Yo Gabba Gabba - Norms

Topic- Norms
TV Show – Yo Gabba Gabba

Synopsis- Yo Gabba Gabba is a children’s show that attempts to engage children through music and teach them educational lessons and social skills.

Concept- This clip is a song titled “Don’t Bite Your Friends.” It’s an interesting illustrations of how norm are established. As adults there are many norms that are so ingrained in us, that it’s hard to pin down when you learned them or who taught them to you. Many things you learn through parenting and modeling without having to be specifically taught them; but that is not always the case, and not for every child. This song is an example of just that. From a very young age children explore everything with their mouth. Around the age of two some commonly begin to “bite” things. Through music Yo Gabba Gabba teaches the social norm that we don’t bite our friends.

Gung Ho - Cross-Cultural Communications

Japanese Board Meeting
Gung Ho at MOVIECLIPS.com

Topic - Cross-cultural Communications
Movie - Gung Ho


Movie summary - The movie shows the themes of cross-cultural communications, values, norms, work attitudes, motivations between a Japanese firm who takes over an American car factory. Foreman Hunt Stevenson (Michael Keaton) works at a Pennsylvania auto plant that has been closed for months. He goes to Japan to convince a Japanese car company, Assan Motors, to come to America and take over the plant. After some deliberation, the Japanese executives agree, but they will bring with them their Japanese work culture and attitude to run the plant.


Concepts - In this scene Hunt is trying to convince the Japanese automakers, Assan Motors Company, to come and invest in the American plant. However, Hunt completely misses the mark on a presentation to his Japanese counterparts. He asks if they speak English. He also includes pictures and makes inappropriate jokes during the presentation. His humor is lost on the Japanese executives. For the Japanese, it creates an informal atmosphere where Hunt should have been more respectful. Hunt exhibits a lack of cultural awareness in regards to Japanese culture and Japanese work environment. He brings with him his causal presenting style that does not mesh with more formal board room.

The world is now more globally connected than ever before. Even an American company will conduct businesses across cultural borders. Or companies may employ a diverse workforce that include employees from different countries who have to work together. When communicating between cultures, we encounter problems between culture that includes differences in perception, attitudes, and values. Therefore, cross-cultural communications is an important to establish common ground and reducing personal conflicts.