Explaining Cultural Incidents/Conflicts

Key terms

Subjective or unconscious level:

*Cross-cultural avoidance (Storti, Chap. 3)

*Cultural norms (Storti, p. 78)

*Cultural conditioning (Storti, p. 78)

Discussion, Storti, Chaps. 3-4

What is cross-cultural avoidance? Why does avoidance occur? Why does Storti think it is a problem for those living in other countries? Do you agree with him?

According to Storti, what are the causes of cultural incidents? What are cultural conditioning, cultural norms, and ethnocentrism? How do they contribute to cultural incidents?

*Ethnocentrism, Storti, pp. 80-81

Evaluating other cultures according to your own cultural norms

[Consciously] Assuming “that our culture is best” and others are “inferior”

Differs from xenophobia (fear) or prejudice, and racism (active dislike, discrimination or hostility)

✓[Unconsciously] assuming “that our way of doing things is normal” and others are “abnormal”

[Subjective] *Cultural Norms

Values (Some examples)

Human relations

*Individualism/Collectivism (I/WE)

*Informality/Formality

"We have made a lot of progress during the year of your teaching. This photo album may bring back memory of your students in China."

What does this note to reveal about differences in values of college students in America and China? Is an entire class at Ship likely to write a thank you note to a teacher?

*Cultural Conditioning

“Class system” in Chinese universities

Same students in major together for all classes

Reflects and reinforces cultural norms

4 years together breeds closer relationships & stronger conflicts

Student-student

What values does the American system of freer class and schedule choice reinforce?

*Time: Limited/Infinite

Argentinian-American conflict, (Storti, pp. 33, 76-77)

What are the reasons for the conflict?

Quantity($)/Quality

How does cultural conditioning in the American classroom reinforce cultural norms about time?

Authority

Horizontal/Vertical

American boss in Singapore, (Storti, p. 31)

British professor at South American university, (Storti, pp. 37-38)

Gender

British female boss in Egypt, (Storti, pp. 30-31)

Manners

Dinner at Indian home, (Storti, p. 39-40)

*Communicative and Cognitive Styles

Direct/Indirect

Business meeting in Amman, Jordan, (Storti, pp. 36-37)

European and Indian programmers, (Storti, p. 30)

Business meeting in Mexico City, (Storti, p. 38)