Malcolm Gladwell presents a claim of fact in the chapter “The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes” by proposing “Plane crashes are much more likely to be the result of an accumulation of minor difficulties and seemingly trivial malfunctions”, and that something so small as cultural differences can lead to detrimental disasters such as plane crashes, and the deaths of hundreds.Gladwell conveys how in a kind of culture where one’s superiors hold so much power – Power Distance Index – may possible end up being dangerous in those types of situations. Each person is unique, and has his or her own unique personality to go with them, along with tendencies, assumptions and reflexes passed down to us through the culture and history of the community we grew up in overlaid on top of those distinct personalities. Those differences are extremely specific.
Malcolm Gladwell then analyzes a multitude of plane crashes in which the pilots’ cultural background may have possibly had an effect on their communication skills, playing part in the crashes. Gladwell argues that whether or not someone’s culture can affect their job performance so highly, causing the deaths of hundreds, and focuses on depicting the many deaths of the passengers on the flights to cause a strong emotional reaction towards them. By closely analyzing the conversations of the pilots recovered from the crash and relating his argument, Gladwell is able to find and link his arguments together.
