Gods Must Be Crazy

Running head: INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN THE GOD MUST BE CRAZY

Intercutura C!""unicati!n in The God Must Be Crazy  Na"e In#tituti!n

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INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN THE GOD MUST BE CRAZY $ Re#earche# and %edag!g& in internati!na and intercutura c!""unicati!n re& !n under#tanding !' the#e 'ra"e(!r)#: the a"*iguit& and #ta*iit& !' intercutura #igni'ier#+ the changing a#%ect !' cuture+ the %urait& and "i,ture !' cuture#+ and cr!##-cutura dia!gic. A !t !' e"%ha#i# ha# *een %ut in deter"ining cutura ac/ui#iti!n+ %edag!g& !' '!#tering #tere!t&%e# and %re#entati!n !' ti%#+ and c!""unicati!n tran#"i##i!n. Thi# %a%er ana&0e# 1ari!u# c!""unicati!n cue# %re#ented in The Gods Must Be Crazy. A"!ng the area# !' c!ncern are the ethn!centri#" %!rtra&a !' 1er*a and n!n1er*a c!""unicati!n#+ % erce%ti!n+ c!n'ict#+ inter%er#!na+ and cutura %re#entati!n. The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980), (a# directed *& 2a"ie U&#. It 'a# under c!"ed&. It (a# 'ied in B!t#(ana and S!uth A'rica (ith the %r!tag!ni#t 3i 4N5,au6+ a Na"i*ian and a Bu#h"an (ith n! )n!(edge !' i'e *e&!nd the re#earch. The 'id %!t re1!1e# ar!und three #t!r&: 3i 7!urne& t! rid !' their c!""unit& !' the C!ca C!a *!tte + the re1!uti!nar& gang !' guerria re*e#+ and the "!dern #!ciet& !' Andre( Ste&n 4Mariu# 8e&er#6+ and 9ate Th!"%#!n 4Sandra rin#!!6. A the %!t# run c!ncurrent& and #ee"ed t! c!n'ict. The #t!r& i# de1e!%ed in a #"a ge!gra%hica regi!n *ut %re#ent three di#tinct (!rd#+ i"ited an& 1ie(er the c!nce%ti!n !' ;A'rica.< 3i and hi# %e!%e i1ed dee% in the 9aahari De#ert+ i#!ated 'r!" an& '!r" !' ci1ii0ati!n. Their 'ir#t enc!unter (ith techn!!g& i# (hen a C!ca C!a *!tte dr!%# 'r!" an air%ane. The nati1e# *eie1ed the *!tte (a# a gi't 'r!" the g!d#= it *eca"e a c!""!dit& !' intere#t. E1er&!ne (anted t! u#e it+ and !ut c!"%etiti!n+ 'ight# *r!)e a"!ng the !nce %eace'u c!""unit& !' the ite". 3i thin)# the *!tte i# a *ad !"en+ and decide# t! ta)e it t! the end !' the (!rd. Thi# 7!urne& de1e!%# the entire #t!r& %!t.

The (!rd ha# *een reduced int! a #"a

g!*a 1iage. Uni)e the Bu#h"an># (!rd %e!%e 'r!" a c!rner# !' the (!rd interact in !ne

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN THE GOD MUST BE CRAZY ? (a& !r an!ther. The intercutura c!ntact# c!"e (ith 1ari!u# '!r"# !' c!n'ict+ %!(er# #trugge#+ ega+ and en1ir!n"enta die""a#. The Gods Must Be Crazy *ring# !ut #tr!ng intercutura i##ue# a"!ng A"erican# and A'rican#. The Bu#h"an i# %er%e,ed the ci1ii0ed (!rd+ the car#+ air%ane#+ *!tte+ and #!cia !' !rgani0ati!n !' the gr!u% are thing# *e&!nd their under#tanding. On c!ntrar&+ the "!dern %e!%e cann!t c!"%rehend the *eha 1i!r !' the Bu#h"an+ hunting d!"e#tic #hee%+ and %re#er1ati!n !' C!ca C!a *!tte+ and %erce%ti!n !' *eaut&. The 'i" #tart# (ith a (!rd 'u !' c!""unicati!n *arrier. The Bu#h"an i1e# #ecuded de#ert en1ir!n"ent+ (hie the ci1ii0ed gr!u%# i1e in the citie#. There i# !( t! n!n-e,i#ting c!""unicati!n c!nte,t in the "!dern #!ciet&. The ci1ii0ed %e!%e re& !n in'!r"ati!n 'r!" !( '!r"# #uch a# ecture#+ T@+ ne(#%a%er#+ and r!ad"a%#. The Bu#h"an !n the !ther hand+ reie# !n high c!nte,t !' in'!r"ati!n. The& high& de%end !n %er#!na c!""unicati!n. N! !ne can under#tand their c!""unicati!n a%art 'r!" the "e"*er#. In The Gods Must Be Crazy II, the  *u#h"an a#! read# ;ne(#< e1er& "!rning+ the& u#e thi# )n!(edge t! trac) ani"a# and c!ect (ater. The #tr!ng di''erence# *et(een the ci1ii0ed and Bu#h"an cutura #etting+ #u*7ect the  %artie# int! 1ari!u# un'air treat"ent#. In The Gods Must Be Crazy I, 3i i# caught una(are !' in (hat the ci1ii0ed #!ciet& a# #teaing. The %artie# are de1!id !' an& '!r" !' c!""unicati!n+ and 3i *ec!"e# an arre#t 1icti". In 3i #!ciet&+ !(ner#hi%+ %!##e##i!n+ 7ea!u#+ !r !(ner#hi% are n!n-e,i#tence. H!(e1er+ in the 'i"+ *!th the Bu#h"an and the ci1ii0ed are una(are !' their cutura di''erence#. The& a#! d! n!t #hare an& '!r" !' c!""unicati!n cue#+ 1er*a and n!n1er*a. 3i i# !c)ed u% in a ce+ *ut #ti 'ind# it hard t! c!"%rehend the entire #cenari!. H!(e1er+ M%undi+ (h! i# Mr. Ste&ne># a##i#tance cear& under#tand the cutura c!n'ict#+ and  %ar!e# 3i.

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN THE GOD MUST BE CRAZY

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