Intercultural Communications

Culture Shock Culture shock – the psychological discomfort you experience when you must interact with a new culture. Culture shock occurs when taken for granted meanings are not shared by others. You will most likely experience this effect while away from home such as college, out of state travel and most definitely while on international travel. People who grew up in Gary IN will be completely different people than someone from Vincennes.

Culture & Co-Culture Culture – the system of shared values beliefs attitudes and orientations learned through communication that guides what is considered to be appropriate thought and behavior in a particular segment of the population. Most major communities have there own cultures and ways of life and how they operate. Co-Culture - cultures that exist side by side with the dominant culture and are comprised of smaller numbers of people who hold common values, attitudes, beliefs, and orientations that differ from the dominant culture. Most people often identify with more than one co-culture.

Race and ethnicity Race is a term used to classify people based on widely evident of visible biological traits, such as eye color, hair texture, and body shape. Racial co cultures influence the many things such as attitudes, and communicational behaviors. Ethnicity – a classification of poeople based on shared national characteristics such as country of birth, geographic origin, language, religion, ancestral customs, and tradition.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity In the united states as in most countries the dominant culture has valued and privileged heterosexuality and encouraged children to identify with there birth gender. People who deviated were severely mistreated. Over the past 40 years gay activism has modified the dominant culture so that homosexuality would and transgender people would face less discrimination.

Religion A religion is a system of beliefs, rituals, and ethics based on a common perception of the sacred or holy. In the united states there is freedom of religion and diversity. Historically its real values reflect monotheistic Judeo-Christian perspectives.

Social class A social class is a level in power hierarchy of a society whose membership is based on income, education, occupation, and social habits. Social classes have been around pretty much forever. Social classes are in every society of every country. The levels of social classes are poor, middle class, and rich…as far as I know. This is how it is in the united states and in most societies around the world. Most Americans are uncomfortable talking about there social class.

Generation Our generation is the time period in which we were born. The time period we were born in can have a strong formative influence on us. People born in the same generation understand each other better than someone two generations behind or ahead of them. People who were born or around in the great depression have a hard time understanding today's generation. Today's generation will have a hard time understanding there grandchildren's generation maybe. We are generation Y and Z as it says in the book.

Cultural Identity Cultural identity is that part of your self image that is based on the cultural group or groups with which you most closely associate and align with. You may choose to embrace a co-cultural lifestyle where your religion, diet, verbal mannerisms, and many other aspects of your of your identity. Or you may repress one side of your cultural heritige.

The value of the individual vs. the group Individualistic culture is a culture that values personal rights and responsibilities, privacy, voicing ones opinion, freedom, innovation, and self-expression. This cultures connection to groups is loose, meaning if you help someone out its going to be in your favor that you did. Collectivist culture is a culture that values community, collaboration, shared interest, harmony, the public good, and avoiding embracement. In this culture if you help someone out its for the benefit of everyone.

Barriers to effective intercultural communication The most common barriers to effective communication between members of different cultures includes Anxiety Assuming similarities and differences Ethnocentrism Stereotyping Incompatible communication codes Incompatible norms and values

How cultures differ Cultures based on language, dress, or personal artifacts (religious, jewelry, decorations in the home). 4 ways cultures differ that are important for communication. 1). Individual vs. Group 2). Predictability and Uncertainty 3). Distribution of Power 4). Masculine vs. Feminine

Individual vs. group Individualistic culture values personal rights and responsibilities, privacy, voicing one’s opinion, freedom, innovation, and self-expression. Place primary value on their self and personal achievement. Consider interests of others in relationship to themselves. View competition as desirable and useful. Collective cultures value community, collaboration, shared interests, harmony, the public good, and avoiding embarrassment. Strong close-knit groups that protect others for loyalty. Decisions are made in favor of helping the group whether or not they help the individual. Highly integrated, and the maintenance of harmony and cooperation is valued.

