Unit 3: Intercultural Unit 3: Intercultural Communication and Communication and

Its BarriersIts BarriersIntercultural Business Communication

Hsin-Hsin Cindy Lee

Contents Contents

OverviewPart 1 Key Words and ConceptsPart 2 Barriers in Intercultural Communication Part 3 Overcome Intercultural Communication Barriers Checkpoint & References

OverviewOverview

This session studies stereotypes which are the key obstacles to successful intercultural communication.

We will discuss how stereotypes are formed and categorized.

It is important to learn how to avoid stereotypes and other barriers in cross-cultural communication!

Key Words & Concepts Part 1

Key Words and ConceptsKey Words and Concepts

Do you know what they mean? ◦Values◦Beliefs◦Cultural generalizations◦Stereotypes◦Prejudice◦Bias◦Discrimination ◦Conflict

Personal Values Personal Values

Personal values evolve from circumstances with the external world and can change over time.

Integrity in the application of values refers to its continuity; persons have integrity if they apply their values appropriately regardless of arguments or negative reinforcement from others.

Personal values are implicitly related to choice; they guide decisions by allowing for an individual‘s choices to be compared to each choice’s associated values.

Personal Values Personal Values

Personal values developed early in life may be resistant to change. They may be derived from those of particular groups or systems, such as culture, religion and political party.

However, personal values are not universal; one's family, nation, generation and historical environment help determine one's personal values.

Personal Values Personal Values

This is not to say that the value concepts themselves are not universal, merely that each individual possesses a unique conception of them.

In brief, personal values indicate what a person thinks is right and thus chooses to do or to see things in those right ways.

Cultural Values Cultural Values

Groups, societies, or cultures have values that are largely shared by their members. The values identify those objects, conditions or characteristics that members of the society consider important; that is, valuable.

◦E.g. In the United States, values might include material comfort, wealth, competition, individualism or religiosity.

Cultural Values Cultural Values

The values of a society can often be identified by noting which people receive honor or respect.

◦E.g. In the US, professional athletes are honored (in the form of monetary payment) more than college professors, in part because the society respects personal values such as physical activity, fitness, and competitiveness more than mental activity and education.

Cultural ValuesCultural Values

Values identify what should be judged as good or bad.

Members take part in a culture even if each member's personal values do not entirely agree with some of the normative or mainstream values sanctioned in the culture.

This reflects an individual's ability to synthesize and extract aspects valuable to them from the multiple subcultures they belong to.

Beliefs Beliefs

Belief is the psychological state in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true.

Mainstream psychology and related disciplines have traditionally treated belief as if it were the simplest form of mental representation and therefore one of the building blocks of conscious thought.

Cultural Generalizations Cultural Generalizations

Cultural Generalization indicates the result of generalizing or categorizing cultures.

It explains or describes cultures (or people of a culture) according to their traits or features.

Some empirical studies show the characteristics of a culture. ◦E.g. Synthetic Cultures studied by Gert Jan Hofstede, Paul Pedersen and Geert Hofstede

Stereotypes Stereotypes

A stereotype is a simplified and/or standardized conception or image with specific meaning, often held in common by people about another group.

A stereotype can be a conventional and oversimplified conception, opinion, or image, based on the assumption that there are attributes that members of the other group hold in common.

They are typically generalizations based on minimal or limited knowledge about a group to which the person doing the stereotyping does not belong.

StereotypesStereotypes

Persons may be grouped based on racial group, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, age or any number of other categories.

Stereotyping is a way of representing other people.Stereotypes can revolve around a certain

characteristic of the group of persons to which they are assigned.

The persons of that group may even be reduced to being known and understood through a lens based on the stereotype that results from this, rather than being viewed as individuals.

Prejudice Prejudice

The word prejudice refers to prejudgment: making a decision before becoming aware of the relevant facts of a case or event.

The word has commonly been used in certain restricted contexts, in the expression 'racial prejudice'. ◦Initially this is referred to making a judgment

about a person based on their race, religion, etc., before receiving information relevant to the particular issue on which a judgment was being made.

Prejudice Prejudice

However, to be widely used to refer to any hostile attitude towards people based on their race or even by just judging someone without even knowing them.

The meaning now is frequently "any unreasonable attitude that is unusually resistant to rational influence".

Race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, and religion have a history of inciting prejudicial behavior.

(Short Break)(Short Break)Classic Novel: Pride & Prejudice Classic Novel: Pride & Prejudice

Bias Bias

Bias is a term used to describe a tendency towards a particular perspective, ideology or result.

All information and points of view can generate some form of bias.

In careful usage bias refers to a belief that leads to a false judgment.

A bias could lead one to accept or deny the truth of a claim.

