Used the iceberg exercise with a student from China and Saudi Arabia. The students selected the cultural concepts of friends and best friends, and male-female friendship, to compare with each other and with America.
Contemporary China is much closer to America in the urban centers. Casual dating is an accepted practice. Friendship between males and females is common in contemporary China and, like America, acquaintances are frequently introduced as "my friend". In Saudi Arabia, male and female young people are never casual friends. No dating and no talking to each other in public, and in most cases, in private. Parents determine the time and place that young men and women can visit, speak, etc. They are chaperoned at all times.
The cultures are quite similar regarding the concept of true best friends. They are very few in number over a lifetime. True best friends are people with whom you can share and discuss anything without fear of disclosure to others. True best friends know and accept you as you truly are. Best friends will take you to task when you need it and will warn you of consequences. Best friends never desert one another under any circumstance. This was a breakthrough conversation where common values create harmony.
The discussion turned to generational differences. We concluded that generational differences are greatest in America, but are increasingly larger in contemporary urban China. There are very few generational differences in Saudi Arabia. We then discussed why this is so and the impact of Islam in Saudi Arabia. Then we ran out of time.
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