1、第 1 页 共 9 页Unit Seven Time and Space Across CulturesI. Warm Up1. Please read the story on page 156. What can we learn from the story?2. Go to answer the questions on Group Work (p235-236) and find out your sense of time?Supplement: Additional materials II. Chronemics Chronemics is the study of how p
2、eople perceive and use time. (i) The sense of time: 1) Time is linear 线形 . Western cultures think time is linear a flow from the past to the present to the future. 2) Time is cyclical 周期的. Life on earth evolved in response to the cycles of day and night and the ebb and flow 潮涨潮落 of the tides.(ii) Mo
3、nochronic 出现一次 and Polychronic Time (p256-257) 1. What is M-Time and P-Time? Which do you think is the dominating time system in our culture?1) Monochronic time means paying attention to and doing only one thing at a time events scheduled as separate items. 2) Polychronic time means being involved w
4、ith many things at once. 2. What is the philosophy 哲学 underlying each of the time system?1) P-time stresses involvement of people and completion 完成 of 第 2 页 共 9 页transactions 事务 rather than adherence to 遵守 present schedules. Appointments are not taken as seriously and, as a consequence, are frequent
5、ly broken. P-time is treated as less tangible 有形地 than M-time.Weakness: Matters in a polychromic 多彩的 culture seem in a constant state 恒定常态 of flux. Appointments are frequently broken.2) In M-time system, social and business life is commonly schedule-dominated. By scheduling, we compartmentalize 划分;
6、this makes it possible to concentrate on 集中注意 one thing at a time, but it also reduces the context. M-time is also tangible. M-time scheduling is used as a classification system that orders life.Weakness: Life in general is at times unpredictable. M-time reduces the context and alienate 使疏远 people f
7、rom themselves and from others.(iii) The Heartbeat of Culture (p229-232)1. What does the author want to tell us from his experience in Brazil and the questionnaire between students in Niteroi and those in Fresno?In Brazil, people seem to be very flexible in their concepts of time and punctuality. Br
8、azilians are likely to attribute lateness for appointments to unforeseen circumstances 意外情况 that the person couldnt control. They seem less inclined to 倾向于 feel personally 第 3 页 共 9 页responsible for being late. So they express less regret for their own lateness and blame others less when others are
9、late.The Brazilian students believed that a person who is consistently late is probably more successful than one who is consistently on time. They seemed to accept the idea that someone of status is expected to arrive late. Lack of punctuality is a badge 标记 of success.2. There arent unanimous 全体一致 p
10、erceptions of time 时间知觉 among culturally different people. Even within one country, ideas of time and punctuality vary considerably from place to place. Different regions and even cities have their own distinct rhythms and rules.3. Appreciating cultural differences in time sense becomes increasingly
11、 important as modern communications put more and more people in daily contact. If we are to avoid misreading issues that involve time perceptions, we need to understand better our own cultural biases 偏见 and those of others. American Concept of Time: (See Case 25)III. Proxemics 人际距离学A fascinating are
12、a in the nonverbal world of body language is that of spatial relationships 空间关系, or proxemics, the study of mans appreciation and use of space. As a species, man is highly territorial but we are rarely aware of it unless our space is somehow violated. Spatial 第 4 页 共 9 页relationships and territorial
13、 boundaries directly influence our daily encounters. Maintaining control over such space is a key factor in personal satisfaction; observing spatial interactions in everyday life is a key to personal awareness.(i)The study of proxemics includes three aspects of space: (a) fixed features of space. (b
14、) semifixed features of space, and (c) personal space(a) fixed features of space Fixed feature space is characterized by unmovable boundaries, like divisions within an office building. Architecture and spacing of buildings also belong to this aspect of space.For example, a person in the United State
15、s can drive on a highway for miles and never see a sign of people or dwellings 民居. Therefore, he may be amazed at the closeness of people in China. Intercultural communicators need to realize that cultures have alternative approaches 变换方法 to space and ways of using it. (b) semifixed 半固定 features of
