Border Crossings: American Interactions with Israelis

Americans are often puzzled by their interactions with Israelis—the way the culture challenges authority, breaches of taboos, and their forceful self-confidence. Border Crossings: American Interactions with Israelis by Lucy Shahar and David Kurz, allows readers to unravel the puzzle by providing an analysis of American-Israeli cultural differences and highlighting the contrast between the two cultures through case studies, critical incidents, helpful analogies, and models.Border Crossings covers the fundamental aspects of Israeli society and its people, and the authors also examine direct American-Israeli interaction through real-life experiences of Americans in Israel, bringing many first-hand experiences into play, and providing unique and thought-provoking perspectives on the one-of-a-kind experience of living in or traveling to Israel. Border Crossings takes a practical approach to helping Americans have greater success in their dealings with Israelis in all contexts, with particular emphasis on Israeli-American workplace relationships. It's the perfect companion for North Americans who engage in ongoing communication with Israeli colleagues, clients or friends, as well as immigrants or sojourners. Contents Acknowledgments Author's Note Introduction Part I: Setting the Scene 1 Israeli Culture as a Puzzle and a Challenge 2 First Impressions 3 Second Impressions: Soldiers, Women, and Israeli Arabs 4 Coloring Books, Video Recorders, and Sandpaper: Three Cultural Metaphors Part II: American Encounters with Israelis: Dealing with Different Norms, Expectations, and Behavior Patterns 5 American Facade/Middle Eastern Behavior: Commercial Transactions and Bureaucratic Encounters 6 Distance, Deference, and Dissonance in the Workplace 7 Have We Made a Deal Yet? Israeli Negotiating Style 8 The Choreography of the Social Dance Afterword Appendix A: Coping-Strategies Exercise for Commercial Transactions and Bureaucratic Encounters Appendix B: Coping-Strategies Exercise for the Workplace Bibliography