Communicating In A Multicultural Society And World PDF

Module 3: COMMUNICATING IN A MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY AND WORLD  Multicultural - relating to or constituting several cultural or ethnic groups within a society (Oxford Dictionary) Multicultural society - a society, where people with different nationalities, languages, religions and...

Module 3: COMMUNICATING IN A MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY AND WORLD  Multicultural - relating to or constituting several cultural or ethnic groups within a society (Oxford Dictionary) Multicultural society - a society, where people with different nationalities, languages, religions and ethnicities live together. Multiculturalism - the view that cultures, races, and ethnicities, particularly those of minority groups, deserve special acknowledgement of their differences within a dominant political culture. It seeks the inclusion of the views and contributions of diverse members of society while maintaining respect for their differences and withholding the demand for their assimilation into the dominant culture. Diversity- the recognition and valuing of the difference, encompassing such factors as age, gender, race, ethnicity, ability, religion, education, marital status, sexual orientation and income.  Cross Cultural Communication ❖the communication between people who have differences in any one of the following: styles of working, age, nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. ❖ it is how people belonging to different cultures communicate with each other.  Cross Cultural Communication ❖refers to the attempts that are made to exchange, negotiate and mediate cultural differences by means of language, gestures and body language. ❖creates a feeling of trust and enables cooperation.  Importance of Cross Cultural Communication ❖Globalization ❖Business opportunities ❖Job opportunities ❖Sharing of views and ideas ❖Talent improvisation ❖Better understanding of diverse market Local Communication is being able to communicate (verbal and non-verbally) with the members of your local area/community. Local Community a group of interacting people sharing an environment. In human communities, intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, risks, and a number of other conditions may be present and common, affecting the identity of the participants and their degree of cohesiveness. Global Communication ❖ communicating with people across the globe; ❖ exchanging of knowledge, ideas, and information and interaction of individual across the borders instead of a limited or local area. Global Communication is the development and sharing of information, through verbal and non-verbal messages, in international settings and contexts. Global Communication Examples 1. Government-to-government Communication between two or more governments related to different countries. Maybe a discussion about current affairs and conflicts. 2. Business-to-business Involves interaction between two or more international business parties. Maybe any deal contract. 3. People-to-people Refers to communication between two or more people living far away across the borders. Like talk of two best friends. One in USA and other in the UK.  Difference of Local and Global Communication LEVEL ASPECT LOCAL GLOBAL o Equality between participants o No equality between participants Degree of o Similar types and amounts of goods o Dissimilar types and amounts of goods and Equality and services are exchanged services are exchanged o High emotional involvement o No emotional involvement o Confidences exchanged are high o Confidence exchanged are low o All participants initiate o Participants with more influence initiate communication communication o Information and knowledge flows Information and knowledge flows one way both ways  Difference of Local and Global Communication LEVEL ASPECT LOCAL GLOBAL o The context is simple o The context is complex Context o One, or a few cultures are involved, o Multi-cultural and multi-language context and the cultural context are known are involved and participants do not know to participants the other cultural contexts They share contextual reference for interpreting communicative behavior o Communication is multiplex o Communication is not multiplex o Frequency of communication is high o Frequency of communication is low o Duration is long Duration is short Communicating effectively with culturally diverse persons Communication is essential in any workplace. Without communication it is not possible to know a client’s wants or needs or how best to offer care. However, communicating effectively with people with whom you do not share a language can be very challenging. Language is a very important component of the communication process!!! Communicating effectively with culturally diverse persons There are many other factors that play a part in how we communicate. In fact, these other factors can be even be more powerful than words. The way we go about communicating with another person—even when we do not speak the same language—can have an enormous impact on the way we make that person feel and the way they will respond to us. Show respect for cultural diversity in all communication with clients, families, staff, and others Communicating effectively with culturally diverse persons Tone: the way we ∙ fast or slow speak ∙ gentle or aggressive ∙ pauses. Body language: our ∙ facial expressions mannerisms and ∙ gaze—looking at the other person or away from them; demeanour paying attention or not ∙ gestures—arm and hand movements ∙ posture—leaning forward or back; relaxed or stiff ∙ distance from the other person—too close or too far Communicating effectively with culturally diverse persons Communicating effectively with culturally diverse persons  Cultural Sensitivity ⮚ is being aware that cultural differences and similarities between people