How to become a bicultural person
Graduation Thesis
Presented to
The Faculty of the Department of
English Language and Literature
Notre Dame Seishin University
In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirement for the Degree
Bachelor of Arts
by
Shiori Yamaguchi
2013
1
Contents
Abstract3
Chapter One:Introduction
1.1 Introduction 4
1.2 What is bicultural, biculturalism?5
1.2.1 The definition of bicultural, biculturalism5
1.2.2 Benefits of being bicultural6
1.2.3 Different types of being bicultural6
1.2.4 Different stages of being bicultural (Acculturation) 9
1.2.5 Different stages of being bicultural (Bennett scales) 12
1.3 Bi-cultural's attitude to bi-culturalism 14
1.4 Research Questions 14
1.5 Summary 15
Chapter Two: The Study
2.1 Introduction 16
2.2 The Questionnaire 16
2.2.1 Aim16
2.2.2 Subjects17
2.2.3 The Questionnaire17
2.2.4 Procedure17
2.3 Result18
2.3.1 Introduction 18
2.3.2 The Background and Results 18
2.4 Language and Culture 21
2.4.1 Introduction 21
2.4.2 The best way 23
2.5 Summary 29
Chapter Three: Discussion
3.1 Introduction 30
3.2 Summary of the questionnaire30
3.3 Discussion of the results30
3.4 Discussion of the questionnaire 31
3.5 Limitations of the questionnaire 37
3.6 Conclusions 38
References 39
Appendices 40
Abstract
As the world is becoming globalized, we have many chances to go abroad for business and meet people from all over the world. We also have chances to meet foreign people in Japan more than before. This paper incorporates how to have and combine the understanding of different cultures and become a bicultural person. We will discuss the results with the subjects’ experiences and thinking.
In Chapter One, we looked at what it is generally said about a bicultural, bicultural person, thebenefits of being a bicultural person, thechallenges to become a bicultural person and thedifferent stages of feeling and reacting when people are in different countries and cultures.
In Chapter Two, we looked at the results of the questionnaire given to people who have never been overseas, those who have been overseas, and those who already have become bicultural. The subjects’ overseas experiences are stated. The results of the subjects’ thinking about different language, culture, motivation, attitude and nationalism and the results of the questionnaire were stated.
In Chapter Three, we discussed the results of the questionnaire in detail also we discussed the research questions. We found out that people who have never been overseas are less interested in understanding different languages, cultures than other people who have been overseas and those who already become bicultural. Also, the motivation of people who have been overseas and already become bicultural are higher than other people who have never been overseas. The results of case studies were stated and we discussed each research question.We found that getting much information before going overseas would help you not to stay “Denial of Difference” stage, “Defense against Difference” stage or getting culture shock in the foreign countries.
Chapter One: Introduction
1.1 Introduction
Nowadays, many Japanese people go abroad for various reasons. For example, they go abroad to study English, for business, sightseeing and so on.Some people live in foreign countries for a few months or over a year. They learn languages and a lot of new cultures. On the other hand, many people from all over the world also come to Japan for the same reasons. There are many chances to meet and communicate with foreign people in Japan and also in foreign countries. Also, some people migrate to different countries and communicate with people from different cultures. They may feel some cultural differences, culture shock and cultural stress. To deal with it, and overcome difficultiesand have a good relationship with foreign people in Japan or in foreign countries, the best way is to know, understand, accept different cultures and finally respect them. To become a bicultural person would help us to understand different cultures.
However, some people have never been abroad or have no chance to go to foreign countries. Even if they are interested in foreign countries and try to understand different cultures, they probably don’t know other cultures that much. So we are going to investigate whether there are any differences about thinking and motivation to become bicultural between people who have been abroad, andthose who have never been. Also we will look at some people who have already becomebicultural.
Moreover, we are going to look at the best way to become biculturals. Even if we are in Japan, we would be able to becomebicultural because the world is globalizing. We are going to look at what people have already said so far about being biculturals in this chapter.
1.2 What is bicultural, biculturalism?
1.2.1 The definition of bicultural, biculturalism
Biculturalism has been defined in a number of ways. There are some examples.
