Norms are unwritten laws that basically dictate what is right to do and what is unacceptable. Some norms vary from person to person, but other norms are collective within a society and different cultural backgrounds. This is important to know because when one understands different norms from their own, they are able to tailor their communication to achieve a desired result.
The representation of culture has three primary dimensions - language, physical, and psychological. (Weaver, 2003) The language dimension is used to communicate with other people who have similiar beliefs and values as we do. The physical dimension refers to the environment and cultural activities of people. Knowledge, our beliefs, and our mental activities are of the psychological dimension. Since all of these dimensions are connected, it is significant to comprehend the differences among people in order to communicate effectively. Before we understand others, we must understand our own dimensions and why we are the way we are.
English: Chinatown San Francisco gateway arch 2010...
English: Diagram indicating Asian American settlem...
, American astronaut who died during the failed re...When we allow that to happen, then perhaps we can broaden our minds to try to understand how different backgrounds communicate and respond to things. Let us take a look into the Asian culture.
There are many Asian Americans in the world today who have traveled from their mainland in search of a better life, because the United States has more opportunities. For those who have lived in Asia, there is often a culture shock because the norms in the States are very different from those in Asia. When one is able to assimilate to the norms for Americans, they may be able to feel a better sense of belonging, however, the opposite is usually true when they interact with their family. Many times, Asian Americans can feel conflicted because of the different cultural values between Americans and the Asian...