VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FALCUTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES BÙI THANH HUỆ A VIETNAMESE- AUSTRALIAN INTERCULTURAL STUDY ON HAPTICS IN COMMUNICATION NGHIÊN CỨU LIÊN VĂN HÓA VIỆT-ÚC VỀ CÁC HÀNH VI ĐỘNG CHẠM TRONG GIAO TIẾP M. MINOR THESIS Field: ENGLISH LINGUISTICS Code: 60.01 Hanoi-2013 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HA NOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FALCUTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES BÙI THANH HUỆ A VIETNAMESE- AUSTRALIAN INTERCULTURAL STUDY ON HAPTICS IN COMMUNICATION NGHIÊN CỨU LIÊN VĂN HÓA VIỆT-ÚC VỀ CÁC HÀNH VI ĐỘNG CHẠM TRONG GIAO TIẾP M. MINOR THESIS Field: ENGLISH LINGUISTICS Code: 60. Huỳnh Anh Tuấn Hanoi-2013 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com DECLARATION This thesis is a presentation of my original research work.
Wherever contributions of others are involved, every effort is made to indicate this clearly, with due reference to the literature, and acknowledgement of collaborative research and discussions. The work was done under the guidance of Dr. Huynh Anh Tuan. The research was approved by the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
Hanoi, October 18th, 2013 Bui Thanh Hue i LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my gratitude to all those who gave me the possibility to make my thesis reach an end. I would like to express my faithful gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Huynh Anh Tuan for his patient guidance, stimulating suggestions and encouragement throughout my research. I wish to thank all the staff members of the Faculty of Post Graduate Studies, University of Languages and International Studies, VNU for providing me the best environment to fulfill my thesis.
Especially, my sincere thanks send to my friend Vu Thi Kim Huong, Vice Director of Atlantic Company and Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, an oversea student in Australia for their helping me to contact Australian informants. I am greatly indebted to my friends for their assistance of collecting data and conducting interview without which this study could not have been successful. Last but not least, I would like to express my special thanks to my family who offered me their love, care, support and encouragement so that I could accomplish my study. Hanoi, October 2013 ii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com ABSTRACT This study aims to investigate haptics in communication of Vietnamese and Australian people, examine the cultural values of the Vietnamese and the Australian that influence norms of haptics in communication, and make comparison and contrast of touching behavior between the two cultures.
It also raises an awareness of cultural differences in intercultural communication and gives some suggestions to lessen the possibility of haptics miscommunication. The data collection tools used in this study included observations and interviews. Then contrastive analysis was carried out to clarify both similarities and differences in haptics between the two cultures: Vietnamese and Australian. The major findings of the study showed that both Vietnamese and Australian people share some similar perceptions of haptics in communication.
For example, they feel quite free to practice some touching behavior with their relatives and close friends like holding hands, linking/locking arms, hugging shoulder, hugging waist, etc., or only hand-shaking with someone they do not know much of or meet at the first time; and they feel more pleasant to touch or get touched by others of the same sex more than those of the opposite sex. Besides, the study also denoted some differences in touching norms between the Vietnamese and the Australian cultures. Australian people seem to be more comfortable to touch each other in communication, and not to pay much attention to sex distinction when touching their relatives or close friends. On the other hand, Vietnamese people‟s touching behavior tends to be influenced by sex distinction.
They touch their relatives or friends of the same sex more freely than they touch those of the opposite sex. Based on the findings of the study, some discussions and implications were made along with recommended suggestions for further research. iii LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION. Aim and objectives of the study.
Scope of the study. Methods of the study. Structure of the study. Cross-cultural Communication vs.
Definitions of communication. Cross-cultural Communication vs.Definitions of nonverbal communication .Classification of nonverbal behavior .Functions of nonverbal behavior .The importance of nonverbal behavior .Haptics in communication .Definitions of Haptics .Classification of Haptics .The role of Haptics in communication. 14 iv LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.Haptics culture: high-contact, low-contact, and medium-contactb cultures. An overview of survey approach.
Data collection method. Data analysis method. RESULT AND DISCUSSION .he findings from observation. Touching behavior of the Vietnamese and the Australian.
Touching behavior in communication between the Vietnamese and the Australian. Major similarities and differences in haptics between the Vietnamese and the Australian .The findings from interview. The findings from interviews with the Vietnamese. The findings from interviews with the Australian.
Major similarities and differences in the Vietnamese and the Australian’s perception of haptics in communication .Discussion on the findings. Cultural values of the Vietnamese influence their norms of haptics in communication. Cultural values of the Australian influence their norms of haptics in communication. 41 v LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.Suggestions for more effective intercultural communication .Limitations of the study and suggestions for further study.
I vi LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART A: INTRODUCTION 1. Rationale “We should never denigrate any other culture but rather help people to understand the relationship between their own culture and the dominant culture. When you understand another culture or language, it does not mean that you have to lose your own culture. Hall In the wake of globalization, people of different nations nowadays become closer and closer.
