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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
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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.
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____ 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.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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.
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• 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.
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• 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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
Suggested Videos
1. Still Killing Us Softly: Advertising’s Image of Women (Produced by Jean Kilbourne;
distributed by Cambridge Documentary Films, Cambridge, MA, 1987, 32 minutes)
In this video, the director, Margaret Lazarus, describes the portrayal of women in
advertising and the way this portrayal influences women, men, and children. It also
suggests ways that the depiction of women in advertising alters the images men and
women form of themselves.
2. Black View of Discrimination (Produced by the Educational Film Center for NYT
Educational Media; distributed by Filmic Archives, New York, 1995, 17 minutes)
This film has four modules that deal with Black Americans’ outlook of racial
discrimination.
3. A Class Divided (Length: 60 Minutes)
Filmed 15 years after Eye of The Storm, this series analyses children’s understanding after
Jane Elliott’s daring classroom experiment. The children learned about discrimination and
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Chapter 2: Intercultural Communication
Martin, Experiencing Intercultural Communication, 6e
its affects that exist still today. In the video Ms. Elliott meets with some of her former
students to evaluate the experiment in prejudice and its impact on their lives. The film
shows the effect of discrimination and its impact years later. The video increases viewers’
sensitivity and compassion to the problems of racism and prejudice.
4. Skin Deep: College Students Confront Racism (Distributed by Iris Films, Ho-Ho-Kus, NI,
1995, 60 minutes)
This film by Francis Reid documents the thoughts and feelings of several college students
spending a weekend retreat together. It talks about the issues of cultural difference,
prejudice, and racism as seen through the eyes of this very diverse group.
5. True Colors (Produced by MTI/Film and Video, North Brook, IL, 1991, 19 minutes)
This film questions our accomplishments in the fight for equality since the 1960s by testing
various levels of prejudice.
6. Overcoming Prejudice (Distributed by Insight Media, New York, 1996, 59 minutes)
This documentary explores the origins of prejudice. It discusses how prejudice can be
learned at home, can be a result of fear or ignorance, or can be a reaction to mistreatment.
People after successfully overcoming their own prejudices share their experiences and
offer suggestions for finding common ground.
7. How Beliefs and Values Define a Culture (Distributed by Insight Media, New York, 1997,
24 minutes)
This video considers how the arts, history, religion, and other elements shape cultural
beliefs and values. It considers cross-cultural interactions and explores how technology is
changing cultures.
8. The Color of Fear (Distributed by Stir Fry Productions, 1222 Preservation Parkway,
Oakland, California, 1994, 90 minutes)
This is a powerful video that reveals the pain and anguish that racism has caused in the
lives of North American men of Asian, European, Latino, and African descent. An
emotional and insightful portrayal is developed out of their disputes and struggles to
understand and trust each other, the type of dialogue most of us fear but hope will happen
at some point in our lifetime.
9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkugbqkE4Bw (What is Power Distance)
10. https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=201645180959880549419.0004c9a894dfb66defa
b9&msa=0&ie=UTF8&t=m&source=embed&ll=32.10119,42.1875&spn=57.886601,105.4
6875&z=3
11. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49444272/ns/world_news/
12. http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/chinese-language-classroom-
17486168?tab=9482930§ion=16871352&playlist=1363340
13. http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/pakistani-girl-malala-yousafzai-shot-head-taliban-
security-17488024?tab=9482931§ion=1206828
14. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrxXsA_0224&feature=related
15. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ijSwfODaHg&feature=related
16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCBaM0bzoPg(culture shock)
17. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1hqHo6lyUU&feature=related (Japanese weight)
18. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cy9-buzHL4k (reverse culture shock)
