SUGGESTED ANSWERS
Please note that the point of these exercises is more to stimulate thought and discussion than to find the “absolute right answer.”
1 The Iceberg (from pages 9 to pages 10)
The following items are in the top (visible) part of the iceberg:
1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 11, 15, 16, 21, and 22.
These items are in the bottom (invisible) part of the iceberg:
2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, and 25.
2 Matching Values and Behaviors (page 11)
8 Use of understatement
6 Asking people to call you by your first name
2 Taking off from work to attend the funeral of a cousin
9 Not asking for help on an exam from the person sitting next to you
1 Disagreeing openly with someone at a meeting
5 Not laying off an older employee whose performance is weak
4 At a meeting, agreeing with a suggestion you think is wrong
10 Inviting the teaboy to eat lunch with you in your office
7 Asking the boss’ opinion on something you are an expert on
3 Accepting, without question, that something cannot be changed
3 Identifying Universal, Cultural, or Personal Behaviors (from pages 13 to pages 14)
1. U
2. C
3. P
4. U
5. P
6. U
7. C
8. C
Rituals for lost baby teeth vary from culture to culture. In the United States, we tell children about the tooth fairy, who will take the tooth from under their pillows while they sleep and leave money in its place. In France, children imagine a mouse will do the same exchange. In Norway, children place their lost tooth in a glass of water before they go to bed. In the morning, the tooth has magically been turned into coins. Traditionally in Japan, children went outside and threw their old baby tooth in a special way on the day they lost it: they would throw their lower teeth upward toward the roof of the house and their upper teeth downward into the space under the floor. The idea was to pray for good adult teeth growing in from their respective gums. Today many families live in apartment buildings, but the rule of throwing directions is still followed (Rieko Watanabe, personal communication).
9. C
10. C
In India, it is believed that wearing white to a wedding can bring bad luck or even death to the bride and groom. (Dresser 1996, 64–65).
11. U
12. C
13. P
14. U
15. C
The American tradition of the wedding garter goes back a long way. “In seventeenth-century England, the groom’s attendants pulled off the bride’s garters just before the bridesmaids led her to the bedroom. The men then wore the garters in their hats for good luck” (30).
16. C
17. C
In Chinese and Vietnamese cultures, white is the color of death and mourning. Giving someone a white envelope with money inside on the occasion of a death is a sign of respect. It should be accepted graciously but opened later (96–97).
18. C
Traditional Japanese foods for New Year’s include soba (buckwheat) noodles for good luck and long life (177).
19. U
20. P
5 D. I. E. (The photographs are on page 21 and page 24.)
The first picture is of a male Moroccan letter writer recording a message. In Morocco and other Muslim countries, women are not always taught to read and write.
The second picture shows Chinook women from British Columbia with the wares to be given away at a Potlatch. In some societies, prestige is achieved by giving away valuables, instead of accumulating them. Instead of waging war against a rival, one gives them one’s possessions. The side who gives the best gifts wins.
Moroccan Letter Writer, © 1982, Joel Gordon.
Neg. No. 42992 Photo. Women at Potlatch. Courtesy Dept. Library Services, American
Museum of Natural History.
6 Double-Loop Thinking (from pages 29 to pages 34)
These are only suggested answers; you may have different wording or interpretations.
Ilse
1. requested a single room
2. created rules to divide space equally
3. was orderly and tidy
4. left for class
5. returned to find her dictionary missing
Leilani
1. requested a single room
2. stapled and taped posters to the walls
3. played Polynesian-style rock music
4. entertained several friends at once
5. cluttered up her bed with clothes, etc.
6. took Ilse’s dictionary and left the dorm
Leilani infers that Ilse
1. is stingy, mean, and obsessed with rules
2. expects books to be ornaments
3. overvalues control
4. undervalues friendship
Ilse infers that Leilani
1. is irresponsible and careless of possessions
2. is disrespectful of others
3. abuses Ilse’s books
4. overvalues friendship
MY ACTION: letting my friends use my books
Is done with the
EXPECTATION: that they will also share their possessions with me
And is influenced by
MY VALUE: friends help each other out
YOUR ACTION: letting your friends use your books
Is done with the
EXPECTATION: that it doesn’t matter what happens to people’s things
And is influenced by
YOUR VALUE: friendship is more important than personal property
Ginger
1. interpreted a lecture
2. felt nervous
3. rushed off
Fred
1. made comments to Ginger
2. was confused by her expression
3. mentally checked her off his list
Ginger infers that Fred
1. thinks she is a lousy interpreter
2. thinks she should quit interpreting
Fred infers that Ginger
1. must know that his criticism shows he cares
2. is not open to improving her skills
MY ACTION: giving criticism means I think Ginger has the potential to be a very good interpreter and I want to help her.
YOUR ACTION: giving criticism means you think I am a lousy interpreter and you want me to quit the profession.
