Task 1. Read the text “Attitudes toward Factors of Human Relationships” and translate it.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 431.

UNIT 9

Task 2. Find answers to the following questions in the text and write them down:

1. How is time regarded in our culture?

2. What do we strive to do?

3. How do Asians view time?

4. Do some cultures stress punctuality?

5. How are time and planning viewed in other cultures?

ATTITUDES TOWARD FACTORS OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

Probably causing even more miscommunication than differences in body positions and movements are the different attitudes of different cultures toward various factors of human relationships. For illustrative purposes, we will review seven major factors: time, space, odours, frankness, relationships, values and social behaviour.

TIME

In our culture, people tend to regard time as something that must be planned for the most efficient use. They strive to meet deadlines, to be punctual, to conduct business quickly and to work on a schedule.

In some other cultures (especially those of the Middle East and some parts of Asia), people view time in a more relaxed way. They see planning as unwise and unneces­sary. Being late to a meeting, a social function or such is of little consequence to them. In fact, some of them hold the view that important people should be late to show that they are busy. In business negotiations, the people in these cultures move at a deliber­ately slow pace, engaging in casual talk before getting to the main issue. It is easy to see how such different views of time could cause peop­le from different cultures to have serious miscommunication problems.