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Cultural differences between East and West , Cultural communication

Cultural differences between East and West , Cultural communication. Mendel University, Summer school 2017 Jiří Čeněk. Jiří Čeněk ÚSR FRRMS MZLU PSÚ FF MU E-mail: jiri.cenek@mendelu.cz Research interests : Cross-cultural differences in perception and cognition

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Cultural differences between East and West , Cultural communication

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  1. Culturaldifferencesbetween East and West, Culturalcommunication Mendel University, Summerschool 2017 Jiří Čeněk

  2. Jiří Čeněk ÚSR FRRMS MZLU PSÚ FF MU E-mail: jiri.cenek@mendelu.cz Researchinterests: • Cross-culturaldifferences in perception and cognition • Theprocessofculturaladaptation Book: • Čeněk-Smolík-Vykoukalová: Interkulturní psychologie – vybrané kapitoly (Grada)

  3. Rulez • No wronganswers! • Ifyoudontknowtheanswer, sayit in Chinese, someonewilltranslate. • We are allhere to learn! Eventheteacher.

  4. Content • Culture • Whatisculture? • Dimensionsofculture • ComparisonofCentralEuropean and Chineseculture • Communication East- West • Communicationprocess • Differences in verbal and non- verbalcommunication

  5. Whatis a culture?

  6. A general framework for studyingculture

  7. Culturaltransmission – elementsofculture Environment→ Culture → Person → Mentalstate/Behavior Elementsofculture Symbols Values Powerstructure Organisation Processes Rituals …

  8. Culture • Internal and externalculture • Internalculture: „part ofanindividual“ • Ideals • Philosophy • Attitudes • Believes • External: „conditions“ • Ecological and socialcontext • Climate • Economy (GDP, etc.) • Socialinstitutions • Art, etc.

  9. What are thedifferencesbetweenChinese and Czech (culture)?

  10. Comparingcultures

  11. GeertHofstede – Culturaldimensions • Comparisonofvalues • IBM employees • More than 70 countries • More than 130.000 participants

  12. GeertHofstede – Culturaldimensions • Power distance (PDI) • Individualism versus collectivism (IDV) • Masculinityversus femininity (MAS) • Uncertainityavoidance (UAI) • Long-term versus short-term orientation (LTO) • Indulgence versus restraint (IVR)

  13. Power distance (PDI)

  14. Power distance (PDI) • Theextent to whichthemembersof a society acceptthatpower in institutions and organizationsisdistributedunequally. • HighPDI: • Acceptinequalitybetweenleaders and andthe led (alsothebreadwinners and rest ofthefamily) • No defenceagainspower abuse, people are toldwhat to do • Arab Countries, Central America, South-East Asia, China, Russia, Serbia, Slovakrepublic (104 PDI!!!) • LowPDI: Most of EU (Highest in Scandinavia), Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Canada, CostaRica • Czech Republic: 57 PDI = average

  15. Individualism/collectivism (IDV)

  16. Individualism/collectivism (IDV) • Who are you?

  17. Individualism/collectivism(IDV) • The degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members • Individualisticcultures: • „I“ • Loosely-knitsocialframework • Individualstake care ofthemselves • Collectivisticcultures: • „We“ • Group normsformindividualbehavior • Harmony-enhancingstrategiesofconflictresolution. • In-group preference • Out-grouphostility

  18. Masculinity versus femininity (MAS) • Masculinecultures • Competitiveness, achievement, success • Winnertakesall • Slovak (110 MAS!!!), Austria, Japan, Mexico • Femininecultures • Consensus-seeking, caringforothers, gentleness, valuesofmodesty • Scandinavia, Balticstates

  19. Uncertainityavoidance (UAI) • Feeling uncomfortableorthreatened by uncertainityand ambiguity. • How society dealswiththefactthatfuturecanneverbeknown– controlthefutureor let ithappen? • HighUAI cultures: • Needfornormsofbeliefs and behavior • Intolerant to unorthodoxbehaviororideas • Greece, Guatemala, Uruguay, Portugal • Low UAI cultures: • Maintain non-conformbehavior, newformsofthinking • Vietnam, Sweden, Singapore, Jamaica • Czech republic (74 UAI = relativehigh)

  20. L-T versus S-T orientation(LTO) • S-T: • Normative • Resistant to change • Dontsaveresourcesforthefuture • Focus on quickresults • USA, Africancountries, Middle-East • L-T: • Pragmatic • Truthdepends on situation, context and time • Ability to adapttraditions to changedconditions • Save and investmoney • Perseverance in achievingresults • Western Europe, Asia

  21. Indulgence versus restraint(IVR) • Indulgentcultures: • Free gratificationof basic and natural humandrivesrelated to enjoyinglife and havingfun. • Central and South America, someAfricancountries • RestraintCultures: • Supressinggratificationofneeds and regulatingit by meansofstrictsocialnorms. • Most ofArabiccountries, Slovakia, Poland (In general – countrieswithstrongaccent on religion.)

