Foundations of Communication and Intercultural Understanding

A concise overview of communication elements and how cultural differences shape meaning, interaction, and understanding across societies.

Sender

The originator of communication who selects a meaning, encodes the message, and chooses a channel to transmit it to the receiver.

Receiver

The individual or group that receives, decodes, interprets, and responds to the sender’s message by giving feedback.

Message

The information, idea, or meaning that the sender wants to communicate to the receiver.

Encoding

The process of converting ideas or meanings into words, symbols, gestures, or actions that can be transmitted.

Decoding

The process by which the receiver interprets and makes meaning from the encoded message.

Medium

The system used to deliver the message between sender and receiver, such as print, mass media, electricity-based media, or digital platforms.

Channel

The specific route through which a message is transmitted, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, radio, videos, or social media.

Feedback

The response or reaction of the receiver that indicates how the message was interpreted and understood.

Noise

Any internal or external factor that interferes with the accurate understanding of a message during communication.

Context

The set of physical, psychological, social, and cultural conditions that influence how a message is created, delivered, and interpreted.

Ethnocentric

A worldview in which a person sees their own culture as central or superior and judges other cultures using their own cultural standards.

Ethnorelative

A worldview in which a person understands that cultures differ legitimately and can appreciate and adapt to those differences without judgment.

Denial

A stage in DMIS where individuals are largely unaware of cultural differences or ignore them, believing that everyone is essentially the same.

Defense / Polarization

A stage in DMIS where individuals recognize cultural differences but view them negatively, often seeing their own culture as superior or inferior.

Minimization

A stage in DMIS where individuals acknowledge cultural differences but downplay their importance by emphasizing universal similarities.

Acceptance

A stage in DMIS where individuals recognize and appreciate cultural differences in behaviors and values without judging them as right or wrong.

Adaptation

A stage in DMIS where individuals develop the ability to adjust their behavior and communication style to interact effectively across cultures.

Integration

A stage in DMIS where individuals naturally shift between cultural perspectives and navigate multiple cultural contexts as part of their identity.