Presentation Paper

Intercultural Personhood: An Integration of Eastern and Western Perspectives Presentation Paper

Danielle Sherman Communication 351-002 Professor Kang

December 4, 2012

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Intercultural Personhood

We live in generation with global communication capabilities are as simple as a tough of a screen. No longer does our immediate surroundings and upbringing from our family and peers define our pure form of cultural identity. As Yun Kim quotes in her article (Toffler) we find ourselves facing a quantum leap forward the deepest social upheaval and creative restructuring of all time. Yun Kim came up with two questions of focus, regarding the

merging of different cultures. They are: Can the desire for some form of collective uniqueness be satisfied without resulting in divisions and conflicts among groups? Second question is , Can individuals who are committed to communal values and responsibilities transcend allegiance to their own people? To help answer these question s Yun Kim introduced a new concept Intercultural personhood- a way of life in which an individual develops and identity and a definition of self that integrates, rather than separates humanity. In other words, being able see your own weakness and branch out from your upbringing norms and accepting new culture concepts to better your-self both physically and intellectually. Eastern and Western Cultural Traditions A fundamental way in which culture shapes human existence is through the explicit and implicit teaching about our relationships to the nature of the universe and the human and nonhuman realms of the world. Traditionally Eastern and Western perspectives diverge significantly with respect to basic premises about these relationships. (Yun Kim)

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Eastern Culture: This area of focus is Asia including India, Tibet, Japan, China Korea and those in Southeast Asia. Eastern culture is heavily influenced by religion and philosophical systems. Most common are Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, and Zen. Eastern culture worldviews are inwardly spiritual, dynamic, the world is a multidimensional, living organism joined together by life forces. One thing will affect the other and nothing completely independent or itself. Yun describes it beautifully, The universe is conscious and engaged in a continuous dance of creation: The cosmic pattern is viewed as self-contained and self-organizing. It unfolds itself because of its own inner necessity and not because it is ordered. Traditionally Eastern culture thinks the real mystery is within one-selffinding a personal divine not only with you but, also within all things. In Hinduism, all static forms are

called Maya, existing only as illusory concepts. This is the starting point of Buddhism. Buddhism teachings are described by Yun, all compounded things are impermanent, and that all suffering in the world arise from our trying to cling to fixed forms objects, people, or ideasinstead of accepting the world as it moves. Western Culture: This area of focus is Europe and the United State. Western cultural tends to follow more of the Greek and Judeo-Christians traditions. The belief is the universe was created and is controlled by a Divine power. Judeo-Christians traditionally view God as the creator and the world is a non-living particle of matter that interacts with each together in a predictable fashion. Mankind has a unique hierarchy position among all the life forms that exists.
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Knowledge, Time, and Communication Eastern vs. Western Culture Because the East and West have different views of cosmic patterns, we can expect them to have different approaches to knowledge. (Yen Kim) Eastern: The ultimate purpose of knowledge is to overpass apparent differences and see the interconnectedness of all the elements around you. Yen exclaimed this concept as When the Eastern mystics tell us that they experience all things as manifestations of a basic oneness, they do not mean that they pronounce all things to be the same or equal. Instead, they emphasize that all differences are relative within an all- encompassing phenomenon. The highest aim of knowledge is being able to be aware both the good and bad and achieving an intellectual distinction and emotional balance. The Chinese Wiseman symbolizes this by using a symbol, archetypal poles, yin and yang. Chinese Wiseman also insists on obtaining one to be selfless. To achieve this one must consist of two components: differentiated, a unique element, distinguishing one person from another person. The other is to all embracing, esthetically immediate, compassionate, and undifferentiated component. Yen Kim points out, the part of the self that is not transitory (short lived) is the aesthetic component of the self, which is identical not merely in all persons, but in all aesthetic (love in beauty) objects throughout the universe. Asian cultures characterization of time is polychronic. Polychronic system is less inclined to adhere rigidly to time as a tangible, discrete, and linear entity: instead they emphasize completion of transactions I the here and now, often carrying out more than on activity simultaneously.(Halls 1976,1983) Yun Kim The individuals aim is not to escape from
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circular movement into linear time, but to become a part of the eternal thought the aesthetic experience of the here and now and the conscious evolution of spirituality to know the all embracing undifferentiated wholeness. Communications in groups are encouraged to maintain harmony and minimize competition. This helps keep face and keeps people from offending others. Individuals must conform to the group in the case of conflicting interest. Observing subtleties in nonverbal cues and intuition plays a central role in the understanding of how one talk to one another. How a message is received depends on the how a person is address, circumstances of the conversation, topic and with what effect it is presented. The burden of communication effectively is shared by both the speaker and the listener, who is expected to hear the implicit messages through empathic attentiveness. (Yun Kim) Western: Western cultures pursuit of knowledge is based on doctrinally formulated dualistic worldview. The creation of the world was through the individual creative acts of God. A spit of beliefs between the knower and the things to be known accompanies the emphasis on pursuit of knowledge. A Greek philosopher Plato discovered reason; virtually all Western thought is based on themes, questions, and terms based off of rational basis. Western thought emphasized clear and distinct categorization and the linear, analytic logic of syllogism. Knowledge is created by facts, debating on viewpoints, tested science theories. This reflects in the time perception of the Western culture. Time is represented monochronic. Monochronic system emphasizes schedules, segmentation, promptness, and standardization . (Halls 1976-1983)

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Western communicative mode is mainly direct, explicit and verbal. Each person is viewed as different individuals. Inner feelings are not intuitively understood but expressed honestly, verbalized and discussed. Communication in groups encourages individuality and individual needs to push the group forward. When the needs of the group have been fulfilled then it can be changed (not the individual). Beyond Cultural Differences The East and West have very different cultural differences. Each has their strengths

and weaknesses. Westerns encourage individualism helped creative thinkers create many technological advances in science, machinery and medical areas. The weakness is the

advances created arrogance in believing that scientific knowledge is the only way to discover truth. In reality, the very process of a theoretical hypothesis could not be tested without their truth or falsity and lack the relevance to the corresponding reality. Easterners has a greater awareness of the aliveness and wholeness of the universe we live in. Share this with the west the increase in sensitivity to the rhythms of nature and create an all-embracing oneness and unity. This would create more compassion and intuitive

sensitivity- not just for humans but also for natures creatures. In conclusion, I feel the point of this article is not to be more alike the other culture and give a part of ones culture up. We should use the strengths of the opposite culture to fill the voids of our weakness and evolve ourselves and create a higher personal fulfillment. Yun Kim did an exceptional job writing this article. She was descriptive with her details with a beautiful poetic flow. Picking out which facts to focus on was a struggle for me.
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References Young Yun Kim Intercultural Personhood: An Integration of Eastern and Western Perspectives Chapter 8 Ethical Considerations: Prospects for the Future. Hall, E (1976). Beyond culture. Garden City, NY: Anchor Books Hall, E (1983) the dance of life: The other dimension of time, Garden City, NY: Anchor Press.

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