Understanding Global Cultures : Metaphorical Journeys Through 31 Nations, Clusters of Nations, Continents, and Diversity

by Martin J. Gannon

• ISBN13: 9781412995931
• ISBN10: 1412995930
• Edition: 5th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-03-22
• Publisher: SAGE Publications, Inc

Summary

In Understanding Global Cultures, Fifth Edition, authors Martin J. Gannon and Rajnandini Pillai present the cultural metaphor-any activity, phenomenon, or institution with which the members of a given culture identify emotionally or cognitively-as a method for understanding the cultural mindsets of individual nations, clusters of nations, and even continents. The book shows how metaphors are guidelines to help outsiders quickly understand what members of a culture consider important. The fully updated Fifth Edition includes 31 nation-specific chapters, including a new Part XI on popular music as cultural metaphors, two completely new chapters on Vietnam and Argentina, revisions to all retained chapters, and a more explicit linkage between each cultural metaphor and current economic and business developments in each nation.

Table of Contents

Preface: Understanding Cultures in Depth	p. xiv
Acknowledgments and Coauthors	p. xvii
Introduction	p. 1
Understanding Cultural Metaphors	p. 2
Constructing Cultural Metaphors	p. 8
Reading and Using this Book	p. 16
When Culture Does, and Does Not, Matter	p. 20
Authority-Ranking Cultures	p. 25
The Thai Kingdom	p. 27
Loose Vertical Hierarchy	p. 29
Freedom and Equality	p. 34
The Thai Smile	p. 35
The Japanese Garden	p. 39
Corporate Cultures	p. 40
Garden as Metaphor	p. 42
Wa and Shikata	p. 43
Seishin Training	p. 46
Combining Droplets or Energies	p. 48
Aesthetics	p. 59
Similarities and Contrasts	p. 62
Bedouin Jewelry and Saudi Arabia	p. 64
The Desert Bedouins	p. 67
Bold Form	p. 71
Handcrafted Appearance	p. 73
Traditional Design	p. 74
Female Ownership	p. 76
The Turkish Coffeehouse	p. 78
Islam and Secularity	p. 81
Recreation, Communication, and Community Integration	p. 86
A Male Domain	p. 89
A Modest Environment	p. 91
Life Outside the Coffeehouse	p. 92
Looking Ahead	p. 96
Dòn Gánh: The Two Sides of Vietnam	p. 98
History of Occupation	p. 100
The French Defeat and Division Into Two	p. 102
The Metaphor: The Dualities of Dòn Gánh	p. 104
The Polish Village Church	p. 112
Historical Background	p. 114
Central Place of the Catholic Church	p. 116
The Partitioning and Polish Identity	p. 118
Survivors	p. 121
Kimchi and Korea	p. 125
The 60th Birthday	p. 127
Strangers by Day, Lovers by Night	p. 130
Kimchi's Public Role	p. 132
The Irish of Asia	p. 133
Scandinavian Egalitarian Cultures	p. 139
The Swedish Stuga	p. 140
Love of Untrammeled Nature and Tradition	p. 146
Individualism Through Self-Development	p. 148
Equality	p. 151
The Finnish Sauna	p. 154
From Survival to Political and Economic Success	p. 156
Sauna: A Secular "Holy" Place of Equality	p. 161
Communication: Comfort With Quietude	p. 165
The Danish Christmas Luncheon	p. 170
Interdependent Individualism	p. 172
Geographic Ambivalence	p. 174
Coziness	p. 175
Other Egalitarian Cultures	p. 177
The German Symphony	p. 178
Diversity of Musical Instruments	p. 183
Positional Arrangements of the Musicians	p. 185
Conductors and Leaders	p. 189
Precision and Synchronicity	p. 192
The Unfinished Symphony	p. 198
Irish Conversations	p. 201
Intersection of Gaelic and English	p. 206
Prayer as Conversation	p. 210
A Free-Flowing Conversation: Irish Hospitality	p. 211
Places of Conversations: Irish Friends and Families	p. 212
Ending a Conversation	p. 215
The Canadian Backpack and Flag	p. 217
Egalitarianism and Outlook	p. 219
The Canadian Mosaic	p. 221
Canadians as Non-U.S. Americans	p. 222
French Wine	p. 227
Pureness	p. 228
Classification	p. 232
Composition	p. 236
Suitability	p. 240
The Maturation Process	p. 242
The Changing Portrait	p. 244
Market-Pricing Cultures	p. 247
