Friday, December 7, 2007

Innovation introduces Legal Challenges

I have a friend whose life was greatly impacted by a child predator and pornographer. This person grew up outside of the United States and I found it interesting and upsetting to hear about their experience facing this person and how the judicial system there addressed the situation. It also made me start to worry about how this sort of thing can be stopped in the future and what sorts of laws exist regarding this. As a result, I decided to take a look at how the United States, and a European country, England (chosen to avoid language barriers) are attacking this and if/how globalisation and growing technology was helping or hurting this battle. My research is a bit dry as it does, after all, focus on legal issues - but I think it's an important one. For an abstract of my approach, keep reading.

Abstract:
Many differences exist between American and English pornography history and laws. There are also vast differences in censorship policies in these two countries. The new Internet medium is causing these countries to pass legislation that will determine how illegal Internet activity, such as child pornography, will be handled. American law was originally based on English common law, but a number of changes have taken place in the last century creating a great divide between the two countries’ sets of laws. Both countries’ laws regarding pornography have recently undergone a large amount of scrutiny and also some change. Pornography laws, some only recently made, are currently being challenged by legislators and litigation in both nations. As a result, a number of landmark decisions are expected to be made that greatly effect policing of Internet Service Providers, Web site creators, pornographers, in addition to individual Internet users. Based on the history of legislation in each country, a comparison is made between recently developed changes as a result of the introduction of the Internet. Additionally, a comparison of currently pending decisions is examined to discuss the possibilities of the growing or decreasing divide between the two nations’ attempt to reduce illegal Internet pornography circulation and viewing.

The full paper is here: http://www.404films.com/Brock_713_fa07_essay[1].pdf

Friday, November 9, 2007

Crisis Prevention (or Intervention) and the Internet

This week, Marina Calabrese posted about the role the Internet can play in crisis, disaster response and preparedness. You can read her post here:
http://mcalabre1.wordpress.com/eoto-internet-resources-for-disaster-preparedness-response/

While Marina focuses on many events here in the US, I started thinking about what sort of impact it might have on the situation in Darfur if all these people who are being victimised could blog about it...or what if they posted videos? How would the world react if they didn't just hear celebrities trying to raise money for the cause - or occasionally see graphic pictures or posters?
I have to say, after seeing the horrific graphic videos of beheadings in Iraq and Afghanistan on the Internet, I have an entirely different reaction when I read that word [beheaded] than I ever did in the past.

Marina focuses on informing people on how to protect themselves - which is a great point. But it also really makes me wonder if people would be able to turn a blind eye if they were able to watch what's happening in Africa, and not just read about it. Not that it would be an uplifting video - or even something you would WANT to see, but it would cause people to realise the things happening on the other side of the world really are REALITY and that the victims are real people as well.

In Our Own Back Yard

As part of my own topic on the digital divide, and in reaction to colleagues blogs over the last few days, I've made a few points about people who are lacking the proper access and education regarding technology. I've specifically talked about Africa, the elderly and school aged children in our own back yards. Then today, as I was reading through some of my colleagues' blogs, I realised Amanda Toler had written about just those things here:
http://globalcrisscross.blogspot.com/

Amanda makes a great point that some access is better than none - and that even if computers made available at schools are old and outdated, at least basic skills can be taught.

But there's one thing that Amanda said that really got me thinking: "you don't need PowerPoint to teach." This made me realise that the Senior Digital Divide is really influencing the younger generation's access to technology - a correlation I did not make in an earlier post. I believe this because until Amanda mentioned it, I had not even thought about PowerPoint in K-12 classes simply because it wasn't used in my own education until college. Therefore, I think many people are probably underestimating the actual needs of schools - which means funding is undoubtedly underestimated as well.

I will try not to get off on a rant, but I find it terribly sad that a country regarded as one of the wealthiest and most powerful by the rest of the world cannot establish a decent education system. The US is one of the only countries around the world that has such exorbitant costs for higher education - and drastically underfunded K-12 schools. What is wrong when we can fund all kinds of initiatives, but cannot invest in the education of our children - and therefore essentially the future of our country? And why isn't the media talking about it?

