INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
period 1
WEEK 1
Lecture “Introduction”
“the global village” by marshall mcluhan (1964): to describe a future world in which communication
technology brings news and information to the most remote parts of the world; the widening, deepening and
speeding up of worldwide interconnectedness in all aspects of contemporary social life; this interconnectivity
breaks down the boundary between east and west
—>
“small world experiment”: ppl in the us were asked to send a letter to boston only via someone they knew
personally —> results showed that it took ppl to get from starting point to the end point
“small world experiment 2.0”: fb —> if u pick 2 random fb users, there an average 3.57 degrees of
separation between them —> the world id getting smaller
current situation today
- communication is 24/7
- communication is potentially global
- exchange information anywhere and any time through various channels
globalization: “the process of interconnectedness between societies, so that events in one place of the world
have more and deeper effects on people and societies far away.”; ““The widening, deepening and speeding
up of worldwide interconnectedness in all aspects of contemporary social life.”; has accelerated the mobiloty
of goods and ppl on a global scale
—> represents a significant shift, but there is still significant scope for national, local, and other agencies
—> important to remember that connections between cultures are as old as humankind (the silk road) —>
the connection between cultures and the mass migration of ppl have a long history and the advent of
communication technologies has just accelerated the process
young yun kim: “we are all migrants now”
globalization in business is… “The increase of trade around the world, especially by large companies
producing or trading goods in many different countries.”; “The idea that the world is developing a single
economy and culture as a result of improved technology and communications and the influence of very large
multinational companies.”
do we live in a unified world?
1. social globalization: personal contact, information flows, nr of mcdonalnds, ikea stores etc, ngos
2. political globalization: foreign embassies in a country, membership of international organizations,
participation in un missions, involvement in international trade agreements
3. economic globalization: trade & investment flows, import / export
4. technological globalization: internet, phones
contributors to cultural diversity:
advanced (communication) technology and transportation, and increased mobility
global economy and business transactions
mass (im)migration and international exchange (most significant)
increases diversity in the composition of populations in destination countries, and contributes to social
and economic development both in the countries of origin and in the countries of destination
—> cultural diversity bring many new opps, esp in the economic realm, and helps make the society the
cosmopolitan, dynamic and exciting place it is today
Migrants move to their host countries for a variety of reasons, including access to a better living environment
or to give their children a good education in an English-speaking country. Regardless of the reasons for
migration, migrants worldwide dream of the freedom to be their own boss, to have autonomy in their choice
of work and to achieve prosperity in the host country (like opening a small business like a small convenience
store)
When businesses decide to conduct operations with partners or customers from different cultures, a crucial
aspect for success lies in the understanding of cross-cultural differences —> Cultural misunderstanding or
communication error can cause damage to the business relationship and/or financial lost.
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,global transformation: the worldwide economic and technological changes that influence how ppl relate to
one another —> multinational corporations are increasingly moving their operation overseas to take
advantage of lower labour costs, a trend that has far-reaching implications —> as a result of such economic
and cultural shifts, people with diverse cultural backgrounds are working side by side in many countries,
creating a culturally diverse workplace.
Cross-border movements of workers have vastly increased both the amount and the importance of
intercultural communication in workplaces. Communication problems can be exacerbated when people
interact with those whose communication behaviours are guided by a different set of beliefs and values. The
pervasive reliance on the internet for work communication, along with the increasingly diverse ethnic
composition of the workforce, makes businesses realize the importance of intercultural understanding in
workplaces where people from different ethnic backgrounds work side by side.