Biculturalism is more than being functionally competent in two cultures, it is both a behavioral and psychological orientation in life.Willgerodt, Miller,andMcElmurry(2002)
Most generally, biculturalism represents comfort and proficiency with both one's heritage culture and the culture of the country or region in which one has settled. It is applicable not only to immigrants who have come from other countries, but also to children of immigrants who – although they are born and raised in the receiving society – are likely deeply embedded in the heritage culture at home with their families. Schwartz Unger(2010)
People define biculturalism in various ways. Approximately, biculturalism means having and combining two different cultures. There are many Japanese people who have been working, studying in foreign countries or got married to aforeign person and live in Japan or foreign countries. They all have different reasons, however, they live with their own Japanese culture and different cultures. Foreign people who go to different countries have the same situation as well. Sometimes they have to comply with reasons of different cultures when they are in foreign countries, but they have toaccept them and try to do it and behave the same things like people do in different countries. Also, most of them don’t forget their own cultures when they come back to their home country. However, some people need more time than others to get into the different cultures and some people lose their own culture easily. They experience many things and try to acculturate them on their own pace.
Biculturals handle their own culture and also different cultures.Biculturals would intermingle their heritage and cultural things and pay attention to practices, values, and identifications. This means that biculturalism implies not only behaving in ways consistent with the two cultural contexts but also holding values from one's heritage and receiving cultural streams as well as identifying with both cultures.
1.2.2 Benefits of being bicultural
Having more than two different cultures to handle is not easy, however, there are many benefits to becoming bicultural. McCarty (2011) says that bicultural make society and people affluent.Biculturals have flexible ways of thinking because they experience a lot of things and know something what non-biculturals don’t know. It helps people when they make decision or discuss something.
Corey, (2010)says that there are a lot of things you never thought that you could do or find opportunities to try, but add another culture to the mix and we are bound to discover hidden talents.There are other examples. Bicultural have a more diverse friendship than non-bicultural. They will have and enjoy new foods, clothes and will meet people they would never have had the chance before. We can find a lot of benefits of being bicultural in many situations.
1.2.3 Different types of being bicultural
As we saw before, people have different paces to acculturate and also different character, attitude, motivation, thinking, actions and so on are influenced on their acculturation and being bicultural. According to Schumann (1976) and Brown (1994), we can separate people into three different types to become bicultural. People have different characters, attitudes and thinking so we are different from each other. Here are the three different types of being bicultural and average of their character, thinking and so on.
First, Schumann(1976) said that circumstances affect their adaptation into the different cultures. He also said that people who don’t try to adapt to the different cultures and those who are unsociable can’t become bicultural easily. These type of people are said to have aPerservation Pattern.
Even if they go to foreign countries, they tend to withdraw into their shell and live unsociably. Japanese tourists and some business men who take up posts in foreign country shortly, leaving their families behind in their home country, are often fall into this pattern. They try to gather into their own culture as much as possible in different cultures. For example some Japanese people who study abroad gather with other Japanese and they believe that Japanese culture is better than other cultures. They don’t try to communicate with foreign people so that their English skills don’t improve at all. They often eat Japanese food and speak Japanese all the times except their business or studying times. This is the way they try not to get culture shock and how to defend. This pattern of people focus on bad or inconvenient culture of different countries and compare them with only Japanese good and convenient culture. They speak broken English, which means they have some English skill so that they won’t have any troubles when they go shopping and they can live in English speaking countries without having problems. But even if they live in foreign countries over ten years, some people can’t read newspapers or catch what the speaker says in the radio.
Second, Schumann (1976) also said that some people who adapt tothe different cultures easily lose their own culture. These kinds of people usually forget and lose their own culture and they said to be inAssimilation Pattern.
These people try to study English really hard and keep away from other Japanese people for example they go to foreign countries which are really far from Japan and there are no other Japanese people there. There are other examples; people who marry foreign person who can’t speak Japanese and live in foreign country where there are no Japanese people. They are put in the different cultures all the time so they behave like a native and tend to believe that the targetculture is better than the home one or believe that the different culture suits them. In this case, they are put in the different culture so their English skill will improve more than others. However, they don’t communicate with home culture people that much. So they generally forget about the home culture so they feel it is hard to go back to and adapt to the home people and culture. Moreover, they sometimes lose their common sense and home culturepeople would keep away from them. They don’t have much communication with home culturepeople, so they would be alone. Also, when they can’t get along with foreign people, they would feel stress and their English skill would not be better. Japanese people who fall into this pattern lose Japanese culture, common sense and furthermore ignore that kind of things. Cummins, (1980) says that this pattern of people who are studying abroad can speak daily English, and talk about concrete things, which is used in a bar or beach, however, they can’t talk about their own idea, their learning or abstract things in English. They are called Gypsy students.
