In this presentation the speaker will discuss viewpoints based on cross-cultural experience in Japan over the past 19 years of residence in Japan. The speaker would like to offer his opinions with the goal of highlighting how our own culture’s hidden values and norms color our viewpoints of nearly every aspect of our behavior leading to ethnocentric interpretations. Discussion topics shall include:
• Culture based educational system differences between US-Japan
• Culture-based communication differences in Japanese and English speakers
• How our learned cultural knowledge colors our viewpoints
Why do we interpret the same event differently?
• Assumptions of being part of the group in Japan
It is hoped that participants will contribute actively to the discussion.
