Video Analysis Essay on a World of Differences: Understanding Cross-Cultural Communication

Introduction

This paper strives to give an argument mapping of Dane Archer's A world of Differences: Understanding Cross-Cultural Communication. In this paper, I intend to do the following things to map Dane's argument effectively. First, I will give a layout of the article's main claims by defining any terminologies and concepts required for the reader to understand them. I will then give sufficient evidence of the claims as presented by the author in the video. I will use this evidence to support the larger argument structure intended by the author by explicitly linking the evidence with the claims. Finally, in closing my mapping, I will summarize how the different parts of my mapping are related and how they define the video's argument structure. In this video, I will be arguing the two different types of misunderstanding that involves the use of words and non-verbal communication when different cultures interact, and examine the problem areas in terms of food, gesture, idioms, ritual and courtesy, touch and personal space, emotions, parents and children, courtship and marriage and intercultural couples.

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Dane Archer in this video focuses on the two different types of misunderstanding caused by the use of words and the non-verbal cues when two cultures interact. He states that each one of us carries information, beliefs, values and attitudes that consciously or not mark as members of our own society. He claims that because of the uniqueness and power of these differences when two cultures meet there is potential for miscommunication, misunderstanding, and conflict. He claims that every culture has 10,000 or hundred thousand unique things, for instance, when an American traveling to Africa lost his passport, he went to American Consulate to get it replaced, and to determine whether he was an American or not, he was asked a question only an American could know the answer. When asked what do M & M's candy do, he replied that they melt in the mouth and not in hands and he got his passport. The rules of these cultures are different too, for instance, in India, there are cultural boundaries about clothes, and it is considered disrespectful to show a woman's legs in public. In this video, Dane Archer identifies nine contexts in which words and non-verbal cues could cause conflicts, misunderstanding and miscommunication, and these include; food, gesture, idioms, ritual and courtesy, touch and personal space, emotions, parents and children, courtship and marriage and intercultural couples.

These contexts are interrelated to bring out the argument structure of Dane Archer's claims of how words and non-verbal cues can cause misunderstanding when two different cultures meet. The claims in this video are supported by evidence based on people's experiences when interacting with people from different cultures. All these evidence are relevant to the argument mapping to support Dane's claims. In the first context, Dane gives the conflicts experienced by different cultures in food. In Vietnam, in as much as coagulated blood was reserved as the best meal for special guests, it was regarded as the worst meal by the American who was served. In Scotland, a black pudding which was made from pig's blood and chunks of aft is considered the best morning meal and a cure for a hangover, while in the American culture, it is unheard of. There are some Filipino foods that Americans cannot eat such as balut which is a semi-developed egg, where they take the duck and swallow it or eat it.

Dane Archer claims that different cultures have different gesture, for instance, in Japan nodding your head when someone is speaking does not mean that you agree with whatever they are saying, but rather you are paying attention to whatever they are saying. In this video, signing language is not universal across cultures. For instance, Scott gave an experience where he had to spell his name to the people from Denmark and realized that the letter "T" was a bad word and he had to learn a new sign. In Japanese, big brother is signed with the middle finger which means a totally different thing in America. He uses idioms to support this argument structure by explaining that idioms are phrases whose meaning cannot be inferred from individual words, for instance, she threw her weight around could mean a totally different thing to a person new to the language. Another context he uses is that of ritual and courtesy where he uses an example Malaysia where children stand up when a teacher enters a classroom, and in Japan, declining food is deemed to be rude.

Dane also uses touch and personal space as evidence, where he claims that in Beijing same sex affection is not an issue and in Kenya, there is no personal space, especially in transportation. He uses emotion to support his larger argument structure by explaining how in Japan, men are not allowed to express emotions publicly. Another context he uses is the relationship between parents and children, and the non-verbal cues of kissing parents by children are unknown to many cultures, and in Taiwan, parents expect their children to work for them regardless of whether they are in school or not. Dane also uses courtship and marriage and explains that in China, there is no inter gender connection whatsoever, and to the married couples, they only touch hands in public, and in Vietnam, there is no going out until after marriage. The last context he uses is the relationship between intercultural couples and uses the experience between the Filipino and American couples where Filipino culture consider public display of affection is considered to portray a woman in a poor sexual manner. Dane in his conclusion gives guidelines on how to minimize these problems by proposing that we should always remember that we carry our own cultures at all times, we should never assume that we understand what is going on or what another person thinks or feel and finally we should always be ready for something truly strange.

Conclusion

I have completed mapping out the general argument structure of Dane Archer's video on A world of Differences: Understanding Cross-Cultural Communication. Dane defines what culture is and uses nine different contexts to support his claims of types of misunderstanding caused by the use of words and the non-verbal cues when two cultures interact. He uses different personal experiences from people to explain the conflicts caused by words and non-verbal cues of different cultures. He finally gives guidelines on how to minimize these problems.