Globalization and Communication

Globalization

• Business dictionary defines globalization as the worldwide movement toward economic, financial, trade, and communications integration.
• McLuhan describes the "global village" as the shrinking of the world through electronic technology and rapid information movement.

Communication and Globalization

• Cultural diversity involves respecting differences among people from different cultures or nations.
• Understanding cultural divergence enhances this respect.

Impact on Global Communication

• Globalization has increased the availability of information worldwide.
• The internet and mobile services have enabled international business discussions and secure data exchange.
• Global communication services have contributed to the enlightenment of the political process in various countries.

Availability of Information

• The availability of information is a key effect of globalization. v v
• Multinational corporations note that the spread of internet, satellite TV, and mobile services has reduced the costs of information technologies.
• Lower prices allow more people worldwide to access the web and its resources.

Business Conduct Globalization

• Globalization has influenced global communication by introducing new business conduct techniques.
• Internet technology facilitates business information exchange and video conferences, reducing the need for long-distance travel.
• Enhanced communication helps businesses promote their products more efficiently.

Social Awareness

• Global communication systems have increased social awareness, enabling people to share opinions and research.
• This has led to increased education and political unrest, as seen in countries like Tunisia, where social networks share opinions.
• Globalization creates a sense of a global society

The Dilemma

• Despite its rapid spread, global communication hasn't reached most people worldwide.
• A study indicates that at least 70% of people in Africa have never made a phone call or used the internet.
• There is a need for more extensive application of communication technologies.

Effects of Globalization on Global Communication

• Increased business opportunities
• Fewer cultural barriers
• Creation of a global village

The Impact of Culture on Communication

• Intercultural communication involves understanding how people from different countries and cultures behave, communicate, and perceive the world.
• The ability to recognize cultural differences is vital for intercultural communication.
• Effective communication skills include listening without judging, repeating what is understood, confirming meanings, and giving suggestions to ensure mutual understanding.

Communication Styles

• Communication style is how verbal and non-verbal skills are used to convey a message.
• The receiver's understanding and the communication process's success depend on adapting communication style.

Direct vs. Indirect Communication

• Direct communication reveals the speaker's true intention.
• Indirect communication camouflages the intention.
• Example of direct communication is "Can you lower your voice? I'm trying to concentrate."
• Example of indirect communication is "It's hard to focus with all the noise around."

Self-Enhancing vs. Self-Effacing Communication

• Self-enhancing messages promote positive aspects of oneself.
• Self-effacing messages deemphasize aspects of oneself.
• Example of self-enhancing communication is "I did really well on my presentation today!"
• Example of self-effacing communication is "I just got lucky that the audience liked my presentation."

Elaborate vs. Understated Communication

• Elaborate communication uses rich expressions.
• Understated communication uses silence, pauses, and understatements extensively.
• Example of elaborate communication is "That was the most delicious, mouthwatering burger I've ever had-the flavors were just exploding in my mouth!"
• Example of understated communication is "The burger was good."

Local and Global Communication in Multicultural Settings

• Involves interacting across diverse cultures, requiring cultural awareness, sensitivity, and adaptability.
• Effective communication promotes understanding and collaboration in an interconnected world.

Verbal Communication Styles and Culture

• Culture is patterned ways of thinking, feeling, and reacting common to a group of people, acquired and transmitted with symbols.
• Culture is a function of interrelated systems, including ecology and subsistence systems.

Approaches to Understanding Cultural Variations

• Value Dimensions: Explains cultural variations in communication based on core values.
• Thinking Styles (Cognitive Styles): Refers to how people from different cultures process information and express ideas.

Value Dimensions

• In low-context, individualistic cultures like the U.S., communication is direct and explicit.
• In high-context, collectivist cultures like Japan, communication relies on indirect cues and implied meanings.

Thinking Styles (Cognitive Styles)

• Analytical (linear) thinking is preferred in Western cultures, with logical, step-by-step explanations.
• Holistic (context-based) thinking is common in East Asian cultures, focusing on relationships and the bigger picture.

