chapter 2 cultural patterns chapter 2 cultural patterns

Chapter 2 Cultural Patterns

Chapter 2

Cultural Patterns


Cultural Patterns

• No object is mysterious. The mystery is in your eye.

—Elizabeth Bowen • Human beings draw close to one another by their common nature,

but habits and customs keep them apart.

—Confucius• There never were, in the world, two opinions alike, no more than

two hairs, or two grains; the most universal quality is diversity.

—Montaigne


Learning Objectives

• identify the distinctions between high and low context cultures

• identify Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck’s value orientations

• identify Hofstede’s cultural dimensions

• understand the implications of cultural values for international communication


Case 1 Wood and Food

• Why did the farmer do that?• What values are reflected in this story?


Cultural Patterns

Hofstede’s Value Dimension D

Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck’s Value Orientation E

Hall’s High-Context and Low-Context Dimensions C

Components of Cultural Patterns B

An Introduction to Cultural Patterns A


While-Class Learning: Text A

An Introduction to Cultural Patterns

• Members of a culture generally have a preferred set of responses to the world.

• People from other cultures differ in both obvious and subtle ways.



• An Introduction to Cultural Patterns

1. obvious: food …




1. obvious differences:

clothing …




2. subtle, less visible differences: culture’s collective assumptions: what the world is

shared judgments: what it should be

widely held expectations: how people should behave

predictable behavior patterns …

Cultural Patterns:

beliefs, values, norms, and social practices


Case 2 Enquiry

Kim: an immigrant Judy: an American neighbor

• Why did Judy feel that was something strange about the conversation?


While-Class Learning: Text B

• Components of Cultural Patterns

1. Beliefs

2. Values

3. Norms

4. Social Practices


B.1 Beliefs

• Ideas people assume to be true about the world

1) a set of learned interpretations: basis to decide what is and what is not logical and correct

2) difficult to discuss: people are usually not conscious of them

3) much of what you consider to be reality may, in fact, not be reality to people from other cultures


B.1 Beliefs

• Different cultures, different realities and beliefs

Christian: Christianity 基督教 Islamist: Islam 伊斯兰教 Buddhist: Buddhism 佛教 Jew: Judaism 犹太教 Hindu: Hinduism 印度教（崇拜几位天神，相信轮回转

世） Shintoist: Shinto 神道教（ 1945 年前为日本国教）


B.1 Beliefs

• Different cultures, different realities and beliefs


B.2 Values

• involve what a culture regards as good or bad, right or wrong, fair or unfair, just or unjust, beautiful or ugly, clean or dirty, valuable or worthless, appropriate or inappropriate, and kind or cruel.

• transmitted by a variety of sources family, proverbs, school, church, state …

• provide the foundation that underlies a people’s entire way of life

• broad based, enduring, relatively stable


B.2 Values

• Different expression of emotion

Americans Chinese

express feelings outwardly; taught not to be timid about letting people know they are upset

not to openly express their own personal emotions, especially strong negative ones

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

A harsh word dropped from the tongue cannot be brought back by a coach and six horses.


B.3 Norms

• Socially shared expressions of appropriate behaviors

• Vary within a culture

• Change over a period of time

• A wide variety of behaviors: greetings, good manners, interactions …


B.4 Social practices

• Predictable behavior patterns that members of a culture typically follow

• Outward manifestations of beliefs, values, and norms

Country Lunch Gifts

The United States

Italy

Malaysia

China


B.4 Social practices

• Two types: informal, formal

• all members of a culture do not necessarily follow that culture’s “typical” social practices

Informal Everyday tasks

Eating, sleeping, dressing, working, playing, and talking to others

Formal Social practice

Rituals, ceremonies, and structured routines


Case 3 DVD Player

Ellen: a graduate student Alice: an American classmate and

friend• Why do you think Alice refused to loan

her DVD player to Ellen?


While-Class Learning: Text C

Hall’s High-Context and Low-Context Dimensions • context: setting or environment• meanings: not come from the verbal language

alone, also implied from the context• context determines: 1) the words and actions we generate; 2) the meanings we give to the words and actions

of other people• continuum: cultures differ ranging from high to

low context


While-Class Learning: Text C

High-context cultures • prefer to use high-context messages• most of the meaning is either implied by the

physical setting or presumed to be part of the individual’s internalized beliefs, values, norms, and social practices;

• very little is provided in the coded, explicit, transmitted part of the message

Low-context cultures• prefer to use low-context messages• the majority of the information is vested in the

explicit code


High-context and Low-context

• Meaning: implied by setting or in explicit code


Mode of Communication

Asian Indirect, implicit

Western Direct, explicit

Misunderstandings:

Japanese

Americans


Case 4 Wrong Signal?

Ning Tong: a Chinese student Tom: an American student• What is the problem shown in this case?• Why did Ning Tong keep silent? What

information do you think he wanted to convey?• What is Tom’s interpretation of Ning Tong’s

silence?


While-Class Learning: Text D

We do wish to allow the humbled man an equal chance to get rich with everyone else. When one starts poor, as most do in the race of life, free society is such that he knows he can better his condition; he knows that there is no fixed condition of labor for his whole life.