  22. Culturaldimensions • https://geert-hofstede.com/countries.html

  23. Culturaldimensions

  24. Culturaldimensions - summary

  25. Communication East - West

  26. Processofcommunication

  27. Sourcesofnoise • Differentexperience • Differentcontext • Languagebarriers • Non-verbalcommunication • Etc. • Noise Misunderstanding

  28. Verbalcommunication

  29. Language • 2 aspectsoflanguage: • Prosodic (acousticaspect) • Emphasis (pitch, loudness) • Intonation • Pragmatic (the use oflanguage) • Bothaspect are sourcesofcommunicationproblemsbetweencultures.

  30. Prosodicaspects • Gumperz (1982): Indian and Pakistaniwomenworking in cafeteria in Britain. • Seen as unpleasant and uncooperative. • Somewordstheysaidcouldbeinterpretednegatively. • Example: Question„Gravy?“ whenserving food. • Withrisingintonation: Question „Iseverything fine?“ • Withfallingintonation: Statementoffact (redundant/rude)

  31. Pragmaticaspects • Commonacrosscultures: • Takingturns in conversation • Exchange ofcompliments • Politeness

  32. Pragmaticaspects • Cross-culturaldifferences: • Meaningofwords: • Most wordshavemultiplemeanings. • Denotativemeaning: • As written in dictionary. • Home= „a place where one lives; a residence“ • Connotativemeaning: • Associationsthatwordbrings to mind. • Home = a place ofsecurity, comfort, family • Differsacrosscultures

  33. Indirect vs. direct style of communication • Direct:meaningofthemessageiscommunicated via words • Indirect:Meaningis not only in words but also in thecontextofconversation (non-verbal, status ofcommunicatingpeople…)

  34. Reasonsforindirectcommunication Situation: Wewereworkingtogetherat a classroomproject and my part was not of a goodquality. Whatwouldyoutellme to improvethequalityof my part oftheproject?

  35. Reasonsforindirectcommunication • Chineseconceptof Face (面子): ren hou lian, shu hou pi “Men can’t live without face, trees can’t live without bark.” mei you mianzi someone “has no face” (insult)

  36. Face 面子 Youneed to getused to situationslikethis: • Beingopenlycriticized • Beingcalled a liar • Seeing not enoughrespect to elders • Hearing NO (not MAYBE) • Beinginterrupted by talking • Someonebeingangryatyou • …

  37. Face 面子 • Theconceptof Face isgenerallyunknown in Europe • Asiansseem to be sensitive to Europeans • Europeansseem to berude to Asians • Being frank/sincereisof a highvalue in Europe/USA • Respect to objectivity and facts • Despise to a lie • Personal integrity

  38. SuggestionsforcommunicatingWith EU. • Be direct, honest • Dontbeafraid to say NO/unpleasantthings • Express youremotions (even negative) • Dontgetoffended (e.g. by Face threateningsituations)

  39. Non-verbalcommunication

  40. Non-verbalcommunication • Facialexpressions (see L5) • Posture • Gestures • Proxemics • Kinesics • Haptics

  41. Gestures How do youcountwithyourhands? Whatgestures are considered to berude in China? Come to me? Go away! I dontknow. Yes. No. Whatothergestures are typicalforChinese?

  42. Gestures • Military hand signals: tacticalsignals • Ourinterpretation?

  43. Gestures- examples • Video 1: American hand gestures • Video 2: Gesturesacrosscultures

  44. Personalspace and body position • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frQdjs9UaYA • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUCODUvKbzE • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s39BrB9oLQ

  45. Personalspace and body position • Arabs, SouthernEuropeans, Latin americans – standclosetogether. • USA, NorthernEurope– needforgreaterphysical distance.

  46. Haptics - touching Contact and non-contactcultures • Contactcultures: Latin Americans, MiddleEasterners, southerEuropeans, Arabs, Africans • Non-contactcultures: Northern America, NortherEurope, Asia • Contactculturestouch more, standcloser

  47. Haptics - touching Touching in public in China?

  48. Haptics - touching In CentralEurope: • Yougenerallydonttouchforeigners • Acceptable: • Hand shake (man + man): • Cheekkiss (woman + man, woman + woman)

  49. Haptics - touching • Generally not acceptable: • Acceptable: displaysofaffectionbetweenromanticpartners in public

  50. References • East Meets West - Yang Liu

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