Patterns Across Cultures


Book Description

PATTERNS ACROSS CULTURES is a rhetorically organized reader driven by the principle that as the world gets smaller, students should be exposed to a wide variety of cultural perspectives--both from within the United States and from other countries. Many of the reading selections in the text are by writers who have never been anthologized, providing an invigorating alternative to traditional readers. Post-reading features for each selection, including questions on author's "Meaning," "Technique," and "Language," help students examine how the selection utilizes both the primary mode and other modes as well; calls out key vocabulary terms; highlights thematic connections between selections; and provides prompts for both personal and critical writing. To assist those instructors who prefer a thematic framework for discussing the selections, a thematic Table of Contents and Thematic Links questions connecting each essay with one or more others on similar themes will provide inspiration for theme-based discussions and writing assignments. Available with InfoTracĀ® Student Collections http://gocengage.com/infotrac.




American Cultural Patterns


Book Description

A fully revised edition of the seminal classic This classic study was originally written by Edward Stewart in 1972 and has become a seminal work in the field of intercultural relations. In this edition, Stewart and Milton J. Bennett have greatly expanded the analysis of American cultural patterns by introducing new cross-cultural comparisons and drawing on recent reseach on value systems, perception psychology, cultural anthropology, and intercultural communication. Beginning with a discussion of the issues relative to contact between people of different cultures, the authors examine the nature of cultural assumptions and values as a framework for cross-cultural analysis. They then analyze the human perceptual process, consider the influence of language on culture, and discuss nonverbal behavior. Central to the book is an analysis of American culture constructed along four dimentions: form of activity, form of social relations, perceptions of the world, and perception of the self. American cultural traits are isolated out, analyzed, and compared with parallel characteristics of other cultures. Finally, the cultural dimentions of communication and their implications for cross-cultural interaction are examined.




Conflict Mediation Across Cultures


Book Description

Believing not only that conflict is inevitable in human life but that it is essential and can be quite constructive, Augsburger proposes a shift to an "international" approach in resolving conflict. Augsburger focuses on interpersonal and group conflicts and provides a comparison of conflict patterns within and among various cultures.




The Culture Map


Book Description

An international business expert helps you understand and navigate cultural differences in this insightful and practical guide, perfect for both your work and personal life. Americans precede anything negative with three nice comments; French, Dutch, Israelis, and Germans get straight to the point; Latin Americans and Asians are steeped in hierarchy; Scandinavians think the best boss is just one of the crowd. It's no surprise that when they try and talk to each other, chaos breaks out. In The Culture Map, INSEAD professor Erin Meyer is your guide through this subtle, sometimes treacherous terrain in which people from starkly different backgrounds are expected to work harmoniously together. She provides a field-tested model for decoding how cultural differences impact international business, and combines a smart analytical framework with practical, actionable advice.




Cross-cultural Business Behavior


Book Description

The theme of this new edition of Cross-Cultural Business Behavior is CHANGE. First of all, cultures change. In markets around the world, business behavior is constantly evolving, impelled by generational shifts, improvements in education, and (especially) increasing exposure to the world marketplace. That is why all of the book's 43 'Negotiator Profiles' have been thoroughly updated, with new cases and fresh examples added. In addition to the change in culture, international managers' challenges have changed too. For example, just a few years ago, participants at global management seminars around the world were mainly interested in how to communicate and negotiate with overseas partners. But, they now find that their toughest challenges are how to manage overseas subsidiaries, strategic alliances, and international partnerships. To reflect these new realities, the book's time-tested framework for understanding cross-cultural negotiating behavior has been expanded to include a wide variety of practical pointers on managing in today's global marketplace. This fifth edition is important for everyone involved with global management, whether student or manager, because cultures and business challenges do change. The book is an essential survival guide for doing business in cultures other than one's own.




Patterns of Culture


Book Description

A study of the civilization of the Zuni Indians, the native of Dubu, and the Kawakiutl Indians.




Communicating Across Cultures, First Edition


Book Description

From high-level business negotiations to casual conversations among friends, every interpersonal interaction is shaped by cultural norms and expectations. Seldom is this more clearly brought to light than in encounters between people from different cultural backgrounds, when dissimilar communication practices may lead to frustration and misunderstanding. This thought-provoking text presents a new framework for understanding the impact of culture on communication and for helping students build intercultural communication competence. With illustrative examples from around the globe, the book shows that verbal and nonverbal communication involves much more than transmitting a particular message--it also reflects each participant's self-image, group identifications and values, and privacy and relational needs. Readers learn to move effectively and appropriately through a wide range of transcultural situations by combining culture-specific knowledge with mindful listening and communication skills. Throughout, helpful tables and charts and easy-to-follow guidelines for putting concepts into practice enhance the book's utility for students.




The Interpretation of Cultures


Book Description

One of the twentieth century's most influential books, this classic work of anthropology offers a groundbreaking exploration of what culture is With The Interpretation of Cultures, the distinguished anthropologist Clifford Geertz developed the concept of thick description, and in so doing, he virtually rewrote the rules of his field. Culture, Geertz argues, does not drive human behavior. Rather, it is a web of symbols that can help us better understand what that behavior means. A thick description explains not only the behavior, but the context in which it occurs, and to describe something thickly, Geertz argues, is the fundamental role of the anthropologist. Named one of the 100 most important books published since World War II by the Times Literary Supplement, The Interpretation of Cultures transformed how we think about others' cultures and our own. This definitive edition, with a foreword by Robert Darnton, remains an essential book for anthropologists, historians, and anyone else seeking to better understand human cultures.




Symmetries of Culture


Book Description

A very appealing book. It deals with the analysis of repetitive patterns in decorative art as a means of classifying designs. A collaboration by an anthropologist (Washburn, U. Rochester) and a mathematician (Crowe, U. of Wisc.), it makes only the gentlest use of math/geometry, the principles of which are presented. These allow a discussion of color symmetry, one- and two-dimensional patterns, and finite design. History and problems of classification are covered. An important work. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR




Communicating Across Cultures, Second Edition


Book Description

"Description: This highly regarded text--now revised and expanded with 50% new material--helps students and professionals mindfully build their knowledge and competencies for effective intercultural communication on any setting. The authors' comprehensive, updated theoretical framework (integrative identity negotiation theory) reveals how both verbal and nonverbal communication are affected by multilayered facets of identity. Written in a candid, conversational style, the book is rich with engaging examples illustrating cultural conflicts and misunderstandings that arise in workplace, educational, interpersonal, and community contexts. Readers learn how to transform polarized conversations into successful intercultural engagements by combining culture-specific knowledge with mindful listening and communication skills. Key Words: intercultural communication, cross-cultural communication, human communication, communication skills, cultural competence, ethnic relations, ethnic studies, multicultural counseling, international business relations, cultural diversity, cross-cultural psychology, ethnography, mindful communication, mindfulness, intergroup communication, integrative identity negotiation theory, acculturation, adjustment, immigration, immigrants, listening skills, textbooks, texts, college classes, college courses, college students, undergraduates, graduates, foreign students, refugees, social psychology, sociolingustics, international competence"--