臺北市立教育大學陳麗華教授

Cross-cultural Connection

Symptoms of culture shock 1 Unwarranted criticism of the culture and people Heightened irritability Constant complaints about the climate Continual offering of excuses for staying indoors Utopian ideas concerning one's previous culture Continuous concern about the purity of water and food

Symptoms of culture shock 2 *Fear of touching local people *Refusal to learn the language *Preoccupation about being robbed or cheated *Pressing desire to talk with people who "really make sense." *Preoccupation with returning home

Stages in adjusting to a new culture Fun: The excitement and adventure of experiencing new people, things, and opportunities. Flight: Disorientation brings the urge to avoid everything and everyone that is different. Fight: The temptation to judge people and things that are different as bad or foolish. Fit: Creative interaction with the new culture that includes a willingness to understand and embrace.

Coping strategy for culture shock: Survival techniques Focus on what you can control. Don't invest major energy in minor problems. Tackle major stressors head on. Ask for help. Write it down.

cross-cultural sensitivity and understanding Point of departure: "There's no one else here" or "Our way is the only right way." –Mind-set: Blind monoculturalism or Ethnocentrism –Different means deficient "Wait a minute, there may be another way." –Mind-set: Willingness to crack open the door –Awareness creates some sensitivity to cultural lenses

cross-cultural sensitivity and understanding "Oh, you mean there are reasons why people respond differently." –Mind-set: Tolerance –Discernment gives birth to understanding "It's OK to be different." –Mind-set: Favorable acceptance –Respect for cultural differences

cross-cultural sensitivity and understanding "Multi-cultural living can enhance our lives and even be fun." –Mind-set: Appreciation and admiration –Esteem Destination: Embracing the joy of multiculturalism and cross-cultural understanding

Definition of ethnocentrism the feeling that one’s group has a mode of living, values, and patterns of adaptation that are superior to those of other groups. It is coupled with a generalized contempt for members of other groups. Ethnocentrism may manifest itself in attitudes of superiority or sometimes hostility. Violence, discrimination, proselytizing, and verbal aggressiveness are other means whereby ethnocentrism may be expressed. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright © 2007 Columbia University Press.

The perils of monoculturalism 1 1. A naive ethnocentrismethnocentrism I judge everything using my own culture as the measuring rod without being consciously aware of what I'm doing. 2. Absolutist thinking Insisting that things are not to be questioned: "It's my way or the highway" An overly legalistic concern for maintaining form, precedents and established customs

The perils of monoculturalism 2 3. An embracing of naive realism "As we see things, that's the way they are." Naive realism says that we can know things in the world directly without taking into account our own filtering processes 4. Lack of respect for other people's ways "There's no one else here."

The perils of monoculturalism 3 5. The evaluation of customs and perspectives on the basis of one's own culturally learned assumptions and values (worldview) This grows out of the sense that one's views have been arrived at because they are superior to any other views. 6. The use of pejorative terms to describe customs different from one's own

Why is ethnocentrism bad? Ethnocentric thinking causes us to make wrong assumptions about other people because... Ethnocentrism leads us to make premature judgments. "They" may not be very good at what we are best at. By evaluating "them" by what we are best at, we miss the many other aspects of life that they often handle more competently than we do.

what can we do about ethnocentrism? 1 to recognize that we do not understand, that we are falsely assuming something that is not the case and is out of context. to watch for reactions. We can always observe our own reactions: negative reactions & positive reactions We can also observe their reactions: negative reactions & positive reactions

what can we do about ethnocentrism? 2 Attitude: we are the learners. Ask two sets of questions : (1) What are their meanings about the behavior and situation? (what is their emic experience?) (2) What are the adaptive functions of the behavior and situation? (what is their etic experience?) practice at every opportunity

Xenocentrism The opposite of ethnocentrism is xenocentrism which means preferring ideas and things from other cultures over ideas and things from your own culture. At the heart of xenocentrism is an assumption that other cultures are superior to your own.

Relativism 1 "Relativism" usually means not judging others' ways and accepting them as equal to our own. We do not necessarily have to agree with others' ways, and we have the right to our own ways, since they provide important meanings and adaptive functions for us.

Relativism 2 The real issue of relativism, I believe, is at what point is one group justified in intervening in the behavior of another group? the world community has reached an international consensus about human rights and about world functioning and balances.

Relativism 3 how to be involved : (1)What is our basis for becoming involved? What are our cultural views involved? our values? our vested interests? (2) What are their meanings and functions regarding the situation? What do they want? What are the likely outcomes for them? What do they get out of the results?

Relativism 4 Self-determination is one of the most effective means of social change for all parties concerned.