Predictability and uncertainty Uncertainty Avoidance 1). Low avoidance culture Culture that tolerates uncertainty and is less driven to control unpredictable people, relationships, or events. People in these cultures accept life’s uncertainty and prefer as few as rule as possible. 2). High avoidance culture Characterized by a low tolerance and a high need to control unpredictable people, relationships, or events. Cultures create formal rules and believe in the truth as a way to provide security and reduce risk.

Social power distribution Power Distance 1). High Power High and low power holders accept the unequal distribution of power. No cultures power is evenly distributed, in high power cultures more inequality in seen and viewed by members as normal. 2). Low Power Members prefer power to be more equally distributed. Cultures with low power, inequalities, status, and rank are underplayed and muted.

Masculine vs. feminine Masculine – a culture in which men are expected to adhere to traditional male roles. Cultures maintain distinct sex- based roles. Value masculine roles more highly than feminine Feminine – culture which people, regardless of sex, can assume a variety of roles. Men and women are accustomed to being nurturing, caring, and service orientated.

Time orientation Chronemics The study of how perception differs between individuals and cultures. Monochronic Perceiving time as being small, even units that occur sequentially. Monochronic people adhere to schedule and do things one at a time. They value punctuality, uninterrupted task completion, meeting deadlines, and following plans. Polychronic They see time as a continuous flow. They understand that appointment times and schedules are approximate and fluid. Rather than doing one thing at a time, they are comfortable doing several things at once.

Context for sharing material Low-context culture – is a culture in which message meanings are usually encoded in the verbal part of the message. The words spoken are more important in understanding the message than context cues. High-context culture – a culture in which much of the real meaning of a message is indirect and can only be accurately decoded by referring to unwritten cultural rules and subtle behavior. Verbal messages are general and ambiguous, with the real meaning implied and understood by “reading between the lines”.

Anxiety It is normal to feel some level of discomfort or apprehension when we recognize that we are different from most everyone else or when entering a cultural milieu whose customs are unfamiliar. Most people experience fear, dislike, and distrust when first interacting with someone from a different culture

Assumed similarity and diffrence When people enter an unfamiliar cultural environment, they often assume that the familiar norms that have always applied will apply in a new situation For example many people expect to get food with rapid and efficient service, they may be annoyed with shops and restraunts closing during midday in countries that observe the customs of siesta It can be just as bad of a mistake to assume that everything about an unfamiliar culture will be different

Ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own culture is superior to that of others An ethnocentric view of the world lead to attitudes of superiority and messages that are directly and subtly condescending in content and tone. chap-2/

Stereotyping Stereotyping is a perceptual shortcut in which we assume that everyone in a cultural group is the same. when we interact based on stereotypes, we risk creating inaccurate messages that damage our relationships. When we listen with our stereotypes and prejudices in mind, we may misperceive the intent of the person with whom we are talking

Incompatible communication codes When others speak a different language, it is easy to see that we have incompatible communication codes. but even among people who speak the same language, there will be cultural variations that result from the co-cultures to which they belong. Co-cultural groups will often purposefully develop “in group” codes that are easily understood by co-cultural members but unintelligible to outsiders.

Incompatible norms and values What is normal or high of value in one culture may be offensive in another. For example Vietnamese consider dogs to be a delicacy, while most Americans find that practice to be disgusting. On the other hand most Americans consider beef a delicacy but Hindus, on the other hand consider beef eating abominable as the cow is sacred to there religon.

Intercultural Communication Travis F.

Intercultural Communication Ethnorelativism- a point of view that allows you to see the value in other cultural perspectives. Could this benefit someone who is trying to be more culturally competent? How? Travis F.

Follow up questions What did you learn from this video? How might their lack of communication further complicate their future in construction? What are a few barriers we face when trying to communicate with others from different cultures? What is one way we might be able to better understand how another person’s culture is in their eyes? Travis F.

Citations “Cross Cultural Communication.” Youtube. Web. 29 Jan Travis F.