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Identity

Definition: The different aspects of who a person is that can shape how they see themselves, how others see them, and how they communicate.

IPC application: Identity can influence how someone interprets a conversation, what assumptions people make about them, and whose perspective gets heard.

Simple way to remember:
Identity = the different parts of who you are that come into a conversation.

Gender

Definition: The social, cultural, and personal meanings associated with being masculine, feminine, both, neither, or something else.

IPC application: Gender can influence expectations, communication styles, roles, and how people interpret someone's behavior.

Simple way to remember:
Gender = the social meaning we attach to being/expressing gender.

Sex

Definition: Refers to biological attributes typically assigned at birth, including chromosomes, hormones, and internal and external reproductive anatomy.

IPC application: Sex and gender are related concepts but are not the same thing.

Simple way to remember:
Sex = biological attributes. Gender = social/cultural meaning.

Gender Identity

Definition: How someone understands themselves in relation to gender.

Simple way to remember:
Gender identity = how I understand my gender.

Gender Expression

Definition: How someone presents or communicates their gender.

Simple way to remember:
Gender expression = how I show/express my gender.

Gender Roles and Expectations

Definition: Social expectations about how people should behave based on gender. These expectations vary across cultures and time.

IPC application: Assuming someone should communicate or behave a certain way because of their gender can create misunderstanding or stereotyping.

Simple way to remember:
Gender roles = society's expectations about gender behavior.

Ethnicity

Definition: A social construct referring to shared cultural practices, perspectives, and distinctions that set one group apart. It can involve language, ancestry, history, traditions, values, and communication styles.

IPC application: Ethnicity can influence communication, but ethnic identities are context-specific and should not be generalized.

Important: Ethnicity and race are NOT synonyms.

Simple way to remember:
Ethnicity = shared culture/history/traditions.

Religion

Definition: A system of beliefs, practices, and values related to the sacred, spiritual, or moral order.

IPC application: Religious identities can influence communication, traditions, behavior, inclusion/exclusion, and power dynamics.

Simple way to remember:
Religion = beliefs + practices + values that shape how someone lives and communicates.

Neurodiversity

Definition: A concept recognizing neurological differences—such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and others—as natural variations of the human brain.

IPC application: People can differ in how they think, learn, process information, and communicate. Social expectations and institutions can either support or limit participation.

Simple way to remember:
Neurodiversity = brains can work differently, and those differences affect communication

Place of Origin

Definition: The geographic location or community where a person was born or raised, which can shape identity, worldview, cultural norms, traditions, language, values, and communication styles.

IPC application: A person's place of origin can influence how they communicate and how others perceive their status or belonging.

Simple way to remember:
Place of origin = where you come from can shape how you communicate.

Context-Specific Identity

Definition: Identities and communication norms cannot automatically be generalized to every person who shares an identity. Their meaning can change depending on context.

IPC application: You should investigate and remain curious rather than assuming everyone within a particular identity group communicates the same way.

Simple way to remember:
Same identity ≠ same experience.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Definition: A personality assessment developed during WWII by Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, inspired by Carl Jung's theory of psychological types. It measures four preference dichotomies.

Four dichotomies:

• Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I)

• Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N)

• Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)

• Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)

Important: MBTI describes preferences/tendencies, not fixed rules about how a person will always behave.

Simple way to remember:
MBTI = 4 pairs that describe communication/personality preferences.

Extraversion (E)

Definition: Extraverts focus on the outer world of people and activity.

IPC characteristics:

• May think out loud

• Process ideas by talking

• Comfortable jumping into conversations

• Gain energy from interaction

• May sometimes be perceived as dominating or interrupting

Simple way to remember:
E = External → I talk it out.

Introversion (I)

Definition: Introverts focus on the inner world of thoughts and reflection.

IPC characteristics:

• Think internally before speaking

• Prefer depth over volume

• May need processing time

• May sometimes be perceived as disengaged or quiet

Simple way to remember:
I = Internal → I think it through first.