The reason I rushed off was I felt hurt by the criticism.
The reason you rushed off was you are not sensitive to Deaf people’s needs.
8 Collectivism/Individualism (from pages 51 to pages 52)
1. C
2. I
3. C
4. I
5. I
6. C
7. C
8. I
9. C
10. C
11. C
12. C
13. I
14. I
15. C
16. I
17. I
18. I
10 Past/Present/Future Orientation (from pages 59 to pages 60)
1. past
2. future
3. present
4. future
5. past
6. future
7. present
8. future
9. past
10. present
11. past
12. present
12 The Things We Say (from pages 67 to pages 68)
4–6 doing (rather than talking)
10 achievement
11–12 self-reliance, independence
13 risk taking
16 freedom of choice
15 Your Polite Is Different from My Polite (from pages 79 to pages 80)
1. D |
Contrasting Pairs |
2. D |
1 + 10 |
3. H |
2 + 7 |
4. H |
3 + 5 |
5. D |
4 + 6 |
6. D |
8 + 12 |
7. H |
9 + 11 |
8. H |
|
9. H |
|
10. H |
|
11. D |
|
12. D |
|
17 Advice Column (from pages 85 to pages 89)
Suggested responses may include aspects of the following:
Dear John,
Heavens no! Discussions of bodily functions, especially while dining, are considered impolite. My advice is slip away and return to your seat quietly.
Dear John,
Of course. It is important to let at least one person in the group know where you are going when you leave the room. There is no taboo about mentioning the bathroom, it is a normal part of life.
Dear Weight Watcher,
Hearing Americans are very sensitive about the issue of weight. Telling someone she looks like she has put on weight is one of the most insulting things you can say. She probably already knows that she has gained a few pounds and may be hoping that it doesn’t show. You may choose to focus on another aspect of her appearance, something you could comment favorably on.
Dear Weight Watcher,
In Deaf culture, mentioning an obvious change in a friend’s physical appearance shows you care and are concerned about him or her. Ignoring a physical change, either positive or negative, is considered rude. Your friend may need advice or information about how she can remedy the situation. Better to be direct and speak about the obvious right away, then you can move on to other topics of conversation.
Dear Being Driven Crazy,
Money is a very private subject in American mainstream culture. It is impolite to put someone on the spot by asking how much she or he paid for something.
Dear Being Driven Crazy,
In Deaf culture, information sharing is expected. It is a way of helping each other, especially in the case of buying a new car, when one is expected to bargain the price down from what is printed on the sticker.
Dear Terry,
Coming right out with a criticism can be seen as harsh. We try to be careful about hurting people’s feelings if we care about them. Try the “sandwich approach” to giving criticism: lead into the criticism with a softening remark and then follow the criticism with another positive remark. It will make it easier for your friend to accept the criticism.
Dear Terry,
Beating around the bush is not appreciated in Deaf culture. Directness is considered polite. Then there will be no misunderstanding. Come right out with the criticism. It will show your friend how much you care.
18 Rudeness Is Relative, Too (from pages 91 to pages 92)
The answers below are a guide only. If it seems clear that the statement is seen as rude in just one culture, it will be so noted (D for Deaf culture, H for hearing culture). If, as the directions stated, the behavior would be viewed as rude in both cultures, then the culture in which the behavior would be seen as more rude will be shown by a capital letter and the other culture with a lowercase letter.
1. D, h
2. H
3. D
4. H
5. D
6. D
7. H
8. D
9. D, h
10. H
11. H
12. D, h
13. D, h
14. D
15. D, h
16. H
17. D
18. H
19. H
20. D
19 Translating Between Direct and Indirect Styles (from pages 96 to pages 99)
The following suggested answers offer only one possible way of interpreting these statements. Degrees of subtlety and directness vary according to many factors such as age, gender, cultural group, and geographic region (i.e., New York City will have different norms than the South).
1. Dwight: I have another idea. If we had it catered, it would be less work for everyone and more festive.
2. Dwight: Whatever we do, just make sure we don’t have that pink chicken like last year. I thought it wasn’t cooked enough, but I ate it anyway and I got very sick.
3. Dwight: Was it expensive?
4. Dwight: Hmm…I don’t know. How about having some old-fashioned games. That will be fun. You know, like a sack race, pass the orange, dunk the boss in the water….
1. Harriet: I can’t do it, and Jan did it last time. That means it’s your turn, Dwight.
2. Jan: I really don’t want to, but since he didn’t volunteer, I guess I have to.
3. Harriet: Thanks. So, about the food. Let’s have it potluck.
4. Harriet: Catered might be too expensive.
5. (Harriet and Jan glance at each other)
Harriet: Why is he telling us these graphic details?
Jan: Yeah, too much information!
6. Jan: That’s off the point. Let’s keep this related to work.
7. Harriet: I don’t think that these are the best ideas we can come up with, but we have more time to work on this later.