CROSS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

CULTURAL CONFLICT
 PREFACE
Praise our thanks for the grace and blessings of God Almighty. With His
ease and grace, we were able to complete the “Cultural Conflict” paper.

We have compiled this paper to meet the requirements for assignment

scores in the Cross Cultural Understanding course at the Teacher Training and
Education Faculty, Prof. Muhammadiyah University. Dr. Hamka. We also
especially say thank you to our parents who always give us their encouragement
and support and prayers that always accompany us.

We, as compilers are aware of the imperfections and deficiencies in this

report, both in terms of the drafting system and the results of the paper. Therefore,
we sincerely hope for constructive criticism and suggestions in order to develop
our knowledge as compilers of joint papers and better support for future papers.

Jakarta, 11 Januari 2021

Authors
 TABLE OF CONTENT

PREFACE…………………………………………………………………………
………2
TABLE OF CONTENT...........................................................................................3
CHAPTER I.............................................................................................................4
INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................4
A. Background...................................................................................................4
B. Problem Formulation....................................................................................4
C. Purpose of the Paper.....................................................................................4
CHAPTER II............................................................................................................5
THEORY AND DISCUSSION...............................................................................5
A. Culture...........................................................................................................5
B. Cross-Cultural...............................................................................................5
C. Cultural Conflict...........................................................................................5
I. The Cause of Cultural Conflict.................................................................6
II. Dealing with Cultural Conflict All kinds of Cultural Conflicts................7
CHAPTER III........................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION......................................................................................................10
REFERENCES.......................................................................................................11
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

A. Background
Cross cultural understanding as a matter of cross-cultural from various parts of the
world that exist. One of them is the "Cultural Conflict" which often occurs between
different cultures from different countries. In intercultural communication, people will
deal with different perception, attitudes, and interpretations. Even two people from the
same culture can have communication problems.

Therefore, we create this paper to explain what cultural conflict is and how to deal
with it. The cross cultural understanding course for students majoring in English is very
much needed, not only the language that must be studied but knowing foreign cultures is
also needed, especially when one day someone is going abroad so it can be said that they
can adapt without taking a long time. In this case, cross cultural understanding is needed.
Thus, this paper is made to make it easier for students to understand cross cultural
understanding, especially about cultural conflict.

B. Problem Formulation
1. What is meant by cultural conflict?
2. What is the cause of cultural conflict?
3. How to dealing with cultural conflict?
4. What kinds of cultural conflicts?

C. Purpose of the Paper

1. Knowing the definition about cultural conflict.
2. to know more what is the cause of cultural conflict
3. How to dealing with cultural conflict all kinds of cultural conflicts
 CHAPTER II

THEORY AND DISCUSSION

A. Culture
According to Gurito, “Culture indicates all aspects that members of a group
share together. Children learn ways of doing things, ways of talking, smiling,
laughing, liking and disliking things. Culture determines people’s action, their social
relationship and their morality.” Triandis (1994) also defined Culture is a shared
meaning system, found among those who speak a particular language dialect, during a
specific historic period, and in a definable geographic region.

B. Cross-Cultural
Cross culture is a concept that recognizes the differences among business
people of different nations, backgrounds. and ethnicities, and the importance of
bridging them. According to Jant (2004: 39), cross cultural generally refers to
comparing phenomena across culture. Thus, a cross-cultural study of women’s roles
in society would compare what women actually do in diverse culture.

C. Conflict

According to David L. Austin (1972), "It can be defined as a disagreement

between two or more individuals or groups, with each individual or group trying to
gain acceptance of its view or objectives over others". Soerjono Soekanto (2006) also
stated that conflict is difference or conflict between individuals that occur because of
different interests, as well there is an attempt to fulfill the goal by opposing the
opposing party accompanied by threats or violence.

D. Cultural Conflict
According to Umi Pujiyanti & Fatkhunaimah Rhina Zulianti (2014), Cultural
conflict occurs as a result of ethnocentrism, misinterpretation, and streotypr.
Dahrendorf (1976) also stated Cultural conflict is a failed acculturation process
between the two community or so that own the system different cultures, religions and
ethnicities. According to Hemming (1990) Behaviors and practices in one cultural
group are considered abnormal in another group. The individual moving from one
group to another will need to face and resolve this conflict. Cultural conflict can also
be said to occur when two people assign different meaning to the same word or
behaviours, or when we assume that members of two culture groups assign the same
cultural meaning to words or behaviours.
 Intercultural communication is communication between members of different cultures. In
intercultural communication, people will deal with different perception, attitudes, and
interpretations. Even two people from the same culture can have communication problems.
The obvious way we communicate is by using words. However, as we have seen, we also use
non-verbal communication: our tone of voice, body language, gestures, posture and facial
expressions all impact on communication. Often people think that the use of gestures and
facial expressions will be sufficient to convey an accurate message, without regard for the
different rules of non-verbal communication which may apply in the other person‘s culture.
However, just as verbal communication rules differ across cultures, so too do the rules of
non-verbal communication. These rules are specific to each culture and are largely taken for
granted. We respond to these rules without being aware of them. Therefore it is important to
be aware that our own nonverbal communication might be insulting to others. For example,
in some cultures, maintaining constant eye contact while talking is interpreted as
disrespectful, meanwhile other cultures see it as a sign of honesty and confidence.