Sensing (S)

Definition: Sensors rely on concrete facts, details, and present realities.

IPC characteristics:

• Focus on facts and details

• Prefer concrete examples

• Value practicality and realism

• May become frustrated by too much abstraction

Simple way to remember:
S = Specific → show me the facts/details.

Intuition (N)

Definition: Intuitors focus on patterns, meaning, possibilities, and future potential.

IPC characteristics:

• Like big-picture thinking

• Look for patterns and meaning

• Enjoy metaphor

• Comfortable with ambiguity

• May sometimes be seen as vague or impractical

Simple way to remember:
N = Noticing possibilities → big picture.

Thinking (T)

Definition: Thinkers prioritize logic, clarity, consistency, and objective criteria.

IPC characteristics:

• Focus on objective analysis

• Prioritize outcomes and efficiency

• May be perceived as blunt or cold

Simple way to remember:
T = Think → logic first.

Feeling (F)

Definition: Feelers prioritize values, empathy, relationships, and the impact of communication on people.

IPC characteristics:

• Tune into emotional context

• Value harmony and inclusion

• Consider how people will be affected

• May sometimes be perceived as overly sensitive

Simple way to remember:
F = Feel → people/impact first.

Judging (J)

Definition: Judgers prefer structure, planning, closure, deadlines, and decisiveness.

IPC characteristics:

• Like plans

• Want decisions to feel settled

• Value predictability

• Open-endedness may feel stressful

Simple way to remember:
J = Just decide/plan it.

Perceiving (P)

Definition: Perceivers prefer flexibility, adaptability, spontaneity, and exploration.

IPC characteristics:

• Comfortable with last-minute changes

• Prefer keeping options open

• Value exploration over closure

• Deadlines can feel constraining

Simple way to remember:
P = Possibilities → keep it flexible.

Get-Things-Going™ Interaction Style

Types: ENFP, ESFP, ENTP, ESFJ

Basic idea: An interaction style focused on getting interaction/momentum going.

Simple way to remember:
Get Things Going = get the conversation moving.

Behind-the-Scenes™ Interaction Style

Types: INFP, INTP, ISFJ, ISFP

Basic idea: A more behind-the-scenes interaction style.

Simple way to remember:
Behind the Scenes = more internal/supporting approach.

Chart-the-Course™ Interaction Style

Types: INFJ, INTJ, ISTJ, ISTP

Basic idea: An interaction style associated with planning/directing a course.

Simple way to remember:
Chart the Course = figure out where we're going.

In-Charge™ Interaction Style

Types: ENFJ, ENTJ, ESTJ, ESTP

Basic idea: An interaction style associated with taking charge and directing interaction.

Simple way to remember:
In-Charge = take the lead.

The Danger of a Single Story

Definition: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's concept describing how having only one limited narrative about a person or group can create incomplete perceptions and stereotypes.

IPC application: If you know only one story about someone, you may reduce that person to one characteristic or experience and overlook everything else about them.

Simple way to remember:
One story = one incomplete picture.

Single Story

Definition: A limited or one-dimensional narrative about a person or group that can become the only way we understand them.

IPC example: Assuming someone is a certain way because you have heard only one story about their country, race, culture, gender, profession, etc.

Simple way to remember:
Single story = "I only know THIS about them, so I assume that's ALL they are."

Stereotype

Definition: A generalized belief or assumption about a person or group.

IPC application: Stereotypes can affect how we interpret someone's words or behavior before we actually understand the individual.

Simple way to remember:
Stereotype = generalizing the group onto the individual.

Challenging a Single Story

Definition: Listening to multiple perspectives and experiences rather than relying on one limited narrative.

IPC strategy:

• Ask questions.

• Listen.

• Avoid assumptions.

• Seek multiple perspectives.

• Recognize individual differences.

Simple way to remember:
More stories = fuller picture.

