TUGAS 1

CROSS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

Misinterpretation

Misinterpretation is a misunderstanding of culture because of the wrong communication /

understanding / meaning between people of different cultures. We can find out about misinterpretation by
looking directly at it, not from the words of others. For example, in Indonesia, we are obliged to finish our
food while visiting friends / relatives / neighbors. Because this indicates that we respect the host and do not
waste food. But if we visit China, we have to spare a little food. If not, then it is considered disrespectful to
the host for providing too little food.

Stereotypes

Stereotypes is an assessment of someone who is only based on positive / negative perceptions or

beliefs about a particular social group. Stereotypes can also be interpreted as disguising our image of other
groups of people. Stereotypes are almost the same as ethnocentrism, where there is a view or understanding
that considers their culture, traditions and customs to be the most correct / good. The difference is that
ethnocentrism refers more to an existing culture, while stereotypes refer more to the person / subject from
which they come.

An example is in the neighborhood where I live, most people will judge from our work. They tend to
ask what we do for work. If we work as teachers or doctors, then we will be considered wise, role models,
and want to be friends with us. But if we work as mechanics or construction workers, we will be considered
rude and poorly educated. Another example is that women cannot be highly educated because one day they
will become housewives and women will be told to get married quickly.

Prejudices

Prejudice comes from the Latin, namely prejudicium. In a racial context, prejudice is defined as an
attitude towards members of a certain ethnic or racial group, which are formed too quickly without an
induction. In this case, there is an injustice in the sense of an attitude which is taken from some experiences
and which is heard through others, which is then concluded as a characteristic of the members of the entire
ethnic group. In my opinion, prejudice is almost the same as discrimination. But the difference is that
prejudice refers to the aspect of attitude only, where only we are individuals who know it, while
discrimination is more about actions after we are prejudiced. Prejudice can also be interpreted as the
assumption of something, a person, group or certain ethnicity that something is bad, without we weighing it
and finding the truth first. In this advanced era, there are still many Indonesians who have this attitude
(prejudice). We, the Indonesian people, are known for their motto, namely Bhinneka Tunggal Ika. But why
is this motto not applied in our daily life. If this attitude continues to develop and results in discriminatory
actions, our nation will collapse and there will be no more humans who live in peace with one another. Our
efforts to reduce prejudice are to be able to think critically, foster a high attitude of solidarity by establishing
two-way communication so that each individual can open up and eliminate this prejudice.
 Examples of Prejudice: The emergence of prejudice against Chinese people who say that this tribe is
arrogant, stingy, does not want to associate with indigenous people. Based on my experience at work, people
who don't know me (just met) say I am arrogant and don't want to hang out with me. They also casually talk
about me with other people in the back. Because I have an introverted nature, this makes it difficult for me
to get along with strangers / just getting to know. Because of my introverted nature, it doesn't mean that
Chinese people are arrogant and don't want to hang out. Until they finally recognized me, when
communicating with me, the prejudice gradually disappeared.

Ethnocentrism

Ethnocentrism is a tendency that is seen as negative because it sees the inability or judges people
from other groups, communities, or lifestyles according to the standards of their own group / culture, which
often sees other groups as being inferior while their group / culture is the highest / correct / powerful.
According to Adorno (1950) ethnocentric people tend to be less educated, less sociable, and religious
fanatics. So that ethnocentrism gives rise to prejudice and negative stereotypes towards other ethnic groups
or groups. The negative impact of this attitude is that if one tribe considers the other tribe to be inferior, it
will cause conflict that will lead to the case of SARA. The broader impact of continuing to adopt this
attitude is to trigger social conflicts, hinder cultural exchanges and obstruct the process of national
integration. On the other hand, ethnocentrism has a positive impact, which can lead to very strong group
solidarity, high patriotism and a high sense of love for the nation itself. And it is better if we manage this
attitude well, so that in the future the Indonesian people will not cause prolonged social conflict and do not
have a society with racist views.

Examples of cases that often occur in Indonesia are the destruction of houses of worship of other
religions by fanatical conservatives who take the law into their own hands. Another example is that at the
time of the general election, there were still many Indonesian people who were narrow-minded, where they
only saw potential leaders from the same ethnicity / race without seeing the vision and mission that suited
our country (what we need). As a result, there is a possibility that we will be disappointed because it does
not match the expectations we want / need.

Reference Source: http://akbarfebriansyah.blogspot.com/2015/11/prasangka-diskriminasi-dan-

etnosentris.html

https://dosensosiologi.com/stereotip/

https://elthewhitefairy.wordpress.com/cross-cultural-understanding/contoh-dari- misunderstanding-of-
culture/