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Cultural Dimensions to Cultural Dimensions to Multimedia DesignMultimedia Design
MICCA Conference
March 19, 2002
Davina Pruitt-Mentle
Educational Technology Outreach
http://www.edtechoutreach.umd.edu/
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP2
What does culture have to do What does culture have to do with education?with education?
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP3
Cultural Dimensions to MultimediaCultural Dimensions to Multimedia
Making learning resources more accessible and flexible to a wide range of learners is a major concern of educators today.
In order to do this - “...educators must recognize that ‘their ways’ our ways that are usually based on values and principles that may differ then others. And others ways are just as important.” Brislin & Yoshida (1994) call this process ethnorelative
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP4
The way to deal with diversity The way to deal with diversity is not to deny it or ignore it, is not to deny it or ignore it,
but to learn about differences but to learn about differences so they don’t impair so they don’t impair
communicationcommunication
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP5
The first step in effective intercultural The first step in effective intercultural communication is acceptance of diversity communication is acceptance of diversity
To do this one must:To do this one must:
• Examine your own values
• Examine values of others
• Look at the implications of these values for education
• Determine where the differences lie
• Determine how to best overcome the differences
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP6
OutlineOutline
• Miscommunication overview– Examples of miscommunication– High vs. Low Context
• Design Suggestions
• Hofstede’s 5 cultural Dimensions as related to websites
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP7
Cross-Cultural Cross-Cultural “Cross Wiring”“Cross Wiring”
• Language
– spoken
– written
– symbols
• Non-verbal communication
– body
– facial expression
– gestures
• Symbols
– company logos
– religious images
– flags
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP8
Spoken & Written LanguageSpoken & Written Language
All languages have a number of forms/styles and different registers for different types of situations
Diglossia/multiglossia-custom of using different languages for different purposes (Fishman, 1971a) Spanish English formal informal colloquial regular
Different dialect/different sub-cultures American vs. English (British) Northern vs. Southern vs. Cajun vs. “Street”
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP9
Spoken & Written Language: Spoken & Written Language: Language Reflects EnvironmentLanguage Reflects Environment
• Amazon area -no word for snow
• Americans - snow, powder snow, sleet, slush, blizzard, ice
• In Northern Germany, “ein Glas Weisswein bitte” (a glass of white wine, please) or specify Moselwein or Rheinwein
• In Southwest Germany- expected to specify type of wine, vineyard and year
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP10
Spoken and Written Language: We Spoken and Written Language: We Translate Concepts That Fit Our PrioritiesTranslate Concepts That Fit Our Priorities
• Navajo do not have a word for late (time is relative)
• Mandarin Chinese, one word (qing) represents various hues of blue and green
• Americans tomorrow means midnight to midnight
• Spanish-speaking mañana means in the future
• Chinese do not have a word for communication– letter exchange
– transportation traffic
• Administration (educational setting)
– American superintendent/dean
– French upper-level clerical staff
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP11
Written CommunicationWritten Communication
• Understand Patterns of Organization– East Asian cultures organize material based on
relationships rather than on linear progression– Canadians like to have recommendations at the
beginning of a report
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP12
Written Communication: DatesWritten Communication: Dates
• American - May 6, 2010 or 05/06/2010
• German - 6. Mai 2010 or 6.5.2010
• International (increasing usage) 2010 May, 6 or 2010, 05, 06
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP13
Spoken and Written Language: Spoken and Written Language: High-Context vs. Low-ContextHigh-Context vs. Low-Context
• Edward Hall, distinguished cultures on the basis of the role of context in communication– High-Context - less words more “other clues”
(ex. Japan)– Low-Context - words, words, words
(ex. German Swiss)– US middle of the Low-Context range
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP14
High - ContextHigh - Context
• View word-level-only messages as unsophisticated, childish, and rude
• Prefer-allusion to classical texts, parables and proverbs, understatements and antiphraxis (saying something in terms of what it is not) Asian thought pattern - negative space
• “I have some small experience in that”- world-famous mathematician’s life work
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP15
Spoken Language: Why is this Spoken Language: Why is this important for educators regarding important for educators regarding
multimedia?multimedia?