exist without assigning them a value- positive or negative, better or worse, right or wrong. ⮚ a set of skills that allows you to understand and learn about people whose cultural background is not the same as yours. It simply means that you are aware that people are not all the same and that you recognize that your culture is no better than any other culture. Example: Jane is an international business woman whose company has decided to open an office in Japan. Jane is preparing for her first meeting in the new office. Jane is preparing for her first meeting in the new office. Jane has several Japanese assistants working with her to help her get ready. Jane tries to beckon one of the assistants to come into her office. Instead of pointing her index finger at the assistant, Jane walks over her assistant and politely ask her to join her in the office. How is Jane being culturally sensitive?  How is Jane being culturally sensitive? While it is okay to beckon someone in the U.S. by curling or pointing your index finger at them, In Japan this behavior is seen as offensive It is obvious that Jane has taken the time to educate herself about Japanese culture and adjust her behavior to the culture. Jane is not placing value on these cultural differences, i.e. Jane is not saying that her culture is better than the Japanese culture. Rather, she is being respectful of her assistants’ culture, keeping an open mind, and educating herself about the culture so that she can run a better business.  What is Cultural Sensitivity in the context of a dominant culture? ⮚ In life and work environments, we frequently face situations where there is a dominant and a secondary culture. For instance, in the U.S. the European American is the dominant culture whereas Hispanic, African American and Chinese cultures are all secondary  What is Cultural Sensitivity in the context of a dominant culture? ⮚ Cultural sensitivity implies that both groups understand and respect each other’s characteristics. ⮚ This is always a challenge, and even more so in large corporations where the dominant culture is the one employees are expected to adopt.  Stages of Intercultural Sensitivity 1. Ethnocentric stage Denial Defense Minimization Denial – people don’t recognize cultural differences and experiences - they believe their culture is the only “real” one and they tend to interact in homogenous groups and to stereotype everyone else Example: People say, “We are all the same and I don’t understand why we have to learn about different groups in the company. Why don’t they just learn how we do things in America? Defense – people don’t recognize some differences, but see them as negative because they assume that their culture is the most evolved and the best one. Example: People say, “In Latin America you can’t just get to the point and talk business. They want to tell you their life story. I don’t understand why they can’t just learn to be more direct and save everybody’s time. Minimization – individuals are unaware that they are projecting their own cultural values. They see their own values as superior. They think that the mere awareness of cultural differences is enough. - These people think we are all the same because we are more similar than different, we all have similar physical, biological, psychological needs. Example: Statements such as, “In the end, we all want to be liked,” or “We are all people”  Stages of Intercultural Sensitivity 2. Ethnorelative stage Acceptance Adaptation Integration Acceptance – people are able to shift perspectives to understand that the same “ordinary” behavior can have different meanings in different cultures. - They are able to identify how experiences are influenced by one’s culture. - They may not agree or even like the differences they observe but they are interested in finding out and learning about another culture. Example: People who approach others with genuine interest and curiosity about how they experienced the same situations. They asked questions such as, “How do Dominicans do it?” or, “What would your family do in a situation like this?”. Adaptation – individuals become more competent in their ability to communicate with other cultures. - They can evaluate other people’s behavior from these people’s frame of reference and can adapt behavior to fit the norms of a different culture. Example: People who seamlessly interact with others from different cultures by following the norms of that culture. They feel that they can respect their own values while adapting to the values of other cultures they interact with. They use empathy effectively. Integration – people are able to shift easily from one cultural frame of reference to another. - They develop empathy for other cultures. Example: This stage is easy to see with perfectly bilingual/bicultural individuals who almost change their personality when they interact with one group ( their family) or another (Anglo co-workers) but they are equally genuine in both situations.  Circle of Multicultural Communications Understand Cultural competency is central to changing behavior, inspiring action, and connecting with people. Grow Culture Connect This can improve relationships, build dialogue, increase support and achieve participation. Trust  ❑Connect with people by understanding them. ❑Expand your cultural lens. See the world through Understand the eyes of your audience. ❑Review demographic information, including consumer buying and media consumption habits, reading levels, educational backgrounds, health data, and lifestyle decisions. Search for similar needs, characteristics, and preferences. ❑Know how ethnic and minority populations perceive and interact with you and your organization. ❑Learn the history of the communities that you serve.  ❑ Connect with people in their everyday Connect environment. ❑ Take your message to the streets and the communities that your organization serves. Engage community leaders and influencers to help get the word out. ❑ Think about media and the ways your audience receives information. ❑ Identify effective communication channels that will best connect.  ❑ Form a positive relationship with people by earning Trust their trust. Be a good listener. Respect culture and tradition. ❑ Know the protocols and nuisances of working with diverse populations within their community. ❑ Establish a track record of success by consistently delivering on your mission and promise. ❑ Communicate often and stay connected to the community. Invite participation and be responsive.  ❑ Mutually rewarding relationships grow. They get stronger over time and result in a win-win for Grow everyone. ❑ Successful multicultural communications take commitment and resources. ❑ It’s not a one-time deal, but a learning curve that requires adjustments. ❑ Organizations that proactively reach out to multicultural stakeholders will be better positioned to serve the needs of a diverse population.  Embrace your culture, Understand other people’s culture.  Ask these questions to yourself 1. Do you feel prepared to communicate in a nation of minorities? 2. Do you have the understandings and sensitivity you need to interact in a global community in which other persons may look, act, and think differently than you? 3. Are you ready to embrace diversity?  CULTURAL IGNORANCE Communicators can be judged as insensitive, ignorant or culturally confused when they fail to realize the people from different cultures and whom they interact with. Culturally confused- lacking understanding of cultural difference Cultural ignorance affects communication  CULTURAL DIFFERENCES Showing the sole of a shoe means nothing to observers in the US or Europe. As a result, when visiting KSA, the American and European delegates to a conference thought nothing about crossing their legs and pointing their shoes toward the speaker while listening to his presentation. The speaker, however, was horrified. In Muslim cultures, the gesture is perceived insulting. US- crossing legs is to relax; Korea- it is a social faux pas Japanese view the business card as an extension of a person; American view it as business formality and a convenience. Consequently, the Japanese handle business cards with great care, making certain to put them in safe places, Americans are quick to put them away thus often end up insulting the Japanese  Forms of Multicultural Communication ❖Interracial communication – interactants are of different races (physical attributes) ❖Interethnic communication- communicating parties have different ethnic (cultural factors – nationality, regional culture, ancestry, etc) origins ❖International communication- communication between persons representing political structures or nations, communication practice that occurs across international borders ❖Intracultural communication – includes all forms of communication among members of the same racial or ethnic group or co-culture groups  INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION Intercultural communication- interaction with individuals from different cultures – concern with the process of interpreting and sharing meanings with individuals from different cultures “To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way that we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others” — Anthony Robbins  Cultures and Co-Cultures Culture is the system of knowledge, beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that are acquired, shared and used by its members during the daily living; within a culture as a whole are co-cultures Co-cultures are composed of members of the same general culture who differ in some ethnic or sociological way from the parent culture Co-cultures: Philippines – Igorots, Ilocanos, Bicolanos (Luzon) United States- Native Americans, certain Scandinavian American groups, Middle Eastern Americans, some Latino groups (especially those of Chilean, Peruvian, and Spanish ancestry), and some Asian American groups (Chinese Americans and Taiwanese Americans). Disabled, gays and lesbians, cyberfunks, elderly  Marginalized group- group whose members feel like outsiders; different groups of people within a given culture, context and history at Marginalized risk of being subjected to multiple group vs. discrimination due to interplay of different personal characteristics or grounds (sex, gender Dominant culture age ethnicity, religion or belief, health status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity education or income, or living in various geographic localities Dominant cultures – being perceived as the majority of the population and having a significant presence in institutions relating to communication, education, artistic expression, law, government and business  Strategies of co-culture members to join in the dominant culture Assimilation – means by which co-culture members attempt to fit in with members of the dominant culture i.e. they dress as members of the dominant culture dress; give up their own ways in an effort to assume the modes of behavior of the dominant culture Accommodation – means by which co-culture members maintain their cultural identity while striving to establish relationships with members of the dominant culture; a gay or lesbian who takes his or her partner to an occasion in which members of the dominant culture will be present Separation- means co-culture members use to resist interacting with members of dominant culture; prefer to interact with each other rather than have a contact with persons they perceive to be outsiders  Preferred strategies and communication approaches of marginalized groups STRATEGY COMMUNICATION EXAMPLE APPROACH Separation Passive Lunching alone, living in an area with similar people Accommodation Assertive Wearing kippah to work or sari in a party Assimilation Aggressive, confrontational Staging a protest  Activity – Self Assessment PREPARING TO COMMUNICATE ACROSS CULTURES 1. I enjoy communicating with persons unlike me as much as with persons like me. 2. I am equally sensitive to the concerns of all groups in our multicultural society 3. I can tell when persons from other cultures do not understand me or are confused by my actions. 