Fourth Class

THE TWO MOST RELEVANT POINTS FOR ME 

1. Hofstede initial dimensions

• Power Distance, PDI:

To evaluate this dimension they asked the employees the tendency to disagree with the boss.

Power distance is the difference across occupations, education and income.  Its how high or low the power is distributed unequally within a society.

Countries with High PDI such as Russia, some Arab Countries, Japan, among others tend to have authoritarian values, tend to be real traditional, there is centralization at work, subordinates except to be told what to do and there is  a wide salary range between subordinates and managers, or people with a higher position within an enterprise.  In the other hand, countries with Low PDI such as Sweden, Austria or Denmark there is un-authoritatian values, inequality is minimized, superiors and subordinates are the same kind of people, there is a decentralization at work and there is a narrow salary range.

• Uncertainty Avoidance, UAI:

"The extend to which the members of a culture feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations"

Uncertainty Avoidance is  correlated to power distance with some countries. It correlates with age: the older you get, the most uncertain becomes an issue and the less tolerant you are.

Between countries with a high UAI we have Belguim, Switzerland and Germany.  These countries ten to have higher stress and anxiety, they express their emotions normal, are subjectively less happy, there is a more resistance to change, they need clarity and a structure, fear for failure, precision and punctuality comes naturally and they are task oriented (According to Erin Meyer, in countries that are task oriented work relationships are built and drop easily, and trust is built through business-realties activities).

Contrary with this, countries with a low UAI such as Colombia and many african countries tend to have lower stress and anxiety, emotions are controlled, we are subjectively happier, there is a less resistance to change, we are comfortable with ambiguity and chaos, there is a hope for success, precision and punctuality have to be learned and managed and we are relationship oriented (According to Erin Meyer, in relationship oriented countries, trust is built through sharing meals, evening drinks, and visits at the coffee machine and work relationships build up slowly over the long term).

• Individualism vs. Collectivism, IDV:

Individualism stands for a society in which the ties between individuals are loose and in collectivism, people from a specific society are more integrated to their own groups and to be more cooperative with others.

Individualist cultures such as United States and Western Europe, look after him/herself and emphasize personal achievement resulting in a  strong sense of competition.

• Masculinity and Femininity, MAS:

Masculanity stands for a society in which social gender roles are very distinct. men are supposed to be assertive, tough and focused on material success and woman are supposed to be more modest, tender and concerned with the quality of life.  Femininity, in the other hand, stands for a society in which social gender roles overlap, both men and woman are supposed to be modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life.

• Long vs Short Term Orientation, LTO

Long term orientation is when the fostering of virtues are oriented towards future rewards and short term orientation is the fostering of virtues related to the past and present, in particular respect for tradition, perseveration of face and fulfilling social obligations.

RESEARCH QUESTION

What is FACE? Is it important to have this concept into account?

"FACE" is a concept that means the reputation and image you have and its shown to others. It can be molded and shaped by the actions of others your own.   The concept of face or image we hold for the other person differ in importance from culture to culture. in cultures such as Chinese, loosing face in public is seemed as a very bad thing and can destroy a relationship for sure, however there are other cultures that loosing face in public is not semed as bad. 

Third Class

THE TWO MOST RELEVANT POINTS FOR ME 

1.  Barriers to communication

There are barriers to communication that are easily identified:  Anxiety, Language Differences, Assumption of similarities, Non-verbal misinterpretation and Stereotypes.

a) Anxiety: According to Oxford Online Dictionary, anxiety is "A feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome". When there is initial interaction and you do not know what to do, there tends to be high anxiety and as a consequence, people try avoiding interactions.

b) Language Differences:  We need to pay special attention to this matter, specially when the language is the same, for example, spanish in Latin America,  because what varies in such cases are the idioms, jargons (special words or expressions used by a profession or group that are difficult for others to understand) and argot (jargon or slang of a particular group or class) which changes depending on the country or even the region we go.

c) Assuming similarity: Every culture, no matter how close or similar is it to ours have its differences, it is better to first observe or ask rather than assuming is the same way as what we are used to.

d) Non-Verbal communication encompasses actions that have a socially shared meaning without  the need of saying a single word.  It is  really usual to misinterpret a non-verbal communication mostly because for instance, hand signals and bodily expressions are not universal, as well  gestures, eye contact and greetings which could vary from region to region. As an example we use the difference in proxemics; For cultures such as the Japanese or Korean, personal space is really important and they do not touch each other unsells it is strictly necessary, unlike the Brazilians, which can hug you or kiss you repeatedly and constantly touch you when they are talking to you.

