Unit Two: Culture Shock

1. Unit Two: Culture Shock

2. Objectives: By the end of this unit, you should be able to: ◆ understand cross-cultural differences in approaches to hospitality, modesty,   privacy, and politeness ◆ appreciate how differences in cultural values shape behavior ◆ identify and avoid taboo subjects in Western cultures ◆ avoid pitfalls in cross-cultural communication ◆ adjust more smoothly to a new cultural environment.

3. 4 6 8 3 5 1 7 2 Acculturation Politeness Culture Shock Homework Privacy Individual & collectivist culture Case studies Hospitality Contents

4. 1.What is Culture Shock? ◆Culture shock can be described as the feeling of confusion and disorientation that one experiences when faced with a large number of new and unfamiliar people and situations. (from College English, 2005,14th,10) ◆当人们去到一个与自己原来的文化迥异的地方时，绝大多 数人都会经历一种心理上的迷惑，这就是文化冲击。 ——Robert Kohls（Survival Kit for Overseas Living)

5. 1.What is Culture Shock? ◆Why? Smells, sounds, flavors, the very feeling of the air one is breathing; the natives unfamiliar language and behavior contribute to it, too. ◆People's response to culture shock : vary greatly, from excitement and energetic action to withdrawal, depression, physical illness, and hostility. ◆Keep in mind : First, most people experience some degree of culture shock when they go to a new country. Second, culture shock passes with time.

6. 2. Individual and Collectivist Culture Individual Culture (liberalism): individuals tend to define themselves by the extent to which they are different from, rather than similar to other. People are encouraged to display self-confidence and assertiveness, disclosure of personal thoughts and feelings. Collectivist culture (Confucianism): places little value on individual identity and great value on group identity. Going one's own way is not valued; uniformity and conformity are stressed.

7. 2. Individual and Collectivist Culture

8. 2. Individual and Collectivist Culture

9. 4.Hospitality Hospitality means thecordial and generous reception of or disposition toward guests.对客人的热诚慷慨的接待或安排。 Two different responses to different ways of hospitality: An English guest:Each time a new dish arrived his parents would lean over and load my plate with tasty morsels. As they had taken all the trouble to cook it I just had to polish it off. As soon as my plate was empty they would put more on. Of course, I felt duty-bound to ear that too. A Chinese guest :Can you imagine how many dishes I had? One one – a stew with meat and vegetables. The meat was over done and too hard to eat; green vegetables were no longer green. They never put food on your plate but just ask you to help yourself. If you, as a guest, are shy or modest, waiting for the food to be put on your plate, you will remain half-starved.

10. 4.Hospitality What’s the problem? The Chinese student felt disappointed at British hospitality because she used the Chinese way of showing hospitality to judge the British one. If the story taking place in China, the westerner couldn't imagine that there should be sixteen dishes prepared for her. When she ate from the eight cold dishes, she couldn't eat anymore. It is because a Western meal normally severs one main course plus a starter and sweets or desserts. The fact is that different people in the world show their different hospitality in different ways.

11. 5. Politeness Politeness refers to the consideration for others, tact, and observance of accepted social usage. 礼貌指的是为他人着想、 圆滑和遵守被接受的社会 规范。

12. 5. Politeness Some Chinese Students’ Views on Western Politeness: Foreigners never pretend to be modest. They just tell others what they think. If a Chinese person is faced with the same situation, maybe he or she would say, “ I'm sorry. The restaurant is a little bit small and the dishes are just so-so, but I hope you'll enjoy yourself.” When guests are to leave, the foreign hosts don't accompany guests to the gate upon leaving-taking. This happens because the foreigners are simply following their own cultural customs. If a Chinese host does like this, he will be considered a person with bad manners or no training and education. Therefore, there is a deep separation between Chinese conventions and foreigners.

13. 6. Privacy Privacy could be understood as the right of an individual to self- determination as to the degree to which the individual is willing to share with others information about himself . 个人自己决定愿在何种程度上与他 人共享有关其个人的信息的权利。

14. 6. Privacy Some Chinese Students’ Views on Western privacy: The westerners are not willing to let others know their income, age, marriage, and other privacy, especially to strangers. But as a Chinese student, even if we know their culture, I can't help doing things as our culture lets us do. The Western culture emphasizes individual independence. Parents always want their children to depend on themselves. The children are expected to depend on themselves. It has its historical and cultural reasons, Chinese parents love their children and will never let them in any danger. They want to keep an intimate relationship.

15. 7.Case studies Please analyze the case on Page 63 showing the different way of western politeness: A westerner invited a Chinese girl to have lunch and take a tour around the British Parliament. In fact, the girl didn't have the lunch just because when the westerner asked her "Are you hungry?” , the girl answered no. Then they didn't have lunch together. The second time, the girl was invited to a restaurant, when the host asked the same question “Are you hungry?” , she answered “not really”. The host ordered a light meal for her.

16. 7.Case studies . The mistake : In the first situation, the westerner used his question as an invitation. The girl understood it only as a question. According to the Chinese tradition, the man should have invited her to lunch since their appointment was to have lunch first. In the second situation, the westerner used his question as a question rather than an invitation. According to the Chinese tradition, the man should have ordered plenty of food for the girl. Conclusion: The same sentence concealed different intentions. People should try to make sense of what it really means.

17. 8.Homework Case analysis: Shao Bin, a Chinese student studying in Britain, was once invited by her British classmate Brain to his house to cook a Chinese meal. Her two Chinese friends were also invited. They busied themselves in the kitchen, making dumping while Brain did something in the garden and his wife sat on the sofa reading. Shao Bin felt a little upset for she thought that both the host and the hostess should offer to help with the kitchen work. The meal was great and everyone enjoyed themselves. The couple kept complimenting them on their cooking skills and asked for the recipe. But then after the meal, the couple just put down their chopsticks and started minding their own business, leaving the Chinese guests to clear the table and do the dishes. Shao Bin felt absolutely confused or even angry. She concluded that …….

18. 8.Homework The Key to the Question: Guests to a Chinese family will never be allowed to do any housework. This is one of the ways the host and hostess show their hospitality. Even if the guests offer to cook a dish, the host or the hostess should stay around them and offer help whenever can. It is even harder to imagine that they would let their guests clear the table and do the dishes, though the guests should always volunteer help. Shao Bin’s meal at a British family sets a great contrast to her Chinese experience. This is why Shao Bin got angry. What she should do is to avoid a hasty conclusion. She should first observe the situation without judgment. And then analyze the situation using what she knows about the differences between Chinese and British culture.

19. Thank you !