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COMM5 Instructor Manual Chapter 3

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Chapter 3

Intercultural Communication

Goal: To learn about differences in communication between cultures and to improve

intercultural communication skills

Overview: This chapter discusses the characteristics of communication between cultures. It

focuses on how culture affects our communication behavior and how it influences perception

of others, emphasizing skills that are needed to implement and maintain effective

intercultural communication.

Learning Outcomes:

3-1 Define culture and the role of communication in it.

3-2 Explain the relationship between dominant and co-cultures.

3-3 Understand the seven dimensions in which cultures differ.

3-4 Describe the inherent barriers in intercultural communication and the methods to

develop competent intercultural communication.

Key Terms

Altruism

Chronemics

Co-culture

Code switch

Collectivist cultures

Cultural identity

Culture

Culture shock

Disability

Dominant culture

Egocentricity

Ethnicity

Ethnocentrism

Feminine cultures

Flexibility

Gender

High power-distance

cultures

High uncertainty-

avoidance cultures

High-context cultures

Ideal values

Individualistic cultures

Intercultural

communication

Intercultural empathy

Long-term oriented

cultures

Low power-distance

cultures

Low uncertainty-

avoidance cultures

Low-context cultures

Masculine cultures

Monochronic cultures

Native language (first

language)

Nonparticipant

observation

Participant observation

Polychronic cultures

Power distance

Real values

Religion

Sex

Short-term oriented

cultures

Socioeconomic status

Uncertainty avoidance

Values

Chapter Outline

I. Culture and communication

A. Intercultural communication: interaction between people whose cultural assumptions

are distinct enough to alter the communication event. (Culture shock: the

psychological discomfort you may feel when you attempt to adjust to a new cultural

situation.)

II. Dominant cultures, co–cultures, and cultural identity

A. Dominant culture: the attitudes, values, beliefs, and customs that the majority of

people in a society hold in common

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B. Co-cultures: groups of people living within a dominant culture but exhibiting

communication that is sufficiently different to distinguish them from the dominant

culture. Code switching is co-cultural group members altering their linguistic and

nonverbal patterns to conform to the dominant culture or co-culture depending

on the topic and participants involved. Cultural identity is the part of our self-

concept that is based on how closely we associate with both the dominant culture

and various co-cultures. Contributors to co-culture include:

1. Race: many people have experienced the socializing effects of perceived race,

which is the classification of people based on shared biological characteristics

2. Ethnicity: a classification of people based on combinations of shared (rather

than inherited) cultural heritage such as nationality, geographic origin,

language, religion, ancestral customs, and tradition

3. Native Language (first language): the language of one’s ethnic heritage and is

typically the language a person learns from birth.

4. Sex and Gender: women and men communicate differently because of the

biological (sex) and socialized (gender) differences between them

5. Sexual orientation: certain gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people

participate in non-heterosexual communities that provide social support that

is absent from the dominant culture

6. Religion: a system of beliefs that is shared by a group and that supplies the

group with an object for devotion and a code of ethics

7. Socioeconomic status: an indicator of a person’s position in a social hierarchy,

as determined by income, education, occupation, and social habits

8. Age/generation: the time period in which we are born and raised can have a

strong formative influence

9. Disability: any physical, emotional, mental, or cognitive impairment that

impacts how a person functions in society

III. How Cultures Differ

A. Individualism/collectivism

1. Individualistic cultures: emphasize personal rights and responsibilities, privacy,

voicing one’s opinion, freedom, innovation, and self–expression

2. Collectivist cultures: emphasize community, collaboration, shared interest,

harmony, the public good, and avoiding embarrassment

3. Notions of individualism and collectivism influence many aspects of

communication

a. Our self-concept formation stresses individual success in individualistic

cultures versus group success in collectivist cultures

b. Individualism values assertiveness in conflict while collectivism values

collaboration or avoidance in conflict

c. In groups, members of collectivist cultures see group harmony and group

welfare as most important.

