Communication is a necessary part of our lives. It helps us build good relationships and achieve much success in society. To become a good communicator, we need to be aware of characteristics such as empathy, patience and accountability for competent communication, especially when we interact with other cultures. However, when we communicate across cultures, because of the different co-cultures, conflicts tend to occur more frequently. Therefore, it requires a little more complexity in our communication skill, particularly for the out-group members of a co-culture. Being open-minded with people from other nationalities is one of the most effective interpersonal skills to have in order to avoid cultural conflict. Every country has its own …show more content…
Because the cultural traditions are different, people in this group feel less confident whenever they communicate with the native residents. They are more sensitive when they cannot understand something. Gradually, they limit association with other ethnics and only choose to interact within their community. In Gran Torino, we can see the Hmong family mostly communicate with people from their own country. At the barbeque party, people gathered at Sue’s crowed house but Walt Kowalski was not welcomed by anyone because he was an American. In this situation, particularly during the backyard scene, the Hmong became the in-group members. They practically isolated themselves from American society. However, when Walt Kowalski spoke with them at the party, they became friendly. That is to say it is anxiety that hinders them from intercultural communication. As Kathy McKeiver said “Both intercultural communication apprehension and ethnocentrism can have negative effects on an individual’s willingness to communicate outside of the ‘in-group’” (Kathy McKeiver 2013). Indeed, most people who live in foreign countries must experience this situation at least once. As an international student, I am no exception. Since I moved to New York, I have experienced lots of cultural shocks. I found that it is really hard to have long conversations with the native speakers. We are different, from our gestures to our actions. I had no way to escape from making mistakes and being misunderstood. After every mistake, I learned a new custom from American friends. I realized that it is the best way to know about a culture. Now, I feel at ease when I talk with my classmates and neighbors. Therefore, if we are comfortable, empathetic and patient with those who are not like us, we can communicate more effectively and have better
That communication should be ethical. Ethical cross cultural communication improves intergroup relations and self-awareness. If you do not have self-awareness, it will be hard to connect with other people in general not just people from a culture different from your own. I personally believe being self-aware and acknowledging your biases are the best ways to communicate with different cultures effectively and authentically.
The intimacy between culture and communication exists in the fact that actors interact by way of communication which is a technique used to continue the established patterns of meaning, thinking, feeling and acting. There are common characteristics in most definitions of culture. These characteristics are that culture is shared and is a stable construct, consisting of patterns, values, symbols, meanings, beliefs, assumptions and expectations. The characteristics of culture mean that culture is socially constructed and, therefore, must be learned.
Many people who go to visit or work in another country suffer some misunderstanding from the local people, because they have a different culture. Different culture will cause disparity points of view about almost everything. In the article, Intercultural Communication Stumbling Blocks by Laray M. Barna, there are five stumbling blocks mentioned that are seen in a cross-culture communication. These blocks are: language, nonverbal signs and symbols, preconceptions and stereotypes, the tendency to evaluate and high anxiety. Barna wants to use these stumbling blocks to show the common blockades between different cultures. I agree with what she thinks about the language, nonverbal signs and symbols, preconceptions and stereotypes, and the tendency
The Communication Accommodation Theory developed by Giles while broad and complex is undeniably important to the field of Communication Studies. The broad focus of CAT can be perceived as a drawback, but could also be viewed as a merit by allowing researchers to apply CAT principles in almost any situation dealing with communication between representatives of differing cultural backgrounds. By using CAT, Communication Researchers can objectively make observations of the communication strategies, as well as the motivations for those strategies on both small and large scales. By understanding such information, individuals and organizations alike could potentially make great strides in the improvement of relations with other cultural counterparts. In a sense, the Communication Accommodation Theory is significant because it can be applied to any cultural interaction, can help disseminate the causes of intercultural incongruity, and potentially help prevent future misunderstanding.
I have learned a great deal about different cultures and the communication between those cultures. I didn’t really think I would learn as much as I did. I am from an older cohort than most of the people in my class; therefore my experience level is a little greater. This did not prevent me from learning a few things and enhancing the knowledge I already have.
When individuals or groups from different cultures communicate, this process is called intercultural communication. The transaction process of listening and responding to people from different cultural backgrounds can be challenging. The greater the difference in culture between two people, the greater the potential of misunderstanding and mistrust. Misunderstanding and miscommunication occur between people from different cultures because of different coding rules and cultural norms, which play a major role in shaping the patterns of interaction (Jandt, 2012).
