2019 Society and Culture Study Notes PDF

Society and Culture Study Notes Year 11 Fundamental Course Concepts Are central to understanding the interactions in society at the micro, meso and macro levels. Persons Every person is a unique individual who...

Society and Culture Study Notes Year 11 Fundamental Course Concepts Are central to understanding the interactions in society at the micro, meso and macro levels. Persons Every person is a unique individual who develops in a social and environmental setting in which he or she is influenced by, and interacts with, other persons and groups. Communication, the sharing of values and beliefs, and cooperation are major interactions. The identity achieved by each individual is the result of interactions at the micro, meso and macro levels of society. Society Society is made up of people, groups, networks, institutions, organisations and systems. These aspects of society may include local, national regional and formal groups and within and between these groups there are patterns of interactions that contribute to unique cultures. Culture Culture refers to the shared knowledge, attitudes and behaviours that give each society its coherence, identity and distinctive way of life. Culture is demonstrated by the beliefs, customs, values, norms, rules, laws, governance, arts, technologies and artefacts that people generate and use as they interpret meaning from their world and solve present and future problems. Culture is dynamic and undergoes change and therefore is not static. Environment Every society is located in a particular physical setting and interacts with its environment. The attitudes and values that people have in regard to their environment greatly affect interactions between persons, society, culture and the environment. Different locations and their environments - including urban, rural, coastal, inland and isolated - present societies and their cultures with both opportunities and constraints Time Every person, society, culture and environment is located in a period of time and is changing with time. Time can be examined as past, present and future. Our perceptions of time are drawn from past events and these influence our ideas about the present. These perceptions need not, however, determine possible ideas of a future. The concept of time is best studies in context - last century, this century and pre/post events - or as a particular decade. Time is studied in relation to continuity and change. This diagram shows how the fundamental concepts interact with one another. ↑ ​ dditional Concepts A Help us to understand and analyse the interactions between the fundamental course concepts. Power Is the ability or capacity to influence or persuade others to a point of view or action to which they may not always agree. Exercising power is important in initiating or preventing change. Authority Is linked to power and the right to make decisions and to determine, adjudicate or settle issues and disputes in society. Authority is best understood as the  legitimate use of power. The use of authority is important in the process of decision making and in initiating change and maintaining continuity. Gender Refers to the socially constructed differences between females and males. Social life - including family life, roles, work, behaviour and other activities - is organised around the dimensions of this difference. Gender also refers to the cultural ideals, identities and stereotypes of masculinity and feminity and the sexual division of labour in institutions and organisations. Gender reflects the value a society places on these social constructs, which are particular and unique to a society. Identity Identity refers to the sense of self and can be viewed from a personal, social and cultural level. Identity is formed over a period of time and is the result of interactions at the micro, meso and macro levels of society. An identity has dimensions or layers that create a sense of inclusion in a group or culture. Contributing factors to one’s identity may be gender, sexuality, family, class, ethnicity, beliefs, social status, group membership and national pride. Technologies Refers to all the tools that we use to assist our interactions in society. Technologies can lead to innovation and can initiate to micro, meso and macro operation in society. This value placed on technologies at any level of society influences the rate of change to society and culture. Technologies are constantly changing and adapting, and their impact varies over time. Communication based technologies facilitate the interaction between the micro, meso and macro levels of society. Globalisation Globalisation is the process of integration and sharing of goods, capital, labour, services, knowledge, leisure, sport, ideas and culture between countries. Globalisation is evidenced in the emergence of global  patterns of consumption and consumerism; the growth of transnational corporations; global sport; the spread of world tourism; and the growth of global military and economic systems. Globalisation is assisted by technologies and media integration, resulting in an increasing consciousness of the world as a single place. Methods of Research 1. Quantitative - ​enable the collection of very specific data from the sample of the relevant population. Information is collected through counting and can be collated into percentages and then represented by tables and graphs. Though quantitatve methods do not allow the researcher to interact personally with those being questioned thus making it impersonal and objective. Also they rely heavily heavily on the researcher’s ability to develop a non-biased set of research questions or items in order to record data within the selected sample 