Intercultural Exam 1

Technological Imperative

-increase in information (due to tech and the internet) -increased contact with people who are different/similar

• but not everyone has access to technology

• english is the privileged language in technology

Global Village

communication technology connects us to persons from around the world

Demographic Imperative

US Demographics have become more diverse so we need to communicate with the different groups that live here
-religious diversity
-economic classes

Economic Imperative

To compete in the global market, Americans must understand how business is conducted in other countries, including marketing.

Peace Imperative

International conflicts

• history of colonialism

• need to be understood in historical, political, religious, and economic contexts

Self-Awareness Imperative

awareness of our own cultural identity and background

Environmental Imperative

climate change requires international cooperation

Ethical Imperative

each culture has their rights and wrongs. We may not agree with them, but we must live with these differences.

The Early Development of the Discipline origin

Foreign Service Institute - Edward T. Hall - after WW2

Nonverbal Communication is not culture bound

Nonverbal communication differences between cultures occur because of how different people around the world interpret actions in social interaction.

Proxemics

the study of spatial distances between individuals in different cultures and situations
- intimate, personal, social, and public space

Practical Intercultural Guidelines
-Cross-Cultural Training
-Diversity Training

The term "cross cultural training" refers to training courses that develop an awareness between people where a common cultural framework does not exist or is not recognized.
Training helps employees become more aware of unconscious bias and other barriers to diversity and inclusion, and motivates positive behaviors and attitudes – essential for creating and maintaining a respectful, inclusive workplace.

Linguistics

the scientific study of language

Anthropology

the social science that studies the origins and social relationships of human beings

Psychology

the science of mental life - includes stereotypes

The Social Science (Functionalist) Approach

Assumes: culture is a variable, cultural differences influence communication, reality is objective
Goal: to describe and predict human behavior
Methods: Quantitative studies
Strengths: practical, easy to apply to our intercultural interaction
Weaknesses: comm is not always predictable, not culturally sensitive, too distant

individualist vs. collectivist culture

In individualistic cultures, people behave according to self-interest and personal preferences and consider independence and self-sufficiency very important. In collectivist cultures, groups are of primary importance—individuals are secondary.

face negotiation theory

assumes that people in all cultures work to maintain face in all situations. It further states that the root of conflict is based on self management on an individual and cultural level.

communication accommodation theory

seeks to explain and predict why, when, and how people adjust their communicative behavior during social interaction, and what social consequences result from those adjustments

translation equivalence

replacing a culture-specific item or expression with a target language item which does not have the same propositional meaning

conceptual equivalence

a construct having the same meaning across groups

interpretive approach

Assumes: culture is created and maintained through communication, human experience is subjective
Goals: to understand and describe human behavior
Strengths: provides in depth understanding
Weaknesses: few interpretive intercultural studies

etic vs. emic perspectives

'etic' refers to research that studies cross-cultural differences, whereas 'emic' refers to research that fully studies one culture with no (or only a secondary) cross-cultural focus

Afrocentricity

cultural and political movement whose mainly African American adherents regard themselves and all other Blacks as syncretic Africans and believe that their worldview should positively reflect traditional African values.

The Critical Perspective

Assumes: reality is subjective, culture is where multiple interpretations exist but a dominant one prevails
Goals: to change and improve the lives of everyday communicators
Strengths: reveals the power of relationships in interactions
Weaknesses: lack of empirical data

Dialectical approach

allows us to capture the dynamism of intercultural communication. A dialectic is a relationship between two opposing concepts that constantly push and pull one another

6 dialectics of intercultural communication

cultural–individual,
personal–contextual,
differences–similarities,
static–dynamic,
history/past–present/future,
and privilege–disadvantage

What is culture?

Culture is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.

Kluckhohn & Strodtbeck value orientations

human nature,
relationship of humankind to nature,
sense of time,
activity, and
social relationships

Hofstede's Value Orientations

power distance,
uncertainty avoidance,
individualism/collectivism,
masculinity/femininity and
long-term orientation.

Social identities vs. Cultural identities

Social identities are components of self that are derived from our involvement in social groups to which we are interpersonally invested. Cultural identities are components of self based on socially constructed categories that teach us a way of being and include expectations for our thoughts and behaviors.

Personal Identity

the concept you develop about yourself that evolves over the course of your life.

Minority Identity Development

minorities may develop a sense of identity earlier
1-Unexamined identity
2-Conformity
3-Resistance and Separatism
4-Integration

Majority Identity Development

1-Unexamined Identity
2-Acceptance
3-Resistance
4-Redefinition
5-Integration

"whiteness" - Frankenburg

normative race privilege
a standpoint from which to view society
a set of cultural practices

Stages of Multiracial/ethnic people

1-awareness of differentness
2-struggle for acceptance
3-self acceptance

Global Nomads

a person who is living a mobile and international lifestyle. Global nomads aim to live location-independently, seeking detachment from particular geographical locations and the idea of territorial belonging.

• children of foreign born immigrants

• international/interracial adoptions

Model Minority Myth

A model minority is a minority demographic whose members are perceived as achieving a higher degree of socioeconomic success than the population average, thus serving as a reference group to outgroups.

The Social Science Perspective on Identity

identity is created by the self and in relation to group membership
identities are stable

The Interpretive Perspective on Identity

identities are negotiated and co created through communication with others
identities are dynamic

Avowal

a statement asserting the existence or the truth of something

Ascription

how others perceive and communicate a person's identity.

The Critical Perspective on Identity

identity formation needs to be understood within the contexts of history, economics, and politics
identities are dynamic

Interpellation

expresses the idea that an idea is not simply yours alone (such as “I like blue, I always have”) but rather an idea that has been presented to you for you to accept.