In January 2019, I visited a University in Hong Kong, where I collaborated on a group project with their Interior Design students. It taught me just how universally understood designing was, as I was able to communicate and connect with Chinese talking students through it.
This experience inspired topics explored in my Dissertation about cross-cultural understanding, shown below is a selected section from it:
Referring back to the theory of dispersion and consolidation, Jonathan (1995) reiterates that what the population needs to understand, during the cross-cultural educating process, is that if one compares the way they look compared to someone from across the globe, they tend to look significantly different. This should be seen as a tool to distinguish different nationalities, rather than associating it with biological differences.
Locke (1947) supports and encourages cross-cultural understanding and consolidation due to suggesting that the main source of internal cultural growth and economic development is from external contact. This is nurtured by the attempt to influence social opinion and conduct in an informal manner, allowing users to absorb and challenge the information being translated. This process results in developing key communication skills including fairness and tolerance, as discussed by Sugiyama (1990).
Cross-cultural understating supports the majority of facilities. On a business level, Zofi (2017) says that this would aid staff to effectively communicate and collaborate with people from different cultural backgrounds, to ensure maximum productivity and business success.
Sugiyama (1990) reported that, although perhaps not immediately perceptible, cross-cultural understanding and relations will have a positive long term domino effect, which will endure future positive attitudes and relationships on a global scale. He continues to quote:
“A great deal of individual and national energy is being expended in areas of negativity. We are
physically and psychologically tired of the constant friction of trying to win over others. We are
using up our energies on one another. By combining our positive energies in one direction, we can work for the benefit of the world… Without a doubt our combined positive energies are strong enough to solve the environmental problems confronting us today. Acid rain, the wanton destruction of rain forests, and the gradual deterioration of the ozone layer, are all issues we must address together to ensure global security.”(17)
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