Cross-Cultural Dialogues: 74 Brief Encounters with Cultural Difference

Description

Updated with a new introduction and chapter How much culture lurks in common conversation? According to Craig Storti, so much that many of our most common, seemingly innocent exchanges-in social settings, on the job, in the world of business-are cultural minefields waiting to explode. These explosions-cultural misunderstandings-can cause confusion, irritation, even alienation. At the workplace and in the world of business these explosions undermine communication, threaten important relationships, and cost a great deal of time and money; away from work, they strain, even endanger, personal relations. CROSS-CULTURAL DIALOGUES is a collection of brief conversation (4-8 lines) between an American and someone from another country and culture. Short as each dialogue is, it has buried within it at least one, and usually several breaches of cultural norms which the reader is challenged to figure out. And a challenge it is: the exchanges are so brief and innocuous that even the wariest among us are sandbagged by the dialogue's hidden subtleties. Ten cultures are represented by the non-Americans in the dialogues: Arab/Middle Eastern, British, Chinese, French, German, Hispanic, Indian, Japanese, Mediterranean/European, and Russian, and the dialogues are grouped according to the setting in which they occur: social, workplace, and business. Whether you're a learner, trainer, educator, or an armchair interculturalist, you'll enjoy solving these cultural riddles-and increase your cultural awareness in the bargain.

Craig Storti is founder and co-director of Communicating Across Cultures, a Washington, D.C.-based intercultural communication training and consulting firm. With work appearing in the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune, he is the author of six books. Having lived nearly a quarter of his life abroad, he lives now in Maryland. www.craigstorti.com

"Craig Storti's knowledge and wisdom derived from his many years as an internationally renowned consultant and writer shine through.The book can be enjoyed by the individual reader preparing for intercultural encounters and also as a tool for trainers and consultants."--Peter Franklin, author The Mindful International Manager, professor of international management, Konstanz University of Applied Sciences "This is an indispensable and invaluable book for anyone involved in teaching intercultural communication, who is engaged in intercultural training or who simply wants to gain greater understanding on how to interact successfully with those across cultural differences."--Darla Deardorff, editor, The Sage Handbook of Intercultural Competence "Craig Storti's insightful cross-cultural dialogues set the gold standard for intercultural communication and are an invaluable tool for global citizens."--Ranjini Manian, author of Doing Business in India for Dummies, Founder-CEO of Global Adjustments