From: webihara@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Wataru Ebihara)
Subject: Multi-Cultural Communication
Organization: The Ohio State University
Distribution: na
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 01:36:21 GMT


What are some aspects of Asian cultural behavior?

I have a friend who works at the Counseling Center at Ohio State
University, Dr. Chikako I. Cox, PhD., and she co-authored a chapter on
"Multicultural Communication", Joe Wittmer and Myrick, Editors,
Nov. 9, 1990.  The following is an excerpt from the chapter.  She
does research on assmilation of Asians immigrants in the U.S.,
and relations between Japanese and Americans.  I thought this might
be interesting to some people on the network.

Remember, again, that these are just "generalizations", and
aren't meant to apply to "all" Asian people.  I feel that taking
generalizations and extending them to "everyone" is a form of
prejudice/stereotyping.  Generalizations aren't fair to everyone,
but by the catagorical nature of languages, it would be extremely
difficult to talk about anything otherwise (very boring).

Also, the following is relevant more to newer Asian immigrants
and not as much to Asian Americans of second-generation and up
(who would be more "American" -- more assimiated to the majority
culture).

(Note: API means "Asian Pacific Islander")

====================================================================
> Excerpt from "Multicultural Communication", Joe Wittmer and Myrick,
> Editors.
> 
> Personal Disclosure
> -------------------
> 
> The amount of personal disclosure varies from culture to culture,
> and there differences between "private self" and "public self"
> (Barnland, 1975). Americans, due to their mobility and
> informality, tend to be more personally disclosive and move more
> quickly in making friends.  This search for "common ground" in
> making friends may be offensive to some API's (Lanier, 1981).  In
> contrast, API's who are initially reserved may appear to be
> distant or vague to Americans.  Japanese prefer to reveal less of
> themselves in public situations than Americans (Barnland, 1975).
> They also differ in the depth of conversations, the Japanese may
> speak less of their inner experience than Americans.
> 
> There are many opportunities for personal offense on this issue.
> What is private for one may not be private for another.  The
> easiest way to deal with potential problems in this area is to
> ask whether or not your disclosures or questions are violating a
> sense of privacy. Secondly, Americans need to allow adequate time
> for the relationship building process to occur.  Often Americans
> are seen as shallow and fickle in their friendships (here today,
> gone tomorrow).  Any friendship building with an API is probably
> a fairly serious matter.
> 
> 
> Silence
> -------
> 
> Pauses in conversation and silence have different meanings to
> API's when compared to Americans.  While Americans generally find
> silence to be uncomfortable, API's may use silence as a way to
> "think" while conversing, as well as to pay attention to the
> listener (Tantranon-Saur, 1989).  Japanese tend to distrust words
> and rely more heavily on non-verbal communication.  They may
> actually regard silence as a virtue and view wordiness as vulgar
> and and crude (Kunihiro, 1989).  These attitudes towards
> verbalization derive from Buddhist philosophy which regards words
> as useless and a hierarchical society that places a taboo on free
> speech.
> 
> Potential problems in this area involve checking out the various
> perceptions of silence in a conversation.  American speakers may
> be unaware that they are dominating a conversation if they are
> waiting to be interrupted to stop talking.  API's may think that
> Americans talk too much and are rude.  American speakers can pay
> attention to the "pause" points in the conversation, and check to
> see whether or not the other person is finished speaking, or just
> thinking.  Americans can experiment with allowing more silence to
> exist between speakers (perhaps extend the silence from 1 second
> to 3 seconds).  API's may have to learn how to graciously
> interrupt in order to express their thoughts in a conversation
> with Americans.
> 
> 
> Direct vs Indirect Communication
> --------------------------------
> 
> Americans pride themselves on being honest and direct in their
> communication styles.  Assertiveness is rewarded in the business
> world, and the individual is expected to take responsibility for
> self-expression.  Direct eye contact and open disagreements are
> examples of direct communication.  A Japanese perspective would
> be to value "knowing" through intuition rather than through
> direct expression.  These norms fit a society in which the group
> is more important than the individual and maintaining group
> harmony depends a great deal of indirect expression of feelings.
> Rules of communication therefore follow a principle of
> cooperation and social exchange which puts the welfare of the
> group before the individual.  In addition, indirect communication
> may be seen as a way of showing respect (Cox, 1988; Fukuyama &
> Greensfield, 1983).
> 
> Potential problems in this area are obvious.  The more direct
> American may be unaware of how offensive or intimidating such
> personal expression can be.  The indirect API may not realize how
> difficult it it for the American to figure out what is being
> meant in the conversation.  It is important for the American
> speaker to realize the power of nonverbal communication, to be
> sensitive to the impact of eye contact and other gesturing.
> API's will do well to learn how to hear more direct
> communications.
> 
> There is some advice which comes from the Middle East, that the
> best way to get from point A to point B is not necessarily a
> straight line.  Social conventions for conversations would
> dictate that the communicators go in "circles" and loop around
> the subject several times before resolving or deciding upon an
> issue.  Such looping around may be confusing and fustrating for
> the American who is used to a direct approach.  However, many
> cultures in the world operate in a more circular fashion.
> 

Newsgroups: soc.culture.asian.american