Chapter 3: ACTIVITIES: Culture and Identity
CASE: Cheerios Commercial: 30 Seconds that Exceeds 30 Days of Controversy
See Teacher Notes
ACTIVITY: Exploring “Who Am I?” Exercise
WHO AM I? Identity Dialogue
Source: Stella Ting-Toomey and Leeva Chung, Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication.
1. On the following page, write down all of the things by which you identify yourself.
2. In reviewing the figure, which three identities are the most important to you? Why?
3. Which one identity, in particular, is shaped by the values of your ethnic/cultural
After answering these questions:
Pair up with someone you do not know and especially from a different culture (if possible). Feel
free to share whatever you are comfortable in sharing; keep private whatever you are not
comfortable in revealing. Try to listen for both similarities and differences in your identity
dialogue.
What is one insight you’ve learned by talking to your partner?
Draw a picture of yourself if you want!
Exam of an Essay on “My Individual Cultural Identity”
• What is your individual cultural identity?
William C., Management Consultant, Ireland
(Email correspondence, October 23, 2015, used with permission.)
Who I Am
I am William C., one half of a twin, proud Galwegian, a husband, father, son, and cousin. Family values
are very important to me. I am lucky to have been raised and surrounded by warm affection and fun.
I intuitively typed in this order and as I reflect, this is how I identify myself to other people when I first
reveal information about myself to build rapport.
From a professional aspect, I identify myself as an executive coach and corporate trainer; I am
passionate about personal change and mental health. As I travel quite extensively with work, I always
Some Insights or Observations
Something that surprise me about being Irish, is that so many people can connect or relate to Ireland.
For such a small country, we seem to have a wide impact on the world. (We have a population of
approximately 5 million people). Also, I have noticed that people have an expectation that you will know
Explanation
Ireland has a wide impact on the world for many reasons. There is a tradition in Ireland to explore, and
folklore suggests that St. Brendan the voyager was the first to discover the Americas. In the 1840s, due
to the Irish Famine, an overreliance on the potato crop and good arable crops were given to English
landlords to pay rent for farming lands and other penal taxes. When the potato crop failed due to blight,
a mass exodus occurred. During this period, you either got on a famine ship or risked death by hunger . .
Cultural Incident
I worked in Ethiopia with a group of African leaders. We were in the middle of a leadership development
workshop; it was hot and I noticed a man open a bottle of water. No big deal, you say, but then I saw
him tear off the plastic wrapping around the bottle top and cast it away from him. My initial thought
from my own perspective was “litter bug” and “what about the person that has to clean up after him.”
Suddenly I felt bias against this person, I felt enraged. How could this person litter a professional
workspace so nonchalantly? I was lucky to have just completed two courses, one on emotional
intelligence and another on intercultural management. So I began a check in with myself. If I am to work
productively with this guy, how can I suspend my judgement and bias? I asked myself, well where is this
coming from?
+++++++
Work Style
Regarding working within Europe, from an Irish perspective, I know that Irish people have a reputation
for being fun and having the ability to build rapport. We also have a high work ethic which people
respect. One particular day I was working with a team in Frankfurt, Germany, and after the course was
completed I was talking to the manager of the group. She outlined that she specifically looked for a