2. Cross Cultural Communication

3. German coastguard movie – coastguard_Mpeg.mpg

4. Fortunately, our mistakes usually don’t have such drastic consequences.

5. What are the goals of communication?
Discuss…

6. CQ Wheel Clip

8. Scenarios What is helpful? What is not?
What do you observe of your reactions to this scenario?
What different cultural values have been demonstrated?

9. Why is communicating across cultures difficult?
What are some obstacles to communicating cross-culturally?
Brainstorm. Record on OH or whiteboard.
Language
Look at ‘How we communicate’ – p54
Note different styles of communication – cutting people off is acceptable in some cultures but offensive in others

10. 1 Corinthians 9:19-22
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law

11. Cont..
(though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak I have become all thing to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

12. Finding a bridge person
Find a national (who understands westerners) or long-termer who can act a bridge between your culture and the new culture
Then ask this person questions about the new culture to ease the transition
A bridge person – helps use communicate more effectively

13. Conflict Managing our emotions Options Appropriate assertiveness
Levels of conflict
Mapping conflict
Go through manual pages
In pairs, discuss which conflict style we use in Australia and if we think that will be appropriate in our destination culture
But what about how we do that in another culture
Tell Chandra story:
Assertive – would tell me what she would do & what I would do
Wanted another didi to help with washing and cleaning (too much work), but I couldn’t stand the lack of privacy & noise
Told me I should iron & would not clean the toilet
Had trouble understanding germ theory (dirty water) despite teaching
She told me previous family had eaten dahl baat twice a day
A widow and had one dependent son
What should I do? 2 minutes to decide what I should do.
Mediator & compromise reached – I cooked more which is what I wanted & accepted the no toilet cleaning & little ironing
Relationships intact – very important - son still writes to us

14. Missionary Love
If I speak fluently in another language but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol. If I wear the national dress and understand the culture and all forms of etiquette so that I could pass as a national but have not love, I gain nothing. Love endures long hours of language study and does not envy those who stayed home. Love does not exalt its home culture, is not proud of its national superiority, does not boast about the way it is done at home, does not think evil about its new country. Love
Ask a participant to read out the Missionary Love poem.

15. Cont…
bears all criticism about its place of origin and believes the best about its new place of ministry. Love never fails. Love endures all inconveniences. But where there is only cultural anthropology, it will fail. Where there is contextualization it may lead to syncretism. Where there is linguistic it will change. For we know only part of the culture, and we only minister to part. But when Christ is reproduced in this place, then our inadequacies will be insignificant. When I was living at home, I spoke like a citizen of my own

16. Cont..
country, understand like one, thought as one. But when I left my country I put away these things. Now we adapt to a new culture awkwardly, but He will live in it intimately. Now I speak a strange accent, but He will speak to the heart. And now these three remain, cultural adaptation, language study and love. But the greatest of these is love!
I hope that this session has raised your awareness of the potential difficulties or ‘fall out’ from cross cultural communication
Difficult – but with radar up for potential issues will be eased
Remember – a little bit of grace goes a long way
Our God is a big God, and He works through us amazingly despite all our stuff ups

17. Iraqi news movie – Skithouse – Iraq News.wmv