Intercultural Communication

Group Members

Anjum Raza Faiza Jabeen Tayyaba Arshad Afshan Tahir Saleem Yousaf

Anjum Raza

Intercultural Communication

Australia is ‘arguably the most multicultural nation on earth’.

(Irwin,1996)

Inter Cultural Communication

What is Culture? “Culture is a learned set of shared interpretations about beliefs, values, and norms which affect the behaviors of a relatively large group of people

Why do cultures differ? History Ecology Technology Biology Institutional networks Interpersonal communication

Types of Inter Cultural Communication

Cross Cultural

Intra Cultural

Inter Cultural

Inter Cultural Communication

What is intercultural communication? A symbolic process in which people from different cultures create shared meaning.

Faiza Jabeen

Components of Intercultural Communication:

• Appropriateness and Effectiveness • Knowledge• Motivation• Action

Appropriateness and effectiveness

those behaviors that are regarded as proper and suitable given the expectations generated by a given culture

Knowledge :

Knowledge The cognitive information you need to have about the people, the context, and the norms of appropriateness that operate in a specific culture

Actions :

Actions The actual performance of those behaviors that are regarded as appropriate and effective. You can have the necessary information, be motivated by the appropriate feelings and intentions but still lack the behavior skills necessary to achieve competence

Tayyaba Arshad

Tips for Intercultural Communication

Direct experience Differences Similarities Stereotyping Variances

Direct Experience:

Direct experience is the best way to begin to learn any culture. Just as the best way to learn a new language is to become immersed in that language, so too is it most helpful to learn another culture by jumping right in.

Differences

Differences can feel like a threat at first. No one likes to feel like a stranger, and feeling unable to communicate or to decipher aspects of behavior that don’t fit with our own habitual experiences can make any of us feel alone.

Intercultural Communication… We tend to overlook similarities and notice

just the differences when we first begin to interact with members of another culture. And then, when we apply the standards of interpretation that we would use in our own cultures to the behavior of those in the unfamiliar culture, we will draw mistaken conclusions.

Stereotyping

Stereotyping due to overgeneralization is a common occurrence, especially among those who only interact with another culture infrequently.

Variances

That means that no matter how much we may perceive groups A and B as different, the

amount of difference between those groups is dwarfed by the amount of variation

within each group. In other words, both groups have shy people and daring people,

honest and dishonest, bellicose and accommodating types, etc.

Afshan Tahir

Enculturation

Ethnocentricity Jargon and Slang Personal Space Stereotypes Eye contact Time

Ethnocentrism

Americans tend to have an ethnocentric perspective on language.Because many cultures around the globe speak English, Americans may forget that some businesses conduct transactions in other languages or that some individuals don't understand

English.

Jargon and Slang

Each culture, even regional cultures within a larger culture, develops unique sets of jargon and slang. Though members of that culture may find these words commonplace and use them with abandon, newcomers to the culture may misunderstand the meanings behind them or fail to understand them altogether

Personal Space

Different cultures can take significantly different approaches to personal space, and a lack of cultural understanding can make some individuals uncomfortable and insult others.

Stereotype

Human nature, can lead one to make assumptions about other people; some cultures use stereotypical images to reaffirm these assumptions. Though some stereotypes may stem from factual observations, many build on personal beliefs and fears that individuals may hold.

Eye Contact In the United States, communicators tend to

maintain direct eye contact with others

during one-on-one communication, and

make sporadic eye contact with an audience

when communicating with large groups.

Though direct eye contact may symbolize

respect in Western cultures,

Time

Different cultures maintain markedly different approaches to time, and communicators who don't understand a culture's time orientation may experience difficulty building relationships in that culture.

Saleem Yousaf

Potential Hot Spots in Inter Cultural Communication

Opening and Closing Conversations Taking Turns During Conversations Interrupting Use of Silence Appropriate Topics of Conversation Use of Humor Knowing How Much to Say Sequencing elements during conversation

Opening and Closing Conversations

Different cultures may have different

customs around who addresses whom when

and how, and who has the right, or even the

duty, to speak first, and what is the proper

way to conclude a conversation.

Taking turns during Conversations

In some cultures, it is more appropriate to take turns

in an interactive way, and in others, it is more

important to listen thoroughly and without

comment, without immediate response, lest a

response be taken as a challenge or a humiliation,

particularly depending on the context of the

conversation, the audience, and the levels of

personal knowledge/relationship between the two

people interacting.

Interrupting

The same issues arise over the issue of interrupting. In some cultures, interruption, vocal, emotional expression, etc. are considered to be the default conversational style, particularly among those considered to be equals, or among men.

Silence

In some forms of communication, silence is to be expected before a response, as a sign of thoughtfulness and deference to the original speaker, yet at other times, silence may be experienced as a sign of hostility

Appropriate Topics of Conversation

In some places, it is considered vulgar to speak openly about money,

Use of Humor

In the West, we often try to build immediate rapport through humor, but of course, this is not universally seen to be appropriate in all contexts. The use of laughter can be experienced as a sign of disrespect by some cultures

Knowing How Much to Say

In some places, less is definitely more, whereas in other places, it is more valued to wrap a rather small point up in a longer preamble, followed by an extended wrap-up.

Sequencing elements during conversation

At what point during a conversation – or an extended conversation or negotiation – is it appropriate to touch upon more sensitive issues? Or how soon in a conversation is it appropriate simply to ask for directions?