I. The Cause of Cultural Conflict

Occurs as a result of ethnocentrism, misinterpretation, and stereotype.

 Ethnocentrism often entails the belief that one's own race or ethnic group is the most
important or that some or all aspects of its culture are superior to those of other
groups. Within this ideology, individuals will judge other groups in relation to their
own particular ethnic group or culture, especially with concern to language, behavior,
customs, and religion.
According to Alo Liliweri (2013) ethnocentrism is a notion that every adherent of a
culture or group within an ethnic group considers superior to that of considers.
Speaker from different cultures assume that what they believe is right, because they
have grown up thinking their way is the best and this may result in negative attitudes
and judgments toward other cultures. These ethnocentrism attitudes because people
become critical of individuals from different cultures. For instance, in 2001 there was
a customary war between the Asmat and Dani tribes, each of which felt that their
ethnicity was the right one and must be respected. Indigenous wars lasted for years.
Because until part loses or gets stronger and outperforms the other, the war will never
end.
 Misinterpretation happens because people fail to interpret the verbal and non-verbal
communication correctly. As we know that non-verbal language is more difficult than
verbal language because one culture to another has different sign and meaning
system. The non-verbal symbols or cues we provide create meaning for others. The
non-verbal expressions of each culture will certainly be different from other cultures.
This difference is what cause the misinterpretation of non-verbal signs and symbols
 which can lead failure in intercultural communication. The example of verbal
misinterpretation that occur are due to different perceptions of something because
every culture has different views in assessing an object or event. Hindus consider the
cow animal to be a sacred animal, while non-Hindus consider the cow as an ordinary
animal. These different perspectives on cows can create misunderstandings and spur
conflict. A non-Hindu who says something about cows can be seen as insulting what
they consider sacred when there is no sense of self-cultural awareness in him. This
can lead to misunderstandings that lead to hostility. While, for the non-verbal
misinterpretation example, in Indonesia pointing at something using the index finger
is considered impolite, while in America pointing using the index finger is something
that is considered normal.
 Stereotypes are generalizations of people groups based on past experiences, which
are deep-rooted in the psyche of the people. These stereotypes develop from jokes,
textbooks, movies, and television. Stereotypical beliefs prevent us from seeing people
as individual with unique characteristics. Negative stereotype may lead to prejudice,
suspicion intolerance or hatred toward members of other cultural groups. For
example, the stereotype of the Batak tribe, the Batak people are famous for their loud
voice volume and high tone of voice so that there is a stereotype that their character is
like that, loud and rough. In fact, although most of them are, it is not certain that the
Batak people we meet are of such character, so it is not appropriate for us to behave in
accordance with existing stereotypes. Another stereotype, in contrast to the Batak
ethnicity, namely the Sundanese ethnicity, from the sound of the Sundanese people
are famous for their soft and flowing voices so that there are positive stereotypes that
their characters are gentle and polite and there are negative stereotypes that they lack
power or lack enthusiasm when doing activities. So, because of these stereotypes,
when we meet Batak or Sundanese people, prejudices arise so that our behavior
adapts to these stereotypes even though it is not certain that the Batak or Sundanese
people we meet are people who are stubborn, selfish, hardworking etc. This is the
danger if we behave according to prevailing stereotypes and which can lead to
cultural conflict.

II. Dealing with Cultural Conflict All kinds of Cultural Conflicts

As the result of ethnocentrism, misinterpretation, and stereotype can be prevented by
increasing awareness of our own attitude and sensitivity to cross cultural differences.
Cross-cultural conflict

Now we will look at how you define, recognise and respond to challenging cross-cultural
situations in the workplace. While a challenging situation may be similar to a cross-
cultural misunderstanding, there are a number of key differences to be aware of.

Case Study

Tina (originally from Malaysia): I have worked with a number of Fijians and sometimes
I would touch their curly hair and tell them how nice and soft it feels. Then one day, I
found out that in their culture, you’re not supposed to touch people on the head—only
the chief can do that.

