In his typically American open style of communication, Mr. Hayes confronted Isabeta about not looking at him. Reluctantly, she explained why. As a newcomer from Mexico, she had been taught to avoid eye contact as a mark of respect to authority figures, teachers, employers, parents. Mr. Hayes did not know this. He then informed her that most Americas interpret lack of eye contact as disrespect and deviousness. Ultimately, he convinced Isabela to try and change her habit, which she slowly did.
People from many Asian, Latin American, and Caribbean cultures also avoid eye contact as a sign of respect. Many African Americas, especially from the South, observe this custom, too. A master’s thesis by Samuel Avoian, a graduate student at Central Missouri State University, tells how misinterpreting eye-contact customs can have a negative impact when white football coaches recruit African American players for the teams.
He reports that, when speaking, white communicators usually look away from the listener, only periodically glancing at them. They do the opposite, when listening they are expected to look at the speaker all the time.
Many African Americas communicate in an opposite way. When speaking, they tend to constantly stare at the listener; when listening, they mostly look away. Therefore, if white sports recruiters are not informed about these significant differences, they can be misled about interest and attentiveness when interviewing prospective African American ball players.
In multicultural America, issues of eye contact have brought about social conflicts of two different kinds in many urban centers; non-Korean customers became angry when Korean shopkeepers did not look at them directly. The customers translated the lack of eye contact as a sign of disrespect, a habit blamed for contributing to the open confrontation taking place between some Asians and African Americas in New York, Texas, and California. Many teachers too have provided stories about classroom conflicts based on their misunderstanding Asian and Latin American children’ lack of eye contact as being disrespectful.
On the other hand, direct eye contact has now taken on a new meaning among the younger generation and across ethnic borders. Particularly in urban centers, when one teenager looks directly at another, this is considered a provocation, sometimes called mad-dogging, and can lead to physical conflict.
Mad-dogging has become the source of many campus conflicts. In one high school, it resulted in a fight between Cambodian newcomers and African-American students. The Cambodians had been staring at the other students merely to learn how Americans behave, yet the others misinterpreted the Cambodians' intentions and the fight began.
Mad-dogging seems to be connected with the avoidance of eye contact as a sign of respect. Thus, in the urban contemporary youth scene, if one looks directly at another, this disrespects, or "disses" that person. Much like the archaic phrase "I demand satisfaction”，which became the overture to a duel, mad-dogging may become a prelude to a physical encounter. At the entrances to Universal Studio’s "City Walk" attraction in Los Angeles, they have posted Code of Conduct signs. The second rule warns against "physically over bally threatening any person, fighting, annoying others through noisy or boisterous activities or by unnecessary staring..."
1.Many African Americans from the South（ ）.
2.When listening to the others, white communicators tend to （ ）.
3.Many customers in American cities are angry with Korean shopkeepers because（ ）.
4.Mad-dogging refers to （ ）.
5.The archaic phrase, "I demand satisfaction" （ ）.