Thursday, November 8, 2007

My Favourite T-Shirt: "You Were Cuter in Your MySpace Pic"

Last week, my friend and I were on the phone talking about how we both have MySpace and Facebook profiles...and how we have no idea what the rules are when it comes to it. We're not sure when we're "in a relationship" or when to say "it's complicated."

Also on that note, a guy I had just met the weekend prior sent me an e-mail and said "I have to admit I looked you up on Facebook, but then I was afraid to add you in case that might be a bit stalkerish." I could only laugh. What is desperately needed is an etiquette book.

But on a more serious note, when I replied I said "well, I won't mind - it's on the Internet after all. It's not like you snooped through my knickers drawer." And that's just the point. So many people forget that everything they put on the Internet could possibly be viewed by anyone - even if they think their profile is private. Joe Recomendes blogged about just that this week here:
http://joereco.wordpress.com/2007/11/02/each-one-teach-one-social-networking-problems/

The same friend that was talking to me about the rules and etiquette of networking sites made a great point. He mentioned that once he wanted to send a message to a friend but their profile was private and didn't allow messages. But then later he was viewing another friend's page, and the same person with the private profile had posted their phone number in the comments - so he just called them!

In response to my last post, and to what Joe mentions, listing too much information makes you vulnerable. With a little craft, an identity thief only needs your name, address and phone number and can often find the other information they need...

Visual cognizance is a funny thing. The old adage "out of sight, out of mind" reminds me that many people only see the person's picture of the page they're posting on and forget that the Internet is a huge domain and anyone, anywhere could see your information. If you wouldn't reply to a spammer with your phone number, I suggest you not place it on anyone's profile page either.

Paranoia becomes Reality

Since I first started hearing about Identity Theft, I have been extremely paranoid this is going to happen to me. I have so much "protection" software on my computer I can barely logon in less than 30 minutes for all the passwords I have to put in - and I'm not really sure any of it is really working. I'm almost to the point of shredding generic sales papers that are in no way addressed to me. Ok, that's an exaggeration.

But on that note, Josh Voorhees, recently posted about privacy on the Internet and the pros and cons (including Identity Theft) and it started the wheels turning again about this topic. You can read his post here:
http://voorhees713.wordpress.com/2007/11/02/eoto-individual-privacy-in-an-online-world/
I'm a huge advocate of privacy and this post really hits the nail on the head. It's a classic "damned-if-you-do" and "damned-if-you-don't" scenario. And I wish I had the answer as to what the appropriate response should be...

But the thing that is most perplexing is that Josh says some government action is needed. I agree, but something happened this week that makes the situation of Identity Theft even more unnerving. A friend of mine had his identity stolen - but he wasn't any Jo Schmoo - he was an NYPD officer. How much protection can we possibly have if even our law enforcement officials are being targeted...many who didn't even realise they had been scammed until my friend figured out he had!!! You can read about it here:
http://www.nypost.com/seven/11072007/news/regionalnews/id_theft_ring_picks_the_wrong_targets____396695.htm

After a few days writing about how every nation and every child should have Internet access...news like this makes me realise that it is also easy to be nostalgic about "the way things were" when victimised by the bad things that inevitably accompany any new invention introduced to society.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Another sort of Digital Divide

Technology has in many ways brought people much closer - as I've mentioned and focused on in many of my earlier posts. However, it has also created distances such as those I mentioned in my posts regarding the digital divide. Lisa Bistreich, one of my colleagues who blogs, has recently addressed a different sort of digital divide - a divide created between seniors and younger generations. You can read her post here:

http://lbistreich.wordpress.com/2007/10/30/seniors-the-forgotten-digital-divide/

Lisa makes a good point that I think is very applicable in the here and now. However, unlike the international and class digital divide I have been focusing on, I think the senior digital divide is likely to solve itself through time. It only makes sense that younger people keen on technology today will one day grow old and replace today's older generation that has fallen victim to an era of drastic change in lifestyles.