Finally, Brown, (1994) said that if people have small cultural stress, they try to adapt to the different cultures. It means a small cultural stress motivates them. These people are very neutral and are said to be inAcculturation. These people stayneutral by learning different cultures as much as they can and keeping their own culture, which means that they don’t refuse different culture unsociably and try not to lose their own culture and try to keep their own language and culture consciously even if they are in different country and studying language.
1.2.4 Different stages of being bicultural (Acculturation)
When people go abroad, they see, learn and experience different cultures. Some people may feel cultural stress and experience each stages(seeTable 2, Table 3), however, some people would skip some stages because they already have been abroad and know the different cultures. Some of their experiences would them help to acculturate. Table 2 shows us the different stages and feelings, thought and actions of people who go abroad and experience different cultures and how people adapt to the different cultures following different stages which are separated to 4 stages or 6 stages.
Many people would feel some stress when they go abroad and experience the different cultures. They feel disconnected or depress in this stage and this stage is called Isolation stage. However some people have a stage before Isolation stage. It is called Euphoria stage. At this stage, people are enamored by the new culture, sights, foods, experiences and so on. They may look unconfused and distracted. Table 1 shows us the stage, descriptor and example.
Table 1: Euphoria stage
Stage / Descriptor / ExampleEuphoria / “Honeymoon Period” people are enamored by the new culture-its sights, foods, experiences. / When people go abroad and see the new culture, they would be excited and enjoy the different cultures.
Source:
People who have been abroad to study English for a short term or who went abroad for their travel and business for a few days must have experienced the euphoria stage. They saw new cultures and learned different things overseas which they had never experienced before. They would be surprised and excited in the new cultures. Usually they will accept
new cultures.
After a while, however, they would see and notice not only good things but also bad things. They notice some differences and that causestress or difficulties. They move to next stage. Table 2 shows us four stages and feelings, thought and actions and examples at this stage. From the Table 2, we will learn what the different stages, feeling, thought and actions and finally there are some examples about each stage.
Table 2: Acculturation Continuum
Stage / Feeling, Thought, Actions / ExamplesIsolation / 1. Feeling disconnected
2. Feeling depressed
3. Culture shock
4. Marked language difficulties / When you go abroad, you will feel isolation because you are in the new place, don’t speak English that much and can’t communicate with native people well.
Also you will find it is difficult to get a job there because you don’t speak the language which people speak in the place.
Adaptation / 1. Increased comfort with immediate surroundings
2. Maintaining own traditions
3. Increased ability to teach others from one’s own culture about mainstream culture / You would feel comfortable in the new culture gradually. When you are in the class and your teacher tells you something, you would try to accept it and adapt toit.
On the other hand, if you were asked about your home country and culture, you would tell and teach them.
Biculturalism / 1. Feeling equally comfortable in one’s own group and the mainstream culture
2. Maintaining important traditions from one culture group and incorporating new traditions from mainstream culture / In your home, you speak in your first language, but outside of the house you speak different language.
Also, you communicate with people in different languages. You are getting good at handling two different cultures and languages. You would still maintain your own country’s important traditions.
Assimilation / 1. No language practicing traditional culture activities
2. Language of origin Is not the language most spoken at home
3. Surroundings and social group reflect majority culture / When you are in a foreign country, you would celebrate that country’s cultural traditions and holidays.
Some people would have no connection with their homeland or distant relatives there.
You would speak the language at home which you learned in the new country.
In the Isolation stage, people feel depress or have culture shock because their circumstances change right after they arrived in the different country. However, if people have already been abroad and see, learn and experience different cultures, they would feel less isolation than the people who have never been abroad. In other words, some people would not be in this stage as it depends on their experiences and how they feel and think about the different cultures.
In Adaptation stage, after people felt depressing had culture shock, they would start trying to understand the different cultures. They would increase comfortable with immediate surroundings. If people had never been abroad, some of them would take long time to accept and adapt into the different culture than the people who have been abroad. The time people need to adapt to the new culture depends on their experiences.