However, the Japanese are also familiar with the reaction such moves have on Westerners. Taking such liberties with your accommodation signals that you belong, that you are a member of the family. As a member of the family, the hotel feels they can quietly move you if the need arises. Looking at this same situation from a Japanese cultural perspective, when a person enters a hotel he/she becomes part of a family. Being quite territorial, Westerners want to make sure that a move does not involve moving to a smaller space (Hall:1976:52-54). One is that in Western societies, moves are associated with status – the lowest ranking individual is the one moved. Two variables associated with culture are involved here. During the last week, he was moved again, but this time into another hotel (Hall:1976:50)! ![]() Eventually, when he returned to the hotel instead of just asking for the key to his room, he would ask whether he was in the same room. To his surprise, he is moved two more times, each time without notification. Not wishing to make a fuss, he says nothing. He discovers this by accident and is surprised to find that all his personal items have been placed around the room in almost the identical position to that in which he had put them his first room. After 10 days, without notice, he is moved to another room. For example, Hall tells about an American businessman who registered in a Japanese hotel, telling them he intended to stay for one month. In its many forms, culture therefore designates what we pay attention to and what we ignore (Hall:1976:74). One of the functions of culture is to provide a highly selective screen between man and the outside world. Strangely, what we expect for ourselves in travel is not deemed to be reasonable when we’re the hosts dealing with tourists from other countries. In many third world countries, North Americans seek out joint venture hotels to enjoy North American food and lodging and to be served by people who speak English. ![]() While the host country may offer an authentically different culture, which is one of the reasons people travel, North Americans tourists are notorious for wanting the comforts of home wherever they may be. When Americans and Canadians travel to other countries, they look for Cokes, steaks and hamburgers and the same amenities in hotels and other accommodations that they are used to at home. What happens when people from different cultures interact face-to- face? One way to appreciate the impact of cultural differences is to look in the mirror. Even if tourists share the same language, they may have much different customs and values. But the more interesting question is: Why not? The answer lies in the simple fact that most tourists come from different cultures: some vastly different like those from Japan and China, others less different, such as tourists from Eastern Canada or the United States. Do all tourists identify with Canadian traditions and values? Likely not. When we discuss communication and culture, we should be aware of the total spectrum of communication including language, non-verbal communication, customs, perceived values, and concepts of time and space. ![]() It is the least studied aspects of culture that influence behaviour in the deepest and most subtle ways (Hall, 1976, p. This means personality, how people express themselves (including shows of emotion), the way they think, how they move, how problems are solved, how their cities are planned and laid out, how transportation systems function and are organized, as well as how economic and government systems are put together and function. …man’s medium there is not one aspect of human life that is not touched and altered by culture. By Gerry & Elizabeth Wilson The University of Calgary
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