Study Notes on Intercultural Communication: Addressing the Other

Theme 2: Addressing the Other

This theme explores the inhibitions to communication by examining how easily we can reduce people to less than what they are. It branches off from the Identity theme, focusing on how personal perceptions can obstruct successful communication. The responsibility lies with ‘us’ to understand ourselves rather than relying on essentialist categories of ‘them’.

UNIT A2.1: Communication is About Not Presuming

• Falling into Culturist Traps: This unit emphasizes the importance of understanding individuals before communicating with them. It highlights the ease of being misled by our own preconceptions, leading to Othering.

Example A2.1.1: The Smith Family

• John, a neighbor, initially perceives the Smith family, who belong to a non-mainstream religious group, through the lens of stereotypes derived from their appearance and lifestyle.

  • Observations:

  • The Smith family has six children, dresses in long modest clothing, and does not possess modern amenities like a television.

  • John connects their lifestyle to a stereotype of religious fundamentalism, despite a lack of direct evidence.

  • Events:

  • When Mr. Smith listens to music in his car, it shocks John, as he thought their religion forbade such things.

  • John feels apprehensive about inviting the Smith family to watch a royal wedding on television, believing it would violate their values. In a surprising twist, the Smith family accepts the invitation and appreciates it.

Deconstruction of Example A2.1.1

• John’s misjudgment illustrates how easily one can fall into stereotypical thinking. He failed to recognize the Smiths as individuals, leading to a miscommunication that could have been avoided with greater awareness.

Defining Concepts: From Stereotype to Othering

• Key concepts explored include:

  • Stereotype: A preconceived notion about a group based on appearance, behavior, culture, etc.

  • Prejudice: Judgments based on interest rather than evidence, influenced by stereotypes.

  • Othering: The act of reducing individuals to less than what they are based on stereotypes and prejudices.

  • Culturism: Reducing group members to predefined cultural characteristics, akin to racism or sexism.

Interconnected Processes

• The following figure (Figure A2.1.1) summarizes how stereotyping, prejudice, and Othering interact:

  • A: Stereotyping: Ideal characterization of the foreign Other.

  • B: Prejudice: Judgment made on the basis of interest rather than emergent evidence.

  • C: Othering: Reducing the foreign Other to a lesser status.

  • D: Essentialism: The belief that cultural identities are fixed and unchanging.

  • E: Culturism: The application of essentialist beliefs to cultural groups.

UNIT A2.2: Cultural Dealing

• Experiencing Othering on a Macro Scale: This unit examines the issue of Othering when two communities interact based on preconceived images.

Example A2.2.1: Tourists and Business

• Agnes and François’ Encounter: Agnes, a tourist, develops a brief relationship with François, a local.

  • Agnes views François through the stereotype of a womanizer, while François, unaware of the cultural differences, sees Agnes as a promiscuous tourist.

  • Their interaction is filled with misunderstandings stemming from their respective cultural backgrounds.

Middle Cultures of Dealing

• Interaction occurs within a cultural dealing context that transcends strictly defined cultural identities, influenced by social, economic, and situational factors.

UNIT A2.3: Power and Discourse

• Communication Awareness: This unit emphasizes the importance of being cautious when discussing or addressing people viewed as Other, acknowledging the power of language.

Example A2.3.1: Understanding Supervisor

• Jeremy and Jabu’s Interaction: Jeremy, a university lecturer, misunderstands Jabu, an international student, through essentialist assumptions about her culture.

  • His attempts to assist and include her are viewed by Jabu as patronizing and reductive, leading to her feeling Othered.

Key Concepts Discussed

• Understanding vs. Patronizing: Jeremy believes he understands Jabu’s background, while Jabu perceives this as disrespectful and indicative of a lack of genuine understanding.

• False Sharing: Jeremy excessively highlights cultural differences, which separates Jabu from her peers and perpetuates stereotypes.

• Culturist Language: The language used by Jeremy contains hidden assumptions about Jabu’s capabilities based on her culture.

Communication Disciplines

• Avoid making assumptions based on prior experiences of cultural groups.

• Monitor language for potential discriminatory or culturally insensitive undertones.