Module 3 -SLP
Intercultural awareness is important for effective management and achievement of organizational goals. In this paper, Intercultural awareness will be examined through two quizzes that will be taken through an online portal.
Quizzes taken
• From Set A-Working Globally across Cultures, I got 10/10 (100%) (Appendix A)
• From set B- I answered questions about China’s cultural etiquettes, I got 6/10 (60%) (Appendix B)
Were you surprised at your score? Yes, I was. I thought I was very equipped with information from other cultures and that the knowledge I had about cultures was adequate. My scores imply that I should put more effort in learning about different cultures to enable me to interact easily with other people from diverse
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My communication ability was strengthened because of the different opportunities I got to interact with people from diverse cultures. This opportunity enabled me to build on my communication skills with individuals of various accents and languages (Kourova & Modianos, 2013). On multiple occasions, I can understand effectively and interpret messages, negotiate meanings, as well as reduce the possibility of wrong interpretations.
I also understand that there are differences among cultures, and each culture has its way of doing things which might be different from my culture. This understanding enables me to appreciate others culture as well as try to learn something new from them.
Weaknesses in inter-cultural awareness
The weak point I have is that no matter how much I have read in books or watched on television; I will never understand everything about some cultures. Not unless I experience it or study it widely. Without education and training, I might be offensive to a person from a different culture and not know what I have done.
My other weakness is I might not be sensitive enough to individuals from other cultures, which prevents me from associating correctly with them. Cultural sensitivity in an important aspect of achieving business goals. Thus, insensitivity causes me not to connect or work with people properly (Moran et al., 2014).
Why gaps exist in cultural
I am taking a cultural studies in my current school because I believe other cultures outside my own are worth learning. In my cultural studies class I have learnt about a lot of world cultures. I learnt about the many asian, hispanic, jewish, Appalachian, and middle eastern cultures. I have made friends with many people from all over the world. I have learnt firsthand about the italians fondness of swearwords. I have heard about the beauty of the indonesian landscape. I have tasted india’s lesser known delicacies and compared how the India’s and Nigeria's educational systems are similar. I listened to an middle eastern muslim talk about how proud she is of her custom despite all the negativity she faces. Her experiences are one of the main reasons I try to inform
If I had grown up on the streets where there were alleys, I probably could have told you that an alley apple was a brink. Or if I lived around more African Americans, I would have known what their national anthem was. But unfortunately I didn’t. My limited exposure to different cultures in the world, has limited my knowledge. If I was given a study guide or perhaps an assignment, maybe I am would score would have been better. But the only better way is to live around those cultures and learn their particular lingo.
Holliday, Adrian, Martin Hyde, and John Kullman. 2010. Intercultural Communication: An advanced resource book for students. 2nd Edition. Routledge.
The video titled “Intercultural Flexibility Staircase Model” explains the process in which a person adapts to a new culture. Each step builds off of the previous, until the person is fully immersed in a culture that they were previously ignorant to. The first step is called unconscious incompetence, which means that a person is unaware of surrounding cultures, and thinks of their own as the main way of living. The following step known as conscious incompetence, is when someone becomes aware of the other cultures, and realizes that they lack the skills to communicate with other cultures. Conscious competence, the third step in the staircase model, explains that this is the point in which a person wants to learn about a new culture, and begins
Growing up I was used to just one culture and not really knowledgeable about any other. But going to school and interacting with other kids either on the soccer field or on the playground, I was surrounded by many different culture. Now as I get older and really think about what I want to do with my life I realize that I have to become a diverse person because in this day in age, our society is getting more diverse than ever. Since I have decided to study and eventually become I teacher, I need to learn about all kinds of culture because in my classroom I need to be able to accept and understand all the kids that I will be interacting with on a day to day basis. As a young women who inspires to help and educate the future, it is my job to make sure coming generations are open and willing to learn about different culture also accepting all cultures.
When one encounters a culture that has little in common with own, one may experience culture shock. This is a sense of confusion, anxiety, stress and loss one may experience. One of the barriers in effective intercultural communication is ethnocentrism. It stems from a conviction that one’s own cultural traditions and assumptions are superior to those of others. It leads to a tendency to look the world primarily from the perspective of one's own culture. It is one of the fastest ways to create a barrier that inhibits, rather than enhances communication (Jandt, 2012).
The initiation of intercultural effectiveness can be derived from behaviour impacted by its cultural differences and “cultural self-awareness includes recognition of one’s own cultural influences upon values, beliefs, and judgements, as well as the influences derived from the professional’s work culture” (Winkelman, 2005, p. 9)
Also, how other cultures have had a phenomenal impact on how I view everyday situations and how I draw conclusions, whether it’s about an ethnic group, my own and others or about hot topics in the news. Before this class I did not realize cultural relativism. I really was ethnocentric because I never took the time to evaluate other people’s cultures independently of my own. While I think it is normal for people to judge their peers, coworkers, etc. based on their experiences I also feel it would be beneficial for all of us to take the time to try and understand the sociological point of view of others that are not familiar to us or view things very different from us. The tools I have learned in this class seems to have made me a better listener and emphasizer because I have caught myself listening to people just to hear them and not just to respond. The change in my outlook about being intertwined in society has improved my communication skills at work and at
Intercultural communication is an evolving discipline that occurs between individuals from contrasting backgrounds. It include...
...Through this class I have learned that there are many differences between cultures, but there are also many similarities. People identify with the people that are most like themselves and have the same values and outlooks. Our culture is how we know where we fit in, but our culture is not set in stone. We can change certain aspects of our culture just as Ms. Halualani’s parents did for her.
...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.
The purpose of cultural awareness is to understand people who are different then oneself to better interact with them. By learning a person’s culture one could also incorporate traits of another culture in his or her life. Lastly, being culturally aware is very important when learning about new cultures and beliefs.
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.
One way to be a competent communicator is to be aware of things that can affect the way you communicate. For example, your environment. Personal experiences and your personal cultural background can affect the way you think about others, which can resultantly affect the way you communicate. While you might think something you do is right and ethical, while another person might find it wrong and unethical, or vice versa. This can make communication more of a challenge or impossible. One way to eliminate this problem is to try to be more understanding to someone’s background, to put yourself into their shoes and to understand that everyone has different backgrounds and different ways of perceiving what is right and wrong. It is important to remember that people from different backgrounds often can share enough common ground to make an effective relationship which can lead to effective communication.
Communicating with other cultures characterizes today’s business, classroom, and community. Hence, the art of knowing how to communicate with other cultures should be a workplace skill that is emphasized. Various authors have studied on intercultural communication; however, their studies have diverse perspectives and emphasis. The various views give a balanced approach to intercultural communication. This paper outlines the various facets that authors have on the importance of intercultural communication in the field of education, business, medicine and counseling. In addition, perspectives that various authors have on intercultural communicate are