Transcript Intercultural Interactions With Students From China, Japan

Intercultural Interactions With
Students From China, Japan, & Korea
Can You Tell Them Apart?
NAFSA: Association of International Educators
52nd Annual Conference
Dr. Rodolfo Altamirano, The University of Michigan ([email protected])
Mr. Jin Abe, Western Michigan University ([email protected])
Dr. Dan Pak , The University of Michigan ([email protected])
Ms. Kate Zheng, The University of Michigan ([email protected])
Education
-Central ControlChina
Japan
Korea
 State Education
Commission
(SEC)
 Ministry of
Education
 Culture, Sports,
Science and
Technology
 Over-intervention
of the government
over education
 Ministry of
Education
 and Human
Resources
Development
 Central authority
of Korean
educational
system
Education
China
-Educational
StructureJapan
 6-3-3-4 system
 6-3-3-4 system
(shift to 6-6-4
 9-year compulsory
system)
education
Korea
 6-3-3-4 system
Education
China
-College Entrance
ExaminationJapan
 Annual college
entrance
examination
(gaokao) 3-day
long in July
 Alleviation of
examination hell
among less
prestigious
schools
 Decline of higher
education
population
Korea
 An examination
hell
 Produces lots of
victims every year
Education
-Categories of Students Studying AbroadChina
Japan
 Majorities for
 Junior & high
graduate level
school students
studies
 High school
 Few for
students who feel
undergraduate/
that Japanese
exchange program
universities are
studies
not good enough
 Graduate program
 Language learning
Korea
 Junior high & high school
students
 High school graduates who
failed to get admission to
the college they wanted to
get into
 Bachelors’ or masters’
degree holders
 Language learners
 Exchange or self-financed
study abroad students
Education
-Why Study AbroadChina
Japan
Korea
 Make better
contribution to the
society
 Better education
 Pursue better life
 Avoid social
complications
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Globalization
Fashion
Better education
Training for selfgrowth/change
Globalization
Economic growth of Korea
Brand equity of US colleges
Change of major
Media of instruction
Better opportunities
New technology and
science
 Better chance for admission
Traditional Chinese, Japanese
and Korean Values
China
Japan
Korea
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 Loyalty to multiple
groups (esp.
company for males)
 Symbolic hierarchy
 Collective face
(mentsu)
 Education
 Knowing without
verbalizing (sasshi)
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Education is above all
Collectivism
Intragroup harmony
Loyalty
Family
Save face (lianmian)
Seniority
Social status
Patience
Loyalty
Harmony
Family
Trust
Respect
Face (kibun)
Confucianism
Dedication to Work
Education
Nunchi
Age
Can-do Spirit
Korean’s Self Image
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Courteous and Respectful
Thoughtful and Warmhearted
Generous
Pacifist
Proud of Own Culture and Smartness
Talk Proudly of Own Family Background
Patriotic
Resilient
Hasty and Action-Oriented
Japanese’s Self Image
Looking for someone to provide a meaning of life
Chinese’s Self Image
Success
Characteristic Behaviors
-Principles in Human RelationsChina
Japan
Korea
 Distinction in
 Multiple
 The 3 Fundamental Principles:
position
group
 The King is the mainstay of the
state
harmony is
 Intimacy (family)
 Father is the mainstay of the family
valued
 Trust, loyalty
 The husband is the mainstay of the
 Diffused self
(friends)
wife
 The 5 Moral Disciplines:
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Between friends, trust
Between king and ministers, loyalty
Between father and son, intimacy
Between elder and younger, respect
Between husband and wife,
distinction in position
Characteristic Behaviors
-Collectivism (Group Harmony)China
Japan
Korea
 “We” (grouporientated)
 Consensus
 Individualism
(selfish)
 “We” (group)orientated)
 Return of favor is
almost subconscious
 A group-centered
society, “we”
 Consensus is very
important to
promoting and
maintaining
harmony
 Individualism often
viewed as
selfishness
Characteristic Behaviors
-Hierarchical Society (Power Distance)China
Japan
Korea
 Vertical
architecture
(seniority,
position)
 Symbolic hierarchy
 Show respect and
proper honorifics
