Cultural "Self" Awareness & Self-Introductions

Cultural "Self" Awareness(concepts) 

The theoretical concepts of cultural self awareness does include the Iceberg Analogy of Culture by Edward T. Hall is basically a theory that only a small part of culture is visible like an iceberg. For example, in Bruneian culture, when we greet each other it is like an unspoken rule to bring our hands to the heart to show respect which is know as a 'Salam'. Whereas in Japan, people usually greet each other by bowing to each other. Another example is punctuality, in Japan, people are extremely punctual where if they are even a minute late, it may be seen as a sign of disrespect. Whereas in Brunei, punctuality is seen as a more fluid thing, it is already expected that some people will be late. 

In the Social Identity Theory by Tajfel & Turner there is something called the in-group and the out-group. For Brunei, the in-group can be the Malay-Muslims and the out-group could be the Non-Malays, even though they are part of the society, they are technically outside the core "MIB" identity, which is a national philosophy called Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB). The one of similarities between Japan and Brunei here is the monarchy, as both countries look to the monarchy as a central symbol for social identification. however for the differences can be the way that the minorities are treated in either countries, in Brunei the minorities are encouraged to assimilated into the "Malay" category while in Japan, it might not be so.

The developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity by Milton Bennet here in Brunei Islamic values or Malay hospitality provide a sufficient baseline for all interaction, however, in my opinion, i do not think this applies to foreigners, especially tourist, as most Bruneians are more "chill" depending on the demographics. in Japan there is the expectation that foreigners will eventually adopt Japanese social norms to "fit in". the differences between Brunei and Japan is that Brunei is often bound to the mib ideology but are accepting as long as they do not challenge the state religion or monarchy. whereas in Japan sensitivity is challenged by the uchi-soto (insider and outsider) divide.

Process Model of Intercultural Competence by Darla Deardorff , between Brunei and Japan, we both share the culture that rely heavily on "reading the air" or implicit cues. we prioritize deep sociolinguistic awareness. the difference may be that Brunei's effectiveness is measured by how well one navigates diversity without disrupting religious or monarchical values while Japan's is measured by the absence of "friction" and the smooth execution of social or business rituals.

Meeting others for the first time

I believe when it comes to meeting new people for the first time, Bruneians tend to be very welcoming and polite. However, the greetings may differ depending on the gender of the person as Brunei is a Muslim country. For example, if both parties are male, they may shake hands and then touch their chest (usually were their heart is); this symbolize sincerity and respect. However, conservative Muslims might not shake hands with members of the opposite sex. Instead, they bow their heads slightly or a nod their head. Some Chinese Bruneians, have actually adopted this gesture as well to show respect to the other party. This may actually be similar to how Japanese bow to greet each other where respect is shown, minus the hand shaking because this not as common in Japan when compared to Brunei.

Bruneians may also ask personal questions like the age of the other party. This isn't to be rude or anything, this may actually build some rapport between each other. Whereas in Japan this may be perceived as rude if there is no clear reason to do so.

Video insights

In the Seinfeld video, Aaron was shown to be a "close talker", as some one who grew up in a country where we understand the boundaries called personal space. So, if there were a person who did this in Brunei it may often times be perceived as intrusive and often time be disrespectful as well. I believe the Japanese may also feel the same way as Bruneians if some one was a close talker. As for the Conan O'Brien video, it shows that the Japanese do not shake hands much in most situations but in Brunei it more common to see people shake hands when compared to Japan. However, as for hugging, Bruneians usually only reverse this for their families or close friends, often times with the same gender for the case of friends hugging.