2.2 Acculturation
People do not want to abandon their past: therefore, they acculturate new ideas into their existing culture. Acculturation is the process of adjusting and adapting to a new and different culture. If people of two different cultures absorb a significant number of each others’ cultural differences and have a number of similarities, cultural synergy (协同效应) takes place with the two cultures merging to form a stronger and overriding culture. Corporate cultures are examples of the synergy of diverse cultures.
A manager, in order to be productive and creative, must take his/her workers realize that the corporation is more important than individual differences. Differences are not to be suppressed but managed to maximize the group’s productivity and creativity. Hofstede’s work shows that what motivates a worker in one country may or may not be important to a worker in another country. For corporations to get the most from their people, they will have to have managers who can work effectively with many cultural groups.
People who learn more than one culture are multicultural and can move between cultures very comfortably. An example of multicultural persons is the Royal Grimaldi family of Monaco. Princess Grace was a U.S. citizen and married Prince Ranier of Monaco. The Grimaldi children were raised in Monaco; however, due to the time they spent in the United States, they were acculturated to this country. Although acculturation increases the interconnectedness of cultures, differences are sources of potential problems. All differences will probably not be absorbed by either culture.
Acculturation has four dimensions integration, separation, assimilation, and deculturation. When a minority moves into a majority culture, he or she will choose one of these modes either consciously or subconsciously. Although as a majority culture we may feel assimilation is the correct acculturation process, the individual may not feel this fits his or her needs. Assimilation takes place when individuals are absorbed into their new culture and withdraw form their old
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culture. Integration takes place when individuals become an integral part of the new culture while maintaining their cultural integrity. Separation happens when individuals keep their culture and stay independent of the new culture. Deculturation occurs when individuals lose their original culture and do not accept the new culture, leading to confusion and anxiety. The acculturation mode that an individual chooses will be governed by the individual’s views and desired ways of life.
(from Intercultural Business Communication ) 中文补充案例及材料: 2.3.文化休克
“文化休克”(Culture shock)一词系Oberg于1960年在他的一篇学术论文中首次使用,概括种种跨文化不适应症,之后广泛流传,如今已经成为人们常用的词汇。据Oberg的看法,文化休克有6个方面的表现: 1. 由于不断进行必要的心理调整而引起的疲惫; 2. 由于失去朋友、地位、职业、和财产而引起的失落感; 3. 不能接受属于新文化的成员或者(以及)被这些成员拒之门外;
4. 在角色、对于角色的期望、价值观念、感情和自我认同方面感受到混乱; 5. 在觉察到文化差异后感到的惊奇、焦虑、甚至厌恶和气氛; 6. 由于不能对付新环境而产生的无能为力的感觉。
文化休克是人们对于另一种不熟悉的文化环境的心理反应。通俗地说,一个人从一地迁移到另一地,原来自己熟悉的一套符号、习俗、行为模式、社会关系、价值观念等被另一套新的自己不熟悉的符号、习俗、行为模式、社会关系、价值观念所替代,因而在心理上产生焦虑,在情绪上不安定,甚至沮丧。在严重的情况下,会产生各种心理和生理方面的疾病。最严重的甚至会患精神病或者自杀。这就是文化休克。
自然,并不是所有进入异文化环境的人都会发生文化休克。进入异文化的人的情况多种多样,大致可以分为以下四种:
1)旅游者。这类人通常在异国停留的时间短,而且有各种“保护”,例如,呆在旅馆里,与当地人很少接触,或只有很肤浅的接触;如果是旅游团,一般有向导为他们解决各种困难和问题,不需要他们自己出面;除了旅游,他们本身没有其他任务,不需要他
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们与当局或当地人有业务上的联系,因此,他们通常不感到生活上的不便或工作上的挫折。一般来说,他们情绪高涨,而不是沮丧。他们对于不熟悉的种种文化现象一般抱着好奇的态度,并不因为投身其中而情绪低落。
