European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 17, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Course instructor capt. Mike Rafferty gives the a of signal at Hurlburt Field Fla. The same gesture has very different meanings in other cultures. Bridging cultural gaps with understanding of class in Florida by Bill Kaczor associated press the Best advice to americans abroad is to keep your hands in your pockets lest you hog Ravely  instance a thumbs up might moan of or right on to you but in s an obscene go sure in the Middle East. And the a of sign of the to Relinger and thumb in a Circle can gel you into All kinds of trouble. It Means Money in Japan but in France it Means you think someone is a Zero and in Malta in s an invitation to have homosexual son goodness knows How Thuy might Lake a High live " thai s Why capt. Mike ral Lerty has his hands Lull teaching a Cross cultural communications course Al Hurlburt Field an air Force base in the Florida Panhandle he s trying to avoid misunderstandings when american servicemen teach Loreign military personnel the intricacies of us military equipment and procedures just when you want to deliver a compliment to a Loreign student you might be picking a fight the five Day course is taught at the air Force special operations school the school also oilers morn specific courses Tor personnel being sent to particular parts of Iho world such As latin America or Africa bul ral Lerly s class gives troops an insight into cultural differences around Iho world. For instance Palling children on the head May to a sign of endearment loan american but in some asian cultures where the top of the head is considered Iho Home of the soul in s an insult. In most other cultures the development has been different ral Lerty says noting Many have changed Little Over thousands of years. In the Umed Stales the emphasis is on individual rights in other cultures it s the survival of the group that s  this difference shows up in Iho classroom individualistic americans Are taught to ask questions figure things out Lor themselves and thai their instructors Don l know everything says Raffurty who hails from Stockton. Calif in Many non Western countries students learn by Rote and Don l ask questions or admit they failed to understand something because they Don t want to be considered different from the Resl of the group. We have a saying in this country that Iho squeaky wheel gets the grease " Rafferty says in Asia. The saying is the Nail that stands up gets hammered Down " the individual competitiveness of americans is one of Iho first things foreign students notice Raf Lerly says they often see it As a negative Factor that lakes away from the importance of the group. Other countries tend to stress group Competition perhaps refined to an ultimate by the japanese. Ral Lerty says. The group emphasis also makes the family More significant in Many countries. In the Middle East Lor example elders Are respected revered and sought out Lor advice. Time and space Are other important differences. In arabian african and latin american countries arriving 30 minutes or More alter a mooting was scheduled to Start May be considered on time while in the United Stales it would be insulting to show up so late. Rafferty says. On the other hand a Swiss or a German would get there Early. While americans feel uncomfortable when others invade their space Many foreigners particularly arabs and latin americans like to get up close and personal when that happens to an american at a social wednesday May 17. 1989 unction with foreigners he is Likely to Back away but the foreigner again will close the Gap rate try says. There s a Little dance thai goes  he says same sex touching also is common in the Middle East and Asia where it has none of the sexual connotation it has in America. Ralf Erly recalls a personal experience when attending the Squadron officer school at Maxwell fab in Montgomery ala., he was Good friends with an Allicer from Thailand. They played on the same soccer team. While dressed in their soccer shorts they were sitting in the stands and talking when the visitor reached Over and put his hand on Ralf Erly s Bare thigh. That was real uncomfortable for  Rafferty says. Everybody in the stands behind me was laughing bul it was t a  americans also Don l like Loo much direct Eye Contact particularly Between men and women. Hispanics and arabs who share some cultural similarities because of the 700-year moorish occupation of Spain like Eye Contact. They feel they can loll a lot about an individual in they can look Inlo his eyes Rafferty says. Some foreigners get into rouble in the United states when strangers interpret their stares As a Challenge he says. Foreigners and americans Ollen have stereotyped views of each other thai Are untrue. The most commonly held View of the United Stales is that it is the great melting pot. As a result some Loreign visitors Are surprised when they discover exceptions to racial ethnic and sexual Equality Halferty says. Olten. Lorei nors try to Bridge the Gap by dressing and acting like americans bul that can be misleading. We lend to think he looks like us he must think like us Loo " Rafferty says. 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