Ch.1 - Basic communication and intercultural communication

Aspects of communication

Types of communication

  • intrapersonal

    • Single-person conversation

      • ex: talking to yourself

    • interperson/Dyadic

      • one-on-one interaction

        • includes/ex: nonverbal cues. feelings, spoken word, and symbols.

        • Can be formal or informal

  • Public/Group

    • Refers to more than two people interacting, usually for a shared purpose. That group dynamic is based on the context of what is required, what you may be interested in, or what your skills are,

      • orginizational

        • Refers to the transfer of information within a specific organization, such as an elementary school. The signs and symbols used in the communication process are inherent to the organization, and each member in the organization is aware of the direct or implied meaning.

  • Mass

    • Deals with the large-scale transfer of information through means such as news and e-mails

The communication process

  • sender

    • Where communication starts

    • Person motivated to share his or her ideas

  • Message (idea)

    • is the set of ideas the sender transmits to the receiver

    • Messages are sent in the form of content but can also include nonverbal elements such as gestures, volume, eye contact, and facial expressions

  • Channel (path of message)

    • The medium in which messages are sent.

    • Could be e-mail or telephone for long-distance communication, and voice and nonverbal cues for face-to-face communication.

  • Feedback (verbal or nonverbal)

    • Messages that receivers send

    • In either case, messages of all kinds are being sent both ways: if these messages could be visible, we would see 100s of messages flying back and forth through the air

  • Interference (internal and external noise)

    • Anything that interrupts communication

      • ex: Maybe the computer crashes while you’re sending an e-mail.

  • Context (communicators)

    • affects how a sender creates messages and how receivers create meaning from those messages

      • ex: new employees at a workplace orientation listen differently than family members at a fiftieth wedding anniversary celebration.

  • Frame of reference (communicators’ reference points)

    • is an individual’s worldview based on characteristics such as age, education, gender, politics, and economic status, culture, occupation, and health.

      • ex: if the sender is a member of one political party and the receiver is a member of another, that frame of reference could change how a message is sent or received.

Communication model components

Linear/Action

  • sender

  • reciever

  • message

  • channel

  • noise

    • ex: watching a show

Interaction

  • Feedback

  • Context

    • ex: texting

Transaction

  • Simultaneous interaction of components

  • Meaning is co-constructed, and co-managed

    • ex: fighting/arguement

Effective communication

  1. States ideas clearly

  2. Communicate ethically

  3. Recognize when it is appropriate to communicate

  4. Identify communication goals

  5. Select the most appropriate and effective medium for communicating

  6. Demonstrate credibility

  7. Identify and manage misunderstandings

  8. manage conflict

  9. be open-minded

  10. listen attentively

Ineffective communication

  • culture shock

    • When you’re placed in an unfamiliar culture and are uncomfortable

  • groupthink/mob mentality

    • The notion of making decisions as a group or going along with the group

  • Culture

    • Defined as the shared symbols, language, values, and norms that distinguish one group of people from another, which can be acquired or adopted

  • Language

    • Groups of people can pass down their distinct symbols and ideas from one generation to the next.

    • Ex: In many Western cultures, equal opportunity, achievement, democracy, and individual choice are prominent values

  • Norms

    • are learned rules or expectations that guide behavior within a culture, which can vary greatly.

    • Depending on an individual’s cultural traditions, it may be the norm to greet someone with a handshake, bow, or kiss.

  • Ingroups

    • Refers to the groups you identify with

  • Out-groups

    • To describe groups of people you see as different from yourself

  • Enculturation

    • The process of acquiring a culture

  • Acculturation

    • The process through which a person or group from one culture comes to adopt practices and values of another culture while still holding onto their own distinct culture.

  • Co-cultures

    • Belonging to different cultures at the same time.

    • Made up of groups of people who share values, customs, and norms related to mutual interest, such as a passion for food, or characteristics other than their national citizenship, such as their age or gender.

  • Intercultural communication

How do biases affect communication?