2. Qualitative- ​rely on the researcher’s interpretive skills to understand the often complex and detailed data gathered. It is useful for studies at the individual or small group level and for finding out how and what people are thinking and feeling. Though its analysis can be more challenging. - Closed Questions ​that require a yes or no response, or questions that only allow a limited choice of responses, produce easily quanitified and tabulated data. - Open ended Questions ​produce descriptive responses that are qualitative in nature and therefore require categorising and analysing before any understanding can be gained. Quantitative Qualitative - Questionnaire with close ended - Questionnaire with open ended questions where the results can be questions counted - Content analysis when used to - Content analysis when used to detect interpret themes, words and images and count from film, art, music and other - Statistical analysis examines media. Then qualitative judgement is statistics to demonstrate trends made from the meaning of the - Observations that detects and counts content - Interview with open ended questions  - Focus group entails the collection of data from an in-depth discussion with a small group and moderator - Secondary research involves assessing data produced by other researchers - Personal reflection is the evaluation of personal experiences - Participant observation is where the researcher is immersed in the situation and their role is not know. - Case study involves the in depth study of a cultural group. Ethical Research 1. Any prospective research participants must be fully informed about the procedures and any possible risk involved and their consent must be given 2. Participants cannot be put in awkward situations or talked about sensitive topics that may lead them to feel uncomfortable 3. The ethical researcher should be open and honest about the topic and scope and what is expected 4. The protection of participants rights to confidentiality and privacy is ensured 5. Researcher anticipates any negative effects and tries to prevent these 6. Researcher is mindful of the special needs of any vulnerable groups Process of Research 1. Decide on the topic 2. Develop a focus question/hypothesis 3. Gather background information 4. Design the research 5. Develop research methods to be used 6. Apply research methods ethically 7. Information to be compiled 8. Information to be analysed and synthesised 9. Writing up researcher’s conclusions 10. Writing up process Social and Cultural Literacy - Refers to the idea that people should possess a body of knowledge, understanding and skills that sllows them to share, communicate effecively and respect themselves and others. - Personal Experience ​is the knowledge gained from reflecting on individual experiences - Public Knowledge ​is general knowledge that is available to everyone. Knowledge that is found in the public domain. - Micro Level ​interactions are personal and occur between individuals and their family, peers and individuals in the community - Meso Level ​interactions occur between the micro and macro levels of society. They are groups in the community, schools, workplace, organisation etc. - Macro Level ​interactions are impersonal and relate to large institutions like the media, law and government. They are ay a national and international level. - - -  THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL WORLD Nature of the Social and Cultural World An overview of the multicultural and hybrid nature of societies and cultures Persons and their interactions with individuals, group and the community within the contexts of the micro, meso and macro levels of society Society as a construct that develops through time: - society is compromised of the interactions of its members at micro, meso and macro levels - society influences the way its members interact - how interactions between members of society cause change in the nature of society over time How individual behaviour towards others is socially constructed and influenced by social expectation The following groups and institutions of society and how they shape and are shaped by individuals : - Family - School - Peers - Work - Government - Media - Legal system Social and Cultural Research Quantitative and Qualitative Research ·​ ​Research – Search for Knowledge Quantitative Qualitative Quantifies the data and generalises the result Provides insight and understanding of the from sample to target population problem at hand Tries to quantify the data and ​establish cause Is one that involves ​quality or kind and effect relationship between variables with the help of statistical methods. Telephone Surveys is when the ​survey is i.e. ​human behaviour​, attitudes, cultures, carried out over a telecommunication devic​e, experiences, observations and interpretation. the responses are usually ​close ended​. Personal Interviews are ​one to one interviews Focus group is a method where an interview conducted to ​gain understanding​. Can be or ​discussion is carried out by an ​expert quantitative or qualitative​, ​close ended or moderator​, with a ​small group​. open ended. Web Survey is a researcher a group of Depth interview is another way where a respondents and ​mails questionnaire​ to them. direct personal interview is conducted with a small group​ of respondents to gain insights. Hybrid Method – ​any two of the research Photo Ethnography is a method wherein the methods combined​ to gain information. researcher ​clicks pictures of behaviours​, attitudes and emotions rather than interrogating. Information is ​collected by counting and is Analysis of qualitative data ​can be harder to able to be ​collated into percentages and then analyse than quantitative. represented in ​tables