastate.edu, n.d.). Germany is +another great example, where they may tap their forehead to indicate +that they think someone is stupid, yet that same gesture moved a bit +closer to the temple in the United States means that they think +someone is smart (Intercultural Communication, n.d.).
+In +some places around the world, especially in Asian countries, it can +be seen that people like to avoid being direct. Where an American or +a German might say a thing and mean that thing, a Japanese or Korean +person may say a thing, but not necessarily mean that thing, but +instead use cultural context clues to signify approval or disapproval +(Intercultural Communication, n.d.). In fact, the Japanese +specifically find it polite to be indirect, and have a hard time +coming terms with being direct when moving to, or visiting, America, +whereas the American sees being direct as the polite thing to do +(Yokota, 2000).
+While +there are many hurdles to overcome, they are not insurmountable. +Gestures are actually really easy to deal with. Just don’t use +them. Some gestures may be positive to some cultures and negative to +others, but no gestures at all is a safe bet. If they are avoided +completely, people can’t accidentally insult people by using the +wrong gestures. However, most other things, such as eye contact and +speaking style, are much harder to deal with. The most important +thing that can be done, is to learn about a target culture before +interacting with it. If someone has the luxury of having associates +local to the culture being interacted with, they can be used to watch +for something offensive, or even help understand what the people +doing business actually mean. When dealing with cultures with a +different language, interpreters will be needed. Interpreters can +help, just as the local associate, by letting someone know if (s)he +is being rude, or what is expected to be polite. When dealing with +important deals or documents, it’s prudent to have multiple +interpreters and for each party to to communicate through the +interpreters the ideas as they understand them to hopefully insure +synergy in intent and understanding (Intercultural Communication, +n.d.).
+As +we can see, it’s incredibly easy to make a faux pas if one tries to +assume that gestures are the same across cultures. It’s just as +easy to find problems if people assume that people of other cultures +communicate the same way, or have the same expectations of that +communication. Even something as simple as improper eye contact could +ruin business deals. However, these hurdles aren’t as big of a +problem so long as proper measures are taken to prevent offending +each other’s culture, and to make sure our ideas are being clearly +transmitted.
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+Darkwing.uoregon.edu. +(n.d.). Customs Brasil. [online] Available at: +http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~sergiok/brasil/customs.html [Accessed 18 +Mar. 2018].
++Intercultural +Communication. (n.d.). [video] bigworldmedia.
++Philipchuck, C., +Tuttle, S. and Moreland, S. (2001). Mexico E-Resume ~ +Nonverbal. [online] Academic.depauw.edu. Available at: +http://academic.depauw.edu/mkfinney_web/teaching/Com227/culturalPortfolios/mexico/nonverbal.htm +[Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].
++Rhani.public.iastate.edu. +(n.d.). Non Verbal Communication. [online] Available at: +http://rhani.public.iastate.edu/nonverbalreading.html [Accessed 18 +Mar. 2018].
++Yokota, +K. (2000). American +Directness and the Japanese. +[online] Leo.stcloudstate.edu. Available at: +https://leo.stcloudstate.edu/kaleidoscope/volume3/direct.html +[Accessed 18 Mar. 2018].
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Intercultural +Confusions
+Joseph +J. Green
+Northern +Arizona University
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Eye +contact
+In +some cultures eye contact is considered rude, others proper and +respectful, and in others, it depends on authority.
+Gestures
+In +the United states the “A OK” sign and the “Thumbs Up” sign +are generally reguarded as positive things. However, in brazil, “A +OK” is obscene, and in SOME COUNTRY? “Thumbs Up” is an insult.
+Speaking +style
+Some +countries perfer to be direct others, indirect. In the United States, +people tend to be direct. They say what they mean. However, in other +countries such as +
+Some +countries have fast speakers, interupting each other is a sign of +engagement, in other countries it’s considered rude to interupt. +(THAT MOVIE THING)
+In +france, they love to debate, everything could lead to debate
+There +are a few ways to help prevent too many faux paws (That is not +spelled right) when dealing interculturally. Gestures is the easiest +to solve. Just don’t use them. If you avoid using them, you can’t +insult anyone with them. However, most other things, such as eye +contact and speaking style are much harder to deal with. The most +important thing we can do, is to do our best to learn about our +target culture that we will interact with. Use multiple interpreters, +if there are language barriers, and double check clarity for anything +improant or if there is any doubt in meanings. For example, to remove +doubt from, say, a business agreement, don’t have the deal +translated just in one direction, after the other person claims to +understand, ask them to translate it back to you for clarity. Also, +local translators or associates can clear us in.
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+SOURCES:
+Mexicans
+avoid eye gaze:
+http://academic.depauw.edu/mkfinney_web/teaching/Com227/culturalPortfolios/mexico/nonverbal.htm
OK +sign offends Brazillians +http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~sergiok/brasil/customs.html
+Argentina +thumbs up ill mannered: +http://rhani.public.iastate.edu/nonverbalreading.html
+Japan +– indirect is polite +https://leo.stcloudstate.edu/kaleidoscope/volume3/direct.html
+French +like to debate, happy to express opinions, want real oppinions – +THAT VIDEO
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