Unit 5. Diversity of cultures

“The ten Frenchmen journeyed to America despite warnings from their mothers that they would be mugged within five minutes of their arrival in New York and mowed down by gangsters in Chicago – provided, of course, that they were not scalped by Indians along the way or captured by crowds of American women waiting at the airport to get their hands on a Frenchman.” – William E. Geist

“The American goes to Paris, always has, and comes back and tells his neighbour, always does, how exorbitant and inhospitable it is, how rapacious and selfish and unaccommodating and unresponsive it is, how dirty and noisy it is – and next summer his neighbour goes to Paris. “ – Milton Mayer

Culture shock

What do you consider polite behaviour? What kinds of behaviour do you consider to be impolite?

Each of the following situations is set in a different country where there is an acceptable code of behaviour for the situation described. In pairs, decide which is the most likely response in each culture and explain your decision. One way of approaching this is as follows:

Stage one

Open up the discussion by:

• making a comment.

• asking a question.

• making a suggestion.

Stage two

Develop the discussion further by looking at the options one by one. Remember to take it in turns to speak and don't force your point of view on your partner. You don't have to agree.

Your body language can show you are aware of your partner, so try to maintain eye contact and face each other during the conversation.

Now read through the following situations and discuss which option you think is best.

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do” – but in a different country, where you are unaware of its particular customs, what would you do?

1. United States of America

A friend has invited you to dinner at a nice restaurant. You dine well, and at the end the waiter brings the bill and puts it in the middle of the table. You don't expect to have to pay for the meal, but your friend shows no signs of doing so. You wait and the conversation grows slow, and still nothing happens. You are getting very tired and are beginning to think that you are expected to pay for the meal. What would you do?

A Grit your teeth and wait some more.

B Pick up the bill and pay it.

C Pick up the bill and say, 'Shall we split it?'

2. South Africa

You and some other rugby fans have been in a pub or someone's home watching the last match in a rugby test series on TV. The South Africans have just lost to the Australian Wallabies by 16 to 12. Would you:

A cheer loudly because you really are a Wallaby supporte, haying just come from that side of the world?

B commiserate with your hosts or pub mates, but give reasons for why you feel the Australians deserved to win?

C keep your feelings to yourself and just discuss the good and bad moments of the match?

3. Thailand

You are sitting with a Thai friend and his 7-year-old child on a crowded bus, when an old man gets on. Would you:

A do nothing?

B ask the child to give up his seat to allow the old man to sit?

C give up your seat for the old man?