Cultural Considerations: Video Plus Notes Unlimited Attempts Allowed Cultural Considerations: Step 1: Interview someone from a different culture Interview someone whose culture is distinctly different than your own. Yes, you may interview someone in this class! Use the questions below for ideas, but feel free to create your own. Perhaps choose ONE area to focus on and ask more probing questions. Seek stories and vivid examples. You might want to take a photo of that person or ask for photos to include in your presentation. Create a video of what you have learned. This information should be helpful to a businessperson meeting someone from that culture OR visiting that person’s country for the first time. Focus on BUSINESS COMMUNICATION. For example, if I interview someone from Japan, I would ask that person how to greet a businessperson for the first time. My interviewee will probably tell me that I must accept a business card with TWO hands and spend time reviewing it. I should not shove the card in my purse, but treat it with reverence to show respect. This would be one of several key points I would make in the video. Another example: I interview someone whose grandparents are from Italy, but whose parents were born in the U.S. I might learn that for many Catholic Italians, first communion is very important and often celebrated like a wedding. After making their communion, children can fully participate in a Catholic mass. Therefore, if I receive an invitation to a communion celebration, I would be wise to dress formally, give a substantial cash gift, and be prepared to eat a great deal of food. If you are appearing in the video (not required, but might add interest), work on a strong delivery. Remember that your entire body communicates a message. See this link for reasons to use gestures when speaking: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/talking-with-hands-gestures_n_56afcfaae4b0b8d7c230414e Links to an external site. Questions Generalities What are typical foods served in the culture? What are typical styles of dress? What do people do for recreation or fun? Do buildings have identifiable or unique features? How is public space used? For example, do people tend to “hang out” on the street? How are organizations typically structured? (e.g., President/CEO, financial manager, etc.) Recognized Behaviors Describe how people greet one another. Describe how a specific holiday is celebrated. How do workplaces handle this holiday (time off, with bonuses, gifts, or celebrations, etc.) How would a visitor be welcomed to someone’s workplace? To someone’s home? What are the norms around weddings? births? deaths? Explicit Beliefs How are gender roles perceived? How do people view obligations toward one another? What type of activities should one never do in public? What are the cultural attitudes toward aging and the elderly? Deeply Embedded Beliefs How important is the individual in the culture? How important is the group? How is space used (e.g., how close should two people be when having a conversation?) How is time understood and measured? (e.g., how late can you be to a business appointment?) How does the culture feel about change (flexibility)? What are the criteria for individual success? What is the relationship between humans and nature? (e.g., do humans dominate nature?) How is divine power viewed in relation to human effort? Is the culture a high-context or low-context one? What is humorous? How do individuals “know” things? (e.g., are people encouraged to question things?) Are people encouraged to be more action-oriented or to be more contemplative? What is the role of luck in people’s lives?
