978-1259870569 Chapter 2 Part 2

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Chapter 2: Intercultural Communication

Martin, Experiencing Intercultural Communication, 6e

11. Find four examples (past or present) for the dynamic (changing) nature of culture.

12. How can value frameworks “essentialize” people? What is the problem in doing so?

13. What is the difference between stereotypes and generalizations?

14. How do we learn the stereotypes of different groups?

15. Identify and explain interpersonal, collective, and/or institutional discrimination.

Classroom Exercises and Chapter Activities

1. Defining Communication Exercise: Divide students into groups of four to six, and ask

them to come up with the best definition for “communication.” Suggest that, as part of this

discussion, they create a list of the different characteristics of communication. After 10

minutes, have students share their lists and their definitions of communication. This could

be followed by a discussion of the characteristics of communication and the reasons for the

many different definitions of communication. At the conclusion of the discussion, you

might ask, “How would you define intercultural communication?” and lead a discussion

about how the definition might be modified to apply to communication. You may also

want to discuss how the characteristics of communication they have listed would influence

the process of intercultural communication.

2. Building Communication Models Exercise: At the beginning of this exercise, explain to the

students that sometimes when we talk about processes, we use models to illustrate the

process. Show students a communication model. Basic communication, public speaking,

and interpersonal communication textbooks are all good sources for such models. Discuss

the model with the class. Identify the characteristics of communication shown in the model,

and have students suggest aspects of communication they feel are missing from the model.

Then divide the class into small groups, and challenge them to create an original model that

they feel adequately illustrates the communication process. Give them about 15 minutes to

complete their models. One or two students from each group should be designated by the

group to draw the model on the board and explain the rationale behind its design.

3. Cultural Artifacts Exercise: To encourage students to become more aware of their own

cultural backgrounds and to emphasize the “hidden” nature of culture, ask them to bring to

class an article or object from home that they believe exemplifies their cultural background

and its values. During class, the students can “show and tell” their object or article and

explain how it is representative of their culture’s values and beliefs (if a large class, have

them do this in small groups).

4. DIE Perception Exercise: This exercise will help students become familiar with

description, interpretation, and evaluation (DIE) as an important tool for “sense-making”

when confronted with people, behaviors, and events that are unknown. Also, DIE acts as a

Chapter 2: Intercultural Communication

Martin, Experiencing Intercultural Communication, 6e

tool in helping people become aware of how they make value judgments. It can become a

wonderful tool for guiding future class discussions. You will need one or two ambiguous

objects. Select unfamiliar objects for this demonstration. Objects taken from unusual

hobbies (lobster bait bags, pitons for mountain climbing, etc.), objects from other cultures

(Japanese sword-cleaning tools, flower-arranging equipment, etc.), or unusual hardware or

kitchen utensils may be good choices.

Select one of the ambiguous objects. Ask the large group to tell you something they know

about the object. The phrasing of this question is very important; otherwise, it skews the

answers. You should say, “Tell me something about this.” (Don’t ask them what they “see”

or to describe it.) Let them touch the object, but keep it moving very quickly. (“What else

can you say?”) Spend two to three minutes on this. You (or a student assistant) can write

down the statements the best fit the following categories in three different columns:

description, interpretation, and evaluation. Do not write these terms on the board yet;

simply divide the responses into these three categories. Explain the terms “description,”

“interpretation,” and “evaluation.” Illustrate that what they said about the object can be

divided into three columns. It can be found that it is most common for them to give mostly

interpretations because when faced with an object or event that is unknown to us, we tend

to make sense of it by putting it in a category we already know.

Repeat the process with the second object, and ask students to explain only what they see.

Chart this statement in the “description” column. Correct them if they make any

interpretations or evaluations. Next, have them interpret (attempt to identify what it might

be) charting their responses again on the board. Finally, ask them to evaluate it according

to the interpretations, both a positive and a negative evaluation for each interpretation.

Finally, have them decide what the object actually is by looking at all of the information

they have generated. It is possible for students to come up with countries (or at least

regions) and identify an object they had no way of identifying at the start. This step is

important because it validates both the process and their ability to make sense of things

when they slow down and pay attention instead of going with programmed responses. (A

more complex version of this exercise is available at www.intercultural.org.

5. Values Identification Exercise: Use the following “worksheet” to assist students in

identifying their own values and making the link between what they value and the value

frameworks discussed in the chapter.