Dimensions of Cultural Values (Hofstede, 2001)

• Individualism: Loosely knit social framework where people care for themselves and their immediate families only.
• Collectivism: Tight social network where people distinguish between in-groups and out-groups, expecting in-groups to provide support and loyalty
• Power Distance: The degree to which a society accepts the fact that power is distributed unequally.
• Uncertainty Avoidance: The extent to which a society feels threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations.
• Masculinity-Femininity: The degree to which dominant values are assertiveness and the pursuit of money and things, versus caring for others.
• Long-Term Orientation: Focuses on future-oriented values like persistence and thrift (based on Confucian teachings).

The Geography of Thought

• Richard Nisbett's theory suggests that people from different cultures think differently due to historical, social, and environmental backgrounds.
• Analytic Thinking (Western Thought): Emphasizes debate, individualism, and logic-based reasoning, focusing on individual objects and their properties,
• Holistic Thinking (Eastern Thought): Values harmony, relationships, and the balance of nature: it focuses on relationships in context and emphasizes change, harmony, and balance.

Varieties and Registers of Spoken and Written Language

• Language Variety (Lect): Different forms of a language used by speakers based on region, social group, or context, including dialects, sociolects, idiolects, and registers.
• Standard English: Widely accepted and grammatically correct form of English used in formal communication, education, government, and media.
• Dialect: Variation of a language spoken by a particular region or social group, including unique vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar.
• Register: The level of formality in language use based on context, audience, and purpose.
  • Frozen register is language that does not change and is often memorized
  • Formal register is used in official and professional settings, following correct grammar and structure.
  • Consultative register is used in professional but interactive situations, more relaxed than formal but still respectful
  • Informal (Casual) register is used in friendly conversations and includes slang and contractions.
  • Intimate register is used between close friends, family members, or romantic partners, possibly including inside jokes, pet names, or private language.
• Jargon is specialized language used within a specific profession or field that is difficult for outsiders to understand.

Types of Lects

• Regional dialect is a variety of language spoken in a particular geographical area.
• Sociolect is a variety of language spoken by a particular social class or group.
• Ethnolect is a language variety spoken by a particular ethnic group.
• Idiolect is an individual's unique way of speaking, shaped by personal experiences and background.

The Many Facets of Gestures

• Emblems are gestures with a direct meaning.
• Illustrators are gestures that support spoken language.
• Regulators are gestures that control conversation flow.
• Affect Displays are gestures that show emotions.

Examples of Gestures with Different Meanings

• Thumbs-up is positive in the U.S. but offenive in some Middle Eastern countries.
• "OK" Sign is positive in the U.S. but offenive in Brazil and Turkey.
• Nodding the head means "yes" in most countries, but in Bulgaria, it means "no."

Gift-Giving Customs

• Vary around the world and can carry cultural significance.
• For example, gifts should be wrapped neatly in Japan.
• Red wrapping is considered lucky in China.

Political Correctness (PC)

• Using language that is respectful and avoids offending individuals or groups.
• Gender Neutral Language / gender-inclusive language refers to language that generally avoids discrimination towards a particular sex or social gender.

Evaluating Messages

• Critical Thinking is the ability to create an opinion with factual evidence that is rational
• A message is the final concept of the idea formed by the sender.

Purposes of a Message

• To inform or educate (neutral and unbiased).
• To entertain (enjoyable and relaxing),
• To persuade (change the mindset of your audience, make them believe).

Transmission of Messages

• The Government (state-owned media) are media produced or funded by the government.
• Individuals are considered independent media.

Understanding the Audience

• Identifying your audience's expectations and determining the appropriate way to deliver the message
• Demographics: ethnicity, race, religion, sex and gender, marital status, age, group affiliations, occupation, socio-economic status, regions
• Psychographics: motivation, values, level of agreement, attitude, beliefs
• Situational Information: environmental and temporal factors

Critical Reading

• It is a more active way of unveiling information and ideas presented by the text.
• Strategies include monitoring comprehension, metacognition, graphic organizers, asking and answering questions, recognizing story structure, and summarizing.