Identity, behaviors, traditions, emotions, customs, social norms, and perspectives

EAST meets WEST

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

Who am I?My name is Sarah Elizabeth SandersonI am from Holland, Michigan in the U.S.A.I am 29 years oldI am engaged to Sean Doyle (another foreign teacher

here)I got my B.A. in Spanish and my B.S. in biology at

Hope College and my M.A. in Spanish linguistics at Ohio State University

This is my second year teaching English in ChangzhouIn my free time I like traveling, reading, writing,

watching movies, baking desserts, studying Chinese, chatting with friends and family from back home and playing sports

I am from the state of Michigan

I am from the city of Holland

A little bit about where I am from:State: Michigan City: HollandHas the longest

freshwater coastline of any state or province in the world

There are 64,980 inland lakes and ponds

A person is never more than 10 km from a natural water source or 137 km from the shore of one of the Great Lakes

(Source: Wikipedia)

Population: 33,000Home to Hope College,

Western Theological Seminary and many churches

Many tourists visit for the beaches and the Tulip Time Festival (Dutch celebration) in May

The downtown is listed in the nation’s registry of historic places

Who lives in Michigan?Population Density

Ancestry of Population

Views of Holland

The seasons in Michigan

This is my family

This is my fiancé, Sean Doyle – I like him because he is very responsible

We are getting married this summer on August 11, in Holland, Michigan

What is culture?There are a few different meanings of the word cultureThe definition we will use today is the following:culture |ˈkəl ch ər| - the customs, arts, social

institutions, attitudes and behavior characteristic of a particular social group (Webster's Dictionary)

Culture is the way we learn to look at the world and how we function in it.  Our culture is taught to us by our families, friends and communities.  From these people, we learn what foods to eat, what kinds of houses to build, how to communicate, and how to behave.  Cultures can be defined in many different ways:  by region, nationality, religion, and race, to name just a few.

Why should we study other cultures?

Most teachers and students of English agree that knowing about Western cultures makes it easier for students to communicate effectively with Westerners. Some reasons for this are quite obvious. For one thing, knowing about Western culture helps students better understand English. For example, it can be hard to understand Americans if you don't know anything about baseball because you may not understand what expressions like "strike out" and "throw a curve ball" mean.

For another, understanding Western culture helps students avoid doing or saying things that would be offensive to a Westerner. For example, students are less likely to offend Westerners if they know that Westerners don't consider it polite to ask a woman's age or to ask people how much money they make. (The Amity Foundation)

Words of caution before we start:

Talking about culture can be difficult as it is a very large and complex idea that can be hard to explain and define

When comparing cultures, it is important to maintain an attitude of openness, curiosity, appreciation and respect

I can only share with you what I know about a small part of American culture, which is different from other Western cultures

No culture is better or worse than another – just differentWhen we talk about culture, it is common to make

generalizations. It is important to remember that not everyone follows cultural patterns or norms; there are many exceptions

When I attempt to explain Chinese culture, please forgive me if I accidentally offend you or make a mistake – correct me!

Warm-up – What do you think?

Last semester I taught “Western Culture” classes to many students of this university

On the first day, I asked them these questions:In your opinion, what are the top three values in

society for the United States and China?*A value is an idea, principle, judgment or moral standard

that is importantWhat is something you like about American culture?

What is something you don’t like?What is something you like about your own culture?

What is something you don’t like?What do you think their answers were?

Top values in society (according to my students)

China The United States

Family/Relationships

Cooperation/Harmony

Love for countrySuccess and wealthMaintaining ‘Face’EducationTraditions/Festivals

Individual rightsFreedomCreativityReligionAdventurePowerOpenness

Likes and Dislikes (according to my students)

China The United States

Like:FoodTraditions/customsChinese people

Dislike:Education systemAmount of peopleCompetition

Like:FoodEntertainmentEnvironment

Dislike:Guns and violenceReligionArrogance

Cultural DifferencesPerhaps it’s too simple to make broad

generalizations about what’s most important to a country or culture

Let’s pretend you decided to study abroad in the United States and once you arrived, your new friends ask you to explain the differences between living in China and living in America. Could you do it? It might be harder than you think. . .

What would you say? Can you think of some particular ways in which our lifestyles differ?

Let’s look at some specific examples . . .

An artist portrays identityThe following

graphics are done by the Chinese artist Yang Liu who grew up in Beijing and then moved to Germany

Much of her work focuses on social identity and cultural differences

Cultural Differences: East - West

The following pictures by Yang Liu show some major cultural and lifestyle differences between China and the “West” (Germany in particular) (www.yangliudesign.com)

In the pictures, one side represents China (red) and the other side represents Western Countries (blue)

When you look at each picture, try to interpret the meaning. What difference(s) is Yang Liu trying to suggest or portray?

Do you agree or disagree?Are some of these differences changing?

OPINION

WAY OF LIFE

CONTACTS

ANGER

WAITING IN LINE

Getting on the bus – personal space

ME

IN A RESTAURANT

HANDLING OF PROBLEMS

THE BOSS

Sundays on the Street

Weekends out and about

Rotenberg, Germany Shanghai, China

Shower Time

Our views of each other

Elderly in day-to-day life

The child

Punctuality

At a party

Having a partyCommon work party in USA

Party in Changzhou, China

In the event of a stomach ache

What my mom gave me for a stomach ache

On our travels

The ideal of beauty

Tanning lotions and bronzer

Tanning in salons and on the beach

Three meals a day

Example cold breakfasts

Example cold lunches

Example hot dinners

Evolution of transportation

Commuting by bike

Commuting by bike and public transportation

Moods and the weather

New trends

Gourmet Baozi restaurant

Gourmet Chinese restaurants

Oh yeah . . . Why else do we study cultural differences?

It’s fun!Thanks for listeningAny questions?