BA English / Robert Leunre

                             Robert Leunre

          In his essay Robert Leunre discusses about cultural differences in regards with the concept of time and the intercultural misunderstandings and conflicts that owns the variations in the temporal concept of time.

This essay is based on the personal experience of the writer himself, as a writing professor at Brazil. In the essay he discusses about the difficulties he had had in a college to a new concept of social time, which reflects different cultural beliefs, assumption and values then he was habitual in his native country i.e. us. After his experience with Brazilian student teachers and other people, the writer realized that the people did have different concept and values about the time. These people were unable to materialize the time and follow it’s pace.

        Unlike American students, the Brazilian student ignored the time value and came in the class, without hesitation, even long after the commencement of the class. Besides they were in no hurry after leaving the class for they surrounded the teacher for a long time. Moreover the writer also found that even the professions were not punctual. They made the guilty for turning up late likewise his experience with the landlord suggested the same. Although he waited for him for a long time, he was unable to meet him, Undoubtedly the people of Brazil make apartments but they never travel themselves respecting the valves of time obviously they understand their social time but it make a great confusion to the people like the writers, who is accustomed to the exactness of the time.

As a child, the thought that time was measured by a clock but later in his maturity he know that it was measured by culture.

          As a writing prof. he knew that Brazilians Report everything for tomorrow. ‘Amanha” was highly valued in their culture.

          He also noticed that exactness of the time was not possible in Brazil. The people had their own concept of time and they more accordingly.

          The Brazilians didn’t have the concept of early and late. They seem almost indifferent to the valve of time.

          Not only the students, the prof. were also indifferent to the value of time. They were found of making appointments but never turn up on time.

          The writers also noticed the high people or the landlords display their value by not being punctual. He waited for his landlord for more than two hours but the landlord didn’t wait for him even for the minutes.

          In conclusion he realized that Brazilian concept of time was taking. They wasted their time in talking.

          Levin in this narrating essay describes cultural differences in concept of time and inter cultural conflict and misunderstanding that after worries from these temporal variations. In order to enhance the intercultural experience Levine stresses the importance of learning unwritten rules about time in a new culture.

          Levine in this essay means that rules of punctuality are strongly shaped by cultural values and believes.

          Levine clarifies the concept of social time and says that social time is a cultural tempo. Orientation reflects  unconscious values believes and rules. The components of social time and concept of punctuality, pace of life and orientation of past, present and future are discussed.

          Adjusting to a forming concept of time is different because it reflects values, believes and rules that are after very different from those of the writers culture and that are unwritten or hidden.

          In this place of writing Robort Levine maintains that there are cultural differences in concept of time reflecting eluverse values and believes which often lead to intercultural conflict and misunderstanding. By learning about a new cultures pace of life rules of partiality and orientation to past, present and future a writer can minimize problems and facilitate cultural adjustments.

Where do we stand?

Where do We Stand?

                                                          Lisa Davis

          In this essay the writer is trying to show how the body position can have non- verbal communication. Though the position of the body, the people also communicated their cultural differences not only between the countries but also within the same country.

          The people from middle east are been to make physical intimacy where the Americans maintains a distance when a businessman of middle east steps forward the Americans steps backwards as far as possible.

          The difference of personal space is with in access. The male and the female of the same location show different physical intimacy. The female would like to come quite closer than the males.

          The cultural differences can be seen in classroom environment the American culture teaches the students to make a direct eye contact with the teacher whereas the Asian student feel it as disrespect to the teachers. One the other hand an American teacher feels it as insult if the students break of the eye contact. Similarly, a Japanese unless fell quite uncomfortable when his American partner deals with him informal manner.

Key points.

a)      American use more eye contact than do the Japanese.

b)    South Americans conjure at a close distance then do the northern Europeans.

c)     Saudi Arabians show more physical contact than the Americans. They show intimacy by holding hands walk in the street joining the hands but the American hate it.

d)    Men keep greater distance than the women and women tend to make more eye contact than the man.

e)     The Asian try to understand a person though sense perception and they go quite close to a person but the Americans try to understand though gestures.

f)      The Asian students show respect to the teacher by breaking the direct eye contact with the teacher there as the western students maintains it through direct eye contact.

Main theme

          Where do you stand? Is an essay by Lisa Davis in which she is focusing on the importance of intercultural studies, specially the location of the body? It is obvious the meaning of the body differs from culture to culture group to group with in a country even between the gender and so on. there is a greater chance at misunderstanding about body position and consequently there is a disaster in order to prevent the misunderstanding at the detail I is necessary to study inter-cultural practices.

          In the present time the entire world has became a global village and he people have earn inter-cultural practices to avoid he possible misunderstand, specially the people of business world are prove to each misunderstand. They have to deal with people from different world on might be showing the sense of intimacy but the same manner might be unnatural for the other for example holding hands is a sign of showing affection to the other in the eastern culture but they looks really unnatural in American culture , similarly making on eye contact with the teacher or concern person is a sign of respect in American cultural Whereas it is a sign of disrespect in eastern culture underbelly if a Nepalese student those to Americans classes he finds the classroom environment really strange unless he is given the version of intercultural studies.

          Therefore the unlike justifies tact he need for inter-culture studies has became and essential part in the modern situation specially with globalization. It would bee much easier for the people of alliance culture to appreciate the culture of the other people of they know that keeping physical intimacy and despair differs from people to people.

AMERICAN VALUES AND ASSUMPTION / Gary Althen / BA English

AMERICAN VALUES AND ASSUMPTION

www.paniroti.com/blog

                                                                             Gary Althen

The main point

Individualism:

          The most important thing to understand about Americans is probably their devotion to individualism. They are trained from many early in their views to consider themselves as separate individuals who are responsible for their own situations in life and their own destinies.

Competition:

          Individualistic Americans neutrally see themselves as beings in competition with others competitiveness pervades the society. It is obvious in the attention given to athletic events and star athletes who are praised for being real competitors.

Privacy:

          Also closely associated with the value they place an individualism is the importance American assign to privacy. Americans assume that people “need some time to themselves” or “some time alone” to think about things or recover their spent psychological energy.

Equality:

          American are also instinctive in the degree to which they believe in the ideal as stated in their declaration of independence that all men are created equal.

Informality:

          The sense of  equality makes the Americans to be informal we rarely see the Americans being informal dress up. They use slang o address each other they never how to the serious. They attend the public ceremonies even in casual dress.

The future, change and progress:

          The American ignore the past and focus in future. Look ahead is their main slogan. They never regret for the past but see the future besides they believe in changed though the effort of  the people . they believes that time is under the control of human beings.

Time:

          For the American “ motion is progress and labour is money. They appreciate the people who make well use of time well organized people get social respect.

Achievement, action work and materialism:

          For the Americans that a person is more important than who the persons belongs to the work that a person does aspects are ignored.

Directness and assertiveness:

          The Americans are open minded and they speak directly to others. Besides they are clever mined and devoted to their works.