Perception Arab Culture in Europe Orient andof Occident

Perception Arab Culture in Europe Orient andof. Occident Communication and its Impact Module VIII on High Level Protocol by Sandra Schott By

Area of Research The topic we will speak about here, is mainly connected with disciplines of: • Social Psychology • Social Anthropology.

Apophatic and Cataphatic ways of thinking • The most important clue to solve the Occidental/Oriental debate.

Cataphatic way of thinking • Cataphatic way of thinking gives a precise definition of the reality • Dogmatic way of thinking. The Reality is …

Apophatic way of thinking • Apophatic way of thinking approaches the reality in a negative way. No positive definition possible. • The Reality cannot be defined.

Perception We approach the perceptions of : • Individuals • Groups.

Perceptions of Others are influenced by • Stereotypes • Prejudices

Stereotypes • Stereotype : popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. • They are standardised and simplified conceptions of groups based on some prior assumptions.

• So, a stereotype is a categorical generalisation that ignores individual or social variability and difference (Mc. Nabb, 1986). • It is an assumption made before having adequate knowledge

Stereotypes can concern : • Religion (Believers ≠ agnostic atheists) • Political Beliefs • Ethnicity • Some Events in History (the Cold War) • Social Class • Age • Disability

Stereotypes can come from : • Media • Books • Education • Minimal contact with the members of a group

Stereotypes can come from : • Second-hand information • No recognition of the multidimensional nature of human beings • Identification of easily recognised characteristics of groups of people

Stereotypes can be valued : • Positively • Negatively Kurt Lewin found that, when people interact with positive expectations it increases sociability from their interaction partners.

In general negative stereotypes are: • Unfair • Misleading Negativ stereotypes suggest that people or groups of people are the same when they are different. They tend to place all members of a group into one, simple bad category.

Consequences of negative stereotypes • • • Misunderstandings Hostility Abusive Behaviors Conflicts Discrimination Dehumanising people

From Subjective Real to Objective Real Behavourial confirmation (defined by Snyder & Stukas) • In the reality-constructing process, an individual’s belief about another person may, in the course of social interaction, can be confirmed by the behavior of that other person.

It is a critical moment. Why? • Because it is installing a speculation about a reality into a reality: the stereotype becomes real. • So a subjective reality (the stereotype) is becoming an experienced and objective reality. • When these stereotypes are repeatedly confirmed by behaviour, they become "legitimised”.

When will a group, stigmatized by stereotypes, maintain a stereotype? According to social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1986), such strategy will be adopted: • when members of a stigmatised group understand that it is not possible to move from the disadvantaged to the advantaged group, and • when they collectively perceive that the system, that disadvantages them, is either unstable or illegitimate.

• A stigmatised person may engage a process of changes and install what is a so called stereotype compensation. – How? • In putting forward an individual image of himself that is radically different from the stereotype.

A lot of people prefer « the familiar » because of: - ease - least effort - pride in one’s own culture.

Some examples of misunderstandings

Some international organisations mistakes • In the Middle East, it is impossible to write national histories • The Occidental interest is applying the Human Rights linked to a specific way of thinking : the democratic one • UN resolution, which asked Israel to evacuate the occupied territories since 1967

Some Representation from the Middle East • Some Muslim believers sometimes think that the conflicts in the Middle East represent a conflict between the West and Islam • Pan-Arabism is fighting Occident • Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt

Negative Stereotypes from Europe towards the Middle East • • • association of conflict and Islam no real knowledge what Islam is about no real understanding of the Arab history media is not giving good informations There is a mixing of immigration problems with cultural understanding

One Culture, different Perceptions • There is not only one European Identity and one Arab Culture. • Is an Arab culture existing ? Is there a European perspective existing ? • In Europe some people continue to define themselves in terms of their Nationality, Religion, Language and Social belonging.

Different International Perceptions • • • US EU Arab World Asia BRICS (Brazil, India, China and South Africa)

EU • Not one point of view • Since 1960 s, due to decolonisation debate, emphasises the right to self-determination

European Identity? • Since the end of the 2 nd World War the question of European Identity is becoming stronger. There is a new political vision. • Building of the European Institutions • Emerging of a new diplomacy with new Representatives

Which Europe do we speak about ? We have : • an Eastern Europe, which has been a very long time under Ottoman rule, for ex. Bulgaria • a Central Europe, for ex. Poland, Czech Republic • a Western European Continental perspective, France, Germany

• a Western non-Continental Europe, UK has been engaged in trade and obliged to search for resources. There are outside Europe feelings. • a Northern European Region, where there has been no real contact with the Continent, nor with the Middle East. • a Southern Europe, which had a strong early Middle Ages and Modern time Encounters with the Arabs and Islam World

Knowledge about other cultures is important

Knowledge about Social behaving • Religion and family values • Food and drinks: In Qatar, one sheep person is offered Water is not served during meals. No pork, no alcohol and also not in cooking • Language • Dress code • The gender issue • Social classes

Culture structured into social classes • Libya and former South Yemen, have tried to create classless societies, but it has not affected basic attitudes • The Nomadic Bedouins are out of class • There is no mix between classes • There is very little tension among social classes determined by family origin

