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How is it different from business practices in your country?
Chapter 10: The German Symphony
1. Was Germany founded earlier or later than other major European nations? Who was
Frederick the Great of Prussia, and how did he and Prussia influence the creation and
development of Germany after 1871? Who was Otto Bismark? Why was Charlemagne in
the 9th century critical to the formation of modern Europe?
2. How does Germany fare in the Hofstede and GLOBE study rankings? What are some of
the key elements of German culture according to these studies?
3. Is the symphony an appropriate metaphor for German culture? Why or why not? To what
extent is an orchestra like German society itself?
around the world. What are some of the common themes of these celebrations?
Chapter 11: Irish Conversations
1. What are the three pillars of Irish culture? Critically evaluate each of them. Which
one is the most important, and why?
2. Describe the relationship between the English and the Irish historically up to the
present time. What is the statute of Kilkenny? Was it enforced? Why or why not?
Chapter 12: The Canadian Backpack and Flag
1. Why is the Canadian maple leaf flag an apt metaphor for Canada? Can you think of
other symbols or cultural practices that might also capture the essence of Canadian
culture? (Beaver, hockey, Mountie)
Chapter 13: Australian Outdoor Recreational Activities
1. What are three of the favorite recreational activities of Australians? How do
they differ from those of U. S. Americans and Britons?
2. Identify one film that best represent Australian culture. Do you agree that High
Noon and Mad Max, as suggested in the chapter, capture the cultures of
Australia and the United States?
Chapter 14: French Wine
1. The distinctive features of the cultural metaphor, French wine, are pureness,
classification, composition, suitability, and maturation. Briefly define each of them.
Also, why is France in the middle of Hall’s context dimension among nations?
5. What is the French attitude toward smiling? Is it the same attitude that U.S. Americans
have? Why or why not?
6. Who was Rene Descartes? Why was he so influential? What areas of French life did
he influence? (English vs French way of thinking)
Chapter 15: American Football
1. What functions do tailgate parties play at football games? Are tailgate parties common
in other sports? Why or why not?
2. Why do commentators either praise lavishly or criticize strongly the game of American
Football? Are other sports subject to such extreme reactions? If yes, why? If no, why
not?
Chapter 16: The Traditional British House
1. Discuss Cannadine’s three models of Britain. Which one of the models, in your
opinion, best describes modern Britain?
2. What are the major differences between a British house and a Swedish stuga?
3. How has Britain changed from the glory days of Empire to a country of immigrants
largely from former colonies?
9. What are three GLOBE findings about British culture? How do they impact workplace
behavior? Please provide some examples where British workplace behavior differs
from American workplace behavior.
Chapter 17: The Malaysian Balik Kampung
1. What is a cleft national culture? Which are Malaysia’s three main ethic groups?
2. How has Malaysia’s history influenced its occupational structure and the evolution
of its ethnic groups? What does “Dato” mean and why is it important?
Chapter 18: The Israeli Kibbutzim and Moshavim
1. What is the major difference between a kibbutz and moshav? Are these institutions
growing? Why or why not? How do members of kibbutzes make decisions? Would
you describe the kibbutzes as authority-ranking, market pricing, or egalitarian?
2. Approximately how many political parties exist in Israel? Why is the political system
set up in this way? Describe the various types of Jews who live in Israel and the effect
of such types on political parties.
Chapter 19: The Italian Opera
1. What is unique about the opera in comparison to all other musical forms? What is
voice, and how is it related to the Italians’ perception of their language?
2. What function does the overture in an opera fulfill? How did it influence the
development of the German symphony?
Chapter 20: Belgian Lace
1. Who are the two main ethnic groups in Belgium? How did they evolve and what is the
relationship between them?
2. Do you agree that lace is an appropriate metaphor for Belgium? Why or why not?
3. Why is Belgium the land of three languages? How do linguistic differences impact life
in Belgium?
Chapter 21: The Mexican Fiesta
1. Other nations such as Italy, Brazil, and Spain have festivals. How would you
differentiate the Mexican fiesta from other festivals?
2. Do you think that Mexico is a more torn culture than the United States? Why or why
not? What is a torn culture?
8. Would you expect that Mexicans take a more long-term view, deferring present
gratification to achieve long-term goals, than U.S. Americans? Why or why not?
Chapter 22: The Turkish Coffeehouse
1. How is Turkey different from most other Islamic nations? Who were the Young
Turks? What was their role in Turkish history? Who is Ataturk?
2. Do you agree that the coffeehouse is an appropriate metaphor for Turkish culture?
Why or why not? What does Inshallah mean?
Chapter 23: China’s Great Wall and Cross-Cultural Paradox
1. How does China’s political and economic systems differ from that of the United States?
2. When was China unified as a state? How would you describe its first Emperor, Qin Shi Huang?
Why was the Han Dynasty so important?
Chapter 24: The Chinese Family Altar
1. What do we mean when we say that other cultures are also family-oriented, but that Chinese
culture is based on relationships? How do the Chinese differ from the Japanese in regard to
relationships?
2. What are roundness, harmony, and fluidity? How do they relate to the family altar? Do you
feel that there are other unique features of the Chinese family altar? Why or why not?
