Kinesic

Movement of the body (head, arms, legs, etc.). The initial example from the health centre in Ethiopia was a problem caused by a kinesic sign being used which had different meaning cross culturally. Another example, the British gesture of slitting one's throat implying 'I've had it' or 'I'm in trouble,' conveys quite a different message in Swaziland. It means 'I love you.'

• What does slitting your throat in your culture mean?

• How do you say 'I love you'?

British people make no distinction between gesturing for silence to an adult or to a child. A British person will put one finger to the lips for both, while an Ethiopian will use only one finger to a child and four fingers for an adult. To use only one finger for an adult is disrespectful. On the other hand, Ethiopians make no distinction in gesturing to indicate emphatic negation. They shake their index finger from side to side to an adult as well as to a child, whereas this gesture is used only for children by the British.

• How do you gesture for silence in your culture?

• How do you gesture and emphatic no? Is it the same for adults and for children?

Drawing in the cheeks and holding the arms rigidly by the side of the body means 'thin' in Amharic. Diet-conscious US Americans and British people feel complimented if they are told that they are slim and so may naturally assume that to tell an Ethiopian friend this is also complimentary. Yet in Ethiopia and a number of other countries, this is taken pejoratively, as it is thought better to be heavy-set, indicating health and status and enough wealth to ensure the two.

'Emic' and 'Etic' Approach Task 6 - Differing Values

Read the selection 'Anglo versus Chicano: Why?' In this selection Arthur L. Campa examines cross-cultural differences in Hispanic American and Anglo-American cultures. Whilst you are reading the selection reflect on your cultural values. Identify those differences and complete the following chart. Do your personal values differ from those held by Hispanic Americans and Anglo-Americans? Do you agree with the cultural differences identified by Campa for both groups?

Cross-cultural difference	Anglo American values	Hispanic American values	Your values
Notions of individualism
Conceptions of polite behaviour

Prereading questions

Before reading the selection, ask yourself and/or discuss with your class-mates the following questions.

• What do you know about the history of Spanish and English colonists in the Americas?

• What other two groups of people have shared the same geographic area over a long period of time?

• What might characterize the relations between two groups of people who share the same geographic area?

• How might sharing the same geographic area influence each group?

Text

The cultural differences between Hispanic and Anglo-American people have been dwelt upon by so many writers that we should all be well informed about the values of both. But audiences are usually of the same persuasion as the speakers, and those who consult published works are for the most part specialists looking for affirmation of what they believe. So, let us consider the same subject, exploring briefly some of the basic cultural differences that cause conflict in the Southwest, where Hispanic and Anglo-American cultures meet. Cultural differences are implicit in the conceptual content of the lan-guages of these two civilizations, and their value systems stem from a long series of historical circumstances. Therefore, it may be well to consider some of the English and Spanish cultural configurations before these Europeans set foot on American soil. English culture was basically insular, geo-graphically and ideologically; was more integrated on the whole, except for some strong theological differences; and was particularly zealous of its racial purity. Spanish culture was peninsular, a geographical circumstance that made it a catchall of Mediterranean, central European and North African peoples. The composite nature of the population produced a marked regionalisin that prevented close integration, except for religion, and led to a strong sense of individualism. These differences were reflected in the colo-nizing enterprise of the two cultures. The English isolated themselves from the Indians physically and culturally; the Spanish, who had strong notions about pureza de sangre [purity of blood] among the nobility, were not collectively averse to adding one more strain to their racial cocktail. Cortez led the way by siring the first mestizo in North America, and the rest of the conquistadores followed suit. The ultimate products of these two orientations meet today in the Southwest.

Anglo-American culture was absolutist at the onset; that is, all the dominant values were considered identical for all regardless of time and place. Such values as justice, charity, and honesty were considered the superior social order for all men and were later embodied in the American Constitution. The Spaniard brought with him a relativistic viewpoint and saw fewer moral implications in man's actions. Values were looked upon as the result of social and economic conditions.