Lens Theory Each culture has its own distinctive

Lens Theory Each culture has its own distinctive way of viewing life and relationships– their lenses. When we understand our lenses and those of others, we are more likely to be able to understand their cultures

As teachers… it will be our job to help our students develop cultural sensitivity to work together now and in the future.

The Lenses • • • Context Lens Activity Lens Time Lens Authoritarian Lens Identity/ Relationship Lens

High vs. Low The movie Double Happiness has to do with a Chinese family living in Canada. Mark, a Canadian, is very low context, while Jade’s family is very high context. This causes a lot of tension in the movie. Those who see with the high context lens are worried about how things are done, how they appear. Those with low context lenses are not as concerned with the appearance of things, just that they get the correct message across.

The Last Samurai The Samurai of Japan lived in a very high context society. They did everything for honor and had to be perfect at what they did. The real Japanese samurai, when they had been defeated and surrounded in a final battle, all beheaded one another.

Cool Runnings This is a movie about the Jamaican Bobsled Team that came from a low context background. They did not always get along with the other olympians who were high context. In the end, the Jamaicans were appreciated for who they were and what they had accomplished

Activity Lens Looking at things through the activity lens is the way a cultural group defines or perceives activity which impacts how they value people. These movie clips are both examples of ‘doing’ people. ‘Doing’ people are focused on personal results. They often forego strengthening relationships because of this. In The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestley tries to turn her ‘being’ assistant into a ‘doing’ person. In Liar, Jim Carrey’s character forgets his son’s birthday.

‘Being’ People ‘Being’ people are focused on strengthening relationships. In God Grew Tired of Us, some young men from the Sudan are relocated to the U. S. Can you say ‘culture shock’? They are very ‘being’ oriented, and do not think that they are really allowed to be that way in America. In The Last Samurai, Katsumoto wants very much to talk to people to learn about them.

Time Lens In Germany, everything is exactly punctual, except workmen. Cultures are either more time- oriented or event- oriented. The second video helps to explain about these differences in the world regions.

Authoritarian Lens Cultures can either be equal and merit- based or hierarchical, status- focused and unequal. In Coming to America, Akeem wants to be viewed as an average person and find his equal of a wife. The best place he figures that he can do that is in America. He gets a fast food job so he can work for a living. Untouchables is about the caste system in India, especially about the unequal treatment of the Dalits who are born outside of the castes and cannot be touched by others for fear of infection.

Identity/ Relationship Lens Cultural ideals and perspectives mold our self- conceptions and identities. Some cultures are individualistic with temporary, casual friendships, permissable conflict, and an emphasis on uniqueness and personal achievement. Others are collectivistic, concerned about the group as a whole, with a few close lasting friendships, focused on solidarity, social norms, and roles. Cher and her friends are definitely individuals in Clueless and John Dau in God Grew Tired of us has always collectively taken care of others.

In Conclusion… • I believe the different lenses are all interrelated. Time lenses may be colored by activity lenses, and so on. • We all have our own ways of looking at things; it’s difficult to tell people the way they look through their lens is wrong because you are viewing them through your own lens and saying that it is superior.