Knowledge about Cross-Cultural Communication Process of exchanging information between people from different cultural backgrounds in away that preserves mutual respect and minimises antagonism

After the Cold War, in 1974, UNESCO began research on different cultures of the world

Interculturalism vs. Multiculturalism • Interculturalism wants to develop a common civic culture, based on state as reference • Encouraging democracy and full respect of Human Rights

Interculturalism vs. Multiculturalism • Interculturalism is generally used when the state encourages the socialisation of citizens of different origins • All cultures are not on the same level

Interculturalism vs. Multiculturalism • Multiculturalism postulates that all cultures and civilisations are of equal value. They should be promoted within the same nation • Against assimilations and social integration • Nation-States critic Multiculturalism, because it does not preserve the host nation

Interculturalism vs. Multiculturalism • Multiculturalism promotes multiple citizenships • Multiculturalist governments support newspapers, television and radio stations in minority languages • Acceptance of religious and traditional dress in schools • Enforcement of different codes of law on members on each ethnic groups

Globalisation • Globalisation does not reduce culture diversity • Risk for increase of misunderstandings in the short term, even the risk will decrease in the long term • This risk is higher in sedentary cultures and homogeneous cultures that are not used of exchanges

Culture and Culture Competence To improve Cross-Cultural Communication, there is a need to understand Culture and Develop Culture Competence.

Culture and Culture Competence Culture is a shared system of : • • Symbols Beliefs Values Norms • Attitudes • Behaviour • Expectation

Culture and Culture Competence Cultural Competence is the ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures. In general, there are four pillars: • awareness of one’s one cultural worldview • attitude towards cultural differences • knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews • cross-cultural skills

What can go wrong? • We imagine others like us - Consequence: we do a transfer of our values, history and behaviour • We imagine others totally different from us - Consequence: others can appear not being human anymore It’s the beginning of extremism, racism or sexism • Due to ignorance of our own system and other systems, we create communications problems

Cultural differences Reseachers who have tried to define categories to analyse cultural differences • Edward T. Hall • Richard D. Lewis • Clifford Geertz • Geert Hofstede • Jussi V. Koivisto • Fons Trompenaar • Shalom H. Schwart • Gary Ferraro

Individual vs. Collective oriented society • Individual oriented society - Explain others’ behaviours by personal traits - For this category, Individuals are the major units of social perceptions - Success in this case, is success attributed to one’s own ability - Task completion is important

Individual vs. Collective oriented society • Collective oriented society - Explains others’ behaviour by group norms - Groups are major units of social perceptions - Success is attributed to help of group - Harmony expected and relationships are important - Fear of ostracism

Equal vs. Hierarchy oriented society • Equal oriented society - there are law status differences - there can be delegation of authority - superiority can be questioned - there are informal social relations - little respect for old age

Equal vs. Hierarchy oriented society • Hierarchy oriented society - High status differences - Little delegation of authority - Superiority cannot be questioned - Formal social relations - Big respect for old age

Passed, Present and Future oriented society • Passed oriented society - People have a great concern of their families, business and social institutions - Predecessors and older people are looked to as role models - Business Hosts wants to share their country’s history

Passed, Present and Future oriented society • Present oriented society - People live in the here and now and look for immediate gratification - Everything is evaluated of its immediate impact - People are not particularly effective at differing gratification or planning for the future

Passed, Present and Future oriented society • Future oriented society - people tend to be enthusiastic planners - there is a considerable willingness to differ the gratification for even more gratification later on - people are generally optimistic about progress in the future - people place a high value on being young

Sequentially vs. Synchronically oriented society • Sequentially oriented society - one task at a time - concentration on task - schedules taken very seriously - many short term relations - time is a threat

Sequentially vs. Synchronically oriented society • Synchronically oriented society - multiple tasks at a time - easily distracted - schedules not taken seriously - long term social relationships - time is a friend

Precise vs. Loose time society • Precise society - people pay close attention to time - people tend to eat meals because it is time to eat - business deadlines are taken very seriously - people move rapidly - people do one thing at a time - meetings start at time - people emphasised to get contracts signed

Precise vs. Loose time society • Loose time society - few people pay attention to time - people eat for the need to share food - business deadlines are hoped for - people will not get upset if something prevents the deadline for being met

Precise vs. Loose time society • Loose time society - meetings start after set time - part of the time is devoted to socialising - people do many things at the same time - a great emphasise is based on building social relationships rather than completing tasks on time

Common characteristics between cultures • • • Considerate culture as universal Marriage and family system Educational systems Social controls Beliefs systems

Non-verbal communication • • Facial Expression Hand Gesture Posture Space Usage Touching Eye Contact Hair Style • • Dress code Cosmetics Colour symbolism Silence Food & Feeding Habits Olfaction Graphic Symbols

Non-verbal communication • Bowing reveals a lot of social information in Japan • In 2003, when the statue of Saddam Hussein was pulled down, Iraqis began pounding the fallen statue with their shoes • The importance of eye contact in Arabic countries • In some cultures it is important to show feelings; in others not.

Conclusion • • Importance of avoiding stereotypes Improving self-consciousness Sensitivity of others Balance between knowledge, empathy and self -confidence

Questions

Thank you for your attention