Intersectionality

Definition: A framework for understanding how different aspects of a person's identity—such as race, gender, class, sexuality, age, disability, religion, and others—overlap and interact.

IPC application: Multiple identities can create unique experiences of privilege, discrimination, and interpersonal communication.

Simple way to remember:
Intersectionality = identities intersect.

Kimberlé Crenshaw

Definition: Legal scholar who coined the term intersectionality in 1989.

Why: She used the concept to explain how Black women could experience marginalization in both feminist movements that often centered white women and antiracist movements that often centered Black men.

Simple way to remember:
Crenshaw = intersectionality.

Interconnected Identities

Definition: No single aspect of identity can fully explain someone's experiences.

IPC application: Looking only at someone's gender, for example, may miss how race, disability, class, or another identity changes their experience.

Simple way to remember:
Don't isolate one identity. Look at the overlap.

Systems of Oppression Are Linked

Definition: Systems such as racism, sexism, classism, ableism, and homophobia can work together rather than operating independently.

Simple way to remember:
Different systems can overlap too.

Context Matters

Definition: The experience of an identity can change depending on the social or cultural context.

IPC application: The same identity may be experienced differently in different countries, institutions, communities, or relationships.

Simple way to remember:
Identity + context = different experience.

Equity and Justice — Intersectionality

Definition: Intersectionality calls for policies, practices, and education that recognize the complexity of people's overlapping identities.

Simple way to remember:
Treat complex experiences as complex.

Standpoint Theory

Definition: A feminist methodology that studies how knowledge and power are shaped by social positions.

Core idea: Where we stand socially can shape what we are able to see, notice, and understand.

IPC application: A person's lived experiences and social position can give them perspectives that another person may not have.

Simple way to remember:
Where you stand affects what you see.

Social Position

Definition: A person's position within social structures and identity categories that can influence their experiences and access to power.

IPC application: Social position can affect whose experiences are taken seriously, whose perspective is considered "normal," and what someone notices in an interaction.

Simple way to remember:
Your position affects your perspective.

Socially Situated Knowledge

Definition: The idea that knowledge is influenced by one's social position and experiences.

IPC application: Two people can experience the same situation differently because they occupy different social positions.

Simple way to remember:
Knowledge has a location.

Epistemic Advantage

Definition: The idea that marginalized groups may have a particular advantage in understanding social relations because they can potentially see both their own perspective and the dominant perspective.

Important: This does NOT mean every marginalized person automatically knows more or has the same perspective.

Simple way to remember:
Being on the margins can sometimes give you an extra view of the system.

Epistemic Knowledge

Definition: Knowledge or understanding shaped by a person's lived experience and social position.

IPC application: Someone may understand a communication problem or social system in a way that someone without their experience cannot fully see.

Simple way to remember:
Epistemic = knowledge from where/how you experience the world.

Standpoint Theory ≠ Everyone With an Identity Thinks the Same

Definition: Sharing an identity does not automatically mean people share the exact same experiences, opinions, or knowledge.

Simple way to remember:
Same identity ≠ identical standpoint.

Power Up

Definition: A group position that can help define reality and "truth," set rules and standards, and be seen as normal.

Characteristics from class:

• See themselves as individuals.

• Their behavior may be seen as normal.

• Can have power to limit access to resources.

• May have advantages they did not earn through individual deeds.

• May be unconscious of their privilege.

• May focus more on intent than impact.

Simple way to remember:
Power Up = defines the rules/normal.

Power Down

Definition: A group position that is expected to adhere to the established reality and rules and may be seen as "not normal."

Characteristics from class:

• More aware of their "groupness."

• Often experience themselves as outsiders.

• May have limited access to resources.

• May work extra hard for the same status.

• May be more conscious of their lack of privilege.

• May focus more on impact.

Simple way to remember:
Power Down = has to navigate the rules created by others.

