EFFECTIVE GROUP DISCUSSION Theory and Practice Twelfth Edition

EFFECTIVE GROUP DISCUSSION Theory and Practice Twelfth Edition CHAPTER 5 Diversity & the Effects of Culture © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

What is Culture? § Culture: the patterns of values, beliefs, symbols, norms, procedures and behaviors…of a group of persons. § Cultural identity § Co-culture § Intracultural communication § Intercultural communication © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Chapter Content § What is Culture? § Diversity § Cultural Characteristics Affecting Communication § Communication Challenges § Public Dialogue Process § Ethical Intercultural Interaction © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Diversity § United States is a pluralistic culture § Diversity will increase § Cultures and co-cultures influence communication § Ethnocentrism © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cultural Characteristics Affecting Communication § Worldview § Being orientation § Doing orientation § Individualism versus collectivism § Group is standard of reference § Individual is standard of reference Continued © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cultural Characteristics Affecting Communication § Power distance § Level of emphasis on status differences § Authoritarian leadership § Participative leadership § Uncertainty avoidance § Tolerance level for ambiguity Continued © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cultural Characteristics Affecting Communication § Masculinity versus femininity § High- versus low-context communication § Messages carried by context, nonverbal content § Messages carried by verbal content © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Communication Challenges Communication challenges based on co -cultural differences: § Race § Age § Builder generation § Boomer generation § X generation § Net generation § Socioeconomic class © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Public Dialogue Process The Public Dialogue process is designed to promote sensitivity to and appreciation of cultural differences by encouraging respectful, interested listening. © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Behaving Ethically in Intercultural Interactions 1. Communicate with empathy and respect 2. Incorporate key cultural values into the group’s procedures and outputs © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Guidelines for Ethical Intercultural Interaction § Remember every discussion is intercultural § Recognize and accept differences § Resist making attributions of stupidity § Discuss intercultural differences openly § Adapt to differences © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Intercultural Basics § What are some advantages of a group that is relatively culturally homogeneous? § What are some advantages of a group that is relatively culturally diverse? © 2007 The Mc. Graw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.