Intercultural Interactions With Students From China, Japan, & Korea

1. Intercultural Interactions With Students From China, Japan, & Korea Can You Tell Them Apart? NAFSA: Association of International Educators 52nd Annual Conference Dr. Rodolfo Altamirano, The University of Michigan (rudiea@umich.edu) Mr. Jin Abe, Western Michigan University (jin.abe@wmich.edu) Dr. Dan Pak , The University of Michigan (dpak@umich.edu) Ms. Kate Zheng, The University of Michigan (xdzheng@umich.edu)

2. China State Education Commission (SEC) Education -Central Control- Japan • Ministry of Education • Culture, Sports, Science and Technology • Over-intervention of the government over education Korea • Ministry of Education • and Human Resources Development • Central authority of Korean educational system

3. China 6-3-3-4 system 9-year compulsory education Education -Educational Structure- Japan • 6-3-3-4 system (shift to 6-6-4 system) Korea • 6-3-3-4 system

4. China Annual college entrance examination (gaokao) 3-day long in July Education -College Entrance Examination- Japan • Alleviation of examination hell among less prestigious schools • Decline of higher education population Korea • An examination hell • Produces lots of victims every year

5. China Majorities for graduate level studies Few for undergraduate/ exchange program studies Education -Categories of Students Studying Abroad- Japan • Junior & high school students • High school students who feel that Japanese universities are not good enough • Graduate program • Language learning Korea • Junior high & high school students • High school graduates who failed to get admission to the college they wanted to get into • Bachelors’ or masters’ degree holders • Language learners • Exchange or self-financed study abroad students

6. China Make better contribution to the society Better education Pursue better life Avoid social complications Education -Why Study Abroad- Japan • Globalization • Fashion • Better education • Training for self-growth/change Korea • Globalization • Economic growth of Korea • Brand equity of US colleges • Change of major • Media of instruction • Better opportunities • New technology and science • Better chance for admission

7. China Education is above all Collectivism Intragroup harmony Loyalty Family Save face (lianmian) Seniority Social status Patience Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean Values Korea • Loyalty • Harmony • Family • Trust • Respect • Face (kibun) • Confucianism • Dedication to Work • Education • Nunchi • Age • Can-do Spirit Japan • Loyalty to multiple groups (esp. company for males) • Symbolic hierarchy • Collective face (mentsu) • Education • Knowing without verbalizing (sasshi)

8. Korean’s Self Image • Courteous and Respectful • Thoughtful and Warmhearted • Generous • Pacifist • Proud of Own Culture and Smartness • Talk Proudly of Own Family Background • Patriotic • Resilient • Hasty and Action-Oriented

9. Japanese’s Self Image Looking for someone to provide a meaning of life

10. Chinese’s Self Image Success

11. China Distinction in position Intimacy (family) Trust, loyalty (friends) Characteristic Behaviors -Principles in Human Relations- Japan • Multiple group harmony is valued • Diffused self Korea • The 3 Fundamental Principles: • The King is the mainstay of the state • Father is the mainstay of the family • The husband is the mainstay of the wife • The 5 Moral Disciplines: • Between friends, trust • Between king and ministers, loyalty • Between father and son, intimacy • Between elder and younger, respect • Between husband and wife, distinction in position

12. Characteristic Behaviors -Collectivism (Group Harmony)- China • “We” (group-orientated) • Consensus • Individualism (selfish) Japan • “We” (group)-orientated) • Return of favor is almost subconscious Korea • A group-centered society, “we” • Consensus is very important to promoting and maintaining harmony • Individualism often viewed as selfishness

13. Characteristic Behaviors -Hierarchical Society (Power Distance)- China • Vertical architecture (seniority, position) Japan • Symbolic hierarchy • Show respect and proper honorifics • Less and less power difference • Western value influence leading to collapse of authority Korea • Vertical social architecture (age, social status) • Show respect and proper honorifics

14. Characteristic Behaviors -Different Personal Space and Touch- China • Population in most places in high density • Seems rude and pushy to foreigners • Touch the same sex but not different sex • Follow the flow or out of the place Japan • Densely populated island • Some rigid concept of personal space • Looks rude and pushy to foreigners and out group members • Touch the different sex but not the same sex Korea • Most densely populated land • No rigid concept of personal space • Looks rude and pushy to foreigners • Touch the same sex but not different sex

15. Characteristic Behaviors -Use of Time- China • Official context: punctuality • Unofficial context: unexpected, flexible Japan • Basically mono-chronic • Punctuality Korea • Poly-chronic • Traditional Korean approach to time

16. Characteristic Behaviors -Handing of criticism- China • Save face (lianmian) Japan • Collective Saving Face (Maintaining public image of the group) • Embarrassment, followed by apology Korea • Try not to criticize someone in public • Choose the proper time and not to hurt someone’s Kibun (emotion)

17. Characteristic Behaviors -Humility and Modesty China • Keqi • Self-deprecation • Good listener (respect, good manner and education) Japan • Sign of being mature • Avoid and suppress competition on the outside (to save face) • Minimization (Sorry, I don’t know that much) Korea • A sign of manners and good breeding

18. Characteristic Behaviors -Homogeneity- China • Diversity is discouraged Japan • Being different is discouraged • Xenophobia and pro-Western minds Korea • No diversity accepted (group harmony) • Xenophobia

19. Characteristic Behaviors -Drinking- China • No age limit • A way to build trust among family members, friends, colleagues, classmates Japan • One of the few accepted ways (especially for men, but increasingly for women) of telling true feelings among colleagues Korea • Generous attitude • One of the only accepted ways (especially for men) of building rapport and trust

20. Communication Styles -High Context Communication- China • Indirect (jianjie) • Implicit Japan • Indirect communication styles (Sasshi) • Intricately tied to relationship/context (with whom are we speaking?) • Potential means of saving face • Judicious eye contact to pay proper respect Korea • Indirect communication styles (Nunchi) • Uncertainty avoidance • Relationships are more important than task • Indirect non-confrontational approach to problem solving • Implicit and intuitive

21. Communication Styles -Poly- and Mono-chronic Communication- China • Monochronic conversation (seniority, social status) • Polychronic conversation in all other levels Japan • Time is organized linearly at work • Polychronic in social settings Korea • More than two conversations at a time is fine

22. Communication Styles -Non-assertive Communication- China • Say “no” in different ways Japan • Saying “no” in 16 ways • Preserving symbolic hierarchy Korea • Do not confront with others, especially, higher status and position holders

23. Communication Styles -Non-verbal Communication- China • Listening • Say little • Respond in different ways (gesture, sound) to show respect Japan • Subtle but rich source of information • Trained not to talk much • Verbose people are not well respected • Silence is a part of the conversation Korea • Trained not to talk much • Verbose people are not well respected • Silence is a part of the conversation

24. Communication Styles -Conflict Resolution- China • Enhance harmony and avoid friction (be tolerant of others) Japan • Apologizing • Accommodating • Willing to put oneself down to avoid conflict to a certain extent Korea • Avoid open admission of conflict • Conflict is viewed as one dimension of the on-going relationship • Avoiding, accommodating and compromising

25. Adapted from the work of: Insoo Cho and Yuichi Kondo “Cross Cultural Counseling with Korean & Japanese Students” (2001)