Intercultural Communication Chapter 3 Intercultural Communication

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

Culture Culture Shock 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

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

Co-Cultures Groups of people living within a dominant culture who are clearly different from the dominant culture

Examples of some Co-Cultures 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.

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

Individualism-Collectivism 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

Identifying Cultural Similarities and Differences 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

Uncertainty Avoidance 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

Power Distance 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

Masculinity-Femininity 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

Time Orientation Monochronic Value punctuality Follow plans Polychronic Value flexible schedules Multitasking

U.S. Rankings (among 53 Countries/Regions) 15th 38th 43rd

Cultural Context 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 Smile Schools

Barriers to Effective Intercultural Communication Anxiety Assuming similarity or difference culture Ethnocentrism Stereotyping Incompatible communication codes Incompatible norms and values

Pyramid Model of Intercultural Competence

Intercultural Communication Competence 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

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