Soal!

1. What is the definition of Cross Cultural Understanding? (Tell it based on some expert and your
perspective! (20)

2. Explain the characteristics of Culture by showing example clearly! (10)

3. Why do you study Cross Cultural Understanding? How does it affect your mindset and your profession
(20)

4. There are two types of communication; Verbal communication and Non Verbal Communication,
explain each and prove it by example or short illustration, then tell some Non Verbal communication
from some countries in the world such as: ASIA, WESRTEN.(30)

5. Explain the terms below clearly; (20)

A. Multicultural Society

B. Equality vs Hierarchy

C. Direct vs Indirect

D. Task vs Relationship

E. Risk vs Caution

Answer :

1. Culture is the integrated pattern of human behavior that includes

thoughts, communication, actions, customs, beliefs, values and institutions

of a racial, ethnic, religious or social group. It reflects the norms and values of a given society and
constitutes, to a large extent, the way in

which individuals in that society views the world.

Some of the elements of culture include:

• language;

• dress and appearance;

• food and eating habits;

• music and dance;

• time and time-consciousness;

• interpersonal relationships; and,

• beliefs and attitudes.

Some other definitions that are useful when considering cultural

difference include:

• Acculturation – the process of adapting to or adopting a different

culture.

• Ethnic – refers to membership of a group linked by race,

nationality, language or a common cultural heritage.

• Race – a socially defined population that is derived from

distinguishable physical characteristics.

• Stereotype – the notion that all people from a given group are the

same.

Based on some expert :

1. J. Spreadly (1997) defines the culture was the total systems of

knowledge by which people designed their own actions and interpreted

the behaviors of others. This means that the importance of the culture is

the system of the knowledge because whenever people or society exists,

this masnage what people should do and what shouldn’t do. In other

words, system of knowledge or way of thinking of the people or frame

work of reference holds the very basic characteristic of culture. Parillo

(1985) remarks that culture was the social comment that bound a society

together and consisted of the values, attitudes, customs, beliefs, and habits

that are shared by members of society.

2. In a deeper sense, David Popenoe (1989) defines culture is made up of

three main elements:

A) the symbols, meaning and values that define

reality and determine standards of good and bad, right and wrong;

B) the norms of expectations of how people should think, feel, and behave in a

given society, and

C) the material culture-the practical and aesthetic

human made objects which reflect non-material cultural meaning. In

short, culture basically has three main aspects, first way of thinking or

mazeway aspects, second behavior aspect, and physical aspect. In this

case, mazeway system is the top list characteristic of culture.

Furthermore, Koencoroningrat states that the culture aspects consisted of

idea or mazeway, behavior, and artifact.

2.

3.

4. # Verbal Communication

Involves the use of spoken or written words to convey information and messages.

# Nonverbal Communication

Consists of gestures, facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice, without using words.

Expresses emotions, attitudes, and intentions, adding depth and context to verbal messages.

5. A multicultural society refers to a community or nation that consists of diverse cultural, ethnic, and
linguistic groups. In such a society, people from different backgrounds coexist, interact, and contribute
to the cultural tapestry of the community. Multiculturalism promotes the idea of respecting and valuing
cultural diversity, fostering equality, and providing opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their
cultural or ethnic backgrounds.

Equality vs Hierarchy refers to the cultural scale that reflects the degree to which a society values
egalitarianism and shared power versus hierarchical structures and authority. In cultures that prioritize
equality, individuals are considered equal, and decision-making is often decentralized. Conversely, in
hierarchical cultures, there is a clear distinction between individuals based on status, and authority
tends to be centralized.

Direct vs Indirect communication refers to the manner in which people convey messages. In direct
communication, individuals express their thoughts and feelings openly and explicitly. In contrast,
indirect communication involves conveying messages subtly, often relying on context, nonverbal cues,
and implicit language. Different cultures exhibit varying preferences for direct or indirect communication
styles.

A task-oriented culture will begin discussion with a new person by asking “What do you do?” Many
people in this type of culture form their identity based on what they do as a profession. Relationship
cultures, on the other hand, focus on who they are. They might share their interest in art history,
literature or music. They place more importance on leisure time than work time (work to live, not live to
work).

Risk-oriented people prefer to make decisions quickly with little information, focus on the present and
the future, are less cautious, change quickly without fear of risks, try new and innovative ways of doing
things.Caution-oriented cultures, on the other hand, prefer to collect cautious in a “ready, aim, aim, aim,
fire” way, change slowly and avoid risks, want more rules, regulations, guidelines and directions, refer to
past precedents of what works and what doesn’t work, stick to proven methods for solving problems,
and dislike changing plans at the last minute.