16、spaceSemifixed features of space refer to spatial arrangements of movable objects within a room, such as furniture arrangement and seating.1. furniture arrangement :French space is a reflection of French culture. Everything is centralized 集中的, and spatially the entire country is laid out 第 5 页 共 9 页
17、around centers.In Germany, where privacy is stressed, office furniture is spread throughout the office.In Japan, where group participation is encouraged, many desks are arranged hierarchically 分等级的 in the center of a large, common room absent of walls.Chinese geomancy, feng shui, is the art of arran
18、ging the physical environment to establish harmony with the natural environment to achieve happiness, prosperity, and health. 2. seatingIn the United States, they tend to talk with those opposite them rather than those seated or stand beside them. The Chinese often experience uneasiness when they fa
19、ce someone directly or sit on opposite side of a desk or table from someone. (c) personal space or private space (p239-241)1. Behavioral study indicates that individuals perceive a distance that is appropriate for different types of messages; they also establish a comfortable distance for personal i
20、nteraction and nonverbally define this as their personal space. Research supports the hypothesis 假设that the violation 违反侵害 of this personal space can have serious adverse effects 不利影响 on communication. Thus, if an individual is to be mutually 互相 satisfied in a communication encounter his/her 第 6 页 共
21、 9 页personal space must be respected. Should an intruder 侵入者 invade侵略干扰 this personal space while also trespassing 擅自进入within territorial boundaries he placed himself in double jeopardy 双重负担 and must compensate 弥补 for the others increased anxiety.2. The differences among Americans, the India, the Ja
22、panese and the ArabIn the United States, Hall reports that psychologists have identified four zones from which U.S. people interact: the intimate zone 亲密区, the personal zone, the social zone, and the public zone. The study of spatial territory for the purpose of communication uses four categories fo
23、r informal space: the intimate distance for embracing or whispering (6-18 inches), the personal distance for conversations among good friends (1.5-4 feet), social distance for conversations among acquaintances (4-12 feet), and public distance used for public speaking (12 feet or more).intimate dista
24、nceranging from direct contact to about 45cm, which applies to the closest relationships such as husband and wifepersonal distanceranging from 45 to 80cm, which is usually maintained for conversations between friends it becomes a mans safety zone where he rests from the rigors 严格 of defending person
25、al space from invasion, the 第 8 页 共 9 页dramatic or sudden entry into anothers personal zone. Humans, like animals, indicate their ownership of this established territory and will consequently defend it against all invasions. Territoriality is established so rapidly that even the second session 会话 in
26、 a series of lectures 讲座 is sufficient to find most of the audience returning to their same seats. And if one has been sitting in a particular seat and someone else occupies it, one can notice a fleeting 短暂的 irritation. Compare the differences among the cultures of the countries mentioned in “Home i
27、n Various Cultures” (p244-247).America: showing visitors around home; people are not allowed to lock doors except the bathroom door; kitchen is the place for negotiation between the mother and the children; the parents bedroom is mostly off-limits.Germany: requires a wide area of privacy, formal and
28、 regimented; doors are firmly shut between rooms; an entrance hall 门廊 to lead visitors into the house without showing specific rooms and spoiling the familys privacy.Northern European countries: rude if not call in advance; not to expect the tour of the hosts home.France: never drop in unannounced;
29、no tour of the house; guests are usually received in the living room, with the doors to the other rooms closed.第 9 页 共 9 页Italy: you can drop in anytime without calling first, except for the resting hours of 2:00 to 4:00 pm.Spain: call ahead; normal visiting hours are 4:00 to 6:00 pm.Latin American
30、countries: guests, even dropping in without warning, are greeted warmly, often with hugs and kisses; to communicate in the dining room.The Middle Eastern countries: the layout of the salon;IV. Case Study: Students are required to read the cases given carefully and try to analyse them from the viewpoint of IC.