“cultural home”: refers to an individual’s sense of belonging to an ethnic, racial or geographic community
with shared traditions and practices; cultural home provides its members with emotional attachments to a
cultural group as well as a sense of identity and belonging because its members share a common history and
culture, and even similar physical features; can be geographically defined BUT a stable location is not
always an essential defining feature — the boundaries of cultural home can be symbolic; Cultural home
forms the basis for the development of identity and nurtures a feeling of belonging, although the belief in a
single cultural identity that is itself based on a nation, culture, religion and way of life is changing
“ethnic enclave”: an area where relatively large numbers of people from the same ethnic or racial
background live in their host country
Intercultural communication equips us with the necessary knowledge and skills to interact with culturally
different people effectively and appropriately —> people move from one country to another, they bring their
heritage culture to the new country. Central to the debate surrounding the benefits and threats of cultural
diversity is the question of whether the preservation of ethnic cultures creates a threat to the uniqueness and
dominance of the mainstream culture
multiculturalism at the attitudinal level refers to ppl’s tolerance of diversity and ppl’s acceptance of equal
societal participation
Immigrants have long been forming associations or diaspora communities to maintain their ethnic and
cultural heritage and promote the survival of their languages within a host country’s mainstream institutions.
On the other hand, host nationals have expressed concerns over the threat that different ethnic cultures may
pose to their mainstream cultural values, the political and economic power structure and the distribution of
employment opportunities. Some countries are addressing these concerns by trying to control diversity
through tighter entry requirements. Other countries are developing government policies concerning the rights
of immigrants to preserve their home culture within the host country. —> the maintenance of nationalism
and protecting host nationals in immigrant-receiving countries
cultural diversity and multiculturalism require us to reconsider our cultural identity:
cante (2014): argues that while multiculturalism is right to continue to focus on inequalities, it has failed to
adapt to super-diversity and the multifaceted aspects of difference and otherness, including those based on
disability, age and gender; while multiculturalism has become rooted in differences between cultural groups
within a nation, an intercultural approach is now necessary to support the changing concepts and patterns of
national identity
perspectives on globalization (identified by held and mcgrew):
1) globalists: view globalization as an inevitable development which cannot be resisted or significantly
influenced by human intervention, particularly through traditional political institutions
2) traditionalists: argue that the significance of globalization as a new phase has been exaggerated; they
believe that most economic and social activity is regional, rather than global, and they still see a
significant role for nation-states
3) transformationalists: believe that globalization represents a significant shift, but they question the
inevitability of its impacts bc there is still significant scope for national, local and other agencies
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,globalists vs sceptics:
globalists: emphasize the possibility of transnational media systems and communication technology to create
a global public sphere
sceptics: stress the persistent national features of the news media, and the continuing stability of the nation-
state paradigm
—> Scholars conclude that the local and global perspectives are not necessarily mutually exclusive; rather,
the seemingly opposing positions reinforce and reconstruct one another. In other words, they constitute two
sides of the same coin
Cross-cultural adjustment has to be understood as a manifestation of broader social trends that are
not confined to the experience of immigrants, but rather as extending to many other kinds of associations and
networks, as well as into cultural life at large. Cross-cultural adjustment is not a process that is unique to
immigrants; host nationals also have to experience cultural adjustments when their society is joined by
culturally different others. The tension between immigrants and host nationals often centres on the extent to
which immigrants can maintain their heritage culture in the host country. In countries receiving many
immigrants, ethnically different populations can be perceived as threats to collective identity and to the
standard of living of the natives. For host nationals, multiculturalism can be interpreted as a threat to their
cultural dominance. For migrant groups, however, multiculturalism offers the possibility of maintaining their
own culture and still integrating into the host society. Thus, policies of multiculturalism that highlight the
importance of recognizing cultural diversity within a common framework, as well as equal opportunities, can
lead to inter-ethnic distinctions and threaten social cohesion
—> Promoting inter-ethnic understanding facilitates cultural adaptation by both migrants and host nationals
summary (from the chapter):
Advances in communication technologies, modern transport systems, the global economy, international
business, mass migration and international education are major contributors to cultural diversity in our
society.
While geographic borders that used to separate people from people and country from country are receding,
there are still many issues arising from cultural diversity and multiculturalism, such as protecting the
uniqueness of the mainstream culture.