Listed below are “traditional American values,” in other words, goals and attitudes that are

socially approved in the American culture. Read through the list, and check the ones that

you consider important in your life.

Chapter 2: Intercultural Communication

Martin, Experiencing Intercultural Communication, 6e

____ Honesty

____ Trust

____ Cleanliness

____ Pursue Happiness

____ Be Productive

____ Marriage

____ Get Ahead

____ Work Hard

____ Become Educated

____ Spiritual Growth

____ Friendship

____ Tolerance

____ Independence

____ Well-liked by Others

____ Honor One’s Parents

____ Live Life to the Fullest

____ Explore New Horizons

____ Play to Win

____ Obey the Law

____ Identify with a Cause

____ Find a Better Way

____ Loyalty to Your Country

____ Participate in Government

____ Accrue Goods and Wealth

____ Save Time

____ Build Things

___ Know the Right People

___ Live in the Right Places

___ Have a Close-Knit Family

___ Help Your Fellow

Woman/Man

___ Influence Other Countries to

Become Democratic

___ Know your Heritage/Culture

___ Physical and Emotional

Health

___ Take Pride in Your

Community

___ Stand Up for What is Right

___ Recreation, Leisure

Now, choose five of the items listed above that are the most important to you, and rank

them from one to five. For each of these top five values, explain why you rated them

highly.

Questions to ponder:

• Who or what has influenced me in developing my value system?

• How can I use this course to further clarify my awareness of both my own and

others’ value orientations?

• Which of the categories in the Kluckholn, Hofstede, and Hall value models interface

with your five top values.

6. Values Exercise II: The goal of this powerful exercise is to enable students to experience

first-hand how deeply we hold certain values. Be aware that this may be upsetting for some

students, particularly immigrants who may have lost something they value. Allow students

to opt out of the process at any time if they find the exercise too disturbing. The exercise

will probably work better with a class that is willing to be self-reflective. First, give

students 5 to 10 pieces of paper (determine the number by class size and time constraints).

Then take the following steps:

• Ask the students to write different values on each piece of paper.

Chapter 2: Intercultural Communication

Martin, Experiencing Intercultural Communication, 6e

• Instruct them to organize the pieces of paper according to how important each value

is to them, with the most important value at the top and the least important at the

bottom.

• Invite students to throw away (literally into the middle of the room) the paper with

the value they think is the least important.

• Discuss how it felt to throw away that value, even considering that it was their least

important one.

• Instruct them to throw away their most important value.

• Discuss how it felt to even figuratively throw away their most significant value.

• (Optional) Ask students to take one of the values from the person on their left and

throw it away.

• Discuss how this felt.

After the exercise, use the following questions to debrief the exercise.

• How do you feel about the values you have in front of you?

• How did it feel to lose values or to keep values?

• What does this say about the power and the meaning our values have for us?

• Did you feel differently when another person threw away one of your values than

when you did it yourself?

• Are there examples of situations in which people have taken other people’s values

away from them? How did they react? How might you react in a similar situation?

What impact did the situations have on these people?

Invite students to retrieve “tossed” values at the conclusion of this exercise.

7. Power and Privilege Exercise—“Stand Up”: This exercise allows students to identify

themselves as belonging to a particular group or groups by standing up when a particular

statement pertains to them. It is designed to bring into awareness the types of privilege we

all have, depending on the context. Read each statement to the class, and allow time for

students to “stand up” in response to the statement (students need to stand up only if they

are comfortable doing so, and all the students should remain silent). You can create

statements to fit a particular topic or context: the list that follows merely contains

suggestions. You may want to begin with statements that are not very personal and move

gradually to those that require more intimate self-disclosure. This list of statements is

designed to highlight class issues.

Stand up if the following statements are true:

• You were born in the United States.

• You are an only child.

Chapter 2: Intercultural Communication

Martin, Experiencing Intercultural Communication, 6e

• You moved more than two times while growing up.

• You were raised in the country or a rural setting.

• You grew up in an apartment.

• Your family had few resources (students determine what “few” means).

• Your family had more than enough resources.

• Your parents are divorced.

• You have more resources than your parents.

• You are working your way through school.

After the exercise, examine each of the statements with the class, and ask students how

being a part of the group identified in the statement would affect their ability to

communicate with people from other groups. Which groups would be the most comfortable

communicating with them? Which groups would be the least comfortable communicating

with them?

8. Simulation Exercise: One of the most effective ways to help students identify with the

challenges faced by immigrants is to involve them in a simulation in which they must

interact without knowing the proper rules for communicating and accomplishing tasks.

