Wrapping Culture: Politeness, Presentation and Power in Japan and Other Societies

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Interpreting cultural symbolism through Japanese practices.

If you've ever marveled at the intricacies of cultural expression or pondered why societies do things a certain way, "Wrapping Culture" could illuminate those corners of human behavior for you. Joy Hendry thoughtfully explores how different cultures communicate through layers of symbolism, from the physical act of gift-wrapping to complex social customs. It's a fascinating deep dive into intercultural communication that might just change the way you perceive and interact with the world around you.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

Wrapping Culture: Politeness, Presentation and Power in Japan and Other Societies

Regular price $53.90
Unit price
per
Compare to estimated retail price: S$245.24  
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ISBN: 9780198280286
Authors: Joy Hendry
Publisher: Clarendon Press
Date of Publication: 1995-06-22
Format: Paperback
Related Collections: Sociology, History
Related Topics: Asia, Anthropology
Goodreads rating: 3.77
(rated by 22 readers)

Description

Wrapping Culture examines problems of intercultural communication and the possibilities for misinterpretation of the familiar in an unfamiliar context. Starting with an examination of Japanese gift-wrapping, Joy Hendry demonstrates how our expectations are often influenced by cultural factors which may blind us to an appreciation of underlying intent. She extends this approach to the study of polite language as the wrapping of thoughts and intentions, garments as body wrappings, constructions and gardens as wrapping of space. Hendry shows how this extends even to the ways in which people may be wrapped in seating arrangements, or meetings and drinking customs may be constrained by temporal versions of wrapping. Throughout the book, Hendry considers ways in which groups of people use such symbolic forms to impress and manipulate one another, and points out a Western tendency to underestimate such nonverbal communication, or reject it as mere decoration. She presents ideas that should be valid in any intercultural encounter and demonstrates that Japanese culture, so often thought of as a special case, can supply a model through which we can formulate general theories about human behavior.
 

Interpreting cultural symbolism through Japanese practices.

If you've ever marveled at the intricacies of cultural expression or pondered why societies do things a certain way, "Wrapping Culture" could illuminate those corners of human behavior for you. Joy Hendry thoughtfully explores how different cultures communicate through layers of symbolism, from the physical act of gift-wrapping to complex social customs. It's a fascinating deep dive into intercultural communication that might just change the way you perceive and interact with the world around you.

Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.