e) Stereotypes: general judgments of a group of people or a culture based on one or two individuals.  It can be positive or negative.  This type of barrier can blind and prevent other people about learning a new culture and traveling to a distinct territory or in the opposite hand, can motivate to travel and  explore a different country.  In general, stereotypes tend to judge harsh a community and categorized them with imprecise and vague characteristics.  Ex: All germans are really strict, serious and tend to be unfriendly.  It could be that due to their culture they tend to be more strict in some aspects but as far as I am concerned, and taking into account all the germans that I have met, probably two out of then ten germans I have met meet these characteristics. 
                                    
                                                         http://www.lifeofnav.in/2012/07/stereotypes-are-like-rules.html

2.  Face Negotiation Theory

This theory was conceived by Ting Toomey and it says that "regardless of the culture, people are all concerned  with saving face" (Communication Studies).  This theory seeks to understand the dynamics of intercultural communication, as well as helping to avoid misunderstandings between persons of different cultures.

There are different viewpoints of this theory in collectivist and individualist cultures. In collectivist cultures, members seek to avoid possible threats that might damage the group, that is why they tend to avoid conflict and when a conflict is unavoidable they often allow others to safe face.
In the contrary, in individualistic cultures the face of the group is not considered as primary but instead as secondary or not considered at all and members feel the need to make others lose face in order to save their own.
  

      Conflict Styles: 

Learned behaviors developed though socialization within one's  culture.

• Dominating:"Self above other",  one person has more contra.
• Avoiding: Eluding conflict.
• Obliging:  Satisfied the needs of the others. 
• Compromising: Give and take to come to a solution
• Integrating: Collaborate with others to solve a conflict and achieve a solution.

      Face Content:

Different levels an individual will engage in face work on.

• Inclusion: need to be recognized as likable, agreeable, friendly and good companions.
• Approval:  need for others to distinguish our appearance, reputation, social attractiveness.
• Reliability:  need for others to realize that we are trustworthy, dependable and loyal.
• Competence:  need for others to recognize our intelligence, skills, expertise and ability to work hard.
• Moral: need for others to respect our integrity, moral and property.

HOW/ IN WHICH CIRCUMSTANCES COULD THIS BECOME RELEVANT

1.  It is essential to appreciate the importance of effective communication and to overcome these type of barriers so it is easier to reach and achieve our goals and objectives.  Applying strategies and techniques can improve communication in our daily life and in the workplace.   When traveling, negotiating with people from different regions or countries or simply when talking to a friend from  a different cultural background, we need to observe, try to understand where she or he comes from and analyze the way she/he speaks. 

2.  Face negotiation theory can help understanding cross cultural differences in conflict resolutions styles. When dealing with conflict, it is important to try to comprehend the other person's communication style.  Trying to understand and apply an approach where the other persons (specially if its from a different cultural background) feel more comfortable, will make it easier to reach a solution.



RESEARCH QUESTION

Who is Stella Ting Toomey?


Dr. Stella Ting-Toomey is a Professor of Human Communication Studies at California State University, Fullerton. Her teaching passions include intercultural communication theory, intercultural communication training and design, and intercultural and interpersonal conflict management.

Stella Ting Toomey was the one who proposed the face negotiation theory in order to understand how different cultures throughout the world respond to conflict.

In addition, Stella has held major leadership roles in international communication associations and has served on more than fifteen editorial boards. She has delivered major keynote speeches on the theme of mindful intercultural communication in South Africa, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Canada, and different regions of the U.S. As a trainer, consultant, and certified mediator, she has designed and conducted a variety of intercultural conflict competence workshops for corporations, universities, and non-profit centers and institutes. 

SOURCES

Face Negotiation Theory. (n.d.).Communication Studies. Retrieved August 19, 2014, from http://www.communicationstudies.com/communication-theories/face-negotiation-theory

Oxford Dictionaries. (n.d.). Oxford Dictionaries. Retrieved August 16, 2014, from 

STELLA TING-TOOMEY's Home on the Web. (n.d.). STELLA TING-TOOMEY's Home on the Web. Retrieved August 24, 2014, from http://commfaculty.fullerton.edu/stingtoomey

Ting-Toomey, S. (1988). Intercultural Conflict Styles: A face-negotiation theory. In Y.Y. Kim & W. Gudykunst (eds.). Theories in intercultural communication (pp. 213-235). Newbury Park. CA: Sage

Second Class

THE TWO MOST RELEVANT POINTS FOR ME 

1.  Low Context vs High Context

Low context cultures describe a explicit and direct language approach when communicating. This type of communication relies mainly on words and not in contextual elements such as body language. Low context communication is mainly verbal and precise, this type of cultures are more logic and reasoning, the responsible for a good communication comes from the sender of the message and not the receptor, they are highly explicit on what they communicate and their expressions are external reactions.