There are a number of well-known simulations. The one you choose can depend on the

number of students, resources, and the amount of time you have. The following are the

different simulations listed based on the levels of complexity and threat.

• “Barnga,” Created by Sivasailam Thiagarajan. Distributed by Intercultural Press.

P.O. Box 700, Yarmouth, ME 04096; (BOO) 370-2665; fax (207) 846-5181

This is easy and requires only packs of ordinary playing cards. Students confront

frustration at “not knowing the rules of the game” as they change from group to

group.

• “The Albatross”

This is a simulation that has been used since the 1970s. It is easily adaptable, requires

30 to 45 minutes including the debrief, and requires minimal supplies. It is a good

introduction to the power of culture to program our perceptions and can be very

effectively debriefed with the DIE Process.

• “BaFa BaFa: A Cross Culture Simulation,” Created by R. Garry Shirts; distributed by

Simulation Training Systems, P.O. Box 910, Del Mar, CA 92014; (800) 942-2900;

fax (619) 792-9743

This is a complex simulation that requires two facilitators, cultural artifacts supplied

in the game, and learning a simple language. The cultural exchanges really bring

home feelings of culture shock and the power of cultural values.

• “Ecotonos: A Unique Simulation for Working across the Cultural Divide” Diane

Hofner Saphiere and Nipporica Associates. Distributed by Intercultural Press. P.O.

Chapter 2: Intercultural Communication

Martin, Experiencing Intercultural Communication, 6e

Box 700, Yarmouth, ME 04096; (BOO) 370-2665; fax (207) 846-5181.

This simulation is the most complex, and it highlights how cultural values and

communication behaviors, as well as issues of power, can complicate intercultural

interactions. It requires participants to come together in small groups and come to

consensus about an important decision.

The Albatross: Tips for the Facilitators

The Albatross simulation provides an opportunity for participants to experience the process

of observing another culture and learning how we often (mistakenly) judge the behavior of

others based on our own assumptions about the world. During the simulation, participants

observe certain ritualistic behaviors by the members of the Albatross culture. Participants

are then asked to make interpretations and conclusions about the culture. After the

facilitators explain the culture, it becomes clear that the underlying cultural assumptions

are entirely different than the interpretations first made by the observers. The exercise can

then be utilized as a common experience for all participants to discuss how we should

describe and react to cultural differences without being judgmental.

The minimum number of participants should be 8, and the maximum number can be 40.

Participants should be a mixture of males and females. The minimum number of

facilitators should be two (one male, one female). It is recommended that you use one

person as the main facilitator until you become comfortable leading discussions together.

Materials Needed

• One table and two chairs

• Two bowls, two cups, and a bottle or flask

• Peanuts in the shell and M&M’s

Other things you may want to add to the activity are listed below.

• You can bring anything to add to the atmosphere: tablecloth, costumes for

facilitators, candles, incense, plants, music, etc. Be creative!

• Once you understand the basic assumptions of Albatrossian culture, you are free to

be creative and add elements and participants to the simulation in any way that suits

your needs.

Time Needed

The tie required to this activity can be a minimum of 30 minutes. The simulation of the

Albatross culture can be done in as little as 15 minutes. The discussion (often referred to as

Chapter 2: Intercultural Communication

Martin, Experiencing Intercultural Communication, 6e

debriefing) can take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes.

Albatross Culture

Albatross is a culture in which the earth is most highly revered. As a result, women—who

are most like the Mother Earth—are highly revered. It is only women who are allowed to

touch the earth (they wear no shoes while men must wear shoes) and only women who are

allowed to work with the goods of the earth (food). Men must wait to be brought food by

the women.

The culture places great importance on greetings and making visitors feel welcome and

part of the culture. Women greet each other by touching one another’s feet or lower legs to

demonstrate their connections to the earth. Men shake one another’s hands by holding the

other’s hand with both of their own hands as a welcoming and gentle gesture. They also

treat guests in their culture in a reserved but gentle and caring way. If visitors are not

treated well, then it is a sign of great rudeness.

Albatrossians of either gender do not speak during the rituals. They place great importance

on calm and peacefulness, taking time to meditate on the meaning of the movements and

gestures. However, they do have three communication strategies that are allowed. To

indicate disapproval, Albatrossians will make a sustained hissing sound. Alternately,

approval of an action will spur an almost spiritual humming sound. Lastly, a quiet clicking

of the tongue will be used to get another person’s attention.

