Encounter with Westerners Unit 2

2012/9/22
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Encounter with Westerners Unit 2
• II. Encounter:The Gift • Some likely interpretations (3): • Ms. Kelsen is afraid that other people will find out that she accepted the gift, end that they will think she took a bribe.
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Encounter with Westerners Unit 2
• II. Encounter: The Gift • Culture Notes
• Gifts and bribes (1):
• In most Western cultures, it is not considered appropriate to accept a private gift, especially a valuable one, as a reward for performing a work-related duty. Such a gift would often be viewed as a bribe, "Outside of … well established occasions [like Christmas and birthdays], circumspection is observed so that gift giving appears personally anonymous or offhand.
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Encounter with Westerners Unit 2
• • II. Encounter:The Gift • One day after class has • ended the other students have left, Frank presents the gift to Ms.Kelsen. Looking surprised, Ms.Kelsen says thank you, but says that she can't accept his gift. Frank offers the gift several more times but Ms.Kelsen insists on refusing.
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II. 事件：礼物 一天，下课后，其他 同学都离开了，弗兰 克把礼物呈现在凯瑟 女士面前，凯瑟女士 很惊讶地说谢谢，但 不能接受礼物。弗兰 克又几次呈送礼物， 但凯瑟女士坚持拒收 。
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Encounter with Westerners Unit 2
• II. Encounter:The Gift • Some likely interpretations: • Suggested Procedure Note: The task
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Encounter with Westerners Unit 2
• II. Encounter: The Gift • Culture Notes
• Gift giving in the West (1): • Westerners generally only give gifts on certain culturally designated occasions such as birthdays or certain holidays such as Christmas. " In general, Westerners do not use gifts to incur or repay social obligations" (Davis 2001:113).
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Encounter with Westerners Unit 2
• II. Encounter:The Gift • Some likely interpretations (5): • Ms. Kelsen may feel uncomfortable because she assumes Frank cannot afford to give expensive gifts. • *
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Encounter with Westerners Unit 2
• II. Encounter: The Gift • Culture Notes
• Gift giving in the West (3): • Perishable gifts like food and drink can also generally be accepted relatively easily. Valuable gifts are an appropriate way to show gratitude only for a truly significant favor, and only in situations where it will not look like the gift-giver is trying to buy favor.
requires students to list their interpretations in order of likelihood, so when groups report, you might start by having each group tell you which interpretation they chose as most likely. Then, if there is still room on the board, ask for other possible interpretations that have not yet been mentioned.
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Encounter with Westerners Unit 2
• II. Encounter:The Gift • Some likely interpretations (4): • Ms. Ketsen may feel that she only did her duty, so she has done nothing to deserve such a special gift. •
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Encounter with Westerners Unit 2
• II. Encounter:The Gift • Some likely interpretations (1):
• Ms. Kelsen may feel that teachers should not accept gifts, especially valuable ones, from students. (In the West, it is rare for Individual students to give teachers gifts, especially expensive ones).
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Encounter with Westerners Unit 2
• Encounter:The Gift • Some likely interpretations (6): • Ms. Kelsen may feel that accepting the gift would put her under obligation to Frank. (Most Westerners feel that accepting a valuable gift entails a degree of re-ciprocity. )
Encounter with Westerners Unit 2
• II. Encounter: The Gift • Culture Notes
• Gift giving in the West (2):
• It is not generally necessary to reciprocate for small personal favors by giving gifts; usually saying "thank you" is sufficient. In situations where someone does want to show gratitude by offering a gift, Westerners are often comfortable with being taken out to eat, or with a small gift that has more personal significance than monetary value.
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Encounter with Westerners Unit 2
• II. Encounter: The Gift • Culture Notes
• Gifts and bribes (2):
• The gift's significance is carefully limited to avoid a personal meaning that might be construed as offering a bribe, seeking special favors, or as requiring reciprocity." (Stewart and Bennett 1991: 95)
2012/9/22
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Encounter with Westerners Unit 2
• II. Encounter:The Gift • Some Likely Interpretations (2) • Ms. Kelsen does not think it is right to accept a gift, especially a valuable one, just for doing her duty as a teacher.
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Encounter with Westerners Unit 2
• II. Encounter:The Gift • Possible Closing Point; One negative - or positive - experience with a foreigner can • often leave a very deep impression.
Encounter with Westerners Unit 2
• II. Encounter:The Gift
• II. 事件：礼物
弗兰克是中国学生，刚 被授予某项奖学金去西 方某大学学习。他的英 语老师，凯瑟女士写了 封推荐信，这对他拿到 奖学金帮助很大。弗兰 克对凯瑟女士心存感激 ，决定送件贵重的礼物 ，一幅风景画给凯瑟女 士，以表感激。
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• Frank" is a student in China who• has just been granted a special scholarship to study at a university in the West. His English teacher, Ms.Kelsen, wrote a recommendation letter that was instrumental in his getting the scholarship. Frank feels very grateful to Ms.Kelsen, so he decides to buy her an expensive gift, a landscape painting, as a way of thanking her.
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It is not generally necessary to reciprocate for small personal favors by giving gifts; usually saying "thank you" is sufficient. In situations where som