Module 4: Intercultural Encounters - Follow-on Quiz

 Question 1

1 / 1 pts

Cultural meanings are symbolic because…

  

They're not really real.

 

  

They aren't expressed through words.

 

  

They develop in literature.

 

  

Their meaning comes through interpretation, not through observation.

 

 

Question 2

1 / 1 pts

We are studying characteristics that cultures systematically differ on. This can help us to…

(check all that apply)

  

Recognize the reasons people have for acting differently than we do.

 

Yes, all of these are true!

  

Understand the ways cultures can differ, so that we might recognize and understand other cultural differences.

 

Yes, all of these are true!

  

Realize that people who act differently than we do, are probably acting according to values that are important to them.

 

Yes, all of these are true!

  

See that when someone seems not to care about something important to us, it may be that they also share our value, but have another value that is even more important to them in the current situation.

 

Yes, all of these are true!

 

Question 3

1 / 1 pts

Think about this intercultural conflict that happened at a business meeting…

Maria felt that there were important things still to discuss on item 2 of the agenda. She felt that Leslie was being unreasonable when she insisted that they continue to the next item on the agenda.

Leslie felt that Maria was being unreasonable by interrupting the conversation on the new agenda item to bring up topics that had already been discussed earlier in the meeting.

This conflict is happening probably because…

  

Maria is from a high-context culture and Leslie is from a low-context culture.

 

  

Maria is from a collectivist culture and Leslie is from an individualistic culture.

 

  

Maria is from a polychronic culture and Leslie is from a monochronic culture.

 

 

Question 4

1 / 1 pts

Think about this intercultural conflict that happened at a university…

Kaito did not want to insult his professor's intelligence by stating the obvious, but his professor, Dr. McNamara, was having difficulty understanding exactly what Kaito was trying to say.

This misunderstanding is happening probably because…

  

Kaito is from a high-context culture and Dr. McNamara is from a low-context culture.

 

  

Kaito is from a collectivist culture and Dr. McNamara is from an individualistic culture.

 

  

Kaito is from a polychronic culture and Dr. McNamara is from a monochronic culture.

 

 

Question 5

1 / 1 pts

Think about this intercultural conflict that happened between a student and his host family…

Tom was an exchange student from the United States, studying in Chile. His host family invited him to a Sunday dinner at another family member's house. Tom told them that he had a lot of studying to do and preferred to stay home that day. His host family felt that he was being antisocial and a little selfish when he said that he did not want to go to the dinner with them.

This conflict is probably happening because…

  

The Chilean family is from a high-context culture and Tom is from a low-context culture.

 

  

The Chilean family is from a collectivist culture and Tom is from an individualistic culture.

 

  

The Chilean family is from a polychronic culture and Tom is from a monochronic culture.

 

 

Question 6

1 / 1 pts

Although these general cultural differences can help us interpret misunderstandings, we must also be careful…

(check all that apply)

  

Not to overgeneralize.

 

Correct. Over-generalization can lead us to fail to see what is really going on.

  

Not to think that all people in a culture will act the same way.

 

That's correct. There is a lot of variation within any group of people. 

 

Question 7

1 / 1 pts

What can we say about stereotypes?

(Check all that apply)

  

They are generalizations.

 

  

They categorize an individual based on his membership to a group.

 

  

They are simplifications.

 

  

They have no basis in reality.