Task 9. Reduce the text selecting the main ideas

VIOLENCE ON TV

As the general manager of KTDS, the NBC affiliate in Tidusville, Oklahoma, Chris has a range of responsibilities that include programming, personnel, advertising and public relations. His least favourite activity is responding to customers’ complaints. Unfortunately, there have been an unusually large number of complaints in the past few months from viewers and advertisers alike.

Most of the recent comments are objections to the level of violence on KTDS programs. Chris is sensitive to this issue because he has observed a gradual increase in violence on TV over the past 20 years. Chris really prefers the old-time movies in which dirty needs were neatly sanitised and violent crimes occurred behind the scenes. He is sympathetic to the recent callers.

Nonetheless, he’s a tight spot. Chris knows that small, vocal groups do not necessarily represent the population at large. People who feel strongly about an issue are likely to speak out, while those who are content tend to remain silent. While the recent callers have denounced the level of violence on KTDS shows, Chris knows he must understand and serve all of the KTDS viewers.

Chris has a suspicion about the source of the recent calls. Four month ago, a flamboyant politician announced his candidacy for a mayor. This candidate has received a great deal of air time on the local news due, in part, to his impassioned outbursts. Some people love him, others despise him, but almost everyone tunes in to the evening news in hopes of catching the latest controversy. One continuing theme of his platform is violence on TV in America in general and violence on KTDS in particular. Over the past four months, the candidate has suggested that those opposed to violence in the media “let their voices be heard.” Chris suspects that this fellow has inspired a large portion of the recent complaints to KTDS.

Chris needs to sort all of this out. A survey has been designed and 94 telephone survey responses have been compiled. The survey design and data set compilation were undertaken by Ann Lee Bailey, an MBA student at the University of Colorado at Denver.

The survey was done over a three-week period in October. Two hundred phone calls were made and 106 people declined an invitation to participate in the survey. Of the 94 participating respondents, two people were offended by the question of income and refused to answer that particular question. No responses are indicated in the data set by asterisk. A random selection of phone numbers from the Tidusville phone book was used to select the sample. Chris needs a report as soon as possible.

UNIT 9

Task 1. Read the text “Attitudes toward Factors of Human Relationships” and translate it.

Task 2. Find answers to the following questions in the text and write them down:

1. How is time regarded in our culture?

2. What do we strive to do?

3. How do Asians view time?

4. Do some cultures stress punctuality?

5. How are time and planning viewed in other cultures?

ATTITUDES TOWARD FACTORS OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

Probably causing even more miscommunication than differences in body positions and movements are the different attitudes of different cultures toward various factors of human relationships. For illustrative purposes, we will review seven major factors: time, space, odours, frankness, relationships, values and social behaviour.

TIME

In our culture, people tend to regard time as something that must be planned for the most efficient use. They strive to meet deadlines, to be punctual, to conduct business quickly and to work on a schedule.

In some other cultures (especially those of the Middle East and some parts of Asia), people view time in a more relaxed way. They see planning as unwise and unneces­sary. Being late to a meeting, a social function or such is of little consequence to them. In fact, some of them hold the view that important people should be late to show that they are busy. In business negotiations, the people in these cultures move at a deliber­ately slow pace, engaging in casual talk before getting to the main issue. It is easy to see how such different views of time could cause peop­le from different cultures to have serious miscommunication problems.

Task 3. Read the text “Space” and translate it.

Task 4. Find answers to the following questions in the text and write them down:

1. How do Americans view space?

2. Are there cultures where people view space as belonging to all?

3. In what cultures do people want to be far apart?

4. In what cultures do they want to be close?

SPACE

People from different cultures often vary in their attitudes toward space. North Americans tend to prefer about two feet or so of distance between themselves and those with whom they speak. But in some cultures (some Arabian and South American cultures), people stand closer to each other; not following this practice is considered impolite. For another example, North Americans view personal space as a right and tend to respect this right of others; thus, they stand in line and wait their turn. People from some other cultures view space as belonging to all. Thus, they jostle for space when boarding trains, standing at ticket counters, shopping in stores and so on. In encounters between people whose cultures have such different attitudes toward space, actions are likely to be misinterpreted.

Task 5. Read the text “Odours” and translate it.

Task 6. Find answers to the following questions in the text and write them down:

1. What is the attitude of Americans towards body odours?

2. How do Asians view body odours?

3. Does “breathe the breathe” mean an act of friendship for Asians?

4. Where could encounters between people with different attitudes toward body odours lead to?

ODOURS

People from different cultures may have different attitudes toward body odours. To illustrate, Americans work hard to neutralise body odours or cover them up and view those with body odours as dirty and unsanitary. On the other hand, in some Asian cultures people view body odours not as something to be hidden but as some­thing that friends should experience. Some of the people from these cultures feel that it is an act of friendship to “breathe the breath” of the person with whom they con­verse and to feel their presence by smelling. Clearly, encounters between people with such widely different attitudes could lead to serious miscommunication.

Task 7. Read the text “Frankness” and translate it.