Culture governs our behaviour; however, our way of doing things is usually neither the only way nor the
only right way. Different cultural customs and practices need to be interpreted in their own contexts.
In order to harness the benefits of cultural diversity in our society, it is necessary to develop sound
knowledge and skills in intercultural communication.
Intercultural communication equips us with the necessary knowledge and skills to interact with culturally
different people effectively and appropriately.
does communication technology bring us closer or separate us further?
it brings us closer bc its easier to stay in contact but the gap between ppl with access to those technologies
and those who do not have such access is widening greatly
Lecture “Culture and People”
intercultural communication
step 1 = being aware of my own culture
step 2 = be aware of other cultures
step 3 = how to navigate the differences
what is culture?
• “the way we do things around here” —> fosters a sense of shared identity and solidarity among its
members
• Culture as a powerful force affects human behaviour and the ways we experience the world. At the same
time, culture is shaped by the dominant economic and political system of the society
• we see the world through culturally tinted lenses, and we rarely take them off
• its an integrated pattern of human behaviour that includes thoughts, communication, languages, practices,
beliefs, values, customs, rituals, roles, relationships and expected behaviours of social groups
• many different definitions in scientific literature which illustrate the multifaceted nature of culture
• edward hall (1966): culture is ‘those deep, common, unstated experiences which members of a given
culture share, communicate without knowing, and which form the backdrop against which all other
events are judged’
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, • clifford geertz (1973): culture as a web that people themselves have spun. As a web, culture both
confines members to their social realty and facilitates their functioning in this reality.
• in common:
• culture is pervasive in human life
• culture governs ppl’s behaviours
• difficult to define: metaphors r used
• ppl see the world through cultural glasses / a window
• culture is the luggage we carry
• culture is like the water dish swim in
• culture is like the air we breathe
• its a web that ppl have spun (confined members to their social reality and facilitates their functioning in
it; is product and process; provides context for behaviour)
• its like an onion (superficial to deep; symbols - heroes - rituals - values)
• software of the mind (cultures hardwired program in our minds)
• tree (bottom to top; funamental concerns - values - outward expressions)
• iceberg (visible r symbols, rituals; invisible r values and norms)
• what we can see: language, clothes, looks, behaviour
• what we cant see: thought processes, perceptions & beliefs, assumptions, rules, values concept of time,
habits & traditions (causes the biggest problems in intercultural communication)
• permeates the entire way of life of a group of people, it can be defined at macro and micro levels
• micro: can be defined by race, gender, ethnicity, religion etc
• macro:
• may be defined as:
• the particular way of life of a group of people and the meaning-making process by which people make
sense of their social world
• culture comprises the deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, traditions, religion, notions of
time, roles, spatial relations, worldviews, material objects and geographic territory
• cultural differences r usually manifested in how we:
• communicate
• deal with conflict
• complete tasks
• make decisions and reveal information about ourselves to others
assumptions and culture: why cultural differences are a challenge?
because we think we know
because we have different ways to understand what is accepted and familiar
learning that our assumptions are not always the assumptions of others
what is cultural bias?
- the interpretation of situations, actions or data based on the standards of one’s culture
- linguistic interpretation
- ethical concepts of right and wrong
- intentional or unintentional ethnic or racial bias
- religious beliefs or understanding
- gender roles
ethnography: a specific research methodology that has been employed to study different cultures and
subcultures; aims to describe the whole culture
what is cultural identity?
- identity representation is shaped by social interaction and culture (its a product of social construction)
- “properties of uniqueness and individuality, the essential differences making a person a distinction from
all others, as in a self identity”
- culture and identity are constricted and socially defined
- identification with a cultural group gives us a sense of identity
- both locates a person in a cultural group and distinguishes the person from others who are in other groups
goffman: identity is a theatrical performance that conveys the self to others in the best possible light, in
conformity to cultural and societal norms —> BUT critics argue that Goffman’s dramaturgical perspective
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