The academic study of intercultural communication focuses on the interactions between people from different cultures. Misunderstandings and conflicts happen in various aspects of intercultural communication such as linguistic differences, diverging stereotypes, social roles and belief systems. The intercultural studies assume the responsibility of facilitating resolution to intercultural communication problems. In fact, people often not only interact with each other by words but also a range of touching behavior to express their intents.
The combination of verbal and nonverbal language in communication sometimes creates culture shock and communication breakdown because every culture has its own norms and customs and has a different way of communicating with its members. Haptics-touching behavior is considered to play an important role in communication because it can replace words to express speakers‟ feelings, greetings and opinions and reduce cognitive burden for speakers. Moreover, haptics can help listeners facilitate comprehension of a spoken message as well as convey thoughts not presented in speech. However, Toomey (1998) emphasized that different cultures have different expectations as to who should touch whom in different interaction scenes.
It is due that touching behavior is habitual and routine, thus people tend to use it unconsciously and spontaneously. The meaning of each touch depends upon the individuals involved, the context in which the act is performed, and the cultural backgrounds of the interacting people. Understanding your own culture as well as 1 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com the others‟ is very important for everybody to find it easier to communicate effectively and know the reason why people act in the different ways and avoid unnecessary miscommunication. According to Toomey (1998), the Vietnamese is a member of low-contact cultures and the Australian is a member of moderate-contact cultures, so when people from these two cultures interact with each other, miscommunication always runs the risk of breaking out.
In this study, the touching behavior of the Vietnamese and the Australian will be observed to explore the comparison and contrast in norms of haptics influenced by different cultural values between the Vietnamese and the Australian cultures. It is expected to raise an awareness of cultural differences when interacting across cultures, and then give some suggestions to lessen the possibility of haptics miscommunication. Aim and objectives of the study This study is carried out with the aim of making comparison and contrast between the Vietnamese and the Australian cultures of haptics, so it is expected to fulfill the following specific objectives: Investigating the similarities and differences of haptics in communication between Vietnamese and Australian people Raising an awareness of cultural differences when interacting across cultures Making contribution to avoiding intercultural problems of haptics in communication by giving some suggestions 3. Scope of the study This study discusses the topic of nonverbal communication.
Extra- linguistically, the study especially emphasizes on haptics communication in the two cultures: Vietnamese and Australian. 2 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail. Research questions To satisfy the purpose of the study, two research questions, which are suitable and applicable of viewing the norms of haptics in communication between the Vietnamese and the Australian under the cultural perception, are raised. Therefore, it is expected to seek answers to the following questions: 1.
How do Vietnamese and Australian people practice their haptics in communication? 2. What cultural values influence the norms of touching behavior of Vietnamese and Australian people? 5. Method of the study The study was carried by using observations and interviews as the tools to collect the data from a sample of the Vietnamese and the Australian. Videos on Youtube were used to observed how Vietnamese and Australian people practice their touching behavior.
The interviews with the Vietnamese and Australian informants were conducted to understand more about their perceptions of haptics in communication. Structure of the study This study consists of three parts: Introduction, Development and Conclusion. Part A: Introduction- presents the reasons for carrying out this study, defines the specific purposes, research questions, the scope of the study and the outline of the study. Part B: Development- consists of 3 chapters: 3 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com Chapter 1: Literature Review - provides the theoretical background needed for the study and reviews some previous studies which is related to the topic of the study.
Chapter 2: Methodology - discusses the methodology for this study and the procedure for carrying out the research such as the selection of the sample, the data collection procedures, and the data analysis. Chapter 3: Result and Discussion - reports the results of the data analysis and discussion. Part C: Conclusion- draws some conclusions from all the findings and proposes some implications for more effective intercultural communication. These are followed by the limitations of the study, and some suggestions for further studies.
Following Part C is References listing all reference books or materials. The final section of the thesis contains the appendices that show all documents serving this research. 4 LUAN VAN CHAT LUONG download : add luanvanchat@agmail.com PART B: DEVELOPMENT CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW 1. Cross-cultural Communication vs.
Definitions of communication To understand communication in its relation to intercultural communication, Martin and Nakayama (2004) analyzed Carey (1989)‟s definition of communication: “Communication may be understood as a “symbolic process whereby reality is produced, maintained, repaired and transformed” (p. This definition views communication as: Communication is symbolic: this means that we use symbols that carried both verbal and nonverbal meanings to interact with each other. We often assume that the other person shares the exact message we send, but in fact, the communicated messages can be misunderstood due to the different cultural backgrounds and experiences of the communicators. Communication is the process by which we negotiate meaning is dynamic: it means that people are actively taken part in communication process.
The message of a communication is unstably sent and received, which relies on the context in which communicators are creating, maintaining, repairing, or transforming reality. Cross-cultural Communication vs.