NONVERBAL CUESIN INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

When in Rome…

CULTURAL CONTROVERSIES France’s burka ban Mosque near ground zero Arizona’s immigration law Honor killings Terry Jones Kuran burning Westboro Baptist Church Asian drivers Female circumcision

THE WORLD IS BECOMING MORE AMERICAN American culture is a leading

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AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM?

“America is the greatest country in the world” Freedom Democracy Free speech Land of opportunity

But are we #1? Infant mortality: 33rd Life expectancy: 37th

(behind Cuba, Puerto Rico, Chile, Costa Rica)

Education: The U.S. ranked 14 out of 34 countries in reading, and 25th in math

Health care quality: 37th

Gender gap/gender equality: 27th

CULTURE BIAS

Culture bias: interpreting and judging another culture based on standards from one’s own culture Example: hygiene

standards in the U.S.A. Ethnocentrism: belief

in the inherent superiority of one’s own culture Example: “capitalism is

good, socialism is evil”

Cultural imprinting begins at an early age

Culture bias may be conscious or unconscious

Which fellow is dressed “weird”?

HIGH VERSUS LOW CONTACT CULTURES high contact

cultures exhibit greater immediacy Touch more

Stand closer

More olfactory

examples South America Southern France Southern Italy Southern Spain Greece, Portugal Latin America

low contact cultures exhibit lesser immediacy Touch less Stand farther apart More visual examples

Germany Great Britain Norway Japan China

The U.S.A. is a moderate contact culture

HIGH VERSUS LOW CONTACT CULTURES

When passing another stranger on the sidewalk: 1-2% of Japanese

people smiled, nodded, or spoke to the passerby

9-25% of Americans smiled, nodded, or spoke

HIGH VS. LOW CONTEXT CULTURES High context cultures

are more collectivistic; concerned with group harmony, getting along

cultural rules and social norms are implicitly understood

are more nonverbal tend to read between

the lines Examples: China,

Japan, Taiwan, Korea

Low context cultures are more

individualistic; celebrate individuality and personal autonomy

cultural rules and social norms are discussed, negotiated

are more verbal tell to spell things out Examples: Germany,

U.S. Switzerland, Sweden

HIGH VS. LOW CONTEXT CULTURES American college

roommates Messy roommate:

“It’s your turn to clean the kitchen.”

Noisy roommate: “Keep it down, I’m trying to study.”

Unpaid debt: “You owe me 20 bucks. Pay up.”

Japanese college roommates Messy roommate: “If

someone visits, they will think are messy.”

Noisy roommate: “The neighbors may be disturbed by all the noise.”

Unpaid debt: “I wish I could afford to buy a subway pass for this month.”

HIGH CONTEXT VS. LOW CONTEXT Japanese tea ceremony

Every behavior of the host and guest is highly ritualized and prescribed

all meaning is contextual The tea ceremony reflects

the principles of: Wa - Harmony, Kei - Respect, Sei - Purity, and Jaku - Serenity

An American who said “hey, great tea,” or “hurry up and finish your tea” would be committing a cultural faux pas

FEMININE VS. MASCULINE CULTURES Feminine

cultures have more flexible, androgynous gender roles Examples:

Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany , Chile, Portugal

Masculine cultures have more rigid, clearly defined gender roles Examples: Japan, Italy,

Mexico, Venezuela The U.S. is

moderately masculine Nascar dads Stay-at-home dads Career women Home-schoolers

MOHAMMAD, THE TEDDY BEAR, CONTROVERSY A British schoolteacher,

Gene Gibbons, was sentenced to 40 lashes for allowing her students to name a class teddy bear Mohammad

Sharia law should not be taken lightly

DON’T SHOW THE SOLES OF YOUR SHOES OR FEET In Middle Eastern

countries it is considered rude to point the bottom of your foot at someone.

The sole of the foot is considered unclean.

Shoes are removed before entering a Mosque.

It is akin to “mooning” someone in the U.S.A.

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

In Saudi Arabia it is illegal for a man and woman to hold hands in public

It is not illegal for two males to hold hands in public

An American who kissed a woman in pubic was jailed then deported

INTERCULTURAL GAFFES

Richard Gere “greets” Shilpa Shetty too enthusiastically

Hindu followers consider any public display of affection (PDA) to be taboo.

PDA is even more frowned upon if the pair is unmarried.

Gere was a non-Hindu foreigner in a country that endorses arranged marriages

INTERCULTURAL GAFFES Low bow humor:

Obama was criticized for bowing too low the the Japanese emperor, and for shaking hands at the same time.

Hands off the crown jewels: Michelle Obama broke royal protocol during a reception at Buckingham Palace when she placed her arm around the Queen.

INTERCULTURAL GAFFES

“Our North Korean Ally” While being

interviewed on Glenn Beck’s radio show, Palin twice referred to North Korea as America’s ally.

"Obviously, we gotta stand with our North Korean allies“ she remarked.

INTERCULTURAL GAFFES

Cameron Diaz toured Mach Picchu carrying a Chinese handbag with the phrase “Serve the People.”

The phrase, by Mao Zedong, touched a nerve among Peruvians

The Maoist Shining Path insurgency in Peru killed 70,000 people

INTERCULTURAL GAFFES We are not

amused: Following a verbal

gaffe, (he suggested the Queen had toured the U.S. in 1776) George W. Bush winked at the queen.

She returned the wink with a cold glare