Cultural Assumptions 2
More of the underlying assumptions
that Americans make which
complicates their understanding of
other cultures and thus how to
communicate to them
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V. Equality of all humans
Introduction
• Relationships are horizontal between two autonomous
individuals who are presumed to be equals
– Basic meaning is equal opportunity (not leveling everyone to a
common social level).
• Equal say in decision making
• The majority do not violate the rights of the minority
– Though not always practiced (treatment of minority groups) few would
argue these groups are inferior or should remain in lower classes
• Concept is absurd to most of World today
– As humans are higher than animals, so some humans are always
higher than others
– S.E. Asian caste system categorizes people intrinsically different
without the same rights, or opportunities
• Lower castes are only paying for previous sins in a former life.
• If they accept the suffering, their sins will be purged and later born into a
higher caste next round.
• To say that all are equal is to say that sin is never punished, and
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righteousness is destroyed.
b. Informality
• Because of our view of equality, NAs don’t
understand hierarchical relations
• Where rank is important giving respect is
vital or a horrible insult results
– Americans like to kid around, but can be
destructive, especially with a superior.
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c. Competition and Free Enterprise
• Winning is part of NA’s culture
– Schools train for competition and self-reliance
– Little place is given to losers, weak, failures, slow or
retarded
– Western mentality is to play by the rules. Umpires act
as God and in like manner the government keeps
everything fair.
• Competition
– This is foreign to much of world
– Many teach not to compete or take issue with another
– Told not to try to be the best or disagree with a
teacher or elder
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d. Direct and Confrontational
• NAs want to face a problem and solve it quickly
• Japanese prefer to work indirectly to achieve
one’s purpose
– Skill in social maneuvers is praised
– Bluntness is embarrassing.
– Better to solve the problem in private and announce it
in meeting
– In Thailand a 3rd part is used to reach agreement,
even to choose a mate or buying a house (like our
broker)
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e. Cooperation in group
• Competition motivates individuals to
cooperate as long as the personal goals
can be realized. Thus commitment is only
partial
• Other cultures think we are only
opportunists
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VI. Priority of Time over Space
Introduction
• NAs has high value on time (it is scarce and
should be saved). It can be wasted and lost
forever. Employers buy the time of employees.
• Non-industrial cultures work is not tied to time,
but to a task to be done, seasonal fluctuations,
temperature and rain, or ceremonial cycles.
– Rituals, dramas, and church services begin when
people arrive! Visits seldom pay any attention to the
clock
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b. Linear Time
• NA’s concept of Time has a beginning and end,
flows at a steady rate, without repeating and can
be measured and planned
– Two questions always in the Western Mind:
How/When did things begin? And How will they end?
• In the rest of the world it is not a commodity nor
is it linear.
– In Africa it is episodic and discontinuous (mythical
time, historical time, ritual time, agricultural time,
seasonal time, solar time, lunar time, etc)
– In S. Asia time is cyclical and linear, born and reborn,
where these cycles are part of the greater life of a
god, with beginning and end.
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c. Future Orientation
• For NAs the future is most important
–
–
–
–
We plan as if we could control the future
Spend little time learning about our ancestors
Old ways inferior to new ways
Keep date books with schedules months in advance
• Other cultures focus on either past or present
– Traditional Africa though focus on the past:
• Mythical past of great tribal events
• Recent past of known ancestors
• Immediate past and immediate future
– Traditional Chinese thought places emphasis on the
present
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d. Emphasis on Youth
• Evident in commercial advertising and
entertainment
– There are few attempts to involve old into
mainstream society, like they have little to
contribute
• Around the world the elderly are viewed
positively, shown respect, given honor,
with no concept of retirement—which is a
Western concept
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e. Time over Space
• For NAs time is more important than space.
– Land is a commodity that can be bought and sold like
anything else—with time land becomes more valuable
– Time is precious because we live our lives only once and
it is gone
• Elsewhere land is sacred and more important than
time.
– Ties people to their ancestors, cultural heroes, or gods
– The closest we come to understanding this view is
Israel—All our biblical history is felt there—Israel will die
to protect it.
– Perhaps the greatest obstacle to evangelistic work with
the American Indians is how we took their land and put
them in meaningless areas, gutting their spirit to this
day!
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VII. Emphasis on Sight
Introduction
• NAs emphasize sight over sound, touch, taste or smell
(“world view”, “I see” or “Let’s look at a situation”) Plato made
the switch from oral to visual ideas modeled by an immobile
figure visualized on a motionless field.
• Most of the world is in an oral society where the primary
experiences are passing events and memories
– The idea that the world is a dynamic interaction of people and other
things
– Thoughts are highly organized, but in different ways (formulas,
proverbs, riddles, myths, etc.), mostly dealing with concrete human
experiences rather than abstract thoughts.
– Usually involve an interaction with hearers
– As we are affected by literature and TV, they are by stories.
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b. Abstract Knowledge
•
Writing divorces the reader from the
messenger (writer)
1. The concepts of the book are tested, not on the
credibility of the writer whom we don’t know, but on
the ideas themselves.
2. We tend to build abstract systems of ideas not
related to daily life.
3. Missionaries often guilty of teaching ideas unrelated
to daily life—more concerned about right theology
than practical living.
4. Jesus taught in practical parables
•
Oral people listen to someone they respect—
communication is tied to the person
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c. Storage of Information in Writing
• NAs trust a written message: invest in school,
books, magazines with little thought given to the
traditional non-literate forms of communication
• Much of world depends on oral information
stored in songs, proverbs, riddles, stories,
drama, dance, ritual and oratory.
– They do not have to become literate to become a
Christian
– We do not have to wait the 15 years to translate the
Bible
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d. Emphasis on Knowledge
• With information storage in written form great
value on knowledge
– Those who acquire it are given high status. Science
would be impossible without it.
– Often this is divorced from life—Faith is usually
described in terms of knowledge rather than
discipleship.
– To many understanding the gospel is a verbal assent,
rather than giving our lives in obedience.
• Oral cultures prize wisdom—the ability to deal
with everyday life, the skill of knowing how to
live. Many illiterates are very wise.
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e. Systematic
• Writing allows us to organize much information
and rework them.
– Divorces rational thought from feeling. Printed page
cannot communicate emotion like an oral
presentation.
– We stress long rang planning, logical development of
educational program.
• In oral societies life is experienced for what it
really is—a series of interruptions—though
systematic thinking is necessary for leadership
to guide young believers.
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Missionary Bias
1. Not everyone is effected by all we’ve discussed
2. Our way of thinking is very deeply held and is
assumed correct
3. Important to recognize the extent of our cultural
bias and understand others are the result of a
different set of bias
4. We don’t have to give up our assumptions
because we need them to organize our
thoughts.
5. Our cultural assumptions may run contrary to
the Bible. We are not a Christian culture though
highly influenced by it.
6. If we confuse our gospel with our culture we will
introduce a culturally-bound gospel to others. 17