Communication

between cultures 8TH EDITION

Chapter 1
Intercultural Communication
Interaction in a
Multicultutral World

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Interaction in a Multicultural World
 Key Ideas
The world Stage: Global Interdependence
Communication and Culture Defined
Venturing into a new culture
Ethical Issues
Intercultural Communication Challenges

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The Interconnected Global Community

Six areas impacting your life

International conflict, security
Competition for natural resources
Competition for jobs
Environmental challenges
Health care issues
Population shifts

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The Interconnected Global Community

Product of:
growth in world trade
improvements in telecommunications
ease of data storage and transfer
increased business, leisure travel
Global mega-corporations continue to expand,
increasing intercultural interaction
Actions, processes involve entire world;
results worldwide in scope

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 Growing Domestic Diversity
U.S. population undergoing dramatic change
Minorities now represent 35% of U.S.
population
Growth of cultural generation gap
Increase in 45-64 age cohort
Younger generation growth largely product of
Hispanic and Asian births

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 U.S. Immigration
New immigrants now locating in suburbs
News media dwell on issues of crime and
illegal arrivals taking U.S. jobs
Immigrants have made significant
contributions to economy and U.S. welfare

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 Influence of Technology
Technology has enabled ordinary individuals to
cheaply and quickly organize themselves around
a common interest, ideology, or social cause
Internet and cell phones allow people to
exchange ideas everywhere
Technology is providing a means to reaffirm and
extend cultural awareness, identity, and practices
Technology is bringing about more polarized
society
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 Definitions
Intercultural communication involves interaction
between people whose cultural perceptions and
symbol systems differ enough to alter the
communication event
Dominant culture . A dominant group is
characteristic of all cultures, and this collective
of people possesses those instruments of power
that allow it to set the broad societal agenda the
majority of others will commonly follow
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 Definitions

Co-culture groups or social communities

exhibiting perceptions, values, beliefs,
communicative behaviors, and social practices
that are sufficiently different from other groups
and communities and from the dominant culture
Society comprehensively to organized human
interactions, such as social structure, organizations,
and institutions

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 Venturing into a new culture
Culture contributes to feeling of familiarity
Common language
Collective values
Common bonds
Culture shock is part of process of adapting
to new culture

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 Phases of culture shock
Exhilaration Stage, filled with excitement,
hopefulness, and even a feeling of euphoria as
the individual anticipates being exposed to a
different culture
Disenchantment Stage recognizing the reality
of the new setting, began to encounter some
difficulties, and adaptation and communication
problems begin to emerge

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 Phases of culture shock
Adjustment Stage, the sojourner gains some
cultural insight and gradually begins to make
some adjustments and modifications in coping
with the new surroundings
Effective Functioning Stage people understand
the key elements of the new culture (customs,
behaviors, communication patterns), and feel
comfortable in the surroundings

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 Functioning in a new culture
Learn about language of host culture
Guard against ethnocentrism
Learn about the host culture
Work to maintain your own culture

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 Ethical considerations
Ethics can be seen as a reflection of your
convictions, which are rooted in your culture
Ethics provide guidelines that influence the
manner in which you communicate with other
people
Ethics helps you determine what you ought to
do, how you ought to act, and how you should
interact with people

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 Common ethical perspectives
Fundamentalism
Timeless moral truths are rooted in human nature and
independent of the conventions of particular societies
Definitive moral rules and codes that apply to all people
at all times
Relativsm
Deciding what is right or wrong and good and bad
behavior is not absolute, but is changeable and relative
Ethical principles are culturally bound, context
dependent, and only applicable to their respective
cultures

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 Being Mindful in Communication
Show respect for others
Search for commonalities
Be respectful of cultural differences
Accept responsibility for your behavior

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 Intercultural communication
challenges
Individual uniqueness
No two people are exactly alike
Behaviors are shaped by multiple sources
We are more than our culture

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 Intercultural communication
challenges
Generalizations
View cultural generalizations as approximations
not absolute representations
Generalizations should deal with primary values
and behaviors of a particular culture
Use those that can be supported by a variety of
sources
conclusions and statements about cultures should
be qualified so that they do not appear to be
absolutes, but only cautious generalizations

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 Intercultural communication
challenges
Objectivity
The state of being objective, just, unbiased and
not influenced by emotions or personal prejudices
Objectivity means you approach each new
situation with an open mind and avoid being too
judgmental

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Interaction in a Multicultural World
Communication
between cultures 8TH EDITION

Chapter 1
Intercultural Communication
Interaction in a
Multicultutral World

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Interaction in a Multicultural World