Week 2 Intercultural Communication Class 1 Discussion Intercultural

Week 2 Intercultural Communication

Class 1: Discussion Intercultural Communication Across Cultures

Why Study IC? http: //v. youku. com/v_show/id_XNDU 0 Nz. A z. NDY 4. html

Chapter Outline Practical Reasons to Study IC Adapting to Global and Domestic Workplace Diversity Improving Multicultural Health Care Communication Engaging in Creative Problem Solving Enhancing Intercultural Relationship Satisfaction Deepening Self-Awareness Fostering Global and Intrapersonal Peace IC Flexibility Knowledge, Attitude, and Skills; Flexible IC: Four Criteria Mastering IC Flexibility A Staircase Model; Communicating Flexibly

Why Study IC? values of a culture (such as individual competitiveness versus group harmony) often shape communication expectations and attitudes ex: workplace problems direct and assertive versus indirectly and tactfully uses a flexibility approach three sections: practical reasons, components and criteria, staircase model

Practical Reasons world is becoming a small, intersecting community Do you remember the Mcmillan’s concept of the global village? homogenous communities becoming more diverse with cultural values constantly changing six reasons

Adapting to Global and Domestic Workforce Diversity IC is one of the three competencies in the global workplace Case Study: U. S. Increased multicultural complexities and slight differences Increased foreign-born diversity Skilled and highly educated immigrants play a critical role in the advanced-technology industries.

Improving Multicultural Health Care Communication need for respect of personal beliefs and health care practices different cultural beliefs and traditions surround the concept of “death” euphemisms burial practices

Engaging in Creative Problem Solving we learn more from people who are different from us synergistic perspective - combining the best of all cultural approaches in solving a workplace problem homogenous = same culture; heterogenous = culturally diverse greater variety of viewpoints, higher level of critical analysis, and a lower chance of groupthink (one idea) involves mindful listening and careful perception checking

Enhancing Intercultural Relationship Satisfaction the competencies that we apply in managing our conflicts is what will move our intercultural relationship(s) towards a more satisfying path the power of being understood on an authentic level can greatly enhance relationship quality, satisfaction, and personal insight

Deepening Self-Awareness Ethnocentrism - seeing our own culture as the center of the universe and seeing other cultures as insignificant or even inferior Intercultural knowledge can deepen our awareness of who we are, where are values came from, and ow we make sense of the world around us We need to understand our own filters, biases, or “lens” Although, this can sometimes be difficult, threatening, and confusing

Fostering Global and Intrapersonal Peace Global peace-building fairness sharing economic and social resources win-win collaborative dialogue mindful listening attitude even if we do not agree with others’ ideas or viewpoints Human respect Global peace-building begins with intrapersonal peace-building

IC Flexibility three parts: knowledge, attitude, and skills Flexible IC emphasizes the importance of integrating knowledge and an open-minded attitude then using them in everyday communication reflects an ethnorelative mindset - to understand a communication behavior from the other person’s cultural frame of reference “to put yourself in somebody else’s shoes”

Knowledge, Attitude, and Skills Knowledge - the structured, conscious learning of the essential themes and concepts in IC flexibility reading international newspapers and magazines Attitude - cognitive and affective layers cognitive - willingness to not judge and readiness to be open-minded affective - emotional commitment to participate in cultural perspectivetaking “put on a new pair of ‘glasses’ or ‘lenses’” Skills - abilities to integrate knowledge and a responsive attitude with adaptive intercultural practice

Flexible IC: Four Criteria Appropriateness - the degree to which the exchanged behaviors are regarded as proper and match the expectations created by the insiders of the culture ex. no experience eating with a knife and fork Effectiveness - the degree to which communicators achieve mutually shared meaning and integrative goal-related outcomes both sides feel they have mutual influence and they have devoted positive energy to creating a meaningful outcome Communication adaptability - our ability to change our interaction behaviors and goals to meet the specific needs of the situation Communication creativity - bridging cultural differences creatively through an imaginative lens and flexible skills

Mastering IC Flexibility A Staircase Model conscious competence stage - actively pursuing new intercultural knowledge to improve their communication competencies unconscious competence stage - a person moves in and out of spontaneous yet adaptive communication with members of a new culture often rotate between conscious and unconscious competence Communicating Flexibly convergent thinking - synthesis and analytical problem solving to reach an outcome divergent thinking - a fluid thinking pattern, ability to switch from one perspective to another, connecting unrelated ideas meaningfully, and the ability to bring a new idea to completion

Writing Think about an intercultural (does not only mean with foreigners. . . ethnicity also counts) experience you had in the past. Describe the experience. Was the experience positive or negative? Were there any misunderstandings or intercultural conflict? How could you have improved that experience by being a more flexible communicator? Did you follow the staircase model? If so, what stage do you feel you were in? Which stage should you have been in?

Discussion In groups of 5, brainstorm five questions to be used for Chapter 1 discussion. After brainstorming, have one group member write down your questions on a single piece of paper. Once every group has finished this stage, I will collect each group’s paper.

Week 3 Assignments Read Chapter 3 Prepare at least 2 discussion questions related to Chapter 3 To Be Collected