It is terribly unfortunate, and sad, that the elderly may be lacking resources to medical information and other pertinent resources available readily on the Internet. However, I think that the problem with technology in Africa and other less developed countries are far greater - because even their young generations are going to grow old and be technologically illiterate. Therefore, the problem increases instead of gradually dying out (which I think will inevitably happen with the senior divide currently being experienced in the westernized countries).

On that note, in my opinion, if anyone is getting left behind in westernized cultures, it is the children being raised in poverty...who often do not even have the choice to turn down the opportunity to learn about technology that so many of our seniors are in fact making daily.

Friday, November 2, 2007

I'm Not the Only Worry Wart

So my last two posts talked about the concern of the digital divide, and then my troubled list of problems with finding a solution for it. Luckily, however, I'm not the only person who has a growing concern about this. And I do think there are some savvy solutions we can start implementing right away.



The first, is education. First we need to educate the more priviledged nations with technology about this problem. And it needs to be in such a way that they understand that even if they're not sympathetic, this is affecting them as well. Then, hopefully with their help we can also educate the governments of societies around the world about the importance of introducing technology to their societies.



Check out this site for some examples of how education can be introduced, and also for more information on the digital divide:

http://www.itefa.org/

This is a non-profit organisation that is focused on humanitarian issues as well as the digital divide however. In some cases, it is very traditional and the multi-focus may add a degree of difficulty when trying to reach different technological goals -specifically in regard to building business.



Another solution is to introduce a much different approach, that may not mean that the countries who have previously been on the negative side of the divide will have to adapt or educate themselves as traditionally thought. Rather, ideas on how technology could be introduced, but more smoothly and beneficially may be in order. In other words, technology solutions need to be developed which are more "outside the box."



This organisation is attempting to do just that:

http://www.digitaldivide.org/dd/index.html

This organisation started work in Indonesia and is then branching out to try to do the same in other countries. It is hosting conferences with governments in hopes of making a change.

This site is very balanced, and notes many of the fallacies with the divide. I recommend the read as it goes into some intricate issues of my solutions that I agree with, but do not have space to delve into in these posts. I especially think this is a good resource as this is non-profit organisation rather than a more capitalistic venture.



Finally, on the logistics note, I found some interesting tools for providing Internet access - which is also environmentally friendly here: www.treehugger.com/files/2006/08/solar_wifi_to_b.php

Solar power for technology is a great solution. And, whilst the site obviously has an interest in pushing it's environmentalist agenda more than an agenda of bridging a digital divide, it is a good idea that would offer a faster solution than trying to suddenly wire vast areas with electricity.

I find the feasibility of cost of the generators at first to be questionable, however, and the ability to always have the sunlight needed to constantly power all the technology you would need at once. It would be interesting to look into other more objective sites on the issue to determine if the system will support the high speed technology needed for reliable business and communication.

The Canyon: Engineering Problems with the Bridge

The last post was about my viewpoint on the "digital divide." I passionately feel that a bridge - if not a reversal of this issue is needed. But, like the Grand Canyon, it is an overwhelming, if not impossible task. Lucky for us this stream hasn't been flowing for hundreds of thousands of years like the Colorado...nor is it a force of nature. So with a little care, I think it is an achievable goal - as do many. But in the meantime, I fear this crisis is being overlooked and underestimated. Like a huge hurricane brewing that everyone is calling a thunderstorm.





The first problem with this divide is a huge increase in poverty. Africa is one of the most impoverished continents, suffering largely from overpopulation and lack of jobs. Why? Their technology has not kept up which leaves them limited ways to participate in the business world. Most of these forms of income are based on natural resources, which of course are depleting and many Africans are dying for these resources out of need for money to feed their families. The introduction of technology would create many ways for these people to participate in worldwide business and therefore be able to support themselves again. But how will it be monetarily supported?





