Group discussion “what is wrong with these statements?” In the same groups answer the question, come to an agreement and share your views with the class.
What is ethnocentrism? Write your understanding of the term.
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Is it good or bad for intercultural communication? Circle YES or NO box below and give your reasons:
YES / NO
Compare scholarly definition of ethnocentrism with yours:
Ethnocentrism literally means “centrality of culture,” the assumption that one’s own culture is superior over other cultures. This is the belief that one particular race or nationality of people is superior to all others. This is the tendency to regard other cultures through the norms and conventions of one’s own culture.
Connect “ethnocentric” words in the left column with their definitions in the right column. The first has been done for you.
“Ethnocentric” words
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Definitions
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discrimination
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Unwillingness to recognize and respect differences in opinions, rejecting or opposing to the inclusion or participation of those different from oneself, especially those of a different racial, ethnic, or social background
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generalization
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To form an opinion about someone or something before knowing or examining all the facts
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prejudge
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Inference or formation of a general opinion, conclusion, etc. from meager or insufficient facts or information
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intolerance
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The practice of treating one person or group of people less fairly or less well than other people or groups based on race, religion, physical appearance, age, etc.
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prejudice
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A tendency to be in favor of or against something or someone without knowing enough to be able to judge fairly
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racism
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Unreasonable fear and dislike of strange or foreign people, customs, etc.
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bias
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An unfair and often unfavorable feeling or opinion formed without thinking deeply and clearly or without enough knowledge, and sometimes resulting from fear or distrust of ideas different from one’s own
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preconception
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An opinion formed in advance, without actual knowledge
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xenophobia
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The belief that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others
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How is ethnocentrism connected with stereotypes? What do you think of this connection? Have you ever observed behaviors that were different from yours? Have you ever tried to explain these behaviors? Have you ever thought about the causes of such “strange” behaviors asking WHY, WHO, WHAT, HOW questions? Circle YES or NO boxes:
YES / NO
If you have done this, it means you’ve been looking for attributions that are judgments about the causes of behavior (R. Brislin, 1993, 40). In other words, you’ve been trying to find connection between ethnocentric perception of others and stereotypes (ethnocentric perception is based on ‘units’ which are called stereotypes).
Apply your knowledge of ethnocentrism, stereotypes and attributions to the analysis of stereotype / behavior in the given intercultural situations. The first has been done for you.
Stereotype / Behavior
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Attributions
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Interpretation in the context of that culture
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A Russian man standing in a line behind an American woman offered her a chocolate bar several times; each time she politely refused.
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1. An American woman’s attribution: the man is so meddling (Stereotype – Russian man are annoyingly persistent).
2. A Russian man’s attribution: the woman is impolite.
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Attributions concerning their behavior do not coincide. Their judgments about the causes of respective behavior were different.
In the context of Russian culture, the behavior when a person offers something at least three times is normal. In the context of American culture, this behavior is strange: you offer something only time; direct answer should immediately follow.
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A Russian professor was hosted by an American counterpart at their home. Offering a glass of wine an American professor said, “Sorry, we don’t have vodka”
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My best friend Alexander was invited to dinner at a nice restaurant by an American friend and his wife. At the end the waiter brought the check and put it in the middle of the table. Alexander was dumbfounded, when his friend offered to split the check three ways (Alexander, his friend and friend’s wife).
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A welcoming party in honor of a group of forty American students and teachers was held in one of the best restaurants. There were speeches, exchange of ideas along with good food, beverage, etc. At the end of the dinner most Americans started taking out what was left from the food. The Russian teachers were shocked; the waiters could not disguise their astonishment at greedy Americans.
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Definition of stereotypes. Compare alternative definitions of stereotypes given in a table format. Agree or disagree with the statements and give your arguments.
Positive
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Negative
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Stereotypes are not always wrong. Some of them contain too much truth for comfort. The problem with stereotypes, really, is that they prevent us from getting to the richer reality which lies beyond them (Kohls, 1984, 6).