American Football	p. 248
The Tailgate Party	p. 250
Pregame and Halftime Entertainment	p. 251
Strategy and War	p. 252
Selection, the Training Camp, and the Playbook	p. 253
Individual Specialized Achievement Within the Team Structure	p. 254
Aggression, High Risks, and Unpredictable Outcomes	p. 260
Huddling	p. 262
The Church of Football and Celebrating Perfection	p. 267
The Traditional British House	p. 273
The Traditional House	p. 274
History, Politics, Economics: Laying the Foundations	p. 275
Growing Up British: Building the House	p. 280
Being British: Living in the House	p. 287
Cleft National Cultures	p. 297
The Malaysian Balik Kampung	p. 298
Returning to Nearby Roots	p. 301
Authority Ranking	p. 303
Reinforcing Common Values	p. 304
The Nigerian Marketplace	p. 312
Diversity	p. 315
Social Dynamism	p. 318
Balancing Tradition and Change	p. 323
The Israeli Kibbutzim and Moshavim	p. 332
Explicit Values	p. 339
Size and Behavioral Outcomes	p. 344
Traumas, Worldview, and Personality	p. 345
The Italian Opera	p. 354
The Overture	p. 357
Pageantry and Spectacle	p. 358
Voice	p. 363
Externalization	p. 365
Chorus and Soloists	p. 372
Belgian Lace	p. 377
A Land of Contrasts	p. 380
Control	p. 389
Cooperation and Harmony	p. 394
Torn National Cultures	p. 399
The Mexican Fiesta	p. 400
Primary Focus on People	p. 405
The Emphasis on Religion	p. 409
Experiencing the Present	p. 411
Freedom Within the Social Order	p. 413
The Russian Ballet	p. 417
Echelons of the Ballet	p. 422
Drama and Realism	p. 424
The Russian Soul	p. 429
The Base Culture and its Diffusion Across Borders (Clusters of Nations): the Example of China	p. 435
China's Great Wall and Cross-Cultural Paradox	p. 437
The Great Wall: Long, Tortuous, and Complex History	p. 440
Confucianism and Taoism	p. 441
Sun Tzu, War, and the Marketplace	p. 445
The Chinese Family Altar	p. 448
Roundness	p. 452
Harmony	p. 457
Fluidity	p. 458
The Singapore Hawker Centers	p. 461
Ethnic Diversity but Unity	p. 465
Efficiency	p. 467
The Power of Women	p. 468
Safety	p. 469
Synthesizing Traditional and New Values	p. 470
India, Shiva, and Diversity	p. 473
India: The Dance of Shiva	p. 474
Cyclical Hindu Philosophy	p. 480
The Cycle of Life	p. 482
The Family Cycle	p. 483
The Cycle of Social Interaction	p. 488
The Work and Recreation (Rejuvenation) Cycle	p. 493
India: A Kaleidoscope of Diversity	p. 499
The Kaleidoscope of Religions and Cultural Celebrations	p. 501
Images of Festivals and Feasts	p. 504
Cell Phones, Call Centers, and Curriculum	p. 507
The Changing Image of Cricket	p. 512
Same Metaphor, Different Meanings	p. 515
The Spanish Bullfight	p. 516
Cuadrillas	p. 520
Soly Sombra	p. 524
The Pompous Entrance Parade	p. 526
Audience Involvement	p. 529
The Ritual of the Bullfight	p. 531
The Portuguese Bullfight	p. 534
Pride in Traditions	p. 535
Stratification Amid Unity	p. 539
Artistry and Human Gore	p. 540
Profitless Bravery	p. 541
Popular Music as Cultural Metaphors	p. 545
The Brazilian Samba	p. 546
Small-Step Circularity	p. 549
Physical Touch	p. 553
Undulation	p. 556
Spontaneous Escape	p. 558
Paradox of Dancers	p. 561
The Argentine Tango	p. 565
The Tango's Evolution	p. 567
Tango Music and Composers	p. 569
The Dynamics of the Dance	p. 572
Tango Singers and their Lyrics	p. 574
Gender Relations	p. 578
Applying What We've Learned	p. 579
Summary	p. 582
Perspectives on Continents	p. 585
Australian Outdoor Recreational Activities	p. 586
Capturing the Imagination	p. 587
New Realities: Beyond Stereotypes	p. 590
Barbecue	p. 592
Equality Matching Among the Tall Poppies	p. 592
The Sub-Saharan African Bush Taxi	p. 596
A Short History of Africa	p. 599
African Time Orientation and Fatalism	p. 602
Communalism and Community Sharing	p. 605
Hierarchy in African Society: Seating Arrangements in the Bush Taxi	p. 609
References	p. 613
Photo Credits	p. 638
Intex	p. 640
About the Authors	p. 656
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