In the opposite hand, in high context cultures little has to be said or written because more of the meanings is in the physical environment, implicit messages and contextual cues (tone of voice, body language)  are implied. In this type of culture, nonverbal communication is very important as well as the social environment is more important than the words being spoken.  Communication in high context cultures is non verbal, the responsibility for a good communication relies in the receptor of the message and not the sender and their expression are reserved reactions.

2. Non Verbal Communication

Actions that are intentionally sent or interpreted as intentional, consciously sent or consciously received.  Non Verbal communication is basically sending and receiving messages in a variety of ways without the use of verbal codes (Non Verbal Communication Modes, 2007)
There are non verbal communications that are universal such as the baby's smile, expressions such as surprise, happiness, sadness, anger...etc.  This type of communication replace spoken messages and in some cultures are even more important than actually saying words, and as it was said above, it is essential in high context cultures.



HOW/ IN WHICH CIRCUMSTANCES COULD THIS BECOME RELEVANT

1.  Today, globalization is at its peak, meaning cultures from all over the world are mixing with each other and now its becoming more common to have friends from diverse countries, study with people from other cities or nations and do business with territories that once seemed impossible to relate with. When knowing all of these, it is important to be aware of the concept of high or low context cultures because by identifying the social environment where the person belongs you could read him/her easier, the communication will be better and you will know how to act and response to him/her .  In cultures such as the Colombian or Asian, people will hardly tell you "NO" as an answer, but instead will tell you indirects which will mean no without necessarily having to say this word. This example is from a high context culture.  In the contrary, countries suh as Switzerland or Norway, will tell you a straight "YES" or "NO" and will not embellish the answer.  

2.  General appearance, gestures, body movement, posture, facial expressions, among others are ways of non verbal communication.  This type of communication prevail in every culture in different ways. Studying this can help us understand better the other part when doing a negotiation or simply when  having a normal conversation.  In countries such as Ghana, Turkey and some Arab nations, crossing your legs in a negotiation or in a normal conversation is and offensive act for them as well as for example going to an interview in Egypt with light clothes (shorts-t-shirt) because it is really hot.  This is why studying the non verbal communication of different parts of the world is is so important, so in future encounters we do not make silly mistakes that for the other person are obvious and we can have a successful negotiation or simply a good conversation with the other part. 



RESEARCH QUESTION
WHO WAS CARL JUNG?

"Carl Jung was a swiss psychiatrist and  psychotherapist, creator of modern depth psychology,  which seeks to facilitate a conversation with the unconscious energies which move through each of us. He contributed many ideas which continue to inform contemporary life: complex, archetype, persona, shadow, anima and animus, personality typology, dream interpretation, individuation, and many other ideas. He had a deep appreciation of our creative life and considered spirituality a central part of the human journey. His method of interpretation of symbolic expression not only deepens our understanding of personal material, opening the psychodynamics of our personal biographies and dreams, but the deeper, collective patterns which develop within culture as well. In his memoir,Memories, Dreams, Reflections, Jung wrote that meaning comes “when people feel they are living the symbolic life, that they are actors in the divine drama. That gives the only meaning to human life; everything else is banal and you can dismiss it. A career, producing of children, are all maya (illusion) compared to that one thing, that your life is meaningful.”" (A Brief Note on Carl Jung, 2013)

SOURCES

Williams, Y. (n.d.). Education Portal.Education Portal. Retrieved July 31, 2014, from http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/low-context-culture-definition-lesson-quiz.html#lesson

Minor, L., & Lamberton, L. (2010, August 17). High-Context & Low-Context Cultures - Cascade Business News. Cascade Business News. Retrieved August 3, 2014, from http://cascadebusnews.com/business-tips/networking/154-high-context-a-low-context-cultures

Hollis, J. (2013, December 12). About Jung. The Jung Page - Home. Retrieved August 4, 2014, from http://www.cgjungpage.org