  • Perceptual set- A predisposition to perceive only what an individual wants or expects to perceive

    • Your perceptual set, or a predisposition to only perceive what you want or expect to perceive, guides the way you interact with others

Social and cultural identities

  • In an individualistic culture, individual achievement is valued over group accomplishment, and competition is valued over cooperation

    • In contrast, a collectivistic culture values the group over the individual and focuses on cooperation, duty, and loyalty.

  • Low power distance culture - no individual or group is inherently superior to anyone else

  • In contrast High power distance culture - feel pressure to be in a relationship with those in their social classes

  • Masculine culture - ambition, achievement, and consumption of material goods are valued

  • Feminine culture - caretaking values and service to others are practiced.

  • High-uncertainty-avoidance culture - members prefer to interact with other members and in situations that are familiar to them

  • Low-uncertainty-avoidance culture - members are more open to unfamiliar situations and are more accepting of new ideas and diversity

Biases

  • Implicit biases - social stereotypes we associate with others on an unconscious level

  • Stereotyping - occurs when we make hasty generalizations about a group of people based on judgment about an individual from that group

    • To help us process information about another person, we categorize people into groups based on factors such as their race, ethnicity, age, and appearance.

  • Selective memory bias - We remember info that supports our stereotypes while forgetting info that does not.

    • In the heat of an argument, we may focus only on the info that supports our stereotype, which can be offensive, lead to misunderstanding, and damage relationships.

  • Selective attention - referring to the idea we choose to see what we want to see

    • When we encounter someone with unique cultural values, we may not acknowledge that person because we are hoosing to focus on our own cultural ideas.

Barriers

  • ethnocentrism - the tendancy to judge others’ cultures’ practices as inferior to one’s own.

    • Ex: In the US, people may think eating insects is disgusting, but this practice is seen as a delicacy in many other parts of the world


What are strategies for effective intercultural communication?

Personal attitudes and behaviours

Verbal and nonverbal expression in intercultural communication

  • Linguistic relativity - The idea that our words don’t simply reflect how we see the world but also affect how we see it.

    • When using one’s native language, a person tends to be more expressive and more likely to reflect their culture’s values than when using a second language

Strategies for effective intercultural communication

  • Conduct a self-assessment - Be honest and ask yourself what attributes you hold towards social groups and cultures that differ from your own

  • Be sensitive and mindful towards diversity - Then listen to his or her response with an open mind

  • Avoid communication barriers - Thinking that people who don’t belong to your culture are somehow strange or wrong is known as ethnocentrism

    • Another barrier to communication is the tendency to stereotype or generalize all individuals in a group based on the characteristics of only a few

    • To keep stereotypes from influencing your perceptions, pay attention to any assumptions you make about another person or group of people

    • One way to overcome these barriers is to travel to different countries and learn to embrace the native language, food, and customs.

    • You can also read books and articles on diversity, watch foreign films or documentaries, take an academic course on intercultural communication, or ask members of different cultures how to behave and interact with them in order to be respectful.

  • Develop code sensitivity - Your ability to adapt to the verbal and nonverbal behaviors of another person, regardless of your cultural differences, is called code sensitivity.

    • Some people are more expressive than others, using their body language, facial expressions, and gestures to make a point

    • Co-cultures can differ significantly in the idioms and jargon they use.

    • Over time, you will begin to pick up on these expressions and mannerisms, which will allow you to better adapt to the other person’s communication style.

  • Use feedback - Communication is a transactional process in which communicators work to create shared meaning.

    • It’s important to be observant to catch these nonverbal cues.

  • Practice patience - When you are engaging with someone from a culture whose communication behaviors differ from your own, miscommunication is likely to happen.

    • Take your time when interacting with someone who shares meaning differently from you.

  • Manage conflicts - we are all bound to experience conflicts from time to time.

    • Build up a tolerance for ambiguity in order to accept and embrace the misunderstandings that occur.

    • Remember that each culture holds its own set of expectations and practices, which may not align with our own.'

    • Recognize that cultures value different practices and that those differences are valid and important.

  • Be reflexive - Reflexivity involves us being self-aware and learning from our interactions with others.

    • Apply your finding to your future interactions