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Stereotypes are generalizations that ignore subtle differences among members of groups, individuals in a society. (Stewart and Bennett, 1991, 163-164).
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Stereotypes help reflect the perceived reality with relative authenticity (Hermann Bausinger)
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Are dangerous (provoke racial prejudice)
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Stereotypes are not necessarily a bad thing. Because sometimes and quite often, they can be true. Stereotypes can offer someone unfamiliar with a culture hints on how to act around certain people, what to and not to say.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060809215102AAymMJG
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Stereotyping is putting a label on someone or a group who is different in a way that society looks down upon, Like looks, beliefs, and a persons background. the other kids are doing.http://www.123helpme.com/preview.asp?id=101343
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It is the individual’s natural defense in confronting cultural difference (Stewart and Bennett, 1991, 163).
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Are based on half-truths, distortions, and often untrue premises. (Porter et al.p.246)
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Contain a certain amount of truth
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Fail to specify individual characteristics (Porter et al. p.246)
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Harmless sorts of jokes we tell about other nationalities
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Stereotypes keep us from being successful as communicators because they are oversimplified, and/or exaggerated. (Porter et al. p.246)
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Stereotypes are rubbish
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Stereotypes tend to impede intercultural communication in that they repeat and reinforce beliefs until they often become taken for “truth.” (Porter et al. p.246)
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Human beings have a psychological need to categorize and classify (Porter et al. p.246)
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Stereotypes develop through limited personal contact (data) (Porter et al. p.246)
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They are mental structures, which simplify the complex stimuli from one's environment and facilitate their comprehension
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They are the products of limited, lazy, and misguided perceptions
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They are mental structures, which simplify the complex stimuli from one's environment and facilitate their comprehension.
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As such, stereotypes are not bad or good, but they can influence intercultural interactions in different ways.
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Stereotypes tend to change
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Stereotypes are often resistant to change.
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Eliminating stereotypes is not possible, or, if it were done, it would be detrimental to human cognition.
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stereotypes are understood to be detrimental to intercultural communication and the elimination of stereotypes was believed to be a prerequisite for any successful intercultural exchange (Johnston &Macrae 1994).
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A stereotype must have a grain of truth because it is a stereotype.
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To believe a stereotype has a grain of truth is as mindless and infantile as to believe that all advertising claims are true, because they are adverts.
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Read about the properties of stereotypes below and, in groups of three, discuss the properties of a well-known stereotype of Russians. Give your arguments if you agree with this or that specific property of your chosen stereotype or not. Share your opinion with the group.
Relative stability
High degree congruence of assumptions among members of a stereotyping group
Simplification
Generalization
Typology of Stereotypes. Match stereotypical verbal expressions in the left column with the type of stereotype in the right column (the first has been done for you).
Stressed-out New Yorker
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Territorial / geographic
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Redneck
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Professional
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All worried about their little children being forced to go to schools with little nigger kids.
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Gender
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Ed Thomas had a wonderful voice, of course; he was one of those Welshmen who would sing all day on his farm tractor, sing while he was milking or bathing in the tub, sing harmony with Ruth as they drove along the road...
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Social
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It was strange knowing a woman had written it. She got inside a man's head. She put down thoughts and feelings that he had imagined only men knew about.
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Racial
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tight-mouthed, tight-fisted New Englanders
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Gender
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The Pink
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Ethnic / ethno-cultural
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Americans are loud
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Political
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Czar (V. Putin)
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Cultural
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The literal interpretation of the word Babushka into English is Grandmother. But it was very clear that Grandmothers in the West are not made in quite the same way as the Russian Babushkas. The Russian version has apparently spent about forty years of her life carrying 50kg or more of vegetables around the streets each day, selling them on street corners in order to learn money to live. (M. Francis, p. 18)
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Based on age
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What are these children do? Explain and comment your point of view.
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