and graphs Quantitative methods does ​not allow the Obtain ​descriptive responses researcher to ​interact closel​y with those being questioned, is ​impersonal and as objective as possible. Qualitative Research Vs. Quantitative An inquiry conducted to Meaning An empirical research used develop ​insight on human to ​generate measurable behaviou​r i.e. to discover data​, by employing the way people think and statistical and logical feel techniques​. Feelings, attitudes, Deals With Hard Facts and statistical opinions and thoughts of data human beings To explore and discover Objective To examine ​cause and ideas used in the ongoing effect​ relationship between processes variables Purposive Sampling Random Exploratory Research Type Conclusive Subjective Reasoning Deductive Verbal or narrative data Data Collected Numerical Data Subjective Approach Objective Develops ​initial Use Recommends ​final course understanding of action  PERSONAL AND SOCIAL IDENTITY Development of personality, self-awareness and self-concept - In some situations we behave and are expected to behave in particular ways which shapes our sense of self - Our sense of ‘I am’ comes from a combination of identities, attitudes, beliefs and values. The development of identity and the social self - Social self is the conscious experience in which you become aware of your own personal identity which is distinct from other people - As children we imitate, pretend and play and these actions become our guide for how to and not to act. The role of socialisation and the influence of agents of socialisation on the development of personal and social identity - The process of socialisation is about learning to deal with the social world by gaining knowledge and understanding of the rules and expectations for the social situations in which we find ourselves. - There are two types of socialisation: Primary and Secondary - Primary socialisatio is the knowledge gained from family and it is the first experience of socialisation - Secondary socialisation includes influences outside these groups like peers, religion school and the media. - These roles and norms and values typically become internalised and part of who we are - Socialisation is a lifelong process - We always need to be dynamic and adapting to new cirumstances - AGENTS OF SOCIALISATION = ​ FAMILY, SCHOOLS, PEERS AND MASS MEDIA. The influence of each of the following on personal and social identity - Family and kinship - Ethnicity and culture - Gender - Sexuality - Beliefs  - Location, class and status - Peers - School - Media Nature vs. Nurture debate - Nature r​ efers to all of the genes and hereditary factors that influence who we are - Nuture r​ efers to all the environmental variables that impact who we are like ho we were raised, culture, social relationships etc. - Twins studies suggest Nature = sets of twins with same mannerisms, bands, colour, beach, holiday sport etc. - It is settled that personality is shaped by both genetics and the environment into which one is born Adolescence as a social construct and its validity for different cultures - Adolescence is a transition phase between childhood and adulthood - Australia = 12-17 - Adolescence is a time to acquire skills to function in adult world - Piaget, Maslow, Kohlberg and Erikson offer ideas for completing developmental tasks for adolescents - 2 major criticisms of their theories: that Westerners developed theories observing Westerners and that people in other cultures do not necessarily follow the same developments - Some people think we no longer have a stage between adulthood and childhood. Their belief is that it is divided into three stages: - early teens (12-14) - late teens (15-19) - early twenties (20-23) - Many people in their twenties are still dependent which means living at home, hence why they are not considered ‘adults.’ - Adolescence is not a universal phenomenon. It is a SOCIAL CONSTRUCT - This means it is an idea created by a society. It is unique to each society. - In many cultures there are only two life stages which is childhood and adulthood - The life stage has developed in Western societies as people live longer so there is room for an extra stage, people are having fewer children which makes childhood more precious thus delaying adulthood, as a consumer group they spend a lot of money thus marketers encourage a separate identity. - In Western society there is no ritual for passing into adulthood - Tweenagers: 8-12 - Adultlescents: 20-30  Theories that offer an explanation or understanding of the development of the physical and social self: - David Elkind - Was a child psychologist - Adolescent egocentrism ​is a term used to describe the phenomenon of adolescent’s inability to distinguish between their perception of what others think about them and reality - The Imaginary Audience ​relates to the adolescence anticipation of the reactions of others. - The Personal Fable ​is an idea which the adolescent constructs a story about them self. Relates to an idea of being an individual and the only person to experience life, life occurrences and issues the way they are. - Erik Erikson - Was a 20th century psychologist best known for his 8 stages of development theory - He defined four distinct reactions that adolescents may experience: 1. ​Identity Foreclosure - ​this happens when an adolescent avoids crisis by sidestepping the issue altogether 2. ​Identity Diffusion - ​an individual is unable to make a decision because of the meso and macro conditions happening in their life 3. ​Identity Achievements - ​This is when adolescents successfully manage to resolve the various factors in their lives 4. ​Identity Moratorium - ​are faced with an overwhelming array of alternatives and delay making a commitment