|
Cultural
Dimension
|
Character
Todd, Puro, Aisha
or other
|
Outsourced Scene
or Circumstance
|
|
Low-context
culture
|
Todd
|
Class
|
|
High-context
culture
|
Aisha
|
Class
|
|
Individualism
|
Todd
|
He wanted to stay
lonely
|
|
Collectivism
|
Other
|
Family Pictures
|
|
Low power
distance
|
Todd
|
Talking to his boss
|
|
High power
distance
|
Puro
|
Asking every time he
wants to talk
|
|
Uncertainty
tolerance
|
Todd
|
Cursing
his boss
|
|
Uncertainty
avoidance
|
Aisha
|
Asking
every time he wants to talk
|
|
Task
orientation
|
Puro
|
Manager
|
|
Social
orientation
|
Aisha
|
Good talker
|
1. As
soon as Todd arrives, he experiences the discomfort of being disoriented in a
strange
new place. What happens at the airport?
he saw the crowed at the
airport , which was an abnormal scene for him, then he annoyed from taxi drivers because they all
come around him.
2. When a friendly traveler helps him get on the train, what
does he tell him to do?
He told him you should
jump into the train
3. When he gets on the train, he cannot find an empty seat. How
is this problem
solved for him? How might this be a cultural solution?
The young kid offered him his seat and then sat in his lap,
because of the high population in india people are used to such a solution such
as sharing seats, standing and squeezing in the train cabins.
4. As any exchange student, he has a lot of experiences trying
new food. His first
encounter is with an iced drink. What happens?
He got stomach ache, and got sick because of the polluted water
used in the iced drink
5. First encounters with a culture can be shocking – Todd sees
crowded streets with
cows, noise, and a man urinating in the street. But how does his
host describe the
city?
“Bombay is terrible, but here it’s very clean”
6. Even though the host Puro speaks English, Todd uses American
slang a lot
without thinking. So as not to insult Puro, what does he say the
meaning of
Schmuck is?
it means like a nice guy
7. Todd wants to check in to a hotel. But Puro insists he comes
to a boarding house.
What is the reason he gives Todd?
if he stays on hotel alone he will feel lonely
8. As soon as they meet, Aunti Ji starts asking very intimate
questions that
Americans who have just met would never ask. What kind of things
does she ask?
what’s your salary? are you married? do you have a girlfriend?
9. During his first conversation with Aunti Ji he makes two big
mistakes. What are
they?
He ate with his left hand and he placed his hand again on the
food .
10. The Golden Rule says do unto others as you would have them
do unto you. That
means his Indian hosts and friends are trying to make him
comfortable the way
they would be comfortable. How does this apply when the servant
is preparing
tea for Todd?
She poured the tea for him and even put sugar just the way they
do.
11. How does Todd figure out why one does not eat food with the left hand?
The owner of the boardinghouse explained to him by sign language
why Indians think left hand isn’t clean to eat with
12.
What is ethnocentric about his statement "You need to learn about
America"?
to know
how to speak with american and to be fast when they answer the question on the
phone.
13. Why do they disagree on how a "native" speaks English?
Because
of the way Americans pronounce some words with an American accent not proper
English, they think it’s a matter of different accents which doesn’t mean their
English is wrong in India at the end it is a matter of correct English , He was
shocked and didn’t understand why Aysha said that. High-context culture
14.
What doesn't Todd understand about the Indians' response to the "cattle
brand"?
He was
talking about it in an insensitive way without knowing how sensitive and holy
cows are in India
15.
What is Todd's reaction to "You need to learn about India"? What
stage of culture
shock
might it represent?
He was
shocked and didn’t understand why Aysha said that. High-context culture
16. He
calls home several times. Why? What stage of culture shock might provoke
calls
home?
he is
homesick
17.
What mistakes in language usage are represented in the recording of the call
about
"a
rubber"?
rubber
in American English mean condom , but in British it’s mean eraser
18. Why
is he so eager to go to McDonnells?
because
he have troubles with Indian food since he arrived and he want eat beef burger
19.
Todd doesn't understand bargaining. How does the Indian respond to this?
He
thought that Todd is barging and started barging back immediately without even
paying attention to whats Todd’s actually saying as it’s a very common habit in
india
20.
What does I.N.D.I.A. stand for?
I’ll
Never Do It Again.
21.
What advise does his fellow American have for him?
That
once he gives in and stops resisting he will do much better.
22.
When Todd develops the incentive system, he has begun to adapt to India. How
has he
adapted?
Once he
saw improvement from the team he apologized to them and admit that he should
learn more about India. He also asked for suggestions and opinions on how to
create a better environment from them to work
23.
When he looks at the cow in the office the second time, why is his reaction so
different?
Because
he started to adjust and fit in which was shown in his second look, it was
friendlier and more receptive that his first look and reaction when he just
arrived to India
24.
Explain the difference between American and Indian cultures when Todd and
Puro
discuss how often he visits his family and why he doesn't live with them.
Indians
are more attached and close to their families than Americans. They consider the
family an important and number one priority in their lives and that explains
why they live with their families even if they get older and what their parents
mean to them. While in America people mostly move out in a very young age and
get caught up in their busy lives away from their parents and they’re family
and only gather when there’s an event such as weddings, Christmas and
thanksgiving
25.
What cultural values are involved in the exchange between Aunti Ji and Todd
about
ironing his underwear?
Difference between how mother work in India and America
26. How well does Todd handle himself when he is invited over the wall
to an Indian
home for a meal? He showed that he enjoy it
27. In what ways does he show he has adapted?
When he dance with employees and when he ate with the poor family and
when he know that the work will replaced to China.
28. When the call center floods and they are shut down, Todd finds an
"Indian"
solution. What is it?
He asked the poor indian man from over the wall for his help with
replacing the wires as he saw in his place how they all surviving on a public
source of electricity by extending wires from it. And that’s an indian way as
the economy is very bad and people try to survive in many ways in that was one
of them
29. When Todd comes home, there are several signs that his Indian
experience has
influenced him. Name three ways he has become more "Indian".
