Intercultural Communication

Definition of Culture and Intercultural Communication

• Culture: a learned system of knowledge, behavior, attitudes, beliefs, values, and norms shared by a group of people and shaped from one generation to the next.
• Intercultural communication: communication between persons who have different cultural beliefs, values, or ways of behaving.
• Occurs when individuals or groups from different cultures, races, ethnic groups, religions, nations, genders, or smaller cultures communicate.

Features of Intercultural Communication

• Focuses on the characteristics and necessities that embody this type of communication.
• Includes:
  • Knowledge: learning about other cultures to be well-equipped in engaging with people from different cultural backgrounds.
  • Open-mindedness: willingness to consider other people's ideas, suggestions, and opinions.
  • Mindfulness: being aware of how people communicate with others and being different from us in many ways.
  • Tolerance: accepting and understanding the differences within every cultural group to avoid miscommunication and stereotyping.
  • Empathy: feeling what other people feel, bringing emotional intelligence to increase the effectiveness of intercultural communication.

Beliefs, Values, and Behavior as part of Culture

• Beliefs: concepts or ideas held to be true, reflected in our actions and communication behaviors.
• Values: desirable for oneself and society, based on beliefs, which can be held both consciously and subconsciously.
• Behavior: manifestation of our beliefs and values, influenced by cultural norms, which guide how to respond to communication messages, establish relationships, and avoid embarrassing errors.

Social Categorization, Stereotyping, and Discrimination

• Social Categorization: classifying people into groups based on gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, and social class.
• Stereotyping: mentally organizing experiences with and guiding behavior toward a particular group of people, can be positive or negative.
• Discrimination: unfair or inappropriate treatment of categories of people based on their race, sex, age, gender, ethnicity, and other group memberships.

Understanding Social Categorization

• Gender: learned from society, differences in communication between men and women.
• Age: different cultural events shape worldviews, differences in attitudes and preferences between generations.
• Race and Ethnicity: social classification based on nationality, religion, language, and biological ancestral heritage.
• Religion: personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices.
• Social Class: status and influence based on economic factors, education, and family history, can change through education, employment, and income.