to any in particular. - Carol Gilligan - American feminist, ethicist and psychologist - Best known for her theory of social development  - She developed a theory adapted from psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg idea on the stages of moral development. They included: Pre conventional, Conventional, Post Conventional. - “Men and Women do emphasise different values in moral reasoning - an abstract conception of justice on the one side, and the principles of compassion and human responsibility on the other.” - - Robert Havighurst - Jane Loevinger - Claims that self-awareness within adolescence is non-existent but particular skills and abilities are required in order to become self-aware. - 9 stages - Jean Piaget - Cognitive development was a progressive reorganisation of mental processes of biological maturation and environmental experience. - He described four stages: 1. Sensorimotor stage (0-2): ​infants busy developing motor skills and learning about objects 2. Preoperational Stage (2-7): ​development of language and emergence of symbolic play 3. Concrete Operational Stage (7-11): ​the child can work things out internally in their head, rather than physically try things out in the real world. 4. The Formal Operational Stage (11+): ​The individual begins to think in ideas and ideals to reason logically. Transitions through the life course INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION Nature of Communication  How culture determines the ways individuals encode messages, what mediyms they choose for transmitting them and the ways messages are interpreted - A culture is made up many varied parts. The parts we can see and the parts we cannot see which make communication more difficult as these are social mores, expectations and taboo topics. Communication skills and techniques must be honed and conducted with empathy. - Messages can be misinterpreted as a result of various interferences causing frustration and resulted in wasted opportunities. - All forms of communication begin with a sender - generates message within their own social construct. - Interferences can include: noise, language barriers, mispronunciation, body and language gestures, misspelt words or cultural differences, - Communication can be either verbal or non verbal  Verbal and non-verbal communication - Verbal communication is simply the noise we make with our voice when communicating - Non-verbal includes hand gestures, body language eye contact etc. - Semiotics ​is the study of the meaning behind signs and symbols and how it is conveyed to the receiver. - Has been used to analyse cultural products like films and most recently consumer behaviour. - Automatic thoughts and actions are often the result of our cultural norms and valures which are governed by a complex set of cultural guidelines. - For example one instantly knows that green on a traffic light means go as it has been established by cultural norms over a long period of time. The role of communication in maintaining social relationships and social control - Social Control is the ways in which people’s behaviours are regulated in a particular social system - Enforcement of norms through political and social mechanisms - Conformity is easier as it is more cost effective to govern people when there is a large scale compliance to established rules - Purpose of social control is to maintain social order - Formal and Informal Controls: - Formal ​is those imposed by the state through the creation of laws which are legally binding - Informal ​social control mechanisms can be less obvious but they are based on shame, ridicule, exclusion, disapproval. They include peer pressure to conform to societal norms, customs and values. - The individual’s rights and responsibilities in relation to communication technologies and citizenship - “There has been a shift in the way we communicate; rather than face-to-face interaction, we’re tending to prefer mediated communication. We’d rather email than meet and text than talk.” - Face to face aural conversations are becoming less common, we are communicating more than ever before. - People are becoming more interactive but the style of tis communication has drastically changed - Social Media: ​is a major mechanism of communication nowadays. Though its outcomes can come back to haunt someone. It is found that 91% of employers use social media to screen candidates. The impact of changing communication technologies on: - Native cultures are traditionally oral communicators - Some suggest that todays society is obsessed with writing and cannot pass customs and messages down orally. - It is common to hear “Hang on a minute, let me write that down” as our memory might not be reliable as it once was. - Impact of technology has led to changes in social patterns of behaviour. - Intra-generational interaction - Increased use of communication technologies and decrease in face to face means thst this communication ofte contextual and non-verbal language cues may be lost. - The higher use of mobile technologies means younger generation is often multitasking and sometimes body language can display disinterest. - Boundaries of appropriateness and socially acceptable behaviours are blurred. - ‘Netspeak’ like YOLO represents a new language - Social norms have changed with evolution of technological devices. E.g. the phone at the table - Language usage - Changed the way written communication is used as many emails now read as though they are spoken - Texting has adopted a new language entirely as grammar and conventions differs amongst age. - Photos replacing words = snapchat - Sharing an image enables immediate communication WITHOUT any language barriers. - Cross-generational interaction  - Society has gradually accepted