Communication Barriers and Intercultural Communication - Notes Review

30 flashcards in a Question-and-Answer format covering communication barriers and intercultural communication concepts from the notes.

What are communication barriers?

Factors that prevent effective exchange and understanding of messages, which can be physical, cultural, linguistic, or emotional, and can occur within or between individuals, groups, or organizations.

What are the four broad categories of communication barriers?

Physical, cultural, linguistic, and emotional barriers.

Why should we care about communication barriers in terms of opportunities?

They can lead to missed opportunities.

How can miscommunication affect relationships?

It can lead to misunderstanding and conflict.

What are the potential impacts of conflicts due to miscommunication?

Negative impacts both personally and professionally.

Language barriers

Barriers when people who speak different languages try to interact, leading to misunderstandings, frustrations, and potential conflict.

What is a proposed solution to language barriers mentioned?

Use a phone as your translator.

systematic barriers

Different interpretations of word meanings and grammar; misinterpretations due to slang, sign systems; grammar mistakes, verb tense shifts, or differing sentence structures.

Give an example of a systematic barrier mentioned.

Misunderstanding from phrase choices like 'watch out for' vs 'watch for' or similar differences in wording.

physical/environmental barriers

Physical limitations like noise, poor lighting, and distance, plus technology issues and lack of access to technology such as the internet or computers.

physiological barriers

Physical maladies that affect message reception, such as blindness, deafness, headaches, or sleepiness.

Emotional/psychological barriers

Barriers that prevent expressing emotions due to lack of trust, fear of vulnerability, or difficulty understanding others, leading to misunderstandings or conflicts.

cultural barriers

Differences in culture causing miscommunication; include pronunciation, sentence structure, or using the wrong words; can occur when sender and audience come from different cultures, with inadvertent actions like showing the sole of the foot offending.

What is kinship in cultural barriers?

Basis of societal organization; families with at least one parent and one child, with many differences beyond this.

What is the difference between individualistic and collectivistic cultures?

Individualistic cultures (e.g., USA) prioritize the individual; collectivistic cultures (e.g., Philippines, SE Asia, East Asia) emphasize group harmony and family.

How does sexuality influence intercultural communication?

Societal norms vary in how much intimacy is encouraged and in its forms at different life stages.

What does gender refer to in cultural contexts?

Categorizing children into binary female/male is common, but there is variability in toleration of switching categories and the number of genders.

How is religion related to culture in intercultural contexts?

Religious beliefs and practices vary significantly between cultures.

What are cultural taboos?

Forbidden actions or topics; some are universal, but others are taboo in specific cultures (e.g., eye contact, which can be viewed differently across cultures).

What are dress codes in intercultural contexts?

Some cultures encourage conservative dress, such as covering shoulders and knees in public.

What are food and eating habits (foodways) in intercultural contexts?

Not only what you eat but when you eat; e.g., late dinners in Spain.

Who is Edward T. Hall in intercultural communication?

A scholar associated with intercultural communication who introduced the Culture Iceberg concept.

What is the Culture Iceberg model?

A model distinguishing visible cultural elements (language, food, rituals, greetings, dress) from deep worldview elements (religion, concepts of time, justice, spiritual beliefs, respect for authority).

What are deep worldview aspects in the Culture Iceberg model?

Religion, concepts of time, justice, spiritual beliefs, and respect for authority.

imersion important in understanding others in intercultural communication

The more immersed we are, the more we understand others.

Intrapersonal communication

Communication within oneself, including internal, vocal, and written discourse.

Internal discourse

The internal conversation with oneself, including a set of choices and thinking.

vocal discourse

Speaking to yourself out loud about what you're thinking.

written discourse

Writing to your future-self or clarifying your thoughts in writing.

What characterizes group communication in terms of audience and structure?

Audience size can be large or small; there is a hierarchy between speaker and audience; preparation is more extended for large groups and less structured for small groups.

What are the goals and interaction patterns of group communication?

Goals include persuading or informing a larger audience; exchanging ideas in small groups; interactions range from one-way to interactive, with taking turns and responding.