10/26/2021; Week 7: Response to Differences in Manners

 

Differences in Manners

by Aranza Garza 

In the past blog posts, we have discussed different topics referring to cultural differences in many aspects, either emotional, time differences, attributional tendencies, etc. In this post, we will be discussing Differences in Manners. 

In my opinion, just like in personal space differences, manner is a complicated term, we have our general cultural manners that are correct in our society, then we have the subdivision of the state you live in, and then it revolves in your family, and even inside your family, there are differences. To explain my point, I will give you a personal example referring to my sister. My siblings and I grew up in a house where the family came first, and where besides the church's principles, we were expected to be kind and nice to all people. My sister is an honest and distant person that inside my family because of her this, her behavior is seen as rude and unpleasant. 

My sisters' example can be easily applied in a classroom, mostly, in diverse classrooms, there are many students with different paradigms and different personal principles; and if teachers are not aware of the differences they can have, they may find some of their behavior weird or rude, and vice versa, students can find their teachers the same way. 

All cultures have their different traditions and accepted behaviors, some examples can be how in places in the Middle and the Far East showing the soles and point of your shoes is considered an insult, or how in America giving a hard handshake is a good sign, but in other cultures, it is not. These are just a few examples. In diverse classrooms, these differences are very common, and they may not be as the examples above, but they can come from the way we refer to people, or certain words we say and how we say them. 

As teachers (mostly as ESL and TESOL teachers) you can not know every single difference in your students' culture, but it is expected for you to try to learn, to be respectful, and if you committed a mistake to apologize and not repeat it. It is also the teachers' role to teach the students to have the same respect for their classmates' cultures and differences. Remember that each student is different, and even if they come from the same country, they still may have differences. 

Even if you are not a teacher, learning and acknowledging these differences will help you with people from other cultures, and it will help you enrich your home with respect, diversity, and love for others. 

Questions to reflect:

• What kind of behaviors or manners have you seen in other cultures that in yours may be considered rude or different?
• What are some ways you would teach your student and yourself how to be respectful and appreciative of differences?

REFERENCES:

Difference in Manners, BYU Idaho, uploaded by Tim Tanner, (March 19th, 2015), LINK

By: the Editors of Publications International, Ltd. (Updated: April 12, 2021) Howstuffworks ,13 Examples of Good and Bad Manners Around the World, LINK