Sala (originally from Fiji): When I came here to Australia years ago, people at work
would feel my hair. It made me uncomfortable. We don’t go around touching people on
the head in my Fijian culture. But not just that…if we walk into a room and there are
people sitting on the floor, we always excuse ourselves and stoop a bit as we walk past
them so we’re not towering so much over them. We also avoid reaching near their head
for something.

Later on, when they found out, they stopped touching my hair. They were curious about
how my hair feels as it’s very curly.

Mary (originally from Ireland): In the Fijian culture touching hair is NOT done. I’m
guilty of having done this on many occasions, because I have been friends with Fijians at
work. I would run my fingers through their hair and say ‘How I love your hair!’ or
something like that. Never for a minute did I think that I was making my friends
uncomfortable.

According to Hemming (1990) , this is how to responding a cross-cultural conflict:

Step 1, Keep your cool—try not to respond emotionally or control your emotional.

Step 2, Tell the person promptly, clearly and calmly that you find their actions upsetting.
The important thing to remember here is that the person understands you find their
actions, not them offensive. A good response would be: ‘Please do not say that to me, I
find it offensive and upsetting’. This response is clear, direct, and does not attack the
person. It addresses the action. If your response is directed to the person, they are likely
to get defensive, a situation not likely to work in your favour.

Step 3, If the person apologises, accept their apology.

Step 4, If they don't apologise, let it go once.

Step 5, If the offensive behaviour happens again, action needs to be taken.

Step 6, The action taken will depend on the parties involved. Step 6 will change
depending on who is involved in the conflict situation. We will now look at responses for
the range of possible parties in the health care setting.

According to Umi Pujiyanti and Fatkhunaimah Rhina Zulianti (2014), There are
some ways dealing with cultural conflict:

- If we are subjected to upsetting or offensive behavior, or if you witness such a thing

happening to someone else, clearly, firmly and simply state that the behavior is upsetting.

- If the behavior is offensive, but not threatening or aggressive, whether the person
apologises or says nothing, let it go the first time.

- If the behaviour is threatening or aggressive, or if the offensive behaviour recurs, tell

someone.

- If we feel unable to confront the situation directly, or if we are unsure about whether or
not to act upon something promptly, discuss the issue with someone such as a friend,
colleague, supervisor, employee advisor, or councelor.

- No matter who is involved in the negative interaction, whether the offensive behaviour
is directed at us or we witness it happen to someone else, it is important that some action
is taken promptly.
 CHAPTER III

CONCLUSION

Cultural conflicts can be prevented if we increase our awareness of our own attitudes
and learn to be sensitive to cross-cultural differences. However, if we develop intercultural
sensitivity, it does not mean that we need to lose our cultural identities-but rather that we
recognize cultural influences within ourselves and within others. By understanding other
cultures well, we could respect other cultures and reduce cultural conflicts that might occur in
intercultural communication.
 REFERENCES

Cross cultural Understanding Dra. Rahayu Dwi Riyanti. M.A (PDF)

Hemming, P. (1990). Cultural Awareness. National Centre for Vocational Education Research
(NCVER), 38(5), 223–226.
Humaedi, M. A. (2014). Kegagalan Akulturasi Budaya dan Isu Agama dalam Konflik Lampung. Analisa,
21(2), 149. https://doi.org/10.18784/analisa.v21i02.11

Triandis, H. C. (2000). Culture and Conflict. Psychological Science, 35(2), 145–152.

Irwandi, C. R. . &. (2017). Analisis Konflik Antara Masyarakat ,. Vol.7 No.2.

https://www.kompasiana.com/evanurkhofifah/5c6b704c12ae9417350e6af5/apa-itu-stereotip-
bagaimana-contoh-konkritnya

https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/organization/conflict-management/conflict-meaning-
features-transitions-and-other-details-2/63981#:~:text=Conflict%20arises%20when
%20individuals%20or,view%20or%20objectives%20over%20others.%E2%80%9D

https://dosensosiologi.com/contoh-stereotip/

https://www.dosenpendidikan.co.id/etnosentrisme-adalah/

https://hukamnas.com/contoh-konflik-budaya-di-indonesia#:~:text=Adapun%20alaan
%20konflik%20antara%20kedua,kepada%20rakyat%20aceh%20yang%20diingkari

https://brainly.co.id/tugas/13216685

http://uir.unisa.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10500/1000/Dissertation.pdf?
sequence=1&isAllowed=y

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242598393_CROSS-CULTURAL_CONFLICT

https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/ctccs/projects/translating-
cultures/documents/journals/cross-cultural-conflict.pdf

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/216728434.pdf

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/52068662.pdf

https://media.neliti.com/media/publications/177357-EN-cross-cultural-conflicts-in-not-
without.pdf