The fifth and sixth principle jumped out to me the most out of the eight. According to the book, the fifth principle states, "groups operate within the norms and expectations of the culture of which they are a part,"(99). The book uses the example of how Americans pay attention to time and value being on time to things, and that Latin cultures may not recognize this. I have a similar example about how Americans are very loud and tend to be very animated when they talk; changes the tone of their voice, uses dramatic hand gestures... All of this could be considered as offensive for someone who is of an Asian background where their culture seems to value quietness as a sign of respect.
According to the book, the sixth principle states, "the things we notice, our perceptions of nonverbal cues, lead to meaning,"(p100). A perfect example of this would be lack of eye contact when someone is having a conversation with you, or someone rolling their eyes after you make a comment. To someone from the U.S , both of these are signs that they are uninterested or lack of respect for the other person. Whereas for another culture, not keeping eye contact could be a sign of respect or just the norm for the group.
I really enjoyed this chapter and found it to be very interesting.
Hello jstoltz89!
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that you touched on the cultural aspect of the eight principles. I think a lot of times we think that everyone is exactly like us and have the same types of methods of communicating. I also liked how you pointed out how some people in the Asian culture tend to value more reserved ways of communicating. I have also noticed that Americans tend to be a lot louder and aggressive than other cultures. Not saying there is anything wrong with it, but it is an interesting observation. This can also apply to people within the same culture. For instance, in my family I have people who are extremely loud and sometimes obnoxious, then I have family members who never say a word. It's an interesting concept to think about.