• Verbal (audio) now part of multimedia
• Like Assistive Technology - can choose gender/dialect
• Translator difficulties– order of words varies in different languages– translation can not interpret formal vs..
informal
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP16
Non-Verbal CommunicationNon-Verbal Communication
Body Facial Expression Gestures
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP17
Non-Verbal Body LanguageNon-Verbal Body Language
Rules regarding standing and position distance
Face-on for Arabs 45 degree angle for Anglo-
Saxons Side-to-side for Chinese
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP18
Non-Verbal CommunicationNon-Verbal Communication
• Smiling in Japan is strongly associated with nervousness, social discomfort, or sorrow
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP19
Non-Verbal Body LanguageNon-Verbal Body Language
• In Buddhist Thailand never cross legs
• The sole of the foot is the furthest part from heaven and the least sacred. To show the bottom of the foot to someone is to show disrespect
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP20
Non-Verbal CommunicationNon-Verbal Communication• In Asian and Middle-
eastern cultures it is appropriate for the same sex to walk hand in hand but not the opposite sex
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP21
SymbolsSymbols
• El Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is a fiesta with deep meaning to Mexicans
• China, death is not mentioned even by homonym (words that sound like other words)
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP22
Symbols: Hand Gestures: Symbols: Hand Gestures: emblemsemblems
V-for victory in US is obscene in some European countries
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP23
Symbols, Idioms and Symbols, Idioms and MetaphorsMetaphors
• Americans use militaristic origin terminology
• Many cultures choose a more cooperative approach
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP24
Symbols, Idioms and Symbols, Idioms and MetaphorsMetaphors
• Sports have provided U.S. with numerous metaphors
• Many cultures do not understand baseball/football terms like:
• Bases are loaded
• Got to first base
• Out in left field
• Third down, nine to go
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP25
Hofstede’s Dimensions of Hofstede’s Dimensions of CultureCulture
• Dutch cultural anthropologist
• 1978-1983
• Rated 53 countries
• Identified 5 cultural dimensions
• Rated on indices for each dimension
• Normalized to values (0 to 100)
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP26
Hofstede’s Five DimensionsHofstede’s Five Dimensions
• Power Distance
• Individualism vs. Collectivism
• Masculinity vs. Femininity
• Uncertainty Avoidance
• Long- vs. Short-Term Time Orientation
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP27
Power DistancePower Distance
• High Power Distance cultures believe that the more powerful people must be deferred to and not argued with, especially in public– Based on gender, age, seniority, position
• Low Power Distance cultures believe ideas/people are assumed to be equal
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP28
Power DistancePower Distance
• High Power
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP29
Power DistancePower Distance
• Low Power
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP30
Individualism vs. CollectivismIndividualism vs. Collectivism
High Individualist
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP31
Individualism vs. CollectivismIndividualism vs. Collectivism
• Low Individualist
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP32
Individualism vs. CollectivismIndividualism vs. Collectivism
• Political Message
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP33
Masculinity vs. FemininityMasculinity vs. Femininity
• Masculine roles– assertiveness– competition– toughness
• Feminine roles– home and children– people– family
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP34
Masculinity vs. FemininityMasculinity vs. Femininity
• High masculinity
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP35
Masculinity vs. FemininityMasculinity vs. Femininity
• Medium Masculinity
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP36
Uncertainty AvoidanceUncertainty Avoidance
• The extent to which uncertainty and ambiguity are tolerated
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP37
High Uncertainty Avoidance: High Uncertainty Avoidance: CollectivismCollectivism
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP38
Low Uncertainty Avoidance: Low Uncertainty Avoidance: IndividualismIndividualism
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP39
Short/Long Term Time OrientationShort/Long Term Time Orientation
• Short Term
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP40
Short/Long Term Time OrientationShort/Long Term Time Orientation
• Long Term
March 19, 2002 MICCA: Davina Pruitt-Mentle ETO COE-UMCP41
ConclusionsConclusions
• Become familiar with your own values
• Explore and recognize the values of others
• Understand the implications of these values for education
• Determine where the differences lie
• Determine how to best overcome the differences
– Expose students to diverse resources
– Choose diverse examples
– Examine “cultures” within your school
– Consider/“double check” your design strategies