While-Class Learning: Text D

• Hofstede’s Value Dimensions

1. Individualism versus Collectivism

2. Uncertainty Avoidance

3. Power Distance

4. Masculinity versus Femininity

5. Long-term versus Short-term Time Orientation


D.1 Individualism versus Collectivism

Individualism Collectivismtake care of themselves, immediate families

loyalty to group, group take care of individual members

autonomy obligations to group

independence, privacy, self dependence, belonging

decisions based on individual decisions based on group

competition cooperation

personal goals group goals

right to private property, thoughts, opinions

indirect, saving face, concern for others

individual initiative, achievement harmony

I consciousness We consciousness


D.2 Uncertainty Avoidance

High Uncertainty Avoidance Low Uncertainty Avoidance

avoid uncertainty, ambiguity accept uncertainty, tolerate unusual

provide stability for members prize initiative

establish more formal rules dislike structure associated with hierarchy, few rules

seek consensus take risks, more flexible

higher level of anxiety, stress less tense, more relaxed


D.3 High versus Low Power Distance

High Power Distance Low Power DistancePower and authority: part of society Power: close to people

People: not equal, rightful place People: same kind

Social hierarchy: prevalent Inequality: minimized

Actions of authorities: not be challenged, questioned

People in power: interact with constituents, less powerful


D.4 Masculinity versus Femininity

Masculinity FemininityDominant values in society are material success and progress

Dominant values in society are caring for others and preservation

Money and things are important People and warm relationships are important

Men are supposed to be assertive, ambitious, and tough

Everybody is supposed to be modest

Women are supposed to be tender and to take care of relationships

Both men and women are allowed to be tender and to be concerned with relationships

Sympathy for the strong Sympathy for the weak

Big and fast are beautiful Small and slow are beautiful

Sex and violence in newspapers and on TV

Sex and violence in the media are taboo


D.5 Long-Term versus Short-term Time Orientation

Long-Term Short-TermAdmire persistence, thriftiness, humility, sense of shame

Deep appreciation for tradition, personal steadiness and stability

Status differences Maintain face of self and others

Linguistic and social distinctions Balance or reciprocity when greeting others

Strong work ethic, great respect to employers

Not place high priority on status

Value social order Try to postpone old age

long-range goals Short-term results, seek immediate gratification of needs


While-Class Learning: Text E

Clyde Kluckhohn 克鲁克洪 (1905-1960)

• American anthropologist

• known for his field work among the Navaho Indians, his contributions to the theory of culture


While-Class Learning: Text E

• Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck’s Value Orientation

Orientation Values and Behavior

Human Nature

Basically evil Mixture of good and evil

Basically good

Humankind and Nature

People subjugated to nature

People in harmony with nature

People the master of nature

Sense of Time Past oriented Present oriented Future oriented

Activity Being Being in becoming Doing

Social Relationship

Authoritarian Group oriented Individualism


E.1 Human Nature Orientation

a. Evil

1. traditional Western belief

2. Original Sin: Adam and Eve

3. can be saved with constant hard work, control, education, self-discipline



b. Good and Evil

1. evil: cannot be eliminated, natural and necessary part of universe

2. born with a propensity for evil

3. become good through learning and education



C. Goodness

1. philosophies of Confucianism and Buddhism

2. Three Character Classic

3. people are good, but their culture often makes them evil


E.2 Man-Nature Orientation

a. Subjugation to Nature

1. powerful forces of life: outside control

2. force (such as: god, fate, or magic): cannot overcome, learn to accept

3. live in harmony with nature

4. India, parts of South America, China…



b. Harmony with Nature

1. nature: part of life, not a hostile force to be subdued

2. live in harmony with nature, be part of nature and not control it

3. East Asians (Japan, Thailand…) , Native Americans



c. Mastery over Nature

1. forces of nature: conquer, direct, master

2. value: technology, change, science

3. contribute development of Western science and technology

4. Greenpeace Organization ( 绿色和平组织 a non-governmental

environmental organization) : protect environment


E.3 Time Orientation

a. Past Orientation 1. believe in significance of prior events

2. religions, tradition: extremely important

3. past: guide for decisions and truth

4. respect: ancestors, predecessors, older people

5. time: cycle, repeating



b. Present Orientation

1. moment: most significance

2. future: vague, ambiguous, unknown

3. enjoyment: in the present

4. time: cycle, repeating



c. Future Orientation

1. future: emphasize, expect to be grander and nicer

2. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, and try again.

3. time: linear


E.4 Activity Orientation

a. Being Orientation 1. stress release, indulgence of existing desires

2. work for the moment

3. satisfied with what they have

4. family background more important



b. Being-in-Becoming Orientation 1. stress idea of development and growth

2. emphasize activity contributing to development of self

3. value spiritual life more than material one



c. Doing Orientation 1. stress activity and action

2. a sense of urgency about getting things done

3. accomplishment measured by standards external to individual

4. believe in action and efficiency


E.5 Relational (Social) Orientation

a. Authoritarian Orientation 1. believe some individuals born to lead

2. authoritarian relationships accepted

3. The eyes cannot rise above the eyebrow.



b. Collective Orientation 1. group: most important of all social entities

2. feel dependent on group, safe within it, proud

3. competitive with other groups

4. group concern for all its members, make decisions by consensus

5. China, India, Africa, Latin America



c. Individualism Orientation 1. all people have equal rights and complete

control over destiny

2. individual goals and objectives take priority over group goals and objectives

3. predominant orientation in United States

4. use first names

5. self-reliance, independence


Thank You

chapter 2 cultural patterns chapter 2 cultural patterns

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