LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After completing this section, you will be able to:

1. understand that the "Western" way is not the only way to accomplish a task
2. react more sensitievely and be more attuned to the "Chinese" way of doing things
   

GENERAL

To be culturally aware, you should be able to recognize your own culture as one of many existing cultures and attempt to understand other cultures. All people view, interpret, and evaluate things in different manners. These differences compound when people come from different cultures with discrete histories.

Many tend to assume the universality of their cultural upbringings and unknowingly project their cultural values on others. It is important to step back and understand other cultures by learning about them or asking your counterpart. To begin with, ask yourself why you do certain things in certain ways. How do you see the world? Why do you react in that particular way? Also, feel free to inquire about local customs and etiquette with an open mind and try to think in the perspective of your counterpart.

---> cultural awareness-reconceptualizing