A few days ago, I watched an episode of Seinfeld that incorporated an intercultural conflict. In the episode, Jerry’s neighbor, Baboo, is jailed and eventually deported back to his home country (Pakistan I believe) because he did not complete his visa renewal form, a form that would have renewed his citizenship in the US. But the reason Baboo never filled out the paperwork is because his renewal form was accidentally placed in Jerry’s mailbox instead of his. So, after Jerry informs him about what happened, Baboo changes his attitude toward Jerry. Before this incident, Baboo had liked Jerry. But after assuming that Jerry withheld his mail on purpose (Jerry didn’t due to being out of town), Baboo starts thinking that Jerry is an immoral person. Thus, Baboo stops trusting Jerry and Jerry attempts to help Baboo by finding a lawyer, an act that he hopes can redeem Baboo’s misfortune.
In terms of the cultural styles incorporated into the sitcom in order to solve the issue between Baboo and Jerry, an integrating style and an avoiding style is structured into the screenplay. In regards to the former, Jerry is very open and direct in the way that he handles the situation. For instance, he willingly tells Baboo what happened as he is not afraid to take responsibility. In other words, Jerry expresses a high concern for Baboo’s situation, which is most evident in his eliciting the help of a lawyer to prevent Baboo from being deported.
On the other hand, the sitcom also incorporates an avoidance style of conflict resolution. For instance, the lawyer who is supposed to help Baboo fails to file the needed paperwork to do so, resulting in Baboo’s deportation. Thus, even though her non-actions do not reflect Jerry’s concern in Baboo’s situation, her non-actions do indirectly reflect upon Jerry as a person. And needles to say, Baboo dislikes Jerry even more after realizing that Jerry’s lawyer didn’t help him from being deported.
Obviously the intercultural problem between Jerry and Baboo didn’t get resolved. With that said, I believe that Jerry handled the conflict in a proper way. Besides, if the lawyer had done her job then Baboo wouldn’t have been deported. And I don’t think it was too much of Jerry to expect a lawyer to do her job duties. Thus, I believe the biggest problem in the conflict between Jerry and Baboo comes not from either of them, but rather the non-actions of the intermediary, the lawyer.
Once Baboo gets deported back to Pakistan, however, I do not envision that Jerry can help the situation very much. After all, he was unable to help Baboo in American, so how conceivable is it for him to attempt to help Baboo while living in a different country? With that said, Baboo can always migrate back to America, a difficult journey that he obviously completed on a prior occasion. Other than the possibility that Baboo may be able to migrate back to America, I don’t see any other possible solutions.
Question: Do you think gender influences a person’s conflict management style? Why or why not?
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I don’t think gender has a huge influence on which conflict strategy is used. I think a bigger influence is the environment and culture a person grows up in. If a child constantly sees their parents avoid conflict, because that is what is normal for their culture, then they will think that is the appropriate way to handle conflict no matter what the child’s gender. Gender may play in role in how people support their evidence or communicate other details of the conflict.
ReplyDeleteIt may not influence it a lot, but I do think it has some impact. I feel like men and women think differently about a lot of things, making gender role play a role in a person's conflict managment style. Women and men fight differently and think differently about a lot of things, it may not have all to much to do with whether they are a man or a woman, but I think it would at least play a small role, depending of course on the conflict being tested or discussed.
ReplyDeleteI think gender plays a big role in how people deal with conflict. I think women are more likely to talk things out and solve things by what men refer to as "nagging." Not in all cases but I think this happens a lot. I think men are more likely to avoid the issue or on the other extreme deal with it by fighting. I don't think these are clear cut. Some men would talk things out and some women probably avoid the issue or fight. But I think in general this is how each gender deals with conflict. I guess from relationships I've been in this is the pattern that I've seen and seen in friends relationships also.
ReplyDeleteI will agree with Katie I do feel that men and woman have a totally differnt way that they tend to look at situations. Again this is certain men and woman. Just being based upon gender though as far as conflicts I think that it could be gender, but there are also so many other factors that are involved as well.
ReplyDeleteI think that in a way this is true that male and females have completely different ways of dealing with conflict. But at the same time there are many males and females that play an opposite role. I know a few girls that deal with conflict in a more aggressive way and some males that are very calm and passive. I think that each individual person regardless of gender has their own personality traits which lead them to their ways of dealing with conflict. There may be more males than females that deal with conflict in a more aggressive way than females but there are many females who do the same.
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