Intercultural Communication Midterm

Violence, conflict, and tension among differing cultural groups that are in constant contact with each other illustrate the __________ imperative for studying intercultural communication.

peace

Principles of conduct that help govern the behavior of individuals and groups are known as __________.

ethics

Someone who takes an extreme universalist position would insist that

fundamental notions of right and wrong are the same across the globe.

The expansion of businesses into markets around the world is known as __________.

globalization

Maria had never given much thought to her Italian heritage until she became friends with Aylin, an American of Middle Eastern descent. Through interaction with Aylin's family, Maria gradually realized that many of her own behaviors were shaped by cultural influences. In this scenario, Maria's realization demonstrates the __________ imperative for studying intercultural communication.

self-awareness

Raymond works as a business consultant for large multinational companies (MNCs) based in the United States. He conducts sessions for the employees of these MNCs before they are sent to Japan for work. His job involves educating them about behaviors that can cause ill will and mistrust, enhance negative stereotypes, and result in loss of business opportunities. In this scenario, Raymond is most likely employed as a __________.

cross-cultural trainer

Akua is appalled by the fact that girls regularly marry before the age of fifteen in some countries. They believe that all girls should become adults before they marry, regardless of their culture, because of issues related to education, prenatal health, and inheritance rights. In this scenario, Akua has assumed the __________ position of ethics.

universalist

In the context of the global economy, foreign-owned plants that use domestic labor are known as __________.

maquiladoras

In the context of intercultural communication, the process by which we "look in the mirror" to see ourselves as cultural beings is known as __________.

self-reflexivity

Which of the following statements is true of the relativist position of ethics?

It holds that any cultural behavior can be judged only within the cultural context in which it occurs.

Identify a true statement about communication.

Communication is dynamic.

Kwan is always polite and courteous toward his instructors at school but tends to be rowdy with his friends at parties. Which of the following aspects of intercultural communication has been illustrated in this scenario?

context

Societies that are more likely to punish people who commit crimes than rehabilitate them probably see human beings as __________.

essentially evil

The extent to which less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed less equally is known as __________.

power distance

The belief that one's own cultural group, usually equated with nationality, is superior to all other cultural groups is known as __________.

ethnocentrism

Which of the following statements is true of values?

They have to do with what is judged to be good or bad, or right or wrong.

Which of the following terms is defined as learned patterns of perception, values, and behaviors, shared by a group of people, that are dynamic and heterogeneous?

culture

__________ is a symbolic process whereby meaning is shared and negotiated.

Communication

Which of the following is the last step in the perception process that involves assigning meaning to information that has been categorized?

interpretation

Which of the following statements is true of people from collectivist societies?

They are likely to place a great deal of importance on extended families.

Histories that focus on the transmission and development of ideas or ways of thinking are called __________ histories.

intellectual

Which of the following terms can be best defined as histories that occur at the same time as other histories but on a more personal level?

family histories

Writers who attempted to provide insight into the everyday life experiences of various groups in the past were documenting __________ histories.

social

A book that describes the impact of Spanish settlement and domination on Central and Southern America deals with __________ history.

colonial

Histories that focus on governmental events in the past, such as the study of U.S. presidents, are known as __________ histories.

political

Miguel was asked by his history professor to read about George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. In his last history class, Miguel read about Patrick Henry's "Give me liberty or give me death" speech. In this scenario, Miguel has been learning about the __________ of the United States.

national history

Stories about the lives of women pioneers in the Old West are a form of __________ histories.

gender

Accounts of past events that are not typically included in national or mainstream history but are important in the development of group identities, family histories, and the contemporary lives of individual members of these cocultures are known as __________ histories.

hidden

The attempt to document and understand the killings of millions of people in Kampuchea (Cambodia) after the Vietnam War as well as the killings of millions of Africans by European colonists in Africa and South America forms a part of __________ histories.

racial and ethnic

Histories that are not typically included in national histories but explain identities of particular communities are known as __________ histories.

cultural group

A person with a strong sense of their own group identity and an appreciation for other cultural groups is in the __________ stage of minority identity development.

integration

Belle is from South Carolina. She is proud of her accent and has no real desire to visit or live in the West. In this scenario, Belle is affirming her __________ identity.

regional

Our __________ identity is determined by our height, weight, sex, age, and other corporeal characteristics.

physical ability

Which of the following statements is true of hyphenated Americans?

