China and The United States are the two most powerful countries in the world where people dream of coming to seek for opportunity. However, it will be a very different experience when you involve in the cultures of these two countries. One fundamental principle that you need to bear in mind is that: American and Chinese cultures are polar opposites. The film named Rush Hour (1998) is one striking example that reflects different practices, point of view, thoughts, and ways of communication. Also, it is an inspiring and thought-provoking film that helps to develop intercultural communication and experience. Rush Hour is released in the United States in 1998 and directed by Brett Ratner. The main plot centers on a pair of police detectives: Detective …show more content…
A low-context culture “uses language primarily to express thoughts, feelings, and ideas as clearly and logically as possible…The meaning of a statement is in the works spoken (Adler & Elmhorst,2008,p.47). A high-context culture, on the other hand “relies heavily on subtle, often nonverbal cues to convey meaning, save face, and maintain social harmony”.(p.47). James Carter’s straight-talking style proves for low-context culture. He always wants to get to the point in a quick way by asking direct questions. At the first time James Carter met Lee at the airport, they misunderstood each other. James Carter starts the conservation by immediately asking several questions: “Please tell me you speak English... I’m Detective Carter. Do you speak any English? Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?” Lee just smiles without saying anything. When James Carter realize Lee’s ability to speak English, he asks the reason, and Lee said that “you seem you like to talk, I like to let people talk who want to talk” Lee’s response really shows the contrary between one from high-context culture and another from low-context culture. One likes to talk, another just uses nonverbal communication. Similarly, detective from America is very rude and straight: “they do not like you, I do not like you, …, the girl does not like you”. However, Lee does not show his dissatisfaction, …show more content…
Cultures with high power distance accept an unequal distribution of power and the fact that “some members have greater resources and influence than others”(p.50). When James Carter speaks to his boss, it seems that they are equal in power. James does not afraid to say what he thinks, and even the call the one with higher position by his name. The American always expects egalitarianism so it will be great if there ia not formalized hierarchical structure in community and social relationship. However, in China, it is different, relationships are hierarchical in terms of age, political status, wealth and so on. Chinese people are well-known for being disciplined, aware of where they are in the hierarchy and are very sensitive to it. According to Hofstede’s power distance index, China scores 80 and the United States scores 40, indicating the low power distance and high power distance. In conclusion, through the film Rush Hour, we are likely to understand more about cultural concepts. As Champoux(1990) observed: “ inexperienced students will be likely benefit from the use of film because of a greater feeling of reality”. This film not only gives us knowledge in cultures but provides us with relaxed moments. People should bear in mind that cultural difference is just the matter of variety, not the matter of which one is
This change in tone is a reflection of the cultural values that are upheld within the educational system. This serves as an excellent illustration of how the power of communication can be used to convey our sense of identity as well as the cultural values that we uphold to other people. This also demonstrates that we pick up new aspects of culture through the process of communicating with one
This clearly reveals how important of the family pride and reputation is to a Chinese family. As a Chinese girl growing up in a Chinese family, I know what it is really mean to my family exactly. I was taught to be a loyal and responsible person since I was a child. I know my family will be responsible for my wrongdoings, so I always follow the rules that my family gave to me because I do not want them to be ashamed of me. Hence, to some extent, we cannot avoid the influence of culture because it is invisible but powerful in different aspects of our
The subject of food films that display “Otherness” to reach out to a bigger public. In recent times “numerous food films focus on ethnic families” to not only show the people a lifestyle, but also to bring communities together. In films such as Soul Food, Tortilla Soup, and What’s Cooking displays different types of culture, but can bring people to come to relate to them. She expresses herself by saying that our culture has a “hearty enthusiasm for ‘foreign food’ that is supposed to hide the taste of racism”. Laura’s thought on how food films with that kind of display bring people of different cultures together is true because I have seen it with my life.
The kids be taught to be respect and follow the seniority’s instruct since they were young, and everyone around them are all doing like this, so the high-power distance’s concept be with them the whole life. When they grow up, they follow the teacher’s and parents’ words and after they get in the society get in the work, they would follow the leader’s words. Even though there are some mistakes, like the story happened among the captain and the assistant. High-power distance come from the culture, culture influences
In this film I will discuss about the editing technique the entire movie which we can has major editing technique, I also will review the film on its film language and the its significant in our real
In this essay excerpt Rodriguez had to give up speaking the comfortable language of Spanish at home and had to begin practicing English. Even though Rodriguez was disinclined to give up speaking Spanish and practicing English, whenever he was at school and spoke in English, his fellow classmate actually understood him. Rodriguez states, “One day in school, I raised my hand to volunteer an answer to a questions. I spoke out in a loud voice and I did not think it remarkable when the entire class understood.” By Rodriguez changing his language, he was more easily understood by his classmates.