B. Context: the extent to which members rely on contextual cues to convey the

meaning of a message

1. In low-context cultures, speakers use words to convey most of the meaning

2. In high-context cultures, much of the speaker’s message is understood from the

context

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C. Chronemics: the study of how the perception of time differs among cultures

1. Monochronic cultures view time as a series of small units that occur sequentially

2. Polychronic cultures, for example, Latin American, Arab, and Southern European

cultures, view time as a continuous flow

D. Uncertainty avoidance: how members feel about and deal with unpredictable people,

relationships, or events

1. Low uncertainty-avoidance cultures are characterized by greater acceptance of,

and less need to control, unpredictable people, relationships, or events

2. High uncertainty-avoidance cultures are characterized by a low tolerance for, and

a high need to control, unpredictable people, relationships, or events

E. Power distance: how accepting a culture is of wide differences in power

1. High power distance: the cultural belief that inequalities in power, status, and

rank are natural and that these differences should be acknowledged and

accentuated

2. Low power distance: the cultural belief that inequalities in power, status, and

rank should be underplayed and muted

F. Masculinity-femininity

1. Masculine culture: a culture in which people are expected to adhere to traditional

sex roles

2. Feminine culture: a culture in which people, regardless of sex, are expected to

assume a variety of roles based on the circumstances and their own choices

G. Long-term/short-term Orientation

1. A short-term oriented culture tends to value rewards in the here and now and,

thus, emphasizes quick results, fulfilling social obligations, and getting to the

bottom line efficiently

2. Long-term oriented cultures, such as those of China, Japan, Hong Kong, and

Taiwan, emphasize potential future rewards that will be realized after slow and

steady perseverance toward achieving a mutually acceptable result

IV. Developing Intercultural Communication Competence

A. We can develop intercultural communication competence by first acknowledging

potential barriers and then by employing several strategies to overcome them:

1. Anxiety: feeling some level of discomfort or apprehension when we recognize

that we are different from most everyone else

2. Assuming similarity or difference: many people erroneously assume other

cultures will be very different or very similar to their own

3. Ethnocentrism: the belief that one’s own culture is superior to others

4. Stereotypes and prejudice about certain cultures can strain individual

relationships

5. Incompatible communication codes: cultural variations in the way we

communicate, such as pitch, volume, or other codes that affect meaning

6. Incompatible norms and values: where values and norms clash between cultures

B. Competent Communication Strategies

1. Acquire accurate knowledge

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a. Formal study: You can learn about other cultures by reading about them in

books, periodicals, and web sites. You can read personal accounts and

ethnographic research studies, take courses, and interview members of the

group.

b. Observation: You can learn about a culture or co-culture by watching as

members interact with each other in nonparticipant observation.

c. Immersion: Actively participating in another culture is called participant

observation.

2. Adopt an appropriate attitude

a. Tolerate ambiguity and uncertainty about the other person in interpersonal

communication. Adjust communication to demonstrate respect and to achieve

mutual understanding.

b. Be open-minded.

c. Be altruistic rather than egocentric.

3. Develop culture-centered skills

a. Practice listening

b. Practice intercultural empathy in which you place yourself in the other person’s

cultural world and attempting to experience what he or she is experiencing.

c. Develop flexibility, the ability to adjust your communication to fit the other

person and the situation.

Technology Resources

Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions

http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_dimensions.php Geert Hofstede’s website lists

national scores in five cultural dimensions: power distance index, individualism, masculinity,

uncertainty avoidance index, and long-term orientation.

Individualism and Collectivism

http://www.wested.org/?q=Bridging&search_type=google This page from WestEnd.com, an

agency that does research in education, offers resources about the differences between

individualism and collectivism and their implications for teaching. One of its publications, a

knowledge brief called Bridging Cultures in Our Schools: New Approaches That Work,

discusses sources of cross-culture conflicts and describes strategies for resolving them. To

read the brief online, click on the link “View online/PDF.”

Gender and Culture

https://www.boundless.com/sociology/textbooks/boundless-sociology-textbook/gender-

stratification-and-inequality-11/gender-and-socialization-86/the-cross-cultural-perspective-

499–10465/ Boundless.com offers lesson plans in various content areas that promote

cultural equality and expanding perspectives of cultural sensitivity issues. “The Cross–

Cultural Perspective” lesson plans include learning objectives, key points, and articles about

gender in history in various cultures.

Commented [AG1]: ED: I renewed the website address. The

original link was dead. Does this new address take us exactly where

the old link took us? Is this a sufficient substitution?