4. I do not fear interacting with persons from minority groups any more than I fear interacting with persons from the dominant culture. 5. Persons from other cultures have a right to be angry at members of my culture. 6. Persons from other cultures who don’t actively participate in a conversation, dialogue, or debate with others may act that way because of their culture’s rules. 7. How I handle disagreements with persons from other cultures depends on the situation and the culture(s) they are from. 8. My culture is not superior to other cultures. 9. I am knowledgeable of how to behave with persons of different cultures. 10. I respect the communication rules of cultures other than my own.  CONGRATULATIONS! The greater the number of statements you labelled TRUE, the more prepared you are to enrich your communication arena by welcoming people from different cultures into it.  Culture guides communication Culture is the lens through which we see the world Ethnocentrism- tendency to see one’s own culture as superior to all; this lacks cultural flexibility; (experiencing great anxiety when interacting with persons from different cultures) Cultural relativism – the acceptance of other cultural groups as equal in value to one’s own (trying to understand the behavior of the other groups)  DIVERSITY IN FOCUS Melting-pot philosophy- the view that different cultures should be assimilated into the dominant culture Cultural pluralism- adherence to the principle of cultural relativism – They advocate respect for uniqueness, tolerance for difference and adherence to the principle of cultural relativity  The Intercultural Communication Imperative: Reduce the Strangeness of Strangers We need to open ourselves to differences by adding our storehouse of knowledge, by learning to cope with uncertainty, and by developing an appreciation of how increasing our cultural sensitivity will possibly affect our communication competence. Accept the fact that our culture is not superior to others.  Exploring Cultural Dialectics Individualism versus collectivism High context versus Low context High power distance versus low power distance Masculine versus feminine culture  Individualism versus Collectivism Individualistic cultures- cultures in which individual goals are stressed; cultivates individual initiative and achievement ; “I” (Great Britain, USA, Canada, France and Germany) Collectivistic cultures- group goals are stressed; tend to nurture group influences; “We” (Arab, African, Asian and Latin American)  High context versus Low context High context communication – a tradition- bound communication system which depends on indirectness; tradition bound; their cultural traditions shape the behaviour and lifestyle of group members; over-polite and indirect in relating others; Asian cultures Low-context communication – a system that encourages directness in communication; exhibit a more direct communication style; tend to gather background information when meeting someone for the first time (Interview the person they talk to); feel that they have to explain everything rather than rely on non-verbal, contextual information; Western cultures  High power distance versus low power distance cultures High power distance cultures - cultures based on power differences in which subordinates defer to superiors (Arabia, India and Malaysia); view power as a fact of life and are apt to stress its coercive or referent nature. (superiors and subordinates view each other differently; subordinates quick to defer to superiors) Low power distance cultures - believe power should be used only when it is legitimate; they are apt to employ expert or legitimate power ( Sweden, Israel and USA) (Superiors and subordinates emphasize their interdependence – consultation preference; subordinates will even contradict their bosses when necessary)  Masculine versus feminine cultures Cultures differ in their attitude toward gender roles Highly masculine cultures- value male aggressiveness, strength and material symbols of success (Japan, Italy, Germany, Mexico and Great Britain); dominant and competitive; confront conflicts; win-lose strategy Highly feminine cultures- value relationships, tenderness in members of both sexes, a high quality of life (Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands , Thailand and Chile); compromise; negotiation to resolve conflict; win-win solutions  Identifying Influences on Cultural Identity Gender roles- refers to the way of presenting themselves Racial and Ethnic identity- socially constructed; share experience of oppression Religious identity- has to do with belief on faith issues Socioeconomic identity- related to the widening gap between the ultrawealthy, and middle and lower classes National identity- refers to the legal status or citizenship Technology and Intercultural Communication Virtual neighbourhoods and communities- not face-to-face; online, surrogate communities; Technology and computer networks are also changing the traditional definition of community Internet may also help bring diversity and new culture to our lives  How to improve your ability to communicate interculturally Refrain from formulating expectations based solely on your own culture Recognize how faulty education can impede understanding Make a commitment to develop communication skills and abilities appropriate to life in multicultural world  References Communicating in a Multicultural Society and World. https://www.academia.edu/37113953/Communicating_in_a_Multicultur al_Society_and_World. p24-45 https://www.google.com/