2)短期出访的商人、政府官员、外交官等。他们在异文化环境中停留的时间从几天到几个星期,一般来说,他们的生活条件比较优越,居住在饭店或使馆里,与当地人只有业务上的往来。他们的困难大致是工作方面的。他们对于异文化可能有不适应的地方,但是,通常不会感到很大的冲击。
3)留学生和长期在外工作的人员,例如使馆工作人员、跨国公司的管理人员和技术员、我国劳务输出的劳工、美国派出的和平队员等。他们在异文化环境中至少停留一两年,有的甚至更长。这些人与当地人有较多的接触,遇到的困难比较多,在文化方面不适应的情况经常出现,对于他们的心理承受能力要求比较高。文化休克的表现在多数人身上会反映出来。
4)移民和政治避难者。他们中有的是出于自愿,有的则是被迫离开自己的国家。他们在文化适应方面遇到的问题最多,对于他们来说,文化适应是他们必须过的关。他们必须重新学习一套新的符号、习俗、行为模式、社会关系、价值观念。他们原来的文化与新的文化不断冲突,因此,他们在心理上承受的压力特别大。
文化休克集中反映在后两种人身上。至于为什么一个人进入异文化环境会产生种种不良反应,在心理学上有各种解释。
一种传统的解释是把文化休克和人们失去亲人朋友后感到的悲痛联系起来,认为其原因都是由于失去了某种东西。人们感到家庭、朋友、地位或者日常生活中的种种东西,例如自己常吃的食物,自己习惯的气候,自己喜欢的娱乐方式等等。正是因为失去了这些最亲近的东西,人们在异文化环境中感到不适应,甚至痛苦。有一个我认识的北京姑娘嫁给了一个澳大利亚人。我在澳大利亚遇到她时,问她有什么不适应的地方。她举了一些例子,比如,明明和邻居只有咫尺之隔,但是每次去邻居家,都要事先打电话,她觉得不可思议。我问她最想北京的什么,她说:“芝麻烧饼。”这个回答令我吃惊,但这并不是个别的例子。饮食看来似乎是小事,但是饮食习惯实际上是最难改变的,也可以说是深深扎根于习俗之中。
(引自《跨文化交际学概论》,P188) Chapter III Communication
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I. 主要内容
本章首先从不同角度介绍了交际的定义,然后概述了交际的主要构成要素,最后描述了交际的基本特点。 II. Teaching Objective
1.to know different definitions of communication 2.to identify ten components of communication
3.to analyze a communication process and recognize those components of communication
4.to identify the characteristics of communication III. Teaching Course 1. Warm-up Questions.
What elements are necessary for a successful communication event to take place? 2. Key Terms
3.2a Source: (信息源)The source is the person with an idea he or she desires to communicate. (信息源指具有交际需要和愿望的具体的人)。
3.2b Encoding:(编码) Encoding is the process of putting an idea into a symbol.(编码是指将思想转换成代码的行为过程)。
3.2c Message: (信息)Message is the encoded thought. (信息是交流的内容)
3.2d Channel:(渠道) Channel refers to the means by which the encoded message is transmitted. (渠道是信息传递的手段)
3.2e Noise: (干扰)Noise refers to anything that distorts the message the sources encodes. (干扰指的是任何会曲解信息源所要表达的信息的事情)。
3.2f Receiver: (信息接收者)The receiver is the person who attends to the message.
(信息接收者是注意到了信息的人)。
3.2g Decoding:(解码) Decoding is the process in which the receiver is actively involved in the communication process by assigning meaning to the symbols
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received.
(解码是信息接收者在积极参与交流的过程当中,对所接收到的符号信息赋予意义的过程)
3.2h Receiver response:(信息接收者反应) Receiver response refers to anything the receiver does after having attended to and decoded the message. (是指信息接收者在对信息解码之后所做出的反应)。
3.2i Feedback:(反馈) Feedback refers to that portion of the receiver response of which the source has knowledge and to which the source attends and assigns meaning.
(是指信息接收者的反应被信息源所了解的那一部分反应)。
3.2j Context: (情境)Context is the environment in which the communication takes places and which helps define the communication. (交际发生的环境,并有助于解释交际内容的含义)。 4.Supplementary Case and Material Supplementary Case 3.2 a
The following dialogue can be used to illustrate the components of the communication.
A and B are two students in the classroom a couple of minutes before the class begins:
A: Hi, Bob, are you doing anything tonight? B: No, why?
A: I’ve got two tickets for the Lion King. Like to go with me? B: Sure. (Teacher enters. B lowers his voice) When? A: Shh, let’s talk after class.
In the dialogue, A wants to invite B to go to the movie with him. A starts the dialogue, and he is the source ---- the point at which information originates. A organizes his idea and put it into words---- verbal code, such a process is called encoding. A expresses his idea---- the message by way of talking, i.e. the verbal
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