They define themselves in part in relation to their roots outside the United States.

Dianna is comfortable being white but also appreciates other groups. She recognizes that prejudice and racism exist in our society and that blame, guilt, or denial will not really help in eliminating racism. Dianna is probably in the __________ stage of majority identity development.

redefinition and reintegration

Regan is a U.S. American student studying in London. It upsets him when other students in his class assume that he is British. He frequently interacts with the British students and talks about his American background and experiences. These interactions have profoundly influenced how he sees himself and have helped him develop a stronger sense of his American national identity. This scenario exhibits that identities are __________.

created through communication

Bertina, a Native American, believes that Navajo customs and traditions provide the most effective solutions to everyday issues. She rejects Western medicine when she is sick and refuses to be cured by anyone other than a traditional healer. Bertina is in the __________ stage of minority identity development.

resistance and separatism

Which of the following statements is true of the culture shock phase of the U-curve theory of adaptation?

Individuals experience a relatively short-term feeling of disorientation and discomfort due to the unfamiliarity of surroundings.

The first stage of minority identity development that is characterized by the lack of exploration of ethnicity is known as __________.

unexamined identity

"Trailer park trash" and "White trash" are terms used to mark __________ differences in U.S. society.

class

Ramona believes in "telling it like it is" to her roommates, even if it means saying negative things. Ramona is probably using the __________ style of communication.

direct

Eduardo, a student who uses a wheelchair, goes to great lengths to prove that he is like other students. He separates himself as much as possible from other people with disabilities and engages in self-ridicule to prove that he is humble. In this scenario, Eduardo is using a(n) __________ assimilation strategy.

aggressive

Which of the following is true of the low-context style of communication?

Most of the meaning is contained in the spoken word.

People who live "on the border" between two different cultures often change their communication style for another culture with ease. It is called __________.

code-switching

Cocultural groups sometimes develop a language that is designed largely to be understood only by insiders and to distinguish insiders from outsiders in a group. What is this language called?

argot

The __________ style of communication, which emphasizes being explicit, is highly valued in many cultures where people feel it is better to get to the point, be explicit, and not leave things unstated.

low-context

Communication which is indirect because most of the meaning is internalized in a person is known as __________ communication.

high-context

Sarin, a white American, was called on to make a toast at their Filipino friend's engagement party. They were not sure what should be said in such a situation. Therefore, they patterned their remarks after the last toast made by the groom's father, and it was well-received. Considering Sarin did not exactly know what to say, which of the following statements is true of Sarin?

Sarin engaged in an improvised performance.

Many Arabic speakers use rich, expressive language in everyday conversation. They are probably using a(n) __________ style of communication.

elaborated

A(n) __________ communication style is one in which verbal messages reveal a speaker's true intentions, needs, wants, and desires.

direct

In the context of cultural spaces, which of the following statements is true of one's home?

It is the immediate social context for one's upbringing.

People in __________ stand closer together while talking, make more direct eye contact, and speak in louder voices than people in North America.

contact cultures

Jonah tells Katrina that he is glad to see her. However, he does not smile or look at her frequently and seems preoccupied with something else. In this scenario, Jonah has used nonverbal behavior to __________ verbal behavior.

contradict

Which of the following is not true of nonverbal behavior?

It is possible to gauge meaning from a specific nonverbal behavior.

The "bubble" around each of us that marks the territory between ourselves and others is known as __________.

personal space

Nodding one's head while saying yes illustrates that nonverbal communication can __________ verbal communication.

reinforce

The term __________ refers to nonverbal gestures used to guide the flow of a conversation, especially for turn taking.

regulators

Which of the following statements is true of polychronic time orientations?

In cultures with polychronic time orientations, schedules are less important than personal obligations.

Hamid holds his hands together to give his friend Ben an idea of how much food was served at the international student dinner the previous evening. As he speaks, Hamid is using a(n) __________.

illustrator

Igor is obsessed with punctuality. He gets up at 7:30 a.m. every morning, goes to basketball practice at exactly 8:20 a.m., takes a one-hour lunch, and comes to class at exactly 12:00 p.m. every Tuesday. He knows that being late to class can be interpreted negatively. Igor is probably from a culture with a __________ time orientation.

monochronic