Chapter 25: The Singapore Hawker Centers
1. Why are hawker centers such an essential part of Singaporean life? Do you agree that they are
an appropriate metaphor for Singapore? Why or why not?
2. What are the reasons for Singapore’s economic success? Do you think that the country will
continue to prosper in the 21st century?
Chapter 26: The Dance of Shiva
1. What role does religion play in Indian life?
2. What is the Dance of Shiva? Do you agree that it is an appropriate metaphor to describe largely
Hindu India?
3. When did Muslim rule first begin in India? What is the legacy of the Muslim conquests of
India?
4. What role did the British Raj play in India’s history? How does it differ from the British
colonial legacy in Africa? Pick one or two countries for comparison.
Chapter 27: India: A Kaleidoscope of Diversity
1. The Kaleidoscope is yet another metaphor for India. To what extent does it capture the
diversity of modern India?
2. What are three of the major festivals celebrated in India? Is there a common theme
among the celebrations?
giants have taken in the last two decades to position themselves as emerging and
significant world powers.
the smart phone so important in India?
Chapter 28: The Nigerian Marketplace
1. How did Nigeria come into existence? What has been the country’s political track
record since it became independent in 1960? What are the three major ethnic groups
in Nigeria and what religions do they practice? How would you profile each of them
on power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and gender equality? With whom do they
identify in terms of rank order, the ethnic group, the sub-ethnic group, and the nation?
2. Do you agree that the marketplace as an appropriate metaphor for Nigeria? Why or
why not? Illustrate your response with appropriate examples.
Chapter 29: South African Townships
1. How would you describe Nelson Mandela’s influence on the creation of South
Africa? Please describe three specific factors.
2. When did Apartheid become legal in South Africa? What is it, and which racial
groups does it involve? Why do you think it became legal?
Chapter 30: The Sub-Saharan Bush Taxi
1. Name three of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Highlight some of the major
differences among them choosing a three or four criteria (e.g., education).
2. What is the bush taxi? What are the different types of bush taxi in SSA?
3. What is the general history of Africa? Discuss the impact of slavery on the African
continent.
4. Do you agree with the statement that there is an optimism and vitality in Africa that is
unmatched in any other continent? Why or why not?
Chapter 31: The Russian Ballet
1. What are the three civilizations that have materialized in Russia in the past 70 years?
Are they consistent with the history of Russia and the concept of a torn nation? Why
or why not? What is a torn culture?
2. The Russians did not create the ballet. Why is Russian ballet recognized as so
outstanding? Why is the Russian ballet appropriate for describing Russia as a torn
nation?
3. The Soviet Union was dissolved in 1990 and replaced by several new nations that were
10. What does the phrase, the Russian soul, mean?
Chapter 32: Estonian Singing
1. How has Estonia fared since the breakup of the Soviet Union? Why?
2. Why is the Baltic so important to Estonia in today’s world?
Chapter 33: The Polish Village Church
1. What is the Partitioning in Polish history? When did it occur? What three nations
were involved? How has it affected this nation’s identity?
2. Poland is a Catholic nation. What happened to the practice of Catholicism in Poland
Chapter 34: The Spanish Bullfight
1. Many Spaniards actively dislike the bullfight. Why? Why is the bullfight so reflective
of Spanish culture?
2. Describe the three stages of a bullfight and the different roles that various individuals
and groups play in it. Is it a sport? Why or why not? What is it if not a sport?
3. What does the word cuadrillas mean? Why are cuadrillas a distinctive feature of the
Chapter 35: The Portuguese Bullfight
1. What are two major differences between the Spanish and Portuguese bullfights?
2. What role does religion and clergy play in Portuguese life?
3. Describe the roles of the cavaleiro, the toreiros, and the forcados in a Portuguese
bullfight? What do they tell you about authority relations in Portuguese society? About
Chapter 36: The Brazilian Samba
1. How does the Brazilian concept of skin color differ from that found in the U.S.A.?
Why are the two concepts so different from one another?What is small-step
circularity, and how does it play out in Brazil? What is undulation, and how does it
relate to small-step circularity?
2. What is a jeitinho? (557). What perpective on life do Brazilians display when they
say todo bum? (559)
Chapter 37: The Argentinian Tango
1. 1. What are two ways in which Brazil and Argentina are similar, and two ways in
which they differ?
2. How did the Argentinian tango originate? How has it evolved over time?
2. How does the samba differ from the tango? List at least two differences.
3. Briefly describe the tango, its main instruments, and the role of the singer.
4. Provide a cultural profile of Argentina.
Chapter 38: Cultural Metaphors for the Caribbean
1. How is the Caribbean a region of variety and contrast? Please discuss.
2. What impact does the history of colonial conquest have on the present day
Caribbean?
3. Why is the Ackee metaphor very suitable for Jamaica? Please describe this metaphor.
4. What are some of the other notable metaphors for the islands of the Caribbean?
5. Discuss how the Calypso, No Ball, and Liming are appropriate metaphors. Define
each of these cultural metaphors. Can you think of one other metaphor for some or
many of the nations of the Caribbean? What is it, and why is it a useful cultural
metaphor?