Which leads to my second fear - apathy. I think that as the world has become increasingly capitalistic, there is little attention or care given in helping those less fortunate get back on their feet. Fewer people seem interested in donating money, time and knowledge into these situations to help the overall good of society. Unfortunately, I fear they view this more as throwing money away than a true investment in the improvement of humanity and the world.





But even if I don't wane so cynical, the introduction of the actual equipment still poses a problem of education. Whilst computers and the Internet have been around in the United States and most of the "westernised" societies for almost two decades now, it has proven difficult to get people up to speed. The challenge of getting over a third of the world equally educated, familiar, and comfortable with technology is a huge challenge.





And even if we did, the fourth fear - language barriers - poses an incredibly daunting challenge. How do you share your knowledge with an African who only speaks Swahili, or an Indian who only speaks Hindi? While Google and other pages offer translation tools, this is limited - and since it is computer generated, many of the translations are incorrect in the final product. Furthermore, technology only does so much. There are still people behind the message with which they will need to interact at some point. Not being able to speak with them is a huge concern - and this also adds an entirely new arm of eduation that would need to be implemented. The cost, and time investment to get these educational vices in place are enormous. And by the time these countries have gotten up to speed with today's standards, today's standards will seem archaic in the countries in which technology is so quickly progressing.





Finally, the often forgetten part - is logistics. The Internet requires equipment, and people to run it. Not to mention electricity - or some other comparable form of power. How can these societies, many of whom do not have such sources of power in all homes, introduce new technology which so drastically needs it?





All of these topics are overwhelming to me. I do not know all the answers...but I will share some solutions I think are useful shortly. I do think, that time is of the essence. The longer the problem is left to stew, the greater it becomes - we may be ignoring it, but the surging stream of technology growth is continually eroding away the footholds and increasing the divide day by day.

The Topic: While the Forces that Created It are Amazing, The Grand Canyon is a Little Scary

Although the computer and the Internet have become an integral part of most people’s lives that we’re familiar with, many people around the world are just now experiencing the introduction – and the related anxiety - many of us experienced a decade ago. Furthermore, technology is changing at speeds that make most of our heads spin. This presents a daunting challenge to remain properly educated and up-to-speed with the changes. This is even more true for the less privileged societies across the world. This concept has led to discussion of the "digital divide" which is shifting like a huge canyon being rapidly formed by the force of the constantly growing stream of new technology. The term "the digital divide" itself refers to the growing distance between the "haves" and "have-nots" of the Internet and technology, and the benefits that accompany it.


When first introduced, the "digital divide" referred to the people who have access to computers and who do not. In many cases, this is still the problem – but even in privileged countries such as the US it has also shifted to the people who have the Internet and now to those that have broadband access. I’m a big fan of the common saying "Knowledge is Power"- and I believe with the growing trend of globalisation, that it is necessary to make sure that all nations are able to sustain themselves. Within any government, I think it is important to focus on society as a whole. I do not believe that the people who are prosperous have always worked for it and therefore deserve it. Rather, as a society we will always function better when all people have equal chances and resources without leaving the weakest behind. In other words, the guy that started the race healthy and 20 minutes earlier isn’t necessarily faster than the last guy who was ill and having to battle hurdles along the way.


We can achieve better business and a better society if everyone has a chance to be educated. On a broader scale beyond business, it’s important we can all be on the same page. Many disputes and disagreements are a result of assumptions everyone thinks like we do. But understanding that they do not, and why, can often diffuse any friction – and information leads to knowledge that will build that understanding.

Because a smart person would never take just my word on the issue, here are some links to help educate yourself on the digital divide, as well as some other thoughts on this topic:
http://www.wiki.media-culture.org.au/index.php/Digital_Divide
This site is very text dense, and you'll have to wade through some things. It also appears to be written a few years ago, so of course some minor things have changed. On the other hand, it is heavily sourced and therefore more informational and in-depth than my descriptions.

