Cross-cultural communication in the films

(Tantrgy kd: SBAEAN4214, Kultrkzi kommunikci 2, Jray Adrienn, Neptun: B7AGDX) Films are the best way of showing, learning and understanding how different cultures exist and function alongside others in many countries. The finest directors are capable of building up the necessary information around the plot for us viewers to acknowledge the important differences in ones culture. As a matter of fact, these are the components, most of the time, which make the film utterly amusing or absolutely shocking. From the many movies, I could make my choice from, I decided to watch and write on the British comedy drama East is East. The story takes place in the suburb of Salford, Manchester in 1971, and it is about a Pakistani immigrant, George Khan, who arrived in England in the late thirties and has an English wife and seven children. Khan runs a fish and chips shop as well as a strict household, and wants to bring up his children the Pakistani way. He is a very determent man, who forces his children to attend masses in the local mosque and he even tries to arrange marriages for them. He is from an ascriptiveoriented culture; therefore he demands absolute respect and obedience from his family members. Khan possesses a relatively small ingroup, because he believes that only his family and other Pakistani families who live the old traditional way can be members of this group. When his eldest son refuses to marry a Pakistani, Khan declares him dead; therefore the father excludes his own son from his ingroup. By the end of the film, it is his own ingroup who decide to exclude him as a member after a nasty quarrel, though he is taken back finally but not as a leader but an equal member only. There are many dimensions where the characters collide all through the story. There is a cultural difference between the Pakistani father and the mother, as well as the children, who prefer the British culture. There is a conflict which occurs between the sexes, mostly between the mother and the father. There is a religious conflict, the fathers discovery that his

youngest son was never circumcised which is compulsory in Islam. And last but not least, there is a generational disagreement between the children and their parents. To find out all the reasons why these conflicts occurred in the story between the father and the other members of the family we must see deep into the two nations cultural differences. To be able to do this I decided to use a Dutch social psychologist, Gerard Hendrik Hofstedes dimensions. These are the dimensions in Pakistan: 1. Power Distance (PDI): In Pakistani culture power distance score is relatively high. This means that people of lower positions accept that others, who have more power than them. Also older people hold a powerful position and they are the ones who make decisions. The decision of a higher positioned are always accepted when it comes to working relationships for instance. 2. Individualism (IDV): The score is low for individualism which means that Pakistan is rather a collectivist society. In their society family has an important role and it includes extended members like aunts, uncles and close family friends. Within society, respect is always given to the older and the higher positioned and they prefer to work around people they know well and those they trust. 3. Masculinity (MAS): In Pakistan the workforce is predominantly male, although there are also females who positioned in the labour pool, therefore the country has a higher masculinity score. Females are overly sheltered and less exposed to the world outside therefore they are also less literate. 4. Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI): The score for uncertainty avoidance is the highest in Pakistan. This indicates a society which is well framed. They need time to gain trust and they do not like to take risks with people they do not know specially in business. 5. Long Term Orientation (LTO): This score shows certainly that Pakistan is a society of short-term orientation. Pakistani people are

deficient in planning for the future. For them their social guidelines and their image in society are the most important things.

Source: http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_pakistan.shtml

These are the dimensions in England: 1. Power Distance (PDI): In the UK rank, inequalities and prestige among people are reasonably low according to its score. In the environment of work the relationship between superiors and subordinates is rather casual. 2. Individualism (IDV): The UK has a high score for Individualism, therefore it shows that individuality is what British culture values and promotes. The nuclear family is the more predominant form of basic social structure. In the business environment for the individual team is less important than the individual themselves. 3. Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI): The score of uncertainty avoidance in the UK is quite low. This shows that British are willing to take risks and deal with change relatively openly. The continuous revision of laws and government structures also points to this. British consider conflict or controversy even with superiors healthy in the workplace. 4. Masculinity (MAS): The Masculinity score shows that the UK is somewhere in the middle which indicate to the fact that British aims

for equality between the sexes, on the other hand some cases of gender bigotry still exists beneath the surface. 5. Long Term Orientation (LTO): The UK has low Long Term Orientation scores. This suggests that it is a nation with creative expressions. This score also point out that tradition is not highly valued among people in the UK, therefore they are into the most innovative plans willing to help you execute if they get to collaborate fully. In England people are more likely to achieve changes faster than in any other countries.

Source: http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_united_kingdom.shtml

Therefore, one can see that the dimensions greatly differ in these two cultures. It gives us a better understanding in the behaviour of the rather dictatorial Pakistani father as well as the rebellious behaviour of his cross-cultured Anglo-Pakistani family. Cross-culturally speaking it hence becomes imperative to understand other peoples culture, ways of living and communication before judging them. References: Polyk Ildik: Cross-cultural communication, Perfekt Zrt. 2006. Chapter 4: Comparing national cultures (page: 80-115) Internet references: http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_united_kingdom.shtml http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_pakistan.shtml http://internationalbusiness.wikia.com/wiki/Hofstede %27s_5_Dimensions_in_Pakistan http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/intercultural/dimensions.html 4

All downloaded: 2011-05-08