Question 1: What influences and experiences have been most significant in shaping your values and behavior? Consider Hofstede's three-part model of human nature, culture and personality. Consider various aspects of your personality within the context of the behavioral norms and expectations of the culture or cultures that have shaped your worldview. How would you separate the influence of nurture and nature in the development of your approach to life? What have been the most important influencers in your life, either people or experiences, and how have these shaped your values, beliefs, and expectations about what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior?
Question 2: How would you describe the culture of the group that has been primary in shaping your current sense of self and identity? This could be any group. It could be a reflection of your nationality, race or ethnicity, or represent a religious, regional, tribal or other community or group to which you belong. In any case, it should be a cultural group with which you strongly identify. Describe the culture taking into consideration Schein's three-layer model of culture, and applying at least two of the cultural frameworks proposed by Lewis, Hofstede, Trompenaars, and Meyer. Reflecting on your own values and norms, in what ways do you see your own values and norms as reflecting the central tendencies of that culture or as falling, perhaps, outside the norm? Why do you think your values and norms either conform or do not conform to the dominant values and norms of this culture or group?
Question 3: How would you describe your preferred communication style? Consider Hall's distinction between low-context and high-context cultures as well as the four-factor verbal style model. How much and in what ways do you use verbal and non-verbal aspects of communication to convey your message? In what ways do you see your preferred communication style as reflecting or not reflecting the cultural group or groups with which you identify? Thinking back on your own upbringing and experience, what lessons were you taught by your parents, teachers and others about appropriate and inappropriate ways to communicate? In your experience what is the appropriate way to express emotion or engage in conflict? What parallels would you draw between your communication style, your conflict style, and your approach to expressing emotion? In what ways are these consistent or inconsistent with your cultural background, your upbringing, and your experience?