For a more case-study approach, especially a look at the problems, try here:
http://student.plattsburgh.edu/beld2195/project.ppt
It's a simple PowerPoint drafted by a student discussing the problem. I'm sure this was also for a class, and so it's only slightly more detailed than my description. It gives a great number of links, however, and presents the topic in a case study style prose.

Finally, to see a plethora of people's outlook and discussion on the topic try here:
http://slashdot.org/askslashdot/00/03/05/2316208.shtml
This is a great forum, and this site focuses on many technological things beyond the digital divide - in fact it usually focuses on more technical issues such as hardware, new software, etc. Additionally, these posts are quite old - from 2000. However, who better to comment on technology divides than those most familiar with it, and I find the posts to still be very relevant.

Friday, October 12, 2007

Facebook and MySpace; the double-edged swords

I was reading Joe Recomendes' site on social networking today, and he has a post discussing all these people that are giving up their Facebook sites because it is having an effect on their other relationships. I can definitely relate to the amount of time I don't mean to spend on these sites, but I definitely don't let it get out of hand. Plus, I found it addictive in the beginning and then later was glad Facebook told me when something happened so I could just go when I received an e-mail.

But on to the point! This post also reminded me of a statistic I read a long time ago about how a large majority of blogs that have been created are no longer active. And I think we can all agree that maintaining one can be a very daunting task. In fact, some people have made it their career, such as the woman I mentioned before at www.dooce.com. If it can be a career, you know it must be time consuming.

More recently, a friend of mine who was one of the original bloggers recently shut his site down and just started blogging on MySpace. It was easier and consolidated the sites he needed to maintain. I was disappointed, but understood the decision.

Many of my friends poke fun at me for being on Facebook and MySpace, because they have the old reputation of being a site where you send goofy messages to people you were in school with. I send my share fair of goofy messages, but I have also found it a very useful place to get in touch with people I once knew who are now great resources to me - many of whom are in influential positions for networking.

I would suggest that everyone give social networking sites a shot. It's just like television, or a good hobby - it only takes up as much time as you allow. Specifically Facebook, which I find more people abroad use, and which can also be set up to alert you when interesting things occur, so you're not always dying of curiosity!

Friday's Reading: Dora the Explorer Is a New Concept

Amanda Toler, one of the colleagues on the list to the right, works with study abroad programs. If you check out her blog, she talks about the importance to educate individuals at a young age about cultural differences. I agree. Dora the Explorer is the coolest kid around; independent, bilingual, and she has a pet monkey!

I was a nanny for a few years, and also a member of the National Spanish Honor Society in high school. I didn't know a word of Spanish until I was 13, and thought that was young at the time. My parent's friends were so impressed, I remember. But when I started caring for 3 young children it was both shocking and refreshing that they already knew so many words and phrases in Spanish, mainly thanks to Dora!

Ms. Toler makes a good point that I had not really thought about in depth before, however; my research topic is focused on teaching adults concepts that if they were born a few generations later they would find patronising.

But, because it can't be helped that if we do our jobs as good parents and educators that each generation will be more cunning, coy, and educated, we'll have to swallow the pride and continue trying to get ourselves up to speed with the world that is so constantly and rapidly changing.

My recommended site for more valuable reading on learning about cultures today is http://www.international-business-center.com/. It's a large focus on not just getting by as a tourist, but how to do business in a way that won't leave you not only embarrassed, but also potentially without a client!

Here's another site I find really interesting, but somewhat questionable as it does not give an author and is a bit opinionated about cultures without offering sources so I question it's reliability. Even as a not so stellar site, the read is still applicable: www.analytictech.com/mb021/cultural.htm
Enjoy.

Thursday's Reading: I'm not purposefully a gatekeeper.

But it is inevitable that as a new member of the new media, that I will act as one. Why? Because I have to decide what I trust, what interests me, and what I think will be useful to this topic. It is impractical to expect me to speak about every Web site, book, resource I stumble upon that is relevant to the topic of intercultural and international business and communication.

