跨文化交际整理版

2020年12月5日发(作者：竺良甫)

跨文化交际整理版

跨文化交际技巧参考答案
定义题
1、Intercultural communication跨文化交际P3
There are three kinds of things you need to
learn if you want to be able to communicate
effectively with Westerners. First, you need to
learn a foreign language, usually English.
Second, you should learn as much as possible
about Western cultures. However, studying
English language and Western culture is not
enough. You should also learn something about
what happens when people from different
cultures try to communicate with each other —
in other words,

2、Individualist个人主义
Individualist culture is one in which people tend
to view themselves as individuals and emphasize
the needs of individuals. In general, Western
culture tends to be individualist. They view
themselves as independent of collectives; are
primarily motivated by their own preferences,
needs, rights, and the contacts they have

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such as in work places, shops and so on. Private
behavior is the behavior in private life, such as
when you are at home or with your family and
so on. Both individualist and collectivist cultures
make a distinction between public life and
private life. However, individualist Western
cultures tend to make an especially clear and
firm distinction between the public and private,
and generally feel that these two aspects of life
should be kept separate from each other. In
other words, Westerners tend to believe that
having a personal relationship with someone
should not affect how you treat that person in
public, work-related situations.

5、Generalizations文化的笼统性P26
It’s a neutral word which is a general conclusion
drawing from particular examples or
evidence.( In any culture group there will be
many different beliefs represented, but most of
the members of the group will tend in a certain

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direction. It is this —
not uniform acceptance of a given belief — that
gives a culture its nature and is the legitimate
subject of generalization. People in the same
culture share many things in common, such as
shared knowledge, shared values, shared
perspectives, shared beliefs, shared behavior.)
6、Stereotypes老套思路P26
It is a derogatory word. It means that image,
idea, character that has become fixed or
standardized in a conventional form without
individuality and is therefore false and
shallow.( A way of thinking that does not
acknowledge internal difference within a group,
and does not acknowledge exception to its
general rules or principles. These stereotypes
are often based on accurate information but the
problem is that stereotypes blind us to other,
equally important aspects of a person's
character or behavior. Stereotypes may have
been created by direct experience with only one
or two people from a particular group. Others

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are probably based on the second-hand
information and opinion, output from the mass
media, and general habits of thinking; they may
even have been formed without any direct
experience with individuals from the group. Yet
many people are prepared to assume that
stereotype is an accurate representation of all
members of a specific group.)

7、Hierarchy不同的等级权利P33
Every society has hierarchy to some degree. In
other words, some people have higher rank and
more power than others, perhaps because they
are older, stronger, wealthier, or have some
kind of official position. On the other hand,
however, most modern societies also believe that
equality is a virtue, at least to some extent. So
each culture needs to find its own balance
between hierarchy and equality.
1) Westerners generally have less respect for
seniority — age, position and so forth — than
would be the case in a collectivist culture.

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2) Western societies often try to limit the power
of government officials.
3) Westerners tend to have a somewhat
suspicious and even negative view of power and
authority.

8、Culture shock文化冲击 P36
Culture shock is a feeling of being confused and
overwhelmed by life in another culture. People
who experience culture shock often feel fatigued,
impatient and irritable. They may also begin
trying to avoid interaction with foreigners, and
even become increasingly critical and hostile
toward them. Foreigners in China sometimes
experience culture shock — and so do Chinese
who go to live in other countries.
9、Projected cultural similarity P48
Projected cultural similarity is the tendency to
assume that people from other cultures basically
think and feel more the same way we do. In
other words, we sometimes assume that while
foreigners may look different, dress differently,

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and speak different languages,
more or less the same
culture assume they understand each other
instead of asking each other what they think.
Because they each expect the other person to
react more or less the same way they would,
they don't check to see whether or not the other
person actually has the same feelings and
reactions they would.
10、loose culture and tight culture
Loose culture doesn’t demand a high degree of
conformity. In loose cultures, people have a
relatively wide range of views as to what is
considered normal behavior. They also tend to
be relatively tolerant of behavior that does not
conform to cultural norms. And there is less
pressure on individuals within the same culture
to behave the same way most other people in the
culture do.
Tight culture: expect a relatively high degree
of conformity. There is a clear consensus as to
what is and is not acceptable behavior and there

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is more pressure on people to conform to the
norms of the culture.
Here is an example of how people deal with
people who are born left-handed. In tight
cultures, children who favor their left hand are
encouraged or even forced to use their right
hand instead, and the percentage of left-handed
people in the adult population is much smaller.
11、Ethnocentrism 民族优越感P59
is the tendency to think of
one’s own culture as being at the center of the
world and identify with one’s in-group and to
evaluate out-groups and their members
according to its standards; in other words, to
assume that one’s own culture's way of thinking
and acting is more natural, normal, and correct
than the way people from other cultures think
and act, and tend to view one’s own cultural
values and ways of doing things as more real, or
as the ‘right’ and natural values and ways of
doing things.
12、In-groups and out-groups P70

