Cultural “Self” Awareness & Self-Introductions

This week’s class made me think about cultural “self” awareness. According to the Cultural Iceberg Model, culture is not only visible things like language, greetings, or self-introductions, but also hidden values and assumptions (Edward T. Hall, 1976). Before studying abroad, I often thought my own way of communicating was natural. However, living in Japan made me realize that “normal” depends on culture.

I also realized that different forms of self-introduction and first communication are not only surface differences. Over time, they may also shape how people think, judge others, and understand themselves in each culture.

When meeting others for the first time, Chinese people may seem friendly quite quickly. We often ask questions, use jokes, or try to become closer through personal topics. However, this does not mean Chinese communication is always truly open. 

I do not mean to criticize my homeland or defend other countries but in my experience, Chinese people are often curious about people who are different (not only foreigners but also people from other regions of China). This curiosity can make them easy to approach, but sometimes I feel that some people are curious about others only in order to conclude that their own way is better, for no reason. 

At the same time, Chinese people are often generous in praising others and like creating an atmosphere where “everyone is fine”. For example, many country names are translated into Chinese with beautiful and positive characters. However, there can still be a sense like “you’re all good, but we’re the best”, a center-oriented way of thinking which is even reflected in the name “中国” meaning “the central country of the world”.

Meanwhile, Japanese people sometimes seem to have less curiosity about the outside world. In Japan, first meetings are usually more careful and polite. Even self-introductions often follow a certain pattern - my Japanese classmates also agreed with this in our class discussion. This made me wonder: how curious are Japanese, or just all people from other countries, about the wider world? When people ask questions about others, is it simply because they are curious, or is there another purpose behind it? The answer may be different in each culture.

The videos, especially Conan O’Brien’s experiences, also showed cultural differences clearly. Although Conan’s show includes exaggeration, humor can make hidden cultural differences more visible. This connects to Social Identity Theory, which explains how people understand themselves through group identity (Tajfel & Turner, 1979).

Overall, I learned that intercultural understanding starts from noticing my own assumptions before judging others.

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