Cases 37-40
Case 37 Peter was brought up in a culture in which the demands of politene and “face” require either that one goes against one’s real wishes and accepts invitations that one would really prefer not to accept, or that one finds elaborate excuses (an ill child is a very useful one) to avoid commitment.However, in Moroccan culture, things are different.Peter seemed to have adapted well to the new environment in which he found himself.The leon we can learn from this is that one should judge the behavior of those from another culture by one’s own cultural standards and should learn to “do as the Romans do when in Rome.”
Case 38 This is just a conflict between the first generation and the second generation of Chinese immigrants in the United States.These two generations have grown up in totally different social environments in which their values are differently shaped and their views of the world differently formed.The daughter, born and brought up in America, has already been totally Americanized even though she has her eyes and skin of the same color as her parents.Living in American society, she finds it natural to identify herslf with the mainstream American culture, in which parents and children (especially the grown up children) are supposed to treat each other as equals, while her mother, though having lived in America for many years, is still culturally more Chinese than American.Therefore, the mother, often with good intentions, is likely to misunderstand what her daughter says and does.To reduce conflicts of this kind, sincere exchange of opinion and willingne to learn from each other are among the best measures.
Case 39 Annie felt unhappy about Rosa’s cousin because she thought Rosa’s cousin had stayed with them for too long and seemed to depend on Rosa too much, which, in Annie’s eye, was actually an interference to Rosa’s studies.Rosa did not change after her cousin came.She was still the same good student as Annie remembered.In her culture, family comes first, so she went out of her way to look after her cousin, even though that means she would be left with little time for herself and her claes.The misunderstanding between Annie and Rosa comes from the difference in what they value.Annie seemed to value privacy, independence, personal needs and interests more than Rosa, to whom family relationships and obligation to family members meant very much.In Mexican culture, family is the core of affiliation while in the mainstream American culture, individual responsibility is emphasized and self-reliance is preferred.
Case 40 In this case, American students were observed how they would behave in the French culture, applying what they had learned in claroom but were not yet quite accustomed to.They finally behaved in culturally appropriate ways confidently because they were encouraged by real people in a real situation.
