ASSIGNMENT | cultural misunderstandings

Preparation
To prepare for this assessment, read the Cultural Misunderstandings Scenario linked in the Required Resources. (After reading this scenario, you will create your own dialogue.) Try to understand the \”relationship\” aspect of the two characters, Mariko and Mrs. Thompson. It is important to understand that the characters\’ thoughts described in the dialogue do not determine any specific characteristics of a certain culture. It merely indicates the different perspectives presented by people from different cultural backgrounds. Here, different cultures could be represented by either \”counselor culture\” or \”patient culture.\”
Dialogue 1 portrays some cultural misunderstandings (misperceptions).
Dialogue 2 includes Mariko\’s thoughts and the counselor\’s thoughts.
In each dialogue, \”C\” stands for the counselor, and \”M\” stands for Mariko.
Instructions
Write a 2-page dialogue focusing on cultural misunderstandings or misperceptions between a counselor and a client (or a doctor and a patient). Be sure to include the characters’ thoughts in the dialogue, similar to the second version of the dialogue. Your dialogue must complete the following:
Identify the perspectives of people from different cultural backgrounds.
Explain misunderstandings between people of different cultural backgrounds and how to reduce them.
Describe how to reduce cultural misunderstandings between people of different cultural backgrounds.
Explain the dyadic theory of communication.
In addition to the dialogue, write a 3–5-page paper explaining where the misunderstandings are between the two speakers in the dialogue and why the misunderstandings occurred. Then, provide suggestions for reducing these kinds of misunderstandings.
Additional Requirements
Ensure your finished assessment is 3–5 pages in length, excluding the title page and references page. Also, submit your 1–2-page dialogue as part of this assessment.
Include a title page and a references page.
Include an introductory paragraph and a concluding paragraph.
Include a minimum of two research resources.
Follow the current APA guidelines for style and formatting.
The cultural misunderstanding scenario:Mariko is a foreign student from Japan. About five months have passed since she entered university in the United States. Because she was a diligent student, she received “A” for all the classes she registered in her first semester. Mariko felt so sick one day, and visited Health Service Center of her university to see a doctor. Dr. Smith told Mariko that she had flu. But because her condition did not get any better, she went back to see the doctor a couple of times. When she visited the center today again; however, the receptionist told her to see Mrs. Thompson, the counselor of the center.
[Dialogue 1]
C: Hi, Mariko.
M: Hi, Mrs. Thompson.
C: How are you today? The doctor told me that you had flu. Have you gotten any better?
M: No, I still feel sick. I have a final exam in my speech communication class tomorrow, so I’m worried.
C: How long have you been in the States, Mariko?
M: About five months, Mrs. Thompson.
C: Could you tell me about your life since you came to the U.S.?
M: Well……..I have been studying hard every day.
[Dialogue 2]
[Counselor’s thoughts: Let’s see… foreign student from Japan. It is not usually a good idea to ask Asian students direct questions.]
C: Hi, Mariko.
[Mariko’s thoughts: Why do I have to see the counselor? I wonder if Dr. Smith is not on duty today.]
M: Hi, Mrs. Thompson.
[Counselor’s thoughts: Dr. Smith told me that this student came back to the center again and again. He also told me that her physical condition wasn’t serious at all. Before starting to counsel her, let me make sure she feels all right.]
C: How are you today? The doctor told me that you had flu. Have you gotten any better?
[Mariko’s thoughts: I do not understand why she asks such a question. If I felt better, I wouldn’t be here. Where is Dr. Smith?]
M: No, I still feel sick. I have a final exam in my speech communication class tomorrow, so I’m worried.
[Counselor’s thoughts: O.K., she doesn’t look so sick. But her voice is weak and she looks nervous. She must be a diligent student. Let me ask her simple questions, then she will feel relaxed.]
C: How long have you been in the States, Mariko?
[Mariko’s thoughts: This is a waste of time. If I can’t see the doctor, I want to go home and study.]
M: About five months, Mrs. Thompson.
[Counselor’s thoughts: Usually, sojourners experience depression after spending a couple of months in the host culture. That may be her case. Anyhow, I need to know more about her lifestyle.]
C: Could you tell me about your life since you came to the U.S.?
[Mariko’s thoughts: Oh, no. She started counseling me. I may be suffering from mental illness. I hope she will not tell anyone that I was here…]
M: Well, ……..I have been studying hard every day.
Reference
Wilmot, W. W. (1987). Dyadic communication (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Random House.

SAMPLE SOLUTION

Cultural Misunderstanding

Cultural misunderstanding is a common practice in conversations especially in instances where dialect difference exists. A cultural misunderstanding can occur when words, gestures, communication context or even objects have completely different meanings in different cultures. Such misunderstandings can be the source of conflicts if not well resolved. In healthcare settings for instance, cultural misunderstandings can be a source of misdiagnosis and hence lead to improper healthcare measures being subjected to a patient (Kennedy et al., 2017). Some of the issues that can lead to conflict include differences in Nationalities, difference in perceptions of illness and treatment, miscommunication and misinterpretation of information, differences in cultural practices among others. This essay looks at a typical dialogue that brings out misperceptions between a doctor and patient and a clear explanation of the misunderstanding in the dialogue conversation.

The Perspectives Mrs. Farhan is an Iranian Muslim lady in her late sixties and likes travelling. During the last summer, she opted to visit America for a holiday. Her stay was enjoyable for the first three weeks but she later started experiencing stomach upsets which subjected her to prolonged diarrhea. This must be food poisoning she thought. She even regretted the idea of failing to come with her own food in a freezer as her granddaughter had suggested…