Discrimination Discrimination

In general, discrimination, in a non-legal sense, is the discernment of qualities and recognition of the differences between things.

We all have the power of discrimination, which is essential for us to be able to make decisions and judgments about things. And this ability is more commonly referred as ‘differentiating’.

However, in a legal sense, discrimination is the prejudicial treatment of a person or a group of people based on certain characteristics.

Discrimination Discrimination

Discrimination on grounds such as race or religion, is generally illegal in most Western societies.

When unlawful discrimination takes place, it is often described as discrimination against a person or group of people.

Direct Discrimination Direct Discrimination

Unlawful discrimination can be characterized as direct or subtle. Direct discrimination involves treating someone less favorably because of their possession of an attribute:◦E.g. sex, age, race, religion, family status, national origin, military status, disability

◦E.g. not offering a job to a woman because she is likely to take maternity leave whereas a man is not

Subtle Discrimination Subtle Discrimination

Indirect or subtle discrimination involves setting a condition or requirement which a smaller proportion of those with the attribute are able to comply with, without reasonable justification.

◦E.g. Using an aptitude test in job applications to disqualify a certain group of people to enter the company

(Cross-cultural) Conflict (Cross-cultural) Conflict

Conflict is a state of discord caused by the actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interests.

Conflict as a concept can help explain many aspects of social life such as social disagreement, conflicts of interests, and fights between individuals, groups, or organizations.

Conflict Conflict

In political terms, "conflict" can refer to wars, revolutions or other struggles, which may involve the use of force as in the term armed conflict.

Without proper social arrangement or resolution, conflicts in social settings can result in stress or tensions among stakeholders.

Barriers in Intercultural Communication Part 2

What are barriers of intercultural communication? (Quiz)

◦___ Values◦___ Beliefs◦___ Cultural generalizations◦___ Stereotypes◦___ Prejudice◦___ Bias◦___ Discrimination ◦___ Conflict

Barriers of Intercultural Barriers of Intercultural CommunicationCommunication

◦Stereotypes◦Prejudice◦Bias◦Discrimination ◦Conflict

Can you avoid them?

Overcoming Intercultural Communication Barriers Part 3

Overcome Communication Overcome Communication BarriersBarriers

1. Increase intercultural communication competence

2. Understand national cultures with notice of individual differences and personal multiple identities

3. Apply effective communication skills!

Effective Communication SkillsEffective Communication Skills

Active Listening ◦Give responding cues◦Use paraphrasing◦Ask questions for repetition, clarification and details

◦Summarize Inquiry

◦Use more open-ended questions

Effective Communication SkillsEffective Communication Skills

Advocacy ◦Articulate your perspective or opinion◦Invite others to respond to your views and assumptions

◦Be open-minded to the different opinion ◦Accept the possibility of learning new thoughts and shifting your views

Effective Communication SkillsEffective Communication Skills

Reflection ◦Slow down your thinking process while communicating

◦Be aware of other speakers’ reactions, emotions and assumptions while communicating

◦Reflect on the communication process later and prepare for next encounter

Effective Communication SkillsEffective Communication SkillsReview Review

Conclusion Conclusion

Do you remember the four components of ICC? ◦Intercultural attitudes, knowledge, skills and awareness

Increasing cultural knowledge is important. However, we need to recognize that our cultural knowledge is ‘initial’ understanding and it should grow as any intercultural communication proceeds.

Conclusion Conclusion

That is, we should not allow any prior cultural knowledge to become stereotype or even prejudice preventing us from getting to know a culture further.

Holding correct attitudes to see other cultures, applying effective communication skills and always reflecting as well as being aware of what is happening in the communication process is essential to achieve successful intercultural communication!

Checkpoint & References

CheckpointCheckpoint

(1) What are possible barriers in intercultural communication?

(2) How can you achieve effective communication?

Please give at least three examples:

____________

____________

____________

1. __________2. __________3. __________4. __________

(3) What are theuseful strategies for active listening?1. ____________2. _____________3. _____________4. _____________

AnswersAnswers

(1) Barriers in Intercultural Communication

(2) Effective Communication Requirements

◦Stereotypes◦Prejudice◦Bias◦Discrimination ◦Conflict

◦Active Listening◦Inquiry◦Advocacy ◦Reflection

(3) Active Listening Strategies

◦Give responses ◦Use paraphrasing◦Ask questions for repetition,

clarification and details ◦Summarize

References References

Eckert, Susan (2006) Intercultural Communication. Thomson.

Bell, V., Halligan, P.W. & Ellis, H.D. (2006) A Cognitive Neuroscience of Belief. In P.W. Halligan & M. Aylward (eds) The Power of Belief. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Rosnow, Ralph L.; Poultry and Prejudice. Psychologist Today, (March, 1972): p. 53.

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