the use of mobile phones - Changing nature of communication devices has meant that cross generational gaps in communication can be impacted by the speed of delivery; letters, phones, faxes, email to social media - Possibility of social conflict between generations due to different norms being created. - Social interaction - Instant nature of technology encourages people to be spontaneous - Interest groups with like minded people use an array of mediums to communicate like cooking facebook group - Children are equipped with a new and powerful form of media literacy - Can lead to survalliance type culture = e.g. snap maps - Development of children’s ‘bedroom culture’ and isolation can lead to stress and distraction - Cross-cultural interaction - Apps like Google Translate ensure we are all able to communicate despite language barriers - Globalisation - Rapid advancement in technologies means we are communicating with people fro other nations instantly and quickly creating closer connections in terms of work, finance and trade. - Encourages users to search an gain knowledge on another culture via the internet rather than experiencing it first hand - Theories Relating to Interculural Communication Communication accommodation theory - Developed by Howard Giles in 1971 - That one will change the way they speak depending on who they are speaking to - Social norms give guidance to appropriate and inappropriate behaviour = when accommodation occurs it means both parties understand the appropriate norms. Like when a teenager knows to avoid slang when talking with their grandparent - In each conversation the members bring similarities and differences. - Without differences there is no need to accommodate each other  - At the beginning of a conversation communicators judge the speech and behaviour of others involved - Accommodation​ is the process of changing the way you talk or behave in order to match the person you are speaking to - TYPES OF ACCOMMODATION: - Convergance​ is the act of changing things such as language, dialect tone of voice etc. to be more similar with a conversation partner. - A person seeks approval, enhances comprehension or shows solidarity with the conversation partner - Divergence ​is the process used by a person to emphasise differences between themselves and their partners. - Adjustments to communicative behaviour in this process are a result of the perceptions that the person has of their partners communication - Over accommodation: ​occurs when someone tries to compensate for the difference in linguistic ability - They can be perceived as rude, demeaning and patronising. - This theory is detailed enough to be complete and is supported by various authors who have conducted research - It is relatively easy to understand amidst its simplicity - Though some individuals question the convergence-divergence frame as it is of the belief that conversations are to complex to be reduced to these three simple processes - The notion is challeneged that accommodation is ony in the two practices of convergence and divergence. For example what happens when people converge AND diverge in one conversation? - Whether it relies too heavily on a rational way of thinking. CULTURE AND HOW IT AFFECTS COMMUNICATION EVIDENCE - High context and low context - Sequential and synchronic - Neutral and affective  EVIDENCE PAGE THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL WORLD - ​The Amish An overview of the multicultural and hybrid nature of societies and cultures Persons and their interactions with individuals, group and the community within the contexts of the micro, meso and macro levels of society Society as a construct that develops through time: - society is compromised of the interactions of its members at micro, meso and macro levels - society influences the way its members interact - how interactions between memebers of society cause change in the nature of society over time How individual behaviour towards others is socially constructed and influenced by social expectation The following groups and institutions of society and how they shape and are shaped by individuals : - Family - School - Peers - Work - Government - Media - Legal system - The Amish people are direct descendants of the Anabaptists os 16th century Europe - The Amish live in 24 US states - There is close reciprocal relationship between the areas f religion and culture  - Religion is profoundly influenced by its cultural context because religion cannot be expressd other than through a particular cultural setting and context - Ordnung ​the set of rules the Amish live by; no electicity or telephones, no cars, horse drawn buggies, education completed in year 8. Breaking of these results in shunning - Gender Roles: ​Father as head of household, unmarried women work, married women work within the family, older males educate young boys, older women educate young girls, working children give all pay to family, family all live close to each other. - Role and Status: ​There is a hiearchy based on religion where males provide leader ship. - Adolescents ​can experiemnet with non Amish culture before committing to the Amish life. This time is known as Rumspringa. It is a rite of passage. - Society is based on coorperaton and all must accept the ordnung - Children MUST acept parental authority - All must be personally responsible - Amish tend not to see much of the media but with modernisation, conflict with the media occurs - Communication occurs in the family first and foremost - Bilingual -- German/English - Bishops and Council of Elders have AUTHORITY - Males have POWER - PERSONAL AND SOCIAL IDENTITY - ​Mean Girls Film - Development of personality, self-awareness and self-concept - Katie’s sense of self determined and shape