Carl was pleased that he was invited to a company party shortly after his first assignment to Japan, since he was eager to experience the Japanese culture as much as he could. At the party, everyone was expected to entertain. Even the senior managers got up to sing a little song or to tell a joke. Carl recited part of Edger Allen Poe's poem "The Raven" in mock serious tone. After the party, Carl was asked to go along with a group of Japanese to one of their favorite bars, where he was introduced to some women who worked there.
Carl thought that he would enjoy this sojourn. People seemed so informal and cooperative, not like the stuffy people he had read about before coming to Japan. At a meeting shortly after the party, Carl found himself in the same room as several of the co-workers and senior managers who were at the party and who had contributed to the merriment of the evening with their songs and stories. One of the senior managers mentioned to Carl how much he had enjoyed "The Raven," since he had been exposed to it in school. Keeping his informality in mind, Carl used the meeting as an opportunity to present a proposal for an aspect of company policy that he had been developing ever since his arrival in Japan. When Carl brought up his proposal, however, he was met with a wall of silence. After the meeting, Carl was noticeably not made a part of the typical series of informal exchanges in which people engage as they leave a meeting.
QUESTIONS:
Which one(s) of the Social Episode was Carl Breaking? Explain
List and explain the 5 Social Episodes.
Full Answer Section
- Reading the Room (Optional): While not explicitly mentioned, Carl might have also broken the social episode of "reading the room." After his proposal was met with silence, he might have missed social cues to gauge the appropriateness of the timing or setting for his presentation.
5 Social Episodes
Social episodes are recurring patterns of interaction that form the building blocks of social behavior. Here are five common social episodes:
- Greetings and Leave-takings: These are rituals that mark the beginning and end of social encounters. They can be as simple as a handshake and "hello" or more elaborate depending on the culture.
- Offers and Requests: This episode involves one person offering something (help, a gift, etc.) and the other person accepting or declining. Social norms dictate how these offers are made and responded to.
- Compliments and Acknowledgments: Compliments involve expressing appreciation for something, while acknowledgments are the responses to compliments. Both are governed by cultural norms regarding appropriateness and expression.
- Apologies: This episode involves expressing regret for an offense or mistake. Social norms dictate how apologies are offered and accepted.
- Making and Accepting Invitations: This episode involves inviting someone to participate in an activity and the invited person's response (acceptance or decline). Social norms dictate how invitations are extended and responded to.
In Carl's case, while greetings and leave-takings likely happened at the party, his attempt to present a proposal in a meeting (which could be seen as an offer/request) and his interpretation of the post-meeting silence as a negative response (failing to read the room) highlight potential social episode missteps.