Some people who love Polka music may be very upset that there aren't any Polka radio stations in most markets. But is this really because the media wants to keep Polka music from the public, or because they realise only a small segment of the population will want to hear this type of music?

The same thing happens with the Internet. While most topics can be discovered, some have a wealth of information and other topics have very little coverage. This is because more people are interested in certain topics than others. And those people, usually without even realising, are gatekeepers to the knowledge that can readily be found in cyberspace.

Although not everything can be found on this site, and it is highly supporting sales of the series of books known as "Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands", www.getcustoms.com is a great resource that serves as a starting point to very specific differences of hand gestures, and simple things that we do without realising that may be offensive elsewhere. The book has been a best seller and is trusted by many, many people who conduct business in other cultures. It has served me well, so I think this site is a wonderful resource for my topic of choice. Even if only some of the information is available here, only some of the information is available anywhere.

Wednesday's Reading: Shameless Promotion/Popularity

At the bottom of this page you'll find a number of news sites or blogs that address topics to the one I address on this page. I really tried to pick some that I think address my topic of international and intercultural business and learning differences to avoid problems or embarrassment.



I did this on purpose, because I've found in the past, that with the exemption of technology blogs most author's blogrolls have no thought behind "what do my readers probably want to be directed to" as much as, "I know the guy/girl that writes this other blog and I think they are cool/funny/smart." That's great, but it's more helpful on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace than on blogs where readers are more likely seeking information.



This repeated challenge I've found with blogrolls is one reason why I often ignore them. Of course, I do have the list of colleagues who blog, but seeing as how we all are studying the same topic, it's still on topic in my opinion.



Speaking of topics, I think today's AWESOME site endorsement, should go to a site recommended by my peer in response to a different post: www.sideroad.com/cross_cultural_communication/index.htm. This site is plethora of links to the many different aspects of cross cultural business, and it goes well beyond etiquette and customs. I think it is an excellent place to start building a foundation of understanding, and is reputable as well. Thanks for the recommendation!



This site on the other hand, http://www.intercultural-training.co.uk/ is a bit less reliable. It offers some advice, but the site is set up more as an advertising site than a place that offers information. It reminds me of sites that offer "weight loss" advice but are really only in the business of selling herbal supplements.

Tuesday reading; Who am I, and who are you?

I think it's important to take into account that I am not an expert on cultural differences. I am, however, someone that does work with different cultures everyday and also have a large number of friends who are not American and continue to live in their home countries. Sometimes I feel like I still do not have a comprehensive understanding of what makes some cultures tick, but then I get a call from someone who needs me to interpret for someone who doesn't speak fluent english or who just needs to internationally dial. Specialisation is a wide spectrum.

When you start to explore the Internet, it's important to take into account who the author is.
First of all, everyone's individual background makes them have a certain bias even if they try to be objective. I was reading on International Public Relations research today and the researchers mentioned that halfway through some indepth interviews they realised their own cultural backgrounds were making some messages misunderstood, and also having some affect on the interpretation of the answers. This is important to understand. After all, who's the more experienced parenting expert: a new mother of 3 months or a mother of 5 all of whose children have gone to college? Not easily answered, but it does give you perspective on what that person's viewpoint is and what it is influenced by.

That leads me to today's source which I think is an excellent resource for my research topic of intercultural differences: www.edupass.org/culture. This site is for people who are from abroad that plan to study in the US. It's imperative to understand how you're perceived in order to fit in better with different cultures, and also to understand your own biases before doing research. It's free and designed for an educational study abroad program, so I think it's trustworthy as well!

Monday reading; differences in opinion.

