Among Cultures

Among Cultures: The Challenge of Communication, Third Edition explores intercultural communication and the relationship between communication and culture, using narrative as a common and compelling thread for studying intercultural interactions. Anchored in the position that people make sense of their worlds through choosing and telling narratives to themselves and others, this text is replete with narratives and stories. Chapters address key aspects of intercultural communication, including verbal and nonverbal communication; stereotypes and bias; identity; conflict; diversity; and ethics. Using an interpretive approach to intercultural communication, the text helps students understand that although a person may appear different, his/her common sense is quite reasonable within a particular interpretive context. Resources are included to help students understand and explain the reasonableness of other cultural systems. The text includes activities for students to complete while reading, including self-assessments and nonverbal self-knowledge tests. Reflection questions within and at the end of each chapter promote thinking and discussion on each topic. With its unique approach to studying intercultural communication via real-life narratives, this text facilitates a deep understanding of the cultural aspects of communication. In providing the narratives of others, it encourages students to tell their own stories and build a strong foundation for communicating across cultures. New to the Third Edition: New chapter--What Role Does Culture Play in Contemporary Contexts?--explores intercultural communication as it relates to the environment, health, and technology. New sections on identity, silence, and terms of address as important communicative practices in intercultural settings. Updated sections on honorifics, key terms, social dramas and the golden approaches to ethics.

Organized around basic questions related to intercultural interaction, this text explores how culture and communication are intimately related. The author discusses the roles of rituals and social dramas not typically found in other texts and provides an extensive and relevant discussion of differing worldviews. Making extensive use of narrative to help promote interest and learning, the text is geared to practical applications which students can incorporate into their own lives and interactions with others.

Traits that signal belonging dictate our daily routines, including how we eat, move, and connect to others. In recent years, "fat" has emerged as a shared anchor in defining who belongs and is valued versus who does not and is not. The stigma surrounding weight transcends many social, cultural, political, and economic divides. The concern over body image shapes not only how we see ourselves, but also how we talk, interact, and fit into our social networks, communities, and broader society. Fat in Four Cultures is a co-authored comparative ethnography that reveals the shared struggles and local distinctions of how people across the globe are coping with a bombardment of anti-fat messages. Highlighting important differences in how people experience "being fat," the cases in this book are based on fieldwork by five anthropologists working together simultaneously in four different sites across the globe: Japan, the United States, Paraguay, and Samoa. Through these cases, Fat in Four Cultures considers what insights can be gained through systematic, cross-cultural comparison. Written in an eye-opening and narrative-driven style, with clearly defined and consistently used key terms, this book effectively explores a series of fundamental questions about the present and future of fat and obesity.

Photos that explores the similarities among celebration rituals in several indigenous cultures around the world and compares them with celebrations in the United States. Includes a map and an author's note.

"Philippe Rosinski is a leader in the coaching field. Coaching Across Cultures reveals his pioneering multi-cultural approach and innovative global perspective. His book is a treasure for anyone eager to learn how to effectively facilitate human fulfillment and responsible growth." - Laura Berman Fortgang, Author of Take Yourself to the Top and Living Your Best Life As coaches and clients increasingly realize, the demands of business mean that it is now vital to integrate, understand and leverage cultural differences across countries and corporations. Coaching Across Cultures bridges the gap between coaching and interculturalism.

The current volume presents new empirical data on well-being of youth and emerging adults from a global international perspective. Its outstanding features are the focus on vast geographical regions (e.g., Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America), and on strengths and resources for optimal well-being. The international and multidisciplinary contributions address the complexities of young people’s life in a variety of cultural settings to explore how key developmental processes such as identity, religiosity and optimism, social networks, and social interaction in families and society at large promote optimal and successful adaptation. The volume draws on core theoretical models of human development to highlight the applicability of these frameworks to culturally diverse youth and emerging adults as well as universalities and cultural specifics in optimal outcomes. With its innovative and cutting-edge approaches to cultural, theoretical and methodological issues, the book offers up-to-date evidence and insights for researchers, practitioners and policy makers in the fields of cross-cultural psychology, developmental science, human development, sociology, and social work.

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.

A guide to adapting and thriving within unfamiliar cultural settings challenges the notion that professional life interacts with culture only at the etiquette level, distinguishing between rule-based and relationship-based cultures while considering the roles of such factors as competition, security, and lifestyle. (Social Science)