 Less and less power
difference
 Vertical social
architecture (age,
social status)
• Show respect and
proper honorifics
 Western value
influence leading
to collapse of
authority
Characteristic Behaviors
-Different Personal Space and TouchChina
Japan
Korea
 Population in most
places in high
density
 Seems rude and
pushy to foreigners
 Touch the same sex
but not different sex
 Follow the flow or
out of the place
 Densely populated
island
 Some rigid concept of
personal space
 Looks rude and pushy
to foreigners and out
group members
 Touch the different
sex but not the same
sex
 Most densely
populated land
 No rigid concept of
personal space
 Looks rude and
pushy to foreigners
 Touch the same sex
but not different sex
Characteristic Behaviors
-Use of TimeChina
Japan
 Official context:  Basically monopunctuality
chronic
 Unofficial
 Punctuality
context:
unexpected,
flexible
Korea
 Poly-chronic
 Traditional
Korean approach
to time
Characteristic Behaviors
-Handing of criticismChina
Japan
Korea
 Save face
(lianmian)
 Collective Saving Face 
(Maintaining public
image of the group)
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 Embarrassment,
followed by apology
Try not to criticize
someone in public
Choose the proper
time and not to
hurt someone’s
Kibun (emotion)
Characteristic Behaviors
-Humility and Modesty
China
Japan
Korea
 Keqi
 Sign of being mature  A sign of manners
and good breeding
 Self-deprecation  Avoid and suppress
competition on the
 Good listener
outside (to save face)
(respect, good
manner and
 Minimization (Sorry, I
education)
don’t know that much)
Characteristic Behaviors
-HomogeneityChina
Japan
Korea
 Diversity is
discouraged
 Being different is
discouraged
 Xenophobia and proWestern minds
 No diversity
accepted (group
harmony)
 Xenophobia
Characteristic Behaviors
-DrinkingChina
Japan
Korea
 No age limit
 One of the few
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accepted ways
 A way to build
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(especially for men, but
trust among
increasingly for
family members,
women) of telling true
friends,
feelings among
colleagues,
colleagues
classmates
Generous attitude
One of the only
accepted ways
(especially for
men) of building
rapport and trust
Communication Styles
-High Context CommunicationChina
Japan
Korea
 Indirect (jianjie)  Indirect communication  Indirect
styles (Sasshi)
communication styles
 Implicit
(Nunchi)
 Intricately tied to
relationship/context
 Uncertainty avoidance
(with whom are we
 Relationships are more
speaking?)
important than task
 Potential means of
 Indirect nonsaving face
confrontational
 Judicious eye contact to
approach to problem
pay proper respect
solving
 Implicit and intuitive
Communication Styles
-Poly- and Mono-chronic CommunicationChina
Japan
Korea
 Monochronic
 Time is organized
 More than two
conversation
linearly at work
conversations at a
(seniority, social  Polychronic in social time is fine
status)
settings
 Polychronic
conversation in all
other levels
Communication Styles
-Non-assertive CommunicationChina
Japan
Korea
 Say “no” in
different ways
 Saying “no” in 16
 Do not confront with
ways
others, especially,
higher status and
 Preserving symbolic
position holders
hierarchy
Communication Styles
-Non-verbal CommunicationChina
Japan
 Listening
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 Say little
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 Respond in
different ways
(gesture, sound) to 
show respect
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Korea
Subtle but rich source  Trained not to talk
of information
much
Trained not to talk
 Verbose people are
much
not well respected
Verbose people are
 Silence is a part of
not well respected
the conversation
Silence is a part of the
conversation
Communication Styles
-Conflict ResolutionChina
Japan
Korea
 Enhance harmony
and avoid friction
(be tolerant of
others)
 Apologizing
 Accommodating
 Willing to put
oneself down to
avoid conflict to a
certain extent
 Avoid open
admission of
conflict
 Conflict is viewed
as one dimension of
the on-going
relationship
 Avoiding,
accommodating and
compromising
Adapted from the work of:
Insoo Cho and Yuichi Kondo
“Cross Cultural Counseling with Korean &
Japanese Students” (2001)