Chino says to himself,”I realized that by reinventing culture, they were reinventing themselves. I wanted to reinvent myself too. I no longer wanted the world to be just my neighborhood anymore”. Chino is starting to realize if he wants to reinvent himself that he would have to change social expectations humans must bond in order to belong to their social group. For example”Most women under this culture are responsible, religious and self sacrificing.
John Puller, the protagonist in David Baldacci's popular fictional novel “The Forgotten,” demonstrates every leadership trait in the Bases of Social Power. John Puller, Army CID, is a gifted leader capable of wearing many hats. He has enough expertise and legitimacy to support coercive actions, and has no problems cashing in on his referent power to relay rewards to his followers. The “Bases of Social Power” formed by J. R. P. French and B. Raven delineate five types of power bases that can give rise to leadership: (1) “expert power, which is based on the perception that the leader possesses some special knowledge or expertise (2) referent power, which is based on the follower’s liking, admiring, or identifying with the leader (3) reward
One major problem I have encounter with the Hispanic population is how they distrust their medical provider if the provider is of a different race and does not speak their language and/or understand their culture. A large number of the patient’s we see only speaks Spanish and are from low socioeconomic status, some with little reading and writing comprehension. To complicated the situation they do not share with the medical staff or physician that they cannot read or write. Not being able to communicate makes it difficult to assess pain level; it can lead to the patient taking the medication incorrectly, and makes its difficult to build a relation with the physician. In a study done on 2014, the diabetic patient health outcome was improved
The rhetorical and cultural perspectives are always at play in interactions. The rhetorical perspectives describes the strategic choices in an interaction. The cultural perspective recognizes that the choices one makes in communication are deeply rooted in one's culture. In this interaction I strategically chose to provide accounts of Dee’s promises in order to demand actions for her to take. There is not enough evidence to interpret how/if Dee is using the rhetorical perspective in the interaction.
“Learning about stereotypes, ethnocentrism, discrimination, and acculturation in the abstract can be flat and uninspiring. But if we experience intercultural contact with our own eyes and ears, we begin to understand it” (Summerfield, 1993). In other words, in order to expand knowledge about different cultural backgrounds, it is useful to have firsthand experiences. Films are enormous cultural treasures for us to have visual and auditory experiences and facilitate intercultural learning. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” (2002) is a ideal film to obtain knowledge of a lot in term of intercultural communication, in particularly, individualism/collectivism, communication style and power distance.
Although the main conflict of the film lies within the Japanese culture, it encompasses the loss of cultural identity, and how some Japanese choose to embrace a more modern, western culture. By doing so, it pushes the cultural differences to the
INTRODUCTION Through the story of coming of a Japanese car making firm Assan Motors to the American town of Hadleyville, Ron Howard’s movie Gung Ho beautifully portrays how businesses are affected when people from different cultures come together to work as a team. Hunt Stevenson, played by Keaston, entices Assan Motors to Hadleyville where he is offered the position of ‘employee liaison in the joint venture. But soon, internal conflicts begin as both the Japanese and the Americans had very different styles of operation, which were mainly due to the differences in their cultural values. HOFSTEDE DIMENSIONS OF NATIONAL CULTURE
Cultural identity plays a very vital role in cross cultural communication, people from a particular culture communicate with partners and employees from many different cultures and in this situation every individual strives to keep their cultural and individual identity. According to Gardiner and Kosmitzki, identity is defined as “a person 's self-definition as a separate and distinct individual, including behaviours, beliefs, and attitudes” (Gardiner & Kosmitzki, 2008, p. 154). Also, Ting-Toomey defines identity as a "reflective self-conception or self-image that we each derive from our family, gender, cultural, ethnic, and individual socialization process"( Ting-Toomey, 2005). Both definitions bring out the generalisation of cultural identity
“Rules of different kinds guide all communicative interaction, and the learning of rules and of their proper application is essential to our becoming competent members of our society.” This statement means that rules are important in intercultural and interpersonal communication. Intercultural and interpersonal communications are guided by different rules such as family rules and social rules among others. People have to observe the rules of intercultural and interpersonal communication to communicate with different societies.