Читать книгу Intercultural Interactions for Health Professions / Interkulturelle Begegnungen in Gesundheitsberufen (E-Book) - Samuel van den Bergh - Страница 12

Yusuke Takahashi, a 22-year-old Japanese, and his friend Akhiro Eto, are in Switzerland for the first time. They want to improve their skiing abilities and have booked a week in Arosa. On a nice and sunny day, the ski slopes are very crowded. Yusuke starts to feel more and more overwhelmed and uncomfortable in the crowd, and he is starting to feel stressed. He tries to pay attention to all the other people around him on the ski slopes but soon loses control of his skis and crashes into a rock. Unfortunately, he hits his head and fractures his shoulder. This leads to an unintended visit in the regional Swiss hospital in Chur.

At the hospital, Stephanie, a young nurse, immediately takes care of him. The first morning, she comes into his room to check on him. His friend Akhiro is sitting next to him. Stephanie suggests that he puts on a sweater as she realises that he is shivering. So, she asks Yusuke whether he needs her help because of his painful shoulder. Yusuke does not answer and just looks at her, smiles and tries to do it on his own. Stephanie is puzzled as she cannot fully interpret his facial expression. To her it is a bit of a weird smile. She cannot figure it out. So, she asks him again if he needs any help. He keeps smiling and just answers with a gesture: waving his hand in front of his head. At the same time, he audibly sucks in some air through his teeth. Stephanie leaves the room still feeling puzzled.

Can you help Stephanie with a reasonable explanation?

Please select the alternative(s) which best explain(s) the situation

1.Yusuke feels uncomfortable showing his real emotions in front of his friend Akhiro.

2.Yusuke smiles to hide the pain he feels.

3.Yusuke does not want to accept any help from a younger, inexperienced woman who is still a junior nurse.

4.Yusuke smiles because he does not understand any English and cannot communicate with the nurse.

5.Yusuke is worried about the high costs of staying in a Swiss hospital. He wants to leave as soon as possible and tries to be as independent as possible, ignoring the pain.

Analysis

1.This is a likely explanation, but there is an even better one. It is a fact that many Japanese have the tendency not to show strong emotions in front of strangers because it is considered childish and unrestrained (Petkova, 2015). It makes them feel humiliated and embarrassed. On the other hand, it is possible to show emotions in front of family members or very good friends.

2.This is the most likely explanation. In Japan smiling is often used to hide personal feelings such as pain. It is also a way to avoid making the person in front of them feel sorry for them or feel obliged to help. In addition, in Japan, men usually do not openly reveal their emotions unless strong pain makes them cry. According to Hofstede et al. (2010) Japan is a masculine society where men are supposed to be tough and assertive; displaying weakness is discouraged. Suppressing of emotions is considered socially appropriate behaviour (Petkova, 2015).

Furthermore, in Japan, most people do not say «no» directly. Instead, they move their hand in front of their head like a windscreen wiper. This hand signal usually signifies an indirect no.

Another common way to say «no» is to suck in air through their teeth. This Japanese concept of politeness is often attributed to the high importance of context in Japanese culture (Hall, 1976; Petkova, 2015). Most information in high-context communication is internalised. Politeness is to be maintained by avoiding saying «no» directly. Conversely, most information in a low-context communication style country, such as Switzerland, is externalised. The inclination is to be direct and frank.

3.This could be an explanation, but in the text, there is no indication that Stephanie is a junior nurse. In addition, it is uncertain if gender matters for Yusuke.

4.This explanation is unlikely. Yusuke’s English skills are not mentioned in the text. However, that shouldn’t be a problem, as tourists from Japan are expected to have at least a basic knowledge of English. English is an important subject in the Japanese school system.

5.Again, this explanation is unlikely. There is no information in the text about the costs and whether Yusuke is worried about them. If he can afford skiing holidays in Switzerland, a lack of money is unlikely. Health insurance is compulsory in Japan. Yusuke has insurance which covers all medical costs.