Sometimes going on the Internet can be like walking into a library that has 1000's of floors, no card catalog and no distinguishing guidance between the "fiction" and "nonfiction" sections. While the Internet has allowed everyone to have access to information that the traditional mass media may have filtered in the past, it also causes problems with determining what is trustworthy. Especially when it comes to travel. I mean who do you trust? Who really KNOWS what the cultural differences are, and who is going on stereotypes and biases? For example, after a week with a friend in Paris, I felt that the hospitality and warmth the people had so graciously offered had bucked the stereotypes that they were rude. My friend, on the other hand, shockingly revealed on the last day that she didn't like the French and that theory was based on her husband's experience without her a year before and the advice he offered before the trip. So you have to take into account that many people are going to go to the tried and true mass media sites. Including me, but I'll compare what I find there to personalised opinions on a number of more personalised, if less factual sometimes, to what the mass media tells me.

Here's a great site I find helpful when traveling in Europe to understand both positive and negative aspects of different cultures. This guy has his own TV show, his own travel books, and most importantly to me - he spends half of every year there:
www.ricksteves.com

This site is a resource for people traveling to different cultures, but I don't find it overwhelmingly helpful because they often require payment. It seems more of a site that I might question sheerly because of the cost, and the gatekeeping of the info:
www.interculturalu.com

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Arm Yourself with Knowledge and Observance to Avoid Cultural Embarrassment

As globalization takes hold it has gradually began to erase the lines between cultures – specifically within the realm of business. However, as these lines begin to fade, misunderstandings often occur based on an emerging laziness to truly and thoroughly understand cultural subtleties. Most notably, these mistakes are in relation to traditions, manners, gratitude and gifts. For example, in Singapore any sort of gift given should be addressed to a company instead of an individual, otherwise it will be considered a bribe!

Sometimes things work in the opposite direction though. Over the last few years many countries’ cultures have changed from what they used to be and adopted new ways of looking at the world. Therefore, just as most people have heard; don’t assume anything. Globalization may be erasing some of the niceties, but it does not mean that things are not still being processed with older ideals subconsciously.

Being an international traveler with friends all over the globe, and working with other 23 countries each day – I’ve learned an important message. Never assume that you are completely savvy about a country’s culture (including your own!) - even if you’ve been before and know a mass of people. Things are constantly changing. But by constantly observing and sharing, mistakes and embarrassments can more readily be avoided. I’ve become a resident expert at my job on this topic. (Embarrassments do unfortunately breed knowledge!) My own personal travel has given me a strong background to be able to discuss with other young professionals ways to avoid too many mistakes, and how to not embarrass yourself regardless of what culture you’re working with.

There are two things in particular I will focus on:
How have other cultures changed due to globalization?
Laughter may be a universal language, but some things (like handshakes) are not. How do you know if a handshake represents a friendly face or a slap to it?

Because I’m not omnipotent, I’ll be looking to other sources to help me prove my point.
I’ll focus on general search terms such as: globalization, cultural differences, global manners, international business etiquette, and world travel.

These are 5 pages I will probably refer to, but there will be many, many others:

World Public Opinion.org
“Others report what the world does – we report what the world thinks”
www.americans-world.org
This website reports on US public opinion on a broad range of issues and also incorporates a wide variety of polling data. It will aide in providing examples of long established stereotypes.

The Web’s Leading Resource for International Business Etiquette Manners
www.cyborlink.com/besite
This website offers a country by country ‘cheat sheet’ of the social norms, etiquette and expectations of different cultures.

Cultural Differences? Or, are we really that different?
www.cnr.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7article/article01.htm
This is a perfect reflection on how sometimes understanding cultural subtleties is not that simple.

Manners 2000. Courtesy builds community
http://schools.shorelineschools.org/Home_Education/public/student/Values/manners/world.htm
This site gives very blunt descriptions of very basic manners. It will provide a nice topic starting point that I can expand on and perhaps compare to large cultures as a whole.


The Savvy Traveler
http://savvytraveler.publicradio.org/index.shtml
This is an NPR show site, that while the show has been discontinued it offers a look at a number of cultural intricacies in different locations, including manners and proper interactions. It may serve as a great measurement of how things have changed down the line.