Effective communication with people of difference cultures can be especially challenging. The way people interpret the world can be strikingly different between cultures. Intercultural communication occurs when a member from one culture produces a message that is absorbed by a member of another culture. How that message is understood by the communicating party is a vital part in intercultural communication. For example, in Cambodia it would be considered rude to discuss business in a social setting (Language, culture, customs and etiquette, n.d.). However, in the United States this is a common practice and is almost an encouraged event. Another important factor and consideration in intercultural communication is the importance of understanding cultures, values, history and beliefs. For instance, in Cambodia, if you deliver a present that is wrapped in white paper, this is considered to represent mourning. This is one of the many reasons why it is important to assimilate into a culture and be mindful of communication between cultures (Language, culture, customs and etiquette, n.d.).
...al to have an open mind to be able to gain insight toward learning new information and to gain new perspectives toward the other culture. Every group of people or country has their own issues that can impact its cultural beliefs, values, and attitudes. If a person has not had to face oppression, understanding how to relate to another person can be challenging. A person’s positions will impact his or her interests toward resolving issues. The expectations about others will affect everyday relationships. We all make mistakes, but minimizing conclusions and stereotypes will help to gain the trust of the other person.
According to Hofstede’s (1980), ‘culture is the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one human group from another… culture in the sense, includes systems of values: and values are among the building blocks of culture.’ It is necessary to determine how culture impacts our communication behavior as culture directly influences our perception and understanding of the message that is transmitted from one party to another. People from different cultures encode and decode messages differently; this therefore increases the chances of misunderstanding. Intercultural communication refers to interactions between people whose cultural assumptions are so different that the communication between them is altered. Verderber, Verderber, & Sellnow, (2010).
Humans have been communicating since four million years. On the other hand, the birth of culture is estimated to have taken place about 35,000 years ago. Today, both culture and communication have evolved considerably and have become interdependent of one another, to the point that communication is considered to be a product of culture. Thus, our own culture has a deep impact on our thoughts and behaviors. Since each culture has its distinct aspects, intercultural communication can be the cause of conflict and disorder. There are three main issues which are at the root of the problem of intercultural miscommunication : language as a barrier, cultural diversity and ethnocentrism. I will analyze these three notions in situations in which intercultural communication is frequent such as : the workplace, the classroom and vacation trips.
Interpersonal Communication in an Intercultural Setting Cultural growth in the twenty-first century has heightened the emphasis on interpersonal communication in an intercultural setting. As our world grows, expands and becomes increasingly more interconnected by various technological advances, the need for effective interpersonal communication among differing cultures has become quite clear. Due to the advancement of technology in today's world, a world in which some businesspeople are involved in transactions with other businesspeople in faraway countries, the call for knowledge of intercultural communication within this setting has become a reality. Interpersonal communication is a form of communication that involves a small number of people who can interact exclusively with one another and who therefore have the ability to both adapt their messages specifically for those others and to obtain immediate interpretations from them (Lustig et al, 1993). Although interpersonal communication is usually thought of as being perf!
I wasn 't quite sure what I was getting into when I first enrolled in Intercultural Communications. I had assumptions as to the goals of the course such as I would be learning about the way cultures interact with each other, learn about communication in general, or I would be learning about the ways we use communication through our culture. I think that I achieve the latter goal, but I also gained knowledge about more then just my culture. I came to realize that there is more to a culture than just language, appearances, and customs, which are aspects of culture that could be seen above the waterline, or they are more noticeable/obvious to someone outside of that culture. There are aspects of culture that are below the waterline, or more
As I mentioned earlier, I thought I had very good understanding of cross cultural communication. I did not know if I would gain much in this class before I decided to take this class. For me, cross cultural communication was about talking with people with different cultures backgrounds. For example, two people are from two different countries; the communication between them is cross culture. However, I found that cross cultural communication is a more complex thing than I ever thought. The definition of cross cultural communication can be defined as the ability to successfully form, foster, and improve relationships with members of a culture different from one’s own. It is based on knowledge of many factors, such as the other culture’s values, perceptions, manners, social structure, and decision-making practices, and an understanding of how members of the group communicate—verbally, non-verbally, in person, in writing, and in various business and social contexts, to name but a few. I know this is a long definition. It is not as simple as I ever thought.
To elaborate, by mentioning intercultural understanding, I meant that each cultural group has different ways to communicate. For example, Western culture encourages people to be up-front and straight-forward with their communication; contrastly, people who are influenced by Eastern culture might be less outspoken about their ideas and pay a lot of attention to nonverbal language of the people around them. Culture is something that if one have never encountered or exposed to it, he or she would never know. I hope that after this project, besides of the knowledge we gained from the research itselves, all four of us would improve even more on our intercultural and interpersonal communication skills. Because at the end of the day, the knowledge that one have learnt might be forgotten, but all of the skills that one have gained will stay for a very long time.
The term “culture” refers to the complex accumulation of knowledge, folklore, language, rules, rituals, habits, lifestyles, attitudes, beliefs, and customs that link and provide a general identity to a group of people. Cultures take a long time to develop. There are many things that establish identity give meaning to life, define what one becomes, and how one should behave.