Chapter 8: Intercultural Communication
the ugly americans
father-in-law, Palestinian boats prays before taking off
negotiating cultural tensions on borders
flexibility and adaptability
#2 Enhanced Business Effectiveness
studying intercultural communication= success in domestic and international business, lack of attention to cultural factors= costly disasters ex) Disney world went to France but broke social rules, did not take into the culture, need to do market research and have a partner to help with communication, restaurants
4. human nature relationship
the perceived relationship between humans and nature ex) we try to control it by building apartments on river road where flooding is supposed to happen.
1. Travel
voluntary short-term, voluntary long-term, involuntary short-term, involuntary long-term
3. human nature
whether humans are good, evil or a mixture good: rehabilitations, "innocent unlit proven guilty, have hope in people evil: punishment and incarceration, once a criminal always one
"doing mode"
work hard to achieve, keep going, don't stop, gogogogo
peacebuilding
working toward stability in a region to prevent conflicts for escalating into war
1. collectivism
a value orientation that stresses the needs of a group ex) family, parents everyone together
2. preferred personality
a value orientation that expressed whether it is more important for a person to "do" or to "be"
3. Relationships
"quiet revolution", attitudes have improved, open communications promotes growth, can be difficult with family, friend and society
influences of cultural values on communication
1. individualism and collectivism 2. preferred personality 3. human nature 4. human nature relationship 5. power distance 6. long-term vs. short-term orientation
5. power distance
a value orientation that refers to the extent to which less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a culture expect and accept an unequal distribution of power ex) call professor by first name or how you address them physically
1. individualism
a value orientation that respects the autonomy and independence of individuals ex) Americans, move out
#3 Improved Intergroup Relations
Middle East and US, foster interethnic relations-- call for peace building, but some people are not motivated to solve conflicts
6. short-term orientation
a value orientation that stresses the importance of possessing one fundamental truth, monotheistic
co-cultural groups
a significant minority group within a dominant majority that does not share dominate group values or communication patterns
culture shock
a feeling of disorientation and discomfort due to the lack of familiar environmental cues
#4 Enhanced Self-Awareness
be more aware of our own identities and communication patterns, based social and economic position, most of our dally interactions are intercultural in nature
2. Socialization
because of ones race, sexual orientation, or religion, can lead to exclusion, pressure to assimilate or cultural limbo
cultural values
beliefs that are so central to a cultural group that they are never questioned
intercultural communication
communication that occurs in interactions between people who are culturally different
6. privilege-disadvantage dialectic
cultural members can be simultaneously privileged while disadvantages
4. static- dynamic dialectic
cultural patterns can undergo dynamic change
2 challenges of border dwellers
culture shock and reverse culture shock/ reentry shock
reverse culture shock/ reentry shock
culture shock experienced by travelers upon returning to their home country
#1 Increased Opportunities for intercultural contact
diaspora, travel abroad programs, cultural diversity in US, simply the internet ex) restaurants,
3. differences- similarities dialectic
differences and commonalities between cultures can both be present
culture is
dynamic (changing), heterogeneous (diverse) and operates within societal power structure def: learned patterns of perceptions, values, and behaviors shared by a group of people
Ethics
everyone enmeshed in culture, be aware of humanity and avoid viewing them as the exotic "other", be open to their alternate view
"being mode"
importance of experiencing life, relationships, relax, live in the moment
improve
increase motivation, increase your knowledge of self and others, avoid stereotypes
Political and Historical Forces
integrated religious institutions and educational institutions provide best environment for improving attitudes
1. cultural- individual dialectic
some behaviors are determined by culture, others are idiosyncratic
5. history/past-present/ future dialectic
need to understand the past and be aware of current events
voluntary short term
people who are border dwellers by choice and for a limited time, such as study-abroad students or corporate personnel, 6 months, military
voluntary long term
people who are border dwellers by choice and for an extended time, such as immigrants
involuntary short term
people who are border dwellers not by choice and only for a limited time, such as refugees forced to move
involuntary long term
people who are border dwellers permanently but not by choice, such as those who relocate to escape war
"encapsulated" marginal people
people who feel disintegrated by having to shift cultures
border dwellers
people who live between cultures and often experience contradictory cultural patterns, 3 ways to become one: travel, socialization, participation in an intercultural relationship ex) gay and interracial marriage
constructive marginal people
people who thrive in a border-dweller life, cultural negotiating, but also recognize the tremendous challenges
dialectic approach
recognizes that things need not be perceived as "either/or", but may be seen as "both/and", based on simultaneous contradictory truths, challenges dichotomous thinking
6. long-term
the dimension of a society's value orientation that reflects its attitude toward virtue or truth, polytheistic
2. personal- contextual dialectic
the individual and the situation are simultaneously important
diaspora
the movement, migration or scattering of people away from an established or ancestral location, spread of people, slave trade
dichotomous thinking
thinking in which things are perceived as "either/or" ex) big or small, good or bad, right or wrong, 6 examples
Stalker's Guide of International Migration
track, explores global migration patterns of humans and why they move away from homelands