Lesson 4 One World, Many Ways
Same World, Different Lenses
When you look at a picture that your friend shows you on his or her phone, do ____ notice who is in the picture first or where the picture was taken first?
Whichever you look at first, that perspective may reflect ____ cultural values without you being consciously aware of it.
These different points of view exist as personal and individual ____ but groups of people in a particular neighborhood, city, or country may also have striking similarities.
In her book titled East Meets West, author Yang Liu, who was born in China and moved to Germany ____ she was 14, attempts to illustrate perspectives from her eastern and western heritages in several different contexts through eye-catching illustrations.
They seem to open up a friendly discussion on the essence of differences ____ only between individuals but also between groups or communities.
How Do You Solve Problems?
The picture ____ is an illustration of two different approaches to solving problems.
The ____ on the left shows a straight line while the one on the right seems to follow a more meandering path; however, they both end up reaching the destination.
In simple terms, the process of reaching a goal has a beginning ____ an end.
On the ____ the most direct path can achieve a goal with the expenditure of as little energy as possible.
On the right, several other factors seem ____ require attention before the same goal is reached, which is why the path is less direct.
Is ____ emphasis on the end result or on the process?
Putting it in other words, do you value efficiency ____ thoroughness?
____ answer to these questions depends on the characteristics of the individuals and communities involved.
How Do You Express Your Feelings?
Does the expression on your face ____ mirror how you actually feel as in the picture on the left?
____ do you often hide your true feelings in order not to hurt others around you?
Do people express their feelings in different ways depending on ____ context?
In social situations, some people consider carefully how their ____ of emotion might be interpreted by others.
Students have likely experienced similar situations after ____ big test.
____ Nika remained calm after she got a perfect score on her exam while Manfred got 70% and cried in disappointment, would the expression on each of their faces reflect how they feel?
Nika may not want to ____ Manfred feel bad, so she might try to hide the elation she feels by being cool about it.
However, Manfred may ____ display what he feels at the moment.
A ____ person may be critical of Nika and understanding of Manfred because Nika is not being honest while Manfred is being genuine.
The opposite may be true from the “red” perspective: Nika is respecting ____ moods while Manfred is making classmates feel uncomfortable.
A simple way to look at the distinction is to ask if it's more important to honestly ____ feelings show or if it's more important to consider the feelings of others.
These perspectives on social manners, when repeated, may become a normal cultural ____
The picture below shows
The picture below shows the different perspectives of the role ____ a person in society.
Is the individual more important as the picture on the left shows, ____ is the group more important as shown on the right?
Some ____ see themselves in the context of a group.
They think themselves to be part of a larger whole, placing importance on harmony and relationships with others, possibly at the cost of their own ____ recognition.
Other people may ____ individual talent and personal abilities that stand out beyond the group.
If a group member has a good idea, should she ____ the idea to the group?
A “blue” person may be praised for having ____ creativity to make a goal easier to reach.
On the other hand, a “red” person might consider how the new idea affects the group dynamics and take into account the ____ of friction between members during a change.
Which Is More Important, the Individual or the Group?
Generally speaking, even though differences are what makes each culture unique, ____ may also be barriers to understanding.
Yang Liu's book isn't about ____ cultural differences in terms of which is better.
The book is designed to show that there may ____ other ways to look at the world.
Maybe ____ easier to think of culture like taking photographs.
The ____ photographer uses a variety of different methods to capture what she feels is the most important aspect of a scene.
Is ____ the lighting or the angle?
Should there be people ____ it or not?
____ a close-up or a wide shot better?
Likewise, cultural understanding comes from being open to the idea that differences may come ____ putting value on different aspects of life.