Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Week 7, Question 1
The first principle that I decided to discuss is principle four. Principle four says nonverbal behaviors are guided by the context and power of relationships. For example, two people who work together are going to shake hands when they greet each other in the work place. The same two people who happen to be best friends are going to hug and possible give a small kiss on the cheek when the meet for dinner. Principle four is all about appropriate behavior performed at the right time. The second principle that I choose to discuss is principle five. Principle five says that cultural norms and expectations guide our interpretation. This principle is very apparent in small groups. Being placed in a group with people from different cultural backgrounds is very likely to happen. With all of the different stereotypes and expectations that are assigned to these different cultures the way we nonverbally communicate with others can be seen in many different ways. For example someone may value organization in preparedness in their culture, and if someone is disorganized and unprepared all the time, that behavior will be noticed and make the other person uncomfortable.
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I found principal four very informative. Principal four made me think about business with international clients. Since I am a business major I found this principal very helpful, because we always learn about how cultural backgrounds make a difference on what hand movement is considered proper. In some countries handing something with the wrong hand is considered insulting, or making direct eye contact can be reflected as rude and downgrading. A way to eat food in India is a symbol of a curse word in Italy.
ReplyDeleteI also remember watching a show and the ladies talked about how kissing on both cheeks is the appropriate thing to do now, instead of just a hug.