Vietnamese and Australian interpretations of silence: similarities, differences and accommodation

Abstract

This study investigated interpretations of silence used by Vietnamese and Australians and the cultural differences and similarities in perceived likelihood of silence and its interpretations. It also examined if and how Vietnamese adapt silence-related behavior in communication withAustralians. This work was exploratory, inspired by the relative lack of detailed studies of silence in Vietnamese culture and in intercultural contexts with Australians, since existing research tends to rely on a stereotype of Vietnamese as more silent.There were three research questions in this study: (1) Based on the comparison of reported likelihood of silence and speaking, the study found that contrary to the stereotype, the VV were not more likely to be silent than the AA group, indeed Australians believed they would be silent in slightly more situations than the VV. Meanwhile the VA were the most likely to be silent in only one situation. The image of the Vietnamese as more silent was therefore not supported by this study in a straightforward way.Focusing on the interpretations of silence, this study showed that silence is more than an absence of sound. Participants supplied a range of interpretations of silence including, in order of frequency, acquiescence, disregard, avoidance, processing, courtesy, apprehension, discourtesy, displeasure, dissent, discomfort, and regret.ii The results showed significant similarities among all three groups in more than one third of the surveyed situations. In a number of cases, for example dealing with strangers and/or threats of conflict, participants across all groups were likely to be silent, and interpreted silence as a means of avoidance. This study found that in many of the other 21 surveyed situations where reported likelihood of silence differed across the three groups that the interpretations of silence were highly context dependent. Surprisingly there were situations where silence had both positive and negative connotations, for example, courtesy and discourtesy, acceptance and refusal. iii Declaration by authorThis thesis is composed of my original work, and contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference has been made in the text. I have clearly stated the contribution by others to jointly-authored works that I have included in my thesis.