跨文化交际stereotypes

BarrierstoCross-culturalCommunicationStereotypesPrejudiceEthnocentrismStudentswilllearnthat1.Stereotypeskeepusfrombeingsuccessfulascommunicatorsbecausetheyareoversimplified,over-generalized,andexaggerated.2.Stereotypescanhaveanegativeeffectwhenpeopleusethemtointerpretbehavior.Theyareoneofthemostdifficultstumblingblocktoovercomeincross-culturalcommunication.3.Parents,teachers,limitedpersonalcontactandthemedia(movies,TVprograms,advertising,newspapers,booksandmagazines,andevenschooltextbooks)helptomakestereotypes.4.Stereotypesareharmfulincross-culturalcommunication,butwehavesomewaystoreduceoreliminatethem.DiscussionQuestions:1.Whatisstereotyping?2.Thinkaboutasituationwhensomeonemadeabiasedjudgmentaboutyouoractedunfairlytowardyoubecauseofyourage,skincolor,clothesyouwerewearing,gender,thewayyouspeak,whereyoulive,howmuchmoneyyourfamilyhas,orsomeotherreason.3.Howdoweacquirestereotypes?4.Howtoreduceoreliminatestereotypesincross-culturalcommunication?5.Ofstereotyping,prejudice,ethnocentrism,whichonecanbethemostseriousculturalbiasandthebiggestobstacleincross-culturalcommunication?Why?Completethefollowingsentences,thenchecktheanswerstoseeifthereisanyprejudiceandbigotryinthem:a)AllthestudentsinPEDept.areb)Allpoliticiansarec)Allfemaledoctorholdersared)AllHarvardgraduatesaree)Allrichmenf)Alluniversity/collegeteachersareg)Herboyfriendisfromthenorth,sohemustbeh)Hisgrandfatherisahistoryprofessor,sohemustbei)HedrivesBMW,sohemustbeExamplesofstereotypesWhatisstereotyping?Peopleoftenuselabelsorcategoriestodescribeothers,theselabelscanbebasedonsuchcharacteristicsasclothing,looks,thewayapersontalks,orthegroupstowhichheorshebelongs.Peopleoftenmakeassumptionsaboutgroupsofpeopletheydon'tevenknow.Stereotypearegeneralideasofaperson,createdwithouttakingthewholepersonintoaccount.Whenwestereotypeagroupofpeople,wedepictalloftheindividualswithinthatgroupashavingthesamecharacteristicseventhoughtheyareprobablyallverydifferent.Stereotypingisassumingthatapersonhascertainqualities(goodorbad)justbecausethepersonisamemberofaspecificgroup(Jandt,2001).Anexampleofastereotypeisthebeliefthatonegroupofpeopleislazyorpoor,orthatanotherissmartorromantic.Astereotypeisanoversimplifiedstatementbasedonasinglecharacteristic.Theyareoftenbasedonfaultyinformation,theygetinthewayofknowingpeopleasindividuals,andtheycanleadtoseriousmisunderstandings.Stereotypingisgrosssimplificationthatpreventsamoreprofoundunderstandingofothersasindividualsandasmembersofsocialgroups,anditpreventsourdealingeffectivelywithmembersofothersocieties.Stereotypescanhaveanegativeeffectwhenpeopleusethemtointerpretbehavior.Theyareprobablythemostdifficultstumblingblocktoovercomeincross-culturalcommunication.Areasofstereotyping:Age:Allteenagersloverockandrollandhavenorespectfortheirelders.Sex:Allgood-lookinggirlsaresimple-minded.Sexualpreference:Onlymencanbepilots.Race:AllwomeninIslamiccountrieswereclothingthatwillcoveruptheirarmsandlegsandhidetheirbodyshape./AllIndianswearnose-rings.Religion:AllCatholicslovethePopemorethantheircountry.Profession:Allsalesmenaredeceitful./Allairstewardessesaretallandbeautiful.Nationality:AllGermansliketodrinkbeer./Germanshaverules,regulationsandlawsforeverything.Educationlevel:Allthosewithlittleschoolingdonotknowhowtousecomputers.Places:NewYorkisahotbedofallcrimes.Smalltownsaresafeandclean.InEngland,itrainsallthetime.Things:AllluxuriouscarsaremadeinGermany.HousesinAmericaarejustgorgeous,withalargelawn,biggarage,aswimmingpool,andatleasttwobathrooms.Sichuanfoodisveryspicy.Thedamagingeffectofstereotypesincross-culturalcommunication:AccordingtoFred,stereotypesareharmfulbecausetheyimpedecommunicationinatleastfourways:Theycauseustoassumethatawidelyheldbeliefistruewhenitmaynotbe.Stereotypesalsoimpedecommunicationwhentheycauseustoassumethatawidelyheldbeliefistrueofanyoneindividual.Thestereotypecanbecomea“self-fulfillingprophecy”forthepersonstereotyped.Whenstereotypesleadustointerpretanindividual’sbehaviourfromtheperceptualscreenofthestereotypetheyimpedecommunication.FredE.Jandt(2001:73)Howtoreduceoreliminatestereotypesincross-culturalcommunication?Althoughitiseasytofallintothehabitofusingstereotypestoprejudgepeople,therearewaystoreducestereotypesandcombatprejudice.Onewayistocheckourownthinking,tobecarefulofjumpingtoconclusionsbasedongeneralizationsorothers'opinions.Anotherwayistopolitelychallengestereotypeswhenwehearthembyofferingevidencethatthestereotypeisfalse.Someotherwaystoreduceoreliminatestereotypesincross-culturalcommunication:Focusoneverypersonasanindividual.Becomemoreawareofhowstereotypesinterferewithourabilitytoperceiveandinteractwithpeoplefromthetargetculture.Rememberthattherearemoredifferenceswithinagroupthanbetweengroups.Recognizethatweareallpartofmanygroups,noneofwhichcantotallyexplainordefinewhoweare.Takeamorehumble,tentativeattitudeabouttheaccuracyofourjudgments.Respectthetargetculture,bewillingtolearnmoreaboutthetargetcultureandbemoretolerantofthecustomsdifferentfromours.Takeopportunitiestoneutralizestereotypeswhenwehearthem.Usefilmsandothervisualmediashowingmembersofthetargetculture.Politelychallengestereotypeswhenwehearthembyofferingevidencethatthestereotypeisfalse.Writedowncharacteristicsofeachofthefollowinggroups,andthencompareyouranswersanddiscussifthereisanyprejudiceandbigotryinyouranswersorinthoseofyourclassmates:a)African-Americansb)Frenchmenc)Taiwanesed)countrymene)businessmenf)university/collegestudentsg)governmentofficialsh)thosewhowearglassesWritedowncharacteristicsofeachofthefollowinggroups,andthencompareyouranswersanddiscussifthereisanyprejudiceandbigotryinyouranswersorinthoseofyourclassmates:a)African-Americansb)Frenchmenc)Taiwanesed)countrymene)businessmenf)university/collegestudentsg)governmentofficialsh)thosewhowearglasses