Every tale can be told in a different way. --Greek proverb

What is true is not what I say, but what you understand Paul Watzlawick,psychologist

All is change; all yields its place and goes Euripides The study of intercultural communication is about change

„Our economy, environment, resources, education, and health systems all interconnect to, rely on, and affect the economies, environments, resources, and health systems in other countries.” –A. Cabrera, G. Unruh Being Global: How to Think, Act, and Lead in a Transformed World

…effective intercultural communication is an increasingly essential requirement in the critical efforts to ensure world peace, improve relationships between co-cultures and the dominant cultures within each country, assure resource sustainability, and promote ecological viability. Communication between cultures, 9th edition

„Diverse people will be brought together who have little common cultural identity of the sort that historically has prompted our cultural nepotism,and this will happen at rates that exceed those at which they can be culturally integrated.” --Mark Pagel, Professor of Evolutionary Biology „Does Globalization mean we will become one culture?” 2013

Movement of people from poverty-ridden and violence-torn African and Middle Eastern nations, along with those from Eastern Europe seeking better employment, has altered the complexion of Western Europe --Communication between cultures

Things to be aware of: The uniqueness of each individual The hazards of over generalizing The need to be objective The necessity for compromise The myth of believing that communication is a cure-all

„According to the American philosopher and psychologist William James, ‚In every concrete individual, there is a uniqueness that defies formulation.’ Our behavior is shaped by a multitude of sources, with culture being but one…we are more than our cultures.” --Communication Between Cultures

Generalizing „…cultural generalizations must be viewed as approximations, not as absolute representations…remember the admonition of the English writer Robert Burton: ‚No rule is so general, which admits not some exception.” (Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous cultures)*

Objectivity „…you approach and respond to other cultures from the perspective of your own culture…the habit of overemphasizing one’s own culture as a template for assessing other cultures is called enthocentrism.” „It is difficult, if not impossible, to see and to give meaning to words and behaviors unfamiliar to you.” *

BUT… Rejecting someone keeps you from having new cultural experiences Objectivity promotes learning to interact and value distinct groups of people*

Compromise in intercultural Communication „…approach intercultural conflict with an open mind rather than a win-lose perspective. Take the time to consider the other party’s perception of the situation, the importance of the issue, and the possible reaction to your response.” „A Japanese friend…told us that the best solution to a disagreement is when ‚both sides have to cry a little.” *

Communication is not the universal solution „Conflicting territorial claims have been a historical constant due to fluctuating borders arising from wars, treaties, political intrigues, and mass migration. Many of the world’s established borders are seen as being unilaterally imposed by former colonial powers or viewed through the perspective of divided historical memory.”*

All government, indeed every human benefit and enjoyment, every virtue, and every prudent act, is founded on compromise and barter. --edmund burke, english statesman* *Quotes taken from Communication Between Cultures, Larry A. Samovar, Richard E. Porter, Edwin R. McDaniel, Carolyn S. Roy, 9th Edition

Questions to be answered: What caused the misunderstanding between Peter and his cab driver in New York? What are some things that Peter has learned from his clients? Why does Peter believe the global village is a myth? What are the two pillars of the 21st century paradox? What is the difference between contact and communication? How has culture shock become virtual? How does Peter define cultural intelligence? How can culture influence different perceptions of human rights? What is an example? What are some generalizations that are made about Americans based on TV, films and other media perceptions?