Differences in cultural values and thought patterns between Americans and Japanese
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Explore the differences in cultural values, logic, and thought patterns between Americans and Japanese, which often lead to communication problems and influence persuasion, negotiation, and conflict resolution.
Americans rely on linear logic, emphasizing direct communication and organizing ideas in outline form, while the Japanese prefer high-context logic, starting with background information and gradually focusing on the main points.
Western logic is often perceived as intrusive by the Japanese, who value personal thinking and resist ordering facts for others.
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Differences in cultural values, logic, and thought patterns are often reflected in the very different ways Americans and Japanese organize and present information, ideas, and opinions.These differences lie at the root of many communication problems and exert a powerful influence on the process of of persuation negotiation and conflict resolution.
The rules of logic established by the Greeks and Romans are widely accepted in Western cultures, but this Western logic is by no means universal.Logic is a product of culture, and many Asian cultures such as the Japanese operate under different logical assumptions.
When Americans get confused and frustrated listening toJapanese, they often complainthat the Japanese "just are't logical" and seem incapable or unwilling to use traditional Western logic. This impression is largely due to cultural differences in reasorning and thought patterns.
From an early age, Americans are thought to be orderly in outlining their facts and in summarizing their main points according to framework that reflects Western logical structures.The logical way of presenting ideas in the West could be called linear or "straight-line"logic, which emphasizes direct and explicit communication.The most important aspects of straight-line logic are organizing your presentation in outline form and "getting straight to the point."In general, more low-context mainstream American patterns of thought and presentation are analogous to lines because all parts of the message must be explicity connected clearly and directly.
But the Japanese do not learn to order their facts or present information and ideas in the same way.They consider the practice of ordering facts for others comparable to tying a child's shoelaces for him after the child has already learned the skill.American linear, one-step-at-a-time arguments and logic can seem immature to the Japanese, and Western logic is often perceived as instrusive - an attempt to get inside the heads of other people and try to do their thinking for them.
But if Americans think in a linear way, then how do Japanese think?A natural response would be that since the circle is the opposite of line, then the Japanese probably think in circles.It is said that the more high-context Japanese prefer to use the logic patterns that emphasize talking "around " the subject rather than on it.The Japanese start at the edges with a wealth of background information and explanations and the n gradually "circle in" on the thesis and main points.
However, in some respects, Jappanese patterns of thought and presentation are not like lines at all, but like a series of "dots." Parts of the message are contained in the individual dots, it is up to the audience to link the dots in their heads.In low-context cultures the meaning of communication is stated to the audience directly and all the steps and links are clearly put forth by the speaker verbally.But in high-context cultures the meaning of communication is elicited by the audience indirectly and intuitively - all the steps and links do not have to be clearly put forth verbally.
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