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In-Groups: “In-groups” are the people we have
the most in common with and identify most
closely with, such as our family, classmates, or
co-workers. We also have larger in-groups such
as people who are from our own region,
religious group, ethnic group, or nation.
In-groups are groups of people about whose
welfare we are concerned, with whom we are
willing to cooperate without demanding
equitable returns, and separation from whom
leads to discomfort or even pain.
Out- groups: out groups are those groups of
people who we do not identify with---people
from other families, regions, ethnic groups, or
nations. Out-groups are groups of people about
whose welfare we are not concerned, and groups
with whom we require an equitable return in
order to cooperate.
13、war stories P80
The term “war stories” originally referred to the
kinds of stories soldiers would tell after
experiences in battle. Now “war stories” refers

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more generally to any stories people tell after
strange or stressful experiences, including
stories

问答题
1、Why would intercultural communication be
more difficult than the communication between
people from the same culture?
（Why is it hard to learn a foreign culture?）
先定义intercultural communication
1) Six stumbling blocks
2) Assuming more cultural similarities leads to
misunderstanding
3) Language difference
4) Misinterpreting verbal communication and
body language from other country
5) Stereotype and preconceptions
6) Evaluate before really understanding
7) Interact with foreigners stressfully and suffer
from culture shock
8) Tend to generalize or simplify

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about unusual encounters with
foreigners.

9) Tend to define groups by a few key
characteristic
10) Assume everyone is similar


2、What are some differences between an
individualist culture and a collectivist one?
Are all Westerners individual ? Are all
Chinese collectivist?
先定义individualist 和 collectivist
(1) Westerners tend to believe that people should
rely on themselves as much as possible- and they
usually expect other people to do the same. In
contrast, people in collectivist cultures generally
feel they have a right to expect help from other
members of their groups(family, classmates, and
so forth), and they also tend to feel they have an
obligation to help other members of their
groups.
(2) Westerners generally feel that the rights of
individuals should not be subordinated to the
needs of a larger group, or at least that

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individuals should have to right to decide for
themselves whether to sacrifice their benefit for
the sake of the group.
(3) Westerners tend to believe that individuals
should make decisions for themselves and that
individuals should take credit and responsibility
for what they have personally done.
(4) A final difference lies in the way people in
difference cultures view the idea of
“individualism”. Westerners tend to view
individualism as a good thing. In English, the
word “individualism” has no negative
connotation. In fact, its connotation is somewhat
positive. In contrast, the Chinese term for
“individualism” , often has a somewhat negative
connotation, and is sometimes used as a
synonym for “selfishness”.

3、What are the different virtues Chinese and
Americans emphasize most?
先要定义一下virtue
Chinese: formality hierarchy industriousness

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being filial hard work modesty thrifty
Americans: activity-dominant equality
motivation based on achievement the world is
material rather than spiritual optimistic
individualist
humanitarianism

4、How do Western cultures view the
relationship between public and private life?
先定义
Western cultures tend to make an especially
clear and firm distinction between the public
and private, and generally feel that these two
aspects of life should be kept separate from each
other. In other words, westerners tend to believe
that having a personal relationship with
someone should not affect how you treat that
person in public, work-related situations. (In
fact, some westerners try to avoid mixing work
and play completely, and keep their circle of
work acquaintances quite separate from their
circle of personal friends)

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materialism success

Of course, personal relationships do make a
difference in how people in the west treat each
other, even in public settings. However, the wall
between public and private life tends to be
somewhat higher in the individualist west than it
is in collectivist cultures.

5、What are stereotypes? Why are they a
problem?
It is a derogatory word. It means that image,
idea, or chance that has become fixed or
standardized in a conventional form without
individuality and it is therefore false and shallow.
A way of thinking that does not acknowledge
internal difference within a group, exception to
its general rules or principles. These stereotypes
are often based on accurate information but the
problem is that stereotypes blind us to other
equally important aspects of a person’s
character or behavior.
Stereotypes may have been created by direct
experience with only one or two people from a

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particular group. Others are probably based on
the second hand information and opinion output
from the mass media, and general habits of
thinking; they may even have been formed
without any direct experience with individuals
from the group. Yet many people are prepared
to assume that stereotype is an accurate
representation of all members of a specific
group.

6、What are some ways in which Western
societies differ in how they view the issue of
equality?










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7、Try to think of several more generalization
that can be made about important
characteristics of Chinese culture.
Collectivism: emphasis on the doctrine of the
mean
Large power distance
Intergroup harmony and avoidance of over
conflict in interpersonal relations
Belief in the naturalness, necessity and
inevitability of hierarchy
Inequality based on achievement, especially
academic, moral and finance achievement
Belief that “the judgment of wise people” is a
better way to regulate life than rigid artificial
laws.
People exist “in and through relationship with
others”
Academic emphasis on memory, attention to
details, and lengthy homework
Brain wash


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8、What are the similarity and difference
between Projected Cultural similarity and
Ethnocentrism? P48
两个定义Projected Cultural similarity and
Ethnocentrism
The similarity: both of them can not be avoided
or overcame in intercultural communication.
These two phenomena show that every country
or nation considers their own culture as the
center.
The difference

PCS: People have the tendency to assume that
other people from other cultural background
basically think and feel more or less the same
way as they do.
E: People have the tendency to think their
culture has the superiority to others’ and
assume that their own culture’s way of thinking
and acting is more natural, normal and correct
than the way people from other cultures’
thinking and act.