by the environment of school - The development of identity and the social self  - Social self of how Katie is perceived by others valued greatly; particularly in terms of the plastics. - The role of socialisation and the influence of agents of socialisation on the development of personal and social identity - - The influence of each of the following on personal and social identity - Family and kinship - Ethnicity and culture - Gender - Sexuality - Beliefs - Location, class and status - Peers - School - Media Nature vs. Nurture debate - Adolescence as a social construct and its validity for different cultures - Individuality = katie - Man vs. society = Katie vs social norms at school - Overcoming adversity = The Plastics and ridicule at school INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION - ​Japan Collectivist culture that places great importance on personal responsibility and working together. Harmony is an important value within the culture Verbal communication in Japan in closely interwoven with non-verbal communication It is almost impossible to have one form of communication without the other HIGH context culture = emphasis on facial expressions, voice tones and sensor-receiver postures. Verbal communication is not as direct as it is in Australia. Tend to ask broad questions to avoid offence  Frequently answer ‘yes’ to ambiguous questions to promote harmony Non-verbal communication such as bowing are used as indicators of ​respect​. The person of lower status will initiate the bow and this person’s must be deeper than the others. It will continue until the person of higher social status ends the bow. A smile is a body language that hides the real emotions on the face = like embarrassment or pain. Believe it is rude to be overly emotional in public. Eye contact is rarely made in any conversation. To look someone in the eye, particularly higher in age and status is seen as rude. Often conversations rely on the sender and responder to be looking at the ground or in the air. Role of Silence Silence can be a means of communication but also miscommunication. Long pauses can indicate deep thought, lack of authority or low self-esteem. Japanese academic Taki Lebra identifies four facets of silence in Japanese culture: - Truthfulness: ​embedded into Zenn Buddhism, enlightenment can not be achieved by talking about it. Related to a person’s inner realm where spoken word is the outer realm - Social Discretion: ​use of silence to build your social status. Can be used to avoid losing face. Which means to lose dignity or respect. This is perceived as the silent treatment in Western cultures. - Embarrassment: ​is an indicator of the degree of intimacy within relationships. The relationship is judged on whether they can cope with each other without words. For some verbalising affection is embarrassing so non-verbal is favoured - Defiance: ​may be seen as polite as they do not want negative connotations when expressing an opinion. Existence of group identity and commitment to cultural continuity Communication mode is always from the perspective of ‘we’. Prioritising oneself is at the expense of others = not good! ‘If you look after the group, the group will look after you.’ In Western society, collectivism exists at merely a family level but in Japan it goes way beyond this. Racially homogenous country with small ethnic minorities Japanese Language creates national identity and is a means by which history is transmitted Various groups can be identified with clothing  Kimonos worn by both men and women Western style dressing introduced in 1850’s where soldiers where influenced by British soldiers. Western style is seen more practical than traditional. Traditional clothing still used for events that require formal attire and ceremonies Harajuku dressing period of change that allowed freedom of expression through dress. SUBCULTURE Potential Intercultural Misunderstandings Facial Expressions - Expressionless face used to hide emotions and cover up positive/negative reaction to the conversation - A smile can be a non-verbal tool to say they don’t understand - Rely on tone, facial expressions and posture to indicate what someone is feeling Conversations - The speaker will avoid direct statements even if they are passionate - Indirect phrases like: ‘but what do you think?’ - Questions leave room for communicators to disagree with the idea but not the person to promote harmony - Tatemae = ​to say what is appropriate and proper Eye contact - Importance placed on respect - If elder is talking, the younger person will NOT make eye contact but will focus on the ground. - Eye contact between those of the same social status is acceptable which shows engagement - No eye contact does not mean disengagement but rather respect Taking your shoes off - Culturally significant to leave shoes outside before entering a Japanese home, public places, same businesses and religious places. - Reasons for this include cleanliness, religion and foot hygiene. Gift Giving - Important part of business protocol and focus is on ritual than the present itself - Gift needs to be wrapped a specific way ad it should not be brightly coloured  - If flowers are given, they should not be white or in a pot as this is associated with funerals - Gift opened in private to ensure no embarrassment and to limit loos of face Dining - When dining at a restaurant and sitting on a tatami mat on the floor you are required to remove your shoes and place them away from the table - Loud chewing, blowing nose and burping at table are considered bad manners. - Finishing meal and leaving empty plate means you thoroughly enjoyed the meal Strategies for dealing with Misunderstandings - Read widely - Language - Show respect - Demonstrate patience