Task 8. Find answers to the following questions in the text and write them down:

1. Do Americans tend to be frank in their relationships with others?

2. What do Asians tend to be like as to frankness?

3. How do they may appear in their relationships?

4. Do North Americans appear harsh and aggressive to Asians?

5. How do the Chinese tend to end telephone calls?

FRANKNESS

North Americans tend to be relatively frank in their relationships with others, quickly getting to the point and perhaps being blunt and sharp in doing so. Asians tend to be far more reticent and sometimes go to great lengths not to offend. Thus, Asians may appear evasive, roundabout and indecisive to North Americans; and North Americans may appear harsh, impolite and aggressive to Asians. Telephone customs may be an exception, especially among the Chinese, who tend to end tele­phone calls abruptly after their purpose has been accomplished. North Americans, on the other hand, tend to move on to friendly talk and clearly prepare the listener for the end of the call.

Task 9. Read the text “Relationships” and translate it.

Task 10. Find answers to the following questions in the text and write them down:

1. What does class status determine?

2. What questions might be asked to determine person’s class status?

3. How do the views of superior-subordinate relations vary by culture?

4. Does the role of women vary by culture?

5. How do Americans view the attitude to women in Islamic culture?

RELATIONSHIPS

In many cultures, strict social classes exist and class status deter­mines how intimately people are addressed and treated in communication. For this reason, a person from such a culture might quiz a person from another culture to deter­mine that person's class status. Questions concerning occupation, income, title and such might be asked. People from cultures that stress human equality are apt to take offence at such questioning and in fact at the notion of class status. This difference in attitude toward class status is also illustrated by differences in the familiarity of address. Some Americans are quick to get on a first-name basis. This practice is offen­sive to people from some other cultures, notably the English and the Germans, who expect such intimate address only from long-standing acquaintances.

Similarly, how people view superior-subordinate relations can vary by culture. The dominant view in Latin America, for example, is of the necessity for a strong boss with weak subordinates doing as the boss directs. In sharp contrast is the somewhat democratic work arrangement of the Japanese in which much of the decision making is by consensus. Most in American culture view as appropriate an order between these extremes. These widely differing practices have led to major communication problems in joint business ventures involving people from these cultures.

The role of women varies widely by culture. In North America, we continue to move toward a generally recognised goal of equality. In many Islamic cultures, the role of women is quite different. In our view, the practices of the people of these other cultures suggest severe restriction of rights. In the view of the people of these cultures, their practices are in accord with their religious convictions.

Task 11. Read the text “Values” and translate it.

Task 12. Find answers to the following questions in the text and write them down:

1. Has each culture different values?

2. What have Americans been indoctrinated with?

3. What is the product of this thinking?

4. How do views about the relationships of employers and employees differ?

5. Where does employment tend to be for a lifetime?

6. Where is autocratic rule expected?

VALUES

Also differing by culture are our values – how we evaluate the critical mat­ters in life. Americans, for example, have been indoctrinated with the Puritan work ethics. There is the belief that if one puts hard work ahead of pleasure, success will follow. The product of this thinking is an emphasis on planning, working efficiently and max­imising production. Of course, not all of us subscribe to this ethics, but it is a strong force in the thinking of those in our culture. The prevailing view in some other cul­tures is quite different. In some, the major concern is for spiritual and human well-being. The view of work is relaxed and productivity is, at best, a secondary concern.

Views about the relationships of employers and employees also may differ by cul­ture. North American workers expect to change companies in their career a number of times; and they expect companies to fire them from time to time. Employees expect to move freely from job to job and they expect employers to hire and fire as their needs change. Expectations are quite different in some other cultures. In Japan, for example, employment tends to be for a lifetime. The workplace is viewed much like a family with loyalty expected from employees and employer. Differences such as this have caused misunderstandings in American-Japanese joint ventures.

How employees view authority is yet another question that cultures view differ­ently. North Americans generally accept authority, yet they fiercely maintain the rights of the individual. In many Third World cultures, workers accept a subservient role passively. Autocratic rule is expected – even wanted.

Task 13. Read the text “Social Behaviour” and translate it.

Task 14. Find answers to the following questions in the text and write them down:

1. Where do differences in social behaviour develop?

2. Where are public displays of affections considered crude and offensive?

3. In what cultures is laughter considered a spontaneous display of pleasure?

4. Is laughter a controlled behaviour?

5. Where is sorrow expressed with loud and uncontrolled wailing?

6. What is the attitude to combining business and social pleasure in different cultures?

7. Should we always guard against ethnocentrism?

SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

From culture to culture, differences in social behaviour develop. To illustrate, in some Asian cultures public displays of affection are strongly frowned upon – in fact, considered crude and offensive. Westerners, on the other hand, accept at least a moderate display of affection. To Wester­ners, laughter is a spontaneous dis­play of pleasure, but in some cultures (Japanese, for one), laughter can also be a con­trolled behaviour – to be used in certain social situations. Even such emotional displays as sorrow are influenced by culture. In some Middle Eastern cultures, sor­row is exp­ressed with loud, seemingly uncontrolled wailing. In similar situa­tions, Westerners typically respond with subdued and controlled emotions.

Some cultures combine business and social plea­sure; others do not. Some expect to engage in aggressive bargaining in business trans­actions; others prefer straightforward dealings. Some talk loudly and with emotion; others communicate orally in a subdued manner. Some communicate with emphasis on economy of expression; others communicate with an abundance of verbiage.

The comparisons could go on and on, for there are countless differences in cultures. But it is not necessary to review them all. What is important is that we recognise their existence, that we look for them and that we understand them. Always we should guard against ethnocentrism, using our cultural practices as standards for determining meaning in cross-cultural communication.