EPISODES, CONTEXTS, AND INTERCULTURAL INTERACTIONS CHAPTER 11

OBJECTIVES To describe and explain how communication experiences are structured by people’s participation in events that are quite predictable and routine. To introduce students to the five components of social episodes, each of which influences intercultural communication.

OBJECTIVES To explain that the surrounding social interaction backdrops are influenced by culture. To examine three specific social settings in which cultural variations play an important role: health care, education, and business. To encourage an awareness that intercultural competence is critical for everyday experiences and contexts.

Social Episodes in Intercultural Relationships People’s interactions are structured by their participation in events or social episodes that are quite predictable and routine. The nature of social episodes varies from culture to culture; however, there are some common characteristics.

Social Episodes in Intercultural Relationships Common characteristics- Social episodes are interaction sequences that are repeated again and again. The structure of the social episodes themselves are very predictable. The individuals who participate in these episodes generally know what to expect from others and vice versa.

Social Episodes in Intercultural Relationships There are five components of social episodes. Social roles are sets of expected behaviors that are associated with people in a particular position. Cultural patterns are the shared judgments about what the world is and what it should be, and the widely held expectations about how people should behave.

Social Episodes in Intercultural Relationships Rules of interaction are not written down, nor are they typically shared verbally; instead, they operate at the level of unwritten, unspoken expectations. Interaction scenes are made up of the recurring, repetitive topics that people talk about in social conversations. Interaction contexts are the setting or settings within which social episodes occur.

Contexts for Intercultural Communication The health care context Culture’s influence on the health care context Cultural patterns affect how people see and understand health care and how they conceptualize health and illness, the causes of diseases, the means to prevent illnesses, appropriate cures, and the type of individuals most qualified to provide the care and attempt the cure.

Contexts for Intercultural Communication There are three general approaches to beliefs about health, illness, and wellness. The magico-religious approach refers to a belief that health and illness are closely linked to uncontrollable supernatural forces. The holistic approach refers to a belief in a harmonious balance between a person and nature.

Contexts for Intercultural Communication The biomedical approach refers to a belief that a person’s health is controlled by biomedical forces.

Contexts for Intercultural Communication Family and gender roles in the health care context Cultural patterns influence the definition of the patient, family responsibilities and ideas regarding medical treatment, and medical interviews. Cultural patterns also influence expectations about appropriate gender related behaviors.

Contexts for Intercultural Communication Conversational structures and language Cultural differences in interaction rules affect the medical interview between caregiver and patient. Potential difficulties include the perceived authority of health-care professionals and the expected degree of ambiguity in the use of language.

Contexts for Intercultural Communication Intercultural competence in the health-care context Health-care professionals must assume the responsibility of assuring intercultural competence- which requires an understanding of cultural patterns- in order to treat people effectively. However, an individual may not share the preferences of their cultural group.

Contexts for Intercultural Communication The educational context Participants in educational settings bring with them their cultural backgrounds and patterns. Culture influences people’s expectations about teacher-student relationships, learning styles, valuation of education, classroom behavior, and communication styles.

Contexts for Intercultural Communication Intercultural communication competence affects the relationship of family members with the education system. The starting point for developing intercultural competence in the educational context is to understand one’s own cultural background.

Contexts for Intercultural Communication The business context Culture’s influence on the business context Specific areas of intercultural business are associated with four variations in individualistic or collectivistic cultures: who speaks for the organization, who makes decisions for the organization, what motivates employees, and what is the basis for the business relationship.

Contexts for Intercultural Communication The business context (continued) Fons Trompenaars proposes universalism-particularism as a cultural dimension that explains how business practices vary between cultures.

Contexts for Intercultural Communication Doing business interculturally Cultures vary in their interpretations about what constitutes appropriate and effective business communication and the manner in which to practice business. Business negotiations, social exchanges, decision-making styles, reward systems, and gender expectations are all influenced by the cultural backgrounds of the business participants involved.

Contexts for Intercultural Communication Intercultural competence in the business context Intercultural competence in the workforce involves educating managers and their employees on the skills necessary to work in an intercultural environment. Training includes opportunities to improve knowledge, motivation, and skills concerning intercultural issues and ongoing training about diversity issues.

Episodes, Contexts, and Intercultural Interactions Intercultural competence requires an understanding of the episodes and contexts within which interaction occurs. Cultural differences related to episodes and contexts can be a cause of misunderstanding in intercultural interactions.