Privilege

Definition: Advantages associated with belonging to a socially dominant group that an individual may not have personally earned through their own actions.

IPC application: Privilege can influence whose perspective is treated as normal or whose communication concerns receive attention.

Simple way to remember:
Privilege = an advantage you may receive because of your social position.

Unconscious Bias

Definition: Biases or assumptions that operate without conscious awareness and can influence how we perceive and interact with others.

IPC application: Someone may unintentionally interpret or respond to another person differently because of assumptions they are not consciously aware of.

Simple way to remember:
Unconscious bias = your brain makes an assumption before you realize it.

Intent vs. Impact

Intent: What someone meant to communicate or accomplish.

Impact: What their communication actually did to or communicated to another person.

IPC application: A person can have a good intention while their communication still causes harm or has a negative impact.

Simple way to remember:
Intent = what I meant. Impact = what happened.

Self-Regulation

Definition: The process of managing your own reactions, assumptions, emotions, and behavior during communication.

IPC application: Self-regulation can help someone pause before reacting automatically and recognize potential biases or assumptions.

Simple way to remember:
Self-regulation = pause → notice → choose your response.

Intercultural Communication

Definition: Communication between people whose cultural backgrounds or communication norms differ.

IPC problem: Cultural differences can cause people to interpret the same behavior differently.

Simple way to remember:
Different cultural rules can create different interpretations.

Direct Communication

Definition: Communication that is clear, straightforward, and often blunt; directness may be valued as honesty.

Examples from class: U.S., Israel, Germany, Netherlands.

IPC example: Someone directly says, "I disagree with you."

Simple way to remember:
Direct = say it clearly.

Indirect Communication

Definition: Communication that is more polite or diplomatic and may avoid direct confrontation; harmony may be valued.

Examples from class: Japan, India, Nigeria.

IPC example: Instead of directly saying "no," someone gives a softer response.

Simple way to remember:
Indirect = say it softly / protect harmony.

Formal Communication

Definition: Communication using titles, honorifics, ritual greetings, and forms of respect, often connected to hierarchy.

Examples from class: Korea, India, much of Africa.

Simple way to remember:
Formal = titles + respect + rules.

Informal Communication

Definition: Communication using a casual tone, first names, and an emphasis on equality.

Examples from class: U.S., Australia, New Zealand.

Simple way to remember:
Informal = casual + first names + equality.

Monochronic Time

Definition: Time is viewed as linear; schedules matter and punctuality is valued.

Examples from class: U.S., Germany, Switzerland.

IPC example: Someone expects a meeting to start exactly at 2:00.

Simple way to remember:
Mono = one thing at a time + schedule matters.

Polychronic Time

Definition: Time is more flexible, and relationships may take priority over strict schedules.

Examples from class: Latin America, Middle East, West Africa.

IPC example: A conversation with a person may continue even if it makes someone late for another event.

Simple way to remember:
Poly = many things/relationships happening at once.

Expressive Communication

Definition: Open displays of emotions and animated gestures.

Examples from class: Italy, Mexico, Brazil.

Simple way to remember:
Expressive = emotions are visible.

Restrained Communication

Definition: Emotional control is valued and communication may rely more on subtle cues.

Examples from class: Japan, U.K., Nordic countries.

Simple way to remember:
Restrained = emotions are more controlled/subtle.

Hierarchical/Deferential Communication

Definition: Communication varies according to status; politeness and honorifics may be important.

Examples from class: India, Thailand, Nigeria.

Simple way to remember:
Hierarchical = status affects how you talk.

Egalitarian/Equal Communication

Definition: Communication is more similar across ranks, and informality may be accepted.

Examples from class: Australia, Canada, Netherlands.

Simple way to remember:
Egalitarian = people communicate more like equals.

Ubuntu

Definition: A Southern African philosophy meaning "I am because we are." It emphasizes community, relational dignity, and interconnectedness.

