Cultural differences abound in every society today due to the presence of a myriad of people from different countries, experiences and backgrounds.
I experienced the following cultural difference when I was on exchange in the U.S. In certain small classes where interaction between the professor and students was high, I was surprised to hear the students address the professor by her first name. I observed this with almost all the students in the class, all of whom were Americans except me. They addressed her as such with much ease but I was very hesitant. I stuck to my usual way of addressing her as ‘Professer’ or ‘Prof’ which she usually did not hear the first time and I had to repeat myself to get her attention as she was not accustomed to hearing it. I felt uneasy every time someone addressed her by her first name and even after hearing it repeatedly over a period of time, I was not comfortable with it.
This difference in behaviour observed in Asian and Western society can be attributed to differing emphasis; respect for individual liberties in Western society but respect for the parents, elderly and teachers in the former. The importance of respect given to elders in Asian culture is evident by the way Asians change their entire way of speaking and addressing an elder, by using a more formalized language. This, however, is not the case in Western culture where elders are not treated likewise. Therefore, a mutual understanding of cross cultural traditions, beliefs and practices is essential to ensure conflicts do not arise due to misinterpretation and misunderstandings, for instance, if a student from the West attends a class in an Asian country where respect for the teacher is paramount.
The following link gives an interesting visual comparison of Western and Asian culture:
http://www.vincentchow.net/2004/western-asian-culture-comparison
Hi Prameet,
ReplyDeleteThis passage is easy to understand and follow with only a slight careless mistake “professer” should have been “professor”.
I agree with what you have stated with regards to the different values held in the Western and Asian society. To the Asians, respect for the other person starts from the moment you greet him/her, and usually people who sees themselves with higher status/rank expect a certain level of respect from others. However, some people prefer to remove the “respect barrier” and to draw themselves closer to others by doing away with the proper address/greeting. I can understand the “cultural shock” you were in when you see everyone else acting in a way you do not think is appropriate and felt uneasy. However, perhaps this may not be general rule in institutions in US (some may still prefer being called professor) and this might be the lecturer’s personal style, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to call her by her first name just like everyone else does.
It was said that “Cultural differences abound in every society today due to the presence of a myriad of people from different countries, experiences and backgrounds.” If I may give my opinion on it, I would like to say that cultural differences are in fact not as prevalent or as distinct as we thought it might be due to the blurring of the boundary as globalization occurs. Due to globalization, people are more willing to embrace such differences and what is initially unacceptable become acceptable, so the question is “Is cultural differences really still prevalent in every society today?”
Hi Prameet,
ReplyDeleteI like your post and agree that there are variations between the Asian culture and the American culture when it comes to addressing people.
However, I would like to point out this may not be true in the Northen European culture. In countries like France, calling teachers by their first name without formalities may be considered rude.
I also agree with Shu Yan's point on globalisation. Now with globalisation, how are we going to stay different from others? How can we preserve our culture that keeps us unique from the rest.
Regards
Kenneth
Dear Prameet,
ReplyDeleteI'm really impressed by the suiltability of your hyperlink to the post you've written! I've stayed in Australia and the States for a while each and I found the link really amusing and accurate at the same time! I'd just like to add that in NUS too, I've interacted with some professors who like being addressed by their first names, though I understand how it might seem really odd at first.
See you in class soon!
Regards,
Shilpa
Dear Prameet
ReplyDeleteEver since PM Lee informed his staff to call him Hsien Loong, more bosses and people in authority in Singapore are doing likewise--being called by their first name.
Here at NUS, a number still prefer to be called by their surname. I give the students a choice--choose whichever is more comfortable--and inevitably many call me Ms Happy. Somehow the Ms must still be there because it is a form of respect. The compromise is to use my first name after the Ms.
However, there are people who will always be called by their surname--it will always be Mr Lee Kuan Yew to us; Mr Goh Chok Tomg to us...
Ulitmately the form of address depends on the person, work culture and hierarchy (power play)that is observed in the country.
Perhaps you could sum up the comments and leave us with your final thoughts on the matter.
Regards
Happy
Hi everyone!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your interesting comments and ideas. I strongly agree with what Shu Yan says about the boundaries that give rise to cultural differences being blurred as a result of globalization. This is evident from what Shilpa has mentioned about professors in NUS prefering to be addressed by their first name.
I feel that developed countries like Singapore are becoming more receptive to this idea as globalization hits them more directly and influences them based on their interactions with others. However, this blurring might not be as evident in the less developed countries like India where respect for the teacher, no matter what level the student might be at, is of utmost importance.
Kenneth has mentioned that people in France, which in contrast is a developed country, are extremely proud of their culture and would rather speak French even though they know English. I think this example is relevant as it illustrates that at the end of the day, "the form of address depends on the person, work culture and hierarchy" of the country, no matter how open it might be to globalization.
As for link, yes, I too agree that the illustrations are extremely accurate. Enjoy! ;)
Regards,
Prameet