Write an essay based on a topic of your choice from the list given below. The essay must be at least 750 but no more than 1,000 words in length. Do not exceed the word limit. For every 10 words over the limit, you will lose 1% of the grade. The objective of this essay is to help you pay closer attention to the texts and articulate more clearly and precisely the key cultural values and beliefs covered in the texts.

Topics

Write on ONE topic of your choice from the three topics below. Make sure you address ALL the questions in the topic you choose to write.

Topic #1

How is it that the Chinese culture is based on relations or relationships? Do individuals exist outside of relationships, according to the textbook? If not, how so? And how does the Chinese conception of the family shape the Chinese culture? How does Confucian thought such as the Five Relationships influence the Chinese culture based on family relationships? What is the family altar?  And what is the family altar metaphor, according to Gannon and Pillai?  And what are the three key characteristics of the family altar as discussed in Gannon and Pillai? Explain.  (Refer to chapters 23 and 24 of the textbook and the other assigned readings.)

In what ways is Chinese culture like Japanese culture in terms of cultural parameters such as Hofstede’s individualism v. collectivism, power distance (Hofstede), high context v. low context, time orientation, and privacy. In what ways are these two cultures different, especially with respect to the relationship of the individual to the group/collective? In what respects, especially about the values and the cultural parameters, do you think the American culture can learn from the Chinese culture?  Why? Explain clearly.

(You must draw on the required readings to show that you have a solid grasp of the key ideas. Do not just dwell on the similarities or differences in customs or external behaviors. You must also discuss the similarities or differences in beliefs and values such as Confucianism, which explains the underlying similarities or differences in customs or external behaviors as Hofstede’s individualism v. collectivism, power distance, high context v. low context, time orientation, and privacy. Please write in properly separated paragraphs. Do not cram everything into one single paragraph.)

Topic #2

Explain clearly Japan’s consensus approach to decision-making, ringisho. How does the ringishopractice reflect Japan’s distinctive group cultural values or characteristics such as the emphasis on wa, “combining droplets or energies,” the importance of and responsibility to the group (including the value of amae)? What roles do tatemae and honne play in that regard?  And how is the ringishopractice more fitting to a culture of introversion that is at the same time high context with high uncertainty avoidance and long-term time orientation?  On the other hand, how does this practice help moderate their power distance in an otherwise highly status-conscious society?  (Japan is just ranked middle in terms of Hofstede’s power distance (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..)

How is the ringisho practice different from the American practice of huddling?  How does the American practice reflect a different set of cultural values and characteristics? And how is huddling more fitting to our culture of extroversion that is at the same time low context with low uncertainty avoidance and short-term time orientation?  In connection with what you have discussed above regarding ringisho, in what ways do you think the American culture could learn from the Japanese, especially with how companies make business decisions?  What would it mean to American cultural values if we were to incorporate the Japanese practice in one way or another?

Topic #3

In this question, you are asked to discuss and relate some of Japan’s distinctive group cultural characteristics to the traditional Japanese house design.  First explain Japan’s distinctive group culture and its key characteristics or values such as wa, amae, uchi and kaisha. (Note that I discussed a couple of these characteristics in my lecture only.  Also note that not all the Japanese group characteristics covered in the text are directly relevant to this topic, which is about the traditional Japanese house layout. Seishin training may not be as directly relevant in this regard.  You must be selective in your discussion.)

How does the traditional Japanese house design (in particular, the shojis, the fusumae, the hibachi, the lack of fixed walls and the multipurpose nature of the space) help foster such group characteristics and values you have explained above? (There is no need to get into details about the Japanese garden in this question.)  In what ways is the typical American house different in its design from that of the Japanese?  And what different cultural characteristics and values does the American design embrace in these respects?  How do these different layouts embrace different cultural “personalities” in terms of parameters such as in-group privacy v. individual privacy and introversion?

(You must draw on the required and relevant readings to show that you have a solid grasp of the key ideas. While it is important to talk about the differences in house layouts, you must get into the differences in beliefs and values such as the unique characteristic of Japanese group culture, American individualism or the different understandings of privacy (i. e., individual privacy v. in-group privacy), which explain the underlying cultural differences in the use of space. You should also use cultural parameters such as Hofstede’s individualism index and introversion v. extroversion to frame intercultural comparisons. Please write in properly separated paragraphs. Do not cram everything into one single paragraph.)

For grading criteria, refer to this document:

Excellent (89.5-100%)

· Showing solid knowledge of materials including accuracy, depth and breadth of understanding of the materials; incorporating readings well into responses; not making general and/or vague statements.

· Discussion focused on important and relevant ideas, concepts, arguments, etc.

· Ideas clearly and concisely and well-articulated and well organized.

· Arguments and position consistent and compelling; inferences logical.

· Discussion illuminating; making connections to key ideas and introducing new insights that productively expand the discussion; raising important and critical questions; providing critical analysis and/or synthesis; showing the ability to role play.