Because women and men have different status, women will greet men by kneeling next to

him and bowing to the earth in order to allow him to use her as a vehicle to touch the

“mother” by placing his hand on the back of her head.

Process

The simulation begins with a man and woman entering the room. At the front of the room,

there are two chairs facing the audience and a serving table/altar behind it. She is barefoot,

and he is wearing shoes. They walk into the audience—the man greets the other men by

humming and shaking their hands, and the woman greets the other women by kneeling and

touching their feet or calves. When this is done, the woman motions the man to sit in the

chair, and then she sits on the floor, and the two quietly meditate for a moment. The

woman clicks quietly, the man places his hand on her head, and she bows all the way to the

ground. She then gets up and walks slowly toward the table. She begins to serve him a

ritual meal, first placing a cloth on his lap and then bringing him food (peanuts, M&Ms),

and drink. Each time she brings something, she kneels and faces the audience with the item

Chapter 2: Intercultural Communication

Martin, Experiencing Intercultural Communication, 6e

in her hand. He places his hand on her head, and she bows all the way to the ground. The

woman waits on her knees until he is finished eating or drinking. Before she leaves, he

touches her head, and she bows to the ground again. The man hums in approval each time

he is served. The woman moves away while the man eats. When the man is done, the

woman moves closer to him. The man touches her head, and she bows to the floor once

again.

The woman then goes into the audience, searching for the woman with the largest feet. She

motions for her to take off her shoes and then brings her beside the man’s chair and

motions for her to kneel. She then returns to the audience and brings a man from the

audience to sit in the second chair. She motions for the male guest to place his hand on a

female guest’s head and has her bow to the floor. With hisses for correction and humming

for praise, the woman instructs the guests to reenact the ritual. She then gives the woman

guest the bowl of peanuts (M&Ms) to serve to the men in the audience. The Albatross

woman takes the bowl of peanuts in the shell and serves the women in the audience by

placing them on the floor beside their feet. She then motions the woman guest to return to

sit beside the man’s chair and serves her peanuts, takes some for herself, and motions for

all of the women to eat the peanuts they have.

When this is done, she motions the guests to return to the audience, and she and the man

rise and depart.

For all options, there is absolutely no talking throughout the simulation. All directions are

given with humming, clicking, and hissing as signals.

Possible Discussion Questions

The debriefing follows a pattern of Description, Evaluation, and Interpretation.

i. Begin by asking for descriptions: “What did you see?” (D)

ii. Then, ask participants to talk about their feelings: “How did you feel about what you

saw?” Make sure that you also ask any members who participated in serving or

eating food this question. (E)

iii. Ask the participants to describe the people from the Albatross culture: “What are

they like?” (E/I)

iv. Ask if there are any other possible explanations for what went on in the simulation.

v. Tell the participants about the Albatross culture.

vi. Ask the participants what they think about the Albatross culture now.

vii. Discuss how cultural and perceptual perceptions affect how we perceive, interpret,

and evaluate what we see and how we react to cultures, people, and events that are

different from our own.

Chapter 2: Intercultural Communication

Martin, Experiencing Intercultural Communication, 6e

viii. Discuss how it feels to adapt one’s behavior in uncomfortable situations. The phrase

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do” is easily said, but often not so easily done.

What do you do if you understand or properly interpret what is going on but still

don’t like it?

ix. As a continuation of the previous question, discuss how our perception of

self/identity is tied to our behavior.

x. Ask participants to think about ways in which what they learned can be adapted to

learning about and interacting successfully with culturally different people.

An easy way to demonstrate the frustration involved in intercultural communication is to

ask for two student volunteers from class. One student will be your collaborator. Outside

the class, explain to the student chosen that in the exercise, they are from a culture with

only two rules: 1) they can understand English, but they can only say yes or no, and 2) they

must be asked the same way twice in order to comply with any request. Back in the

classroom, set two chairs back to back, and explain to the second student that his/her job is

to convince the first student (from the other culture) to take a can of soda from a paper bag

and drink it. Encourage them to do it in steps. The rest of the class will watch and offer

suggestions. If the second student gets frustrated, allow another student to take his/her

place. The rules are rarely discovered in the 10- to 15-minute time period, although some

participants may talk louder and some will feel frustrated, which is part of intercultural

communication. Debrief by explaining the rules and asking students how they felt in this

situation. Ask them to draw the parallels to true intercultural communication.