Unit 1
Communication Across Cultures
Warm Up
Questions
1. Why is it difficult to explain to a blind person what colors are?
2. Do you sometimes find it hard to make yourlf properly understood by others? If you do, why do you think it is hard?
It is very difficult for people to understand one another if they do not share the same experiences. Of cour, we all share the experience of being human, but there are many experiences which we do not share and which are different for all of us. It is the different experiences that
乔迁红包背面怎么写
make up what is called ―culture‖ in the social sciences － the habits of everyday life, the cues to
which people respond, the automatic reactions they have to whatever they e and hear. The often differ, and the differences may introduce misunderstandings where we ek understanding.
Reading I
Intercultural Communication：An Introduction
Comprehension questions
1. Is it still often the ca that“everyone‟s quick to blame the alien”in the contemporary world?
This is still powerful in today‘s social and political rhetoric. For instance, it is not uncommon in
today‘s society to hear people say that most, if not all, of the social and economic problems are耳朵烫是什么原因
caud by minorities and immigrants.
2. What‟保护地球的宣传语s the difference between today‟s intercultural contact and that of any time in the past?
Today‘s intercultural encounters are far more numerous and of greater importance than in any
time in history.
黄精的作用
3. What have made intercultural contact a very common phenomenon in our life today?
New technology, in the form of transportation and communication systems, has accelerat
ed intercultural contact; innovative communication systems have encouraged and facilitated cultural interaction; globalization of the economy has brought people together; changes in immigration patterns have also contributed to intercultural encounter.
4. How do you understand the ntence“culture is everything and everywhere”?
Culture supplies us with the answers to questions about what the world looks like and how we live and communicate within that world. Culture teaches us how to behave in our life from the instant of birth. It is omniprent.
5. What are the major elements that directly influence our perception and communication?
The three major socio-cultural elements that directly influence perception and communication are cultural values, worldview (religion), and social organizations (family and state).
清澈的小河像什么像什么6. What does one‟s family teach him or her while he or she grows up in it?
The family teaches the child what the world looks like and his or her place in that world.
盖浇饭的做法
7. Why is it impossible to parate our u of language from our culture?
Becau language is not only a form of prerving culture but also a means of sharing culture. Language is an organized, generally agreed-upon, learned symbol system that is ud to reprent the experiences within a cultural community.
8. What are the nonverbal behaviors that people can attach meaning to?
People can attach meaning to nonverbal behaviors such as gestures, postures, facial expressions, eye contact and gaze, touch, etc.
邪恶日本动漫
9. How can a free, culturally diver society exist?
A free, culturally diver society can exist only if diversity is permitted to flourish without prejudice and discrimination, both of which harm all members of the society.
Discovering Problems: Slim Is Beautiful?
蒸肉丸子
Questions for discussion
Which do you think is the mark of beauty, thin or fat? Why is it often said that beauty is in the eye of beholder?
One sociologist once said that with the greater influence of American culture across the world, the standard of a beauty is becoming more and more Hollywood-like, characterized by a chiled chin and a tall, slim figure. One can e such beautiful images in almost any American movie. We Chine also share the notion that the standard idea of beauty includes being tall, thin, and light skinned. It ems that with the process of globalization, eastern and western beauties look more and more alike.
But we have to remember that the definition of beauty differs from culture to culture. For example, Hispanic standards of female beauty are to have big hips, a moderate tan, and a short height. As is described in the article, in southeastern Nigeria, Coca-Cola-bottle voluptuousness is celebrated and ample backsides and bosoms are considered ideals of female beauty.
