1.

Underline key phrases that reveal values, cultural traits, or sources of intercultural

communication.

From this article, the key phrases that can be underlined include:

 In the UK, it is called a mobile, in the U.S. cell phone

 barrage of recorded announcements

 social disturbance is heavily sanctioned

 the driver would not allow pasengers in the bus while taking a call

 In Japan, a phone should not be a nuisance to others

 Spanish happily answers calls in restaurants

 72 per cent Americans consider loud phone conversations

 Most service providers are unreliable in Africa

 Obligation of accountability

 deeply observed rules for flashing

 Long tradition of tolerance in India

 Indians are more communal compared to the West

 In Africa, people pick their phones everywhere

 Texting is now big everywhere

2. What value(s), communication style(s), or cultural trait(s) do these key phrases

indicate?

From the article, it can be argued that there are different communication styles used in referring

to cell phone around the world. While some may be direct and related with other nations, most

styles are different such as Japanese who highly value social disturbance and social harmony
unlike in Italy and Spain where people can answer phone anywhere (Canton, 2012). From the

article, it is also evident that mobile phones have currently become the part of life and changed

the way people interact through the calls and texting. While Spanish values accountability in

their mobile phones, most Africans and Indians prefer flashing to enable the owner call them

later (Canton, 2012). The toleration of mobile phone in all places has also been supported by

both countries unlike in Japan. The article also claims that despite the differences in mobile

phone services such as calling, the increase of digital media services are making services such as

texting popular throughout the world.

3. Would you expect to see this situation to occur in the same way in your specific

context?

No. I would expect the Africaan network providers to give a quick response to the issue of

internet in the country. Just as texting has advanced in Africa like the rest of the world, I would

expect the telecommunications manager to ensure the issue off internet improve instead of using

digital media tablets to replace them in online access. We expect different mobile phone

providers to produce mobile phones that have easy access to internet to help avoid issues of

picking up calls everywhere as this could be risky and inconveniencing. This is because smart

phones are currently easily accessible and easy to use.

4. How might someone from a different cultural background misinterpret or react to

the situation described in this case study?

As a Canadian, I have seen some cultural differences in cell phone usage which can help me

react to the above-described situation. For instance, increasing usage of mobile phone usage

in Canada is similar to that in Spain where people answer their phones happily in public.
Moreover, I can confirm that Canadians are currently in smartphone issue where network has

been advanced for communication unlike in Africa where it is still low (Hinkson, 2013).

There are however no such rules as the ones given in Japan about social harmony and social

disturbance. Despite this difference, the differences discussed in the case study are similar

and shows an advancement of communication that is existing in most parts of the world.

5. How does having an awareness of the cultural “explanation” behind this story

change your outlook on the situation?

By having an awareness about cell phone culture, it makes one accept the reality of

advancing technology as this has enabled the evolution of mobile phone use in different parts

of the world. It also makes one accept the reality of communication advancement where

people move from texting and calling to online communication using internet. Through this

awareness, I have also come to understand that the rules made by different countries affect

the way they use their cell phones. This has been shown by the way different people in

different nations access their phones based on the rules governing them. One cannot live in

Japan and access their cell phones the same way they operate it in Africa based on the

different rules set in these nations.

 References

Canton, N. (2012, September 28). Cell phone culture: How cultural differences affect mobile

use | CNN business. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/27/tech/mobile-culture-

usage/index.html

Hinkson, K. (2013, July 29). Smartphones: Canadians increasingly attached to their mobile

devices. thestar.com. https://www.thestar.com/business/tech_news/2013/07/29/

canadians_addicted_to_smartphones_ownership_zooms_study_says.html