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9、Comment on “Do unto others what you would
have them do unto you. “P49
先定义Projected cultural similarity
The sentence means that it’s better not to do
things to others what you don’t want others do
to you. This behavior shows the phenomena”
projected cultural similarity”. In our cultural
system, if you don’t like thing done to you, you
just don’t impose on others. It’s a kind of virtue.
But from the aspect of PCS, people just assume
people from other cultures view things the same
way we do. What we think is right, we consider
others will think it’s right, too. However, it just
doesn’t work out like that. Because of different
cultural background, we have different
interpretations of everything happened. We can
not expect others o think or act the same as we
do.


10、Why would people project cultural similarity?

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P49
定义Projected cultural similarity
It is hard for people to imagine a perspective
different from their own. It is effected by human
nature, people are accustomed to self- centered.
When they communicate with foreigners, they
usually assume that foreigners are similar to us.
As we grow up and learn what is right and
wrong, truth and false, normal and abnormal,
and so forth, we naturally learn to view the
world as our culture view it. The only way to
solve PCS is communication.


11、comment on conformity in western cultures
p56
定义
Loose cultures do not demand a high degree of
conformity. In loose cultures, people have a
relatively wide range of views as to what is
considered normal behavior.
Tight cultures, in contrast, expect a relatively

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high degree of conformity. There is a clear
consensus as to what is and is not acceptable
behavior, and there is more pressure on people
to conform to the norms of the culture.
Chinese culture is tight culture, and western
cultures are loose culture. So conformity in
western cultures is less in Chinese culture.


12、What factors lead to looseness or tightness in
culture? P54
定义
(1)The degree of change in the population--- the
more people move, the looser and more
individualist a society tends to be.
(2)The density of the population.: small dense
societies tend to be collectivist, hence tighter.
Large dense society tend to be more complex,
hence not quite so tight---melting pot.
(3)The number of choices available in society---
the more choices available, the more room there
is for individualism.

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13、why does ethnocentrism cause difficulty in
intercultural communication? P59
定义ethnocentrism
Because we naturally feel that the ways and
ideas of our culture are more natural and
correct than those of other cultures. So we tend
to use the norms of our own culture---such as
the idea of what is goodbad, rightwrong,
normalabnormal—as standards when we judge
the behavior of people from other cultures. So
when we encounter foreigners who behave or
think in ways that differ from our cultural
norms, we too quickly tend to judge these other
ways as strange, wrong or bad.



14、Why are inout- groups a problem in
intercultural communication?P70
定义

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We generally have more positive feelings toward
members or our in-groups than we do toward
outsiders. We trust insiders more. We tend to
have a stronger sense of obligation to insiders.
We feel it’s right to help insider more than we
help outsiders. We tend to judge in-groups and
out-groups by different standards. To insiders,
more generous but to outsiders, more critical,
suspicious, more harsh judgments.
So the tie of goodwill and trust between
in-groups and out-groups are often relatively
weak, and they break easily when there is
conflict or misunderstanding.


15、How do Chinese people treat in- group and
out-group in line with culture back? P77
定义
There is a difference between the inside and the
outside. Chinese generally have a high sense of
loyalty and obligation to their in-groups, and
will often go to great lengths to help people they

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consider members of their in-groups; however,
they feel less obligation to outsiders.
Chinese often view outsiders who come to china
as guests., and give them much special treatment.
In part, this is because Chinese view guests as a
kind of in-group, and tend to treat in-group
members very well.


16、Never a borrower or a lender be. P79
As it is firstly a famous American
sentence means that ii is best to not lend money
to other people and not to borrow from other
people. When we lend or borrow something, we
risk losing both things and the friendship with
that person. To begin with, t is because
westerners are in individualist cultures. In such
kind culture, individualists tend to view
themselves as individuals and to emphasize the
needs of individuals. Individualists feel less
obligation to others, whether they are in- groups
or out-groups. Secondly, because of their

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characteristics, their individualism, western
people tend to be very independent and
self-reliant. They will always solve their
problems by themselves. So they don’t want
others to rely on them. either.


17、Characteristics of war stories P82
The term “war stories” originally referred to the
kinds of stories soldiers would tell after
experiences in battle. Now, “war stories” refers
more generally to any stories. People tell after
strange or stressful experiences, including
stories
War
about unusual encounters with
foreigners.
stories
tend
about
to
intercultural
share several communication
characteristics:
(1) One reason we tell war stories is to get
reassurance that our interpretation of the
encounter makes sense.
(2) In war stories, we generally portray

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ourselves as the hero or victim, and we often
paint the foreigner as the “bad guy”.
(3) We generally tell war stories to people who
are likely to sympathize with us, usually
people from our own culture rather than
outsiders.
(4) As we tell war stories, we often generalize
from one specific experience to groups of
foreigners as a whole.













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