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Chapter 7: Intercultural Communication
Chapter Objectives and Integrator Guide
After reading and thinking about this chapter, students should be able to meet the
following objectives.
Objectives
1. Explain why the study of intercultural communication is important for you.
Key term: intercultural communication
2. Distinguish between dominant and non-dominant cultures.
Key terms: culture, dominant culture, non-dominant culture, assimilation goal,
accommodation goal, separation goal, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism, stereotyping,
prejudice
3. State the characteristics of various cultures, such as individualism, certainty, and time.
Key terms: individualistic cultures, collectivist cultures, uncertainty-accepting cultures,
uncertainty-rejecting cultures, On-time, Sometime
4. Practice some strategies for improving intercultural communication.
Key terms: code sensitivity, reflexivity
Activities
Activity 7.1 Cultural Stereotypes
Objectives
Students should be able to recognize cultural stereotypes; speculate about the origins of such
stereotypes; and consider some strategies for overcoming stereotypes.
Procedure
Have the students define stereotype. Next have them think of cultural groups in their
everyday experiences that seem to be treated stereotypically. Select one culture to place
on the board. Explore the ways in which the co-cultural group is treated stereotypically.
Next, examine the origins of the stereotype. Finally, discuss how the negative aspects of
stereotyping can be overcome. This activity is best done under the leadership of the
instructor because small groups tend to focus on the negative aspects of stereotypes without
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considering the next—and most important—part of the discussion: What strategies can
students employ to reduce stereotypical thinking?
Class Discussion
This activity works best if the instructor moves briskly through the negative aspects of
stereotypes and includes some positive stereotypes as well (for example, doctors know best,
Asians are all brilliant at math and science, rich people are intelligent, and so on). Most of the
time this exercise should be spent analyzing strategies for overcoming stereotypical thinking.
Applications
by stereotypical thinking.
Activity 7.2 Cultural Differences in Nonverbal Communication
Objectives
Students should be able to identify culturally significant nonverbal patterns and recognize
how the differences function in communication.
Procedure
Start by seeing if anyone in class knows how people communicate nonverbally in another
nation. Then move to co-cultural differences between groups in this country by selecting an
ethnic group, an immigrant group, an athletic group, or any other co-cultural group that your
class is likely to know. List specific behaviors in one column, with the students’ help, and the
probable meaning of the behavior in a second column.
Class Discussion
Both the specific behaviors and the meaning should be elicited as much as possible from
the class. You should try to cover at least two or three co-cultural groups to ensure
understanding. An interesting variation if you have international students is to have them
communication patterns as well as those of various cultures. The exercise underlines the
importance of nonverbal communication. A review of nonverbal communication is good
preparation for the exercise.