Intercultural Communication 1

Interactions that occur between people whose cultures are so different that the communication between them is altered 2

3 The system of beliefs, values, and attitudes shared by a particular segment of a population The psychological discomfort of adjusting to a new cultural situation Culture Shock Culture Shock

Culture within a society whose attitudes, values, beliefs, and customs hold the majority opinion 4

Groups of people living within a dominant culture who are clearly different from the dominant culture 5

6 Gender Race Codeswitching Ethnicity Sexual orientation and gender identity Religion Social class Generation Cultures Created by Geographic Regions Cultures created by Interests Technological? Gaming Cultures? Theater Cultures? Sporting Cultures? Racing Cultures? Work Cultures Most of us belong to more than one cultural group and that helps make up our cultural identity.

With respect to many nonverbal “norms” or rules of behavior Dress Time Gender expectations Individualism Power Uncertainty and predictability Others 7

8 Individualistic cultures value:  Personal rights and responsibilities  Competition and personal achievement  Self-expression  Privacy Collectivist cultures value:  Community, strong connection to groups  Harmony and cooperation  Avoiding embarrassment  Group interests over self- interests

Individualism-Collectivism: extent to which people in a culture are integrated into groups Uncertainty Avoidance: extent to which people in a culture avoid unpredictability regarding people, relationships, and events Power Distance: amount of difference in power between people, institutions, and organizations in a culture Masculinity-Femininity: extent to which notions of "maleness" and "femaleness" are valued in a culture Time Orientation: differences in how cultures perceive time 9

10 Low Uncertainty Avoidance  Comfortable with unpredictability  Takes risks  Few rules  Accepts multiple perspectives of “truth” High Uncertainty Avoidance  Creates systems of formal rules  Believes in absolute truth  Less tolerant of deviant ideas or behaviors

11 High Power Distance  Power distributed unequally  Power imbalances seen as natural  Power is respected Low Power Distance  Power is distributed equally  Inequalities are downplayed  People with power are not feared  Democracy is valued

12 Masculine Cultures  Traditional sex-based roles followed  Men are assertive and dominant  Women are nurturing, service-oriented  Male traits valued over female traits Feminine Cultures  Roles not based on one’s sex  People free to act in nontraditional ways  Feminine traits valued  Both men and women demonstrate both masculine and feminine behaviors

13 Monochronic  Value punctuality  Follow plans Polychronic  Value flexible schedules  Multitasking

14 15 th 43 rd 38 th

15 Low-Context  Direct verbal messages  Speakers expected to say what they mean High-Context  Indirect meaning  Understood by referring to unwritten cultural rules and subtle nonverbal behavior  “Read between the lines”  Japanese Culture Facial Expression: 33:40 Japanese Culture Facial Expression: 33:40

Anxiety Assuming similarity or difference culture Ethnocentrism Stereotyping Incompatible communication codes Incompatible norms and values 16

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18 Intercultural competence: effective and appropriate behavior and communication in intercultural situations Internal outcomes: Informed frame of reference, filter shift Adaptability, flexibility Ethnorelativism: point of view that allows you to see value in other cultural perspectives Empathy

19 External outcome: Behaving and communicating effectively and appropriately to achieve your goals