IPC application: Communication should recognize the humanity of others, emphasize relationships, empathy, respect, and mutual affirmation rather than focusing only on individual needs.

Simple way to remember:
Ubuntu = I am because WE are.

Confianza

Definition: Means deep trust and relational closeness.

IPC application: Communication may prioritize building trust and personal relationships before focusing on business or task-oriented goals.

Simple way to remember:
Confianza = trust first.

Familismo

Definition: Emphasizes loyalty and solidarity with family networks.

IPC application: Family relationships and networks can strongly influence relationships, decision-making, and communication.

Simple way to remember:
Familismo = family loyalty matters.

Nepantla

Definition: A concept from Chicana feminist Gloria Anzaldúa describing an "in-between" space of cultures, languages, and identities marked by both tension and creativity.

IPC application: Someone navigating multiple cultural identities may switch languages, communication styles, or cultural codes while negotiating identity and creating shared meaning.

Simple way to remember:
Nepantla = living in the in-between.

Satyagraha

Definition: A concept developed by Gandhi meaning "truth force" and emphasizing nonviolent resistance.

IPC application: It contributes to communication practices emphasizing truth, peaceful dialogue, and nonviolence.

Simple way to remember:
Satyagraha = truth + nonviolence.

Nonviolent Communication (NVC)

Definition: A communication practice developed by Marshall Rosenberg that builds on principles for peaceful dialogue.

IPC application: People express:

1. Observations

2. Feelings

3. Needs

4. Requests

without judgment or aggression.

Simple way to remember:
NVC = observation → feeling → need → request.

Indigenous Storytelling

Definition: An oral tradition that transmits knowledge, values, and identity through stories connected to land, ancestors, and community.

IPC application: Storytelling communicates knowledge and identity while building relationships and emphasizing community and relational bonds.

Simple way to remember:
Indigenous storytelling = stories carry knowledge, identity, and community.

Relational Identity

Definition: Ubuntu shifts the focus from "me vs. you" toward "we." It recognizes that people's identities and well-being are interconnected.

IPC application: Use inclusive language such as "we" and "together."

Simple way to remember:
Relational identity = WE instead of just ME.

Empathy as a Foundation

Definition: Ubuntu emphasizes seeing yourself in others.

IPC application: Listen to understand, mirror emotions, validate perspectives, and acknowledge another person's dignity.

Simple way to remember:
Empathy = understand before responding.

Mutual Respect and Dignity

Definition: Every interaction is an opportunity to honor another person's humanity.

IPC application: Be mindful of tone, avoid dismissive language, and check for implicit bias that could undermine respect.

Simple way to remember:
Respect = treat the person like a person.

The Three Questions — Ubuntu

Definition: Richards' framework asks:

1. Is it kind?

2. Is it true?

3. Is it necessary?

IPC application: Communication should uplift rather than diminish, maintain honesty, and serve connection/understanding rather than ego.

Simple way to remember:
Kind? True? Necessary?

Conflict as Collective Healing

Definition: Ubuntu frames conflict as an opportunity to restore balance in relationships rather than simply "win."

IPC application: Reframe disagreements as a shared problem and ask how both people can move forward together.

Simple way to remember:
Ubuntu conflict = repair the relationship, not win the argument.

Storytelling for Connection

Definition: Ubuntu values shared stories as a way to build community and find common ground.

IPC application: Invite personal narratives and authentically share your own.

Simple way to remember:
Stories = connection.

Silence and Presence

Definition: Presence itself communicates, and silence can provide space for dignity, reflection, and deep listening.

IPC application: Do not automatically rush to fill silence.

Simple way to remember:
Silence can communicate too.

Shared Accountability

Definition: Ubuntu emphasizes responsibility for the impact of communication, not just the intent.

IPC application: After difficult conversations, check in about how the communication affected the other person and repair harm when necessary.

Simple way to remember:
I am responsible for how my words land, not only what I meant.