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Movies

Movies and movie clips can be used to help students grasp concepts. Clips can be shown in

class, or movies can be assigned as homework. Following the movie clips, ask students

written or oral questions. These questions should address pertinent concepts, thereby

actively engaging students in discussion.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

Rated: PG (Mild Profanity, sexual situations)

Synopsis: Toula, a young woman from a traditional Greek family, meets and decides to

marry Ian, who is very much not Greek. So when Toula brings Ian home to her family,

there is a strong reaction and the movie explores the implications involved in this reaction.

Questions for discussion

1. What cultural assumptions are taken for granted by the bride’s and groom’s families?

How do they encounter the differences between the dominant American culture and

Greek culture?

2. During the interactions between Toula and her parents, what cultural assumptions are

demonstrated about masculinity and femininity? About collectivism and individualism?

3. What tactics does Toula employ to make Ian feel more welcomed and appreciated in her

family?

4. What co-cultures do Toula and Ian share? Why are they important and how do they

cause conflict or engender cultural harmony?

House of Sand and Fog (2003)

Rated: R (Violence, nudity, sex, profanity)

Synopsis: Kathie Nocolo is a recovering addict who has been abandoned by her husband.

All she has left is the house left to her by her father, but even that is taken away from her

when the government erroneously thinks she owes property taxes. She is unable to stop the

property from being sold at auction, and so the new owner, Massoud Amir Behrani, an

Iranian refugee who once held a position of power in the Iranian government, takes

possession. He hopes to “flip” the house by improving the property and selling it to pay for

his son’s college education. During the legal struggle that ensues, many conflicts erupt

between the parties, many of which have to do with the Iranian and American cultural

differences.

Questions for discussion

1. The movie demonstrates concepts of individualism versus collectivism: How does

Kathy’s culture (individualist) equip her to deal with her desperate situation? How does

Behrani’s culture (collectivist) lead him to place such importance on keeping up

appearances in his neighborhood by hosting a grand wedding?

2. How does Behrani’s meeting with Kathie’s lawyer demonstrate the difference between

the Iranian versus American norms for masculine and feminine norms of

communication? How does this conversation further demonstrate Behrani’s preference

for high power distance, given his previous experience as a high ranking colonel in the

Iranian military?

3. How does this movie demonstrate two different interpretations of the American dream?

4. Discuss how intercultural communication and culture shock functions or becomes

dysfunctional between the two homeowners of the same house.

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Munich (2005)

Rated: R (violence, profanity, mature themes)

Synopsis: The film is based on a true story, based on Operation Wrath of God, the Israeli

government’s clandestine retaliation against the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)

after the kidnapping and murder of Jewish athletes at the 1972 Summer Olympics. The film

follows a squad of assassins as they track down and kill alleged members of the group Black

September, the group credited with kidnapping and murdering eleven Israeli athletes. Many

cultures enter the fray: American, German, Jewish, Palestinian, and Israeli.

Questions for Discussion

1. Why would events such as the Olympic Games be attractive to terrorists as the site

for an attack? Discuss the chapter’s ideas regarding intercultural communication

competence.

2. Which strategies could either the PLO terrorists or the Jewish assassins use for

mediation and peace rather than retaliation and violence? What potential barriers

exist for communication between Jews and Palestinians?

3. Describe the individualistic versus communal or political consequences of the

retaliations against the terrorists? What benefits or damage do the assassinations

individually undergo?

Additional suggested movies: The Gods Must be Crazy (1980) (monochromic vs

polychronic orientations, space and distance orientation, individualism vs collectivism);

Bend It Like Beckham (2002) (individualism vs collectivism, dominant culture vs co-culture,

religious versus secular cultural norms); The Joy Luck Club (1993) (individualism vs

collectivism, power distance, communication style: high versus low context); Crash (2004)

(stereotypes as barriers to intercultural communication); World’s Fastest Indian (2006)

(effective intercultural communication); The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2012) (developing

intercultural communication competence); Zero Dark Thirty (2012) (ethnocentrism)

Other Media Resources

1. The Intercultural Film Database

http://www.uni-hildesheim.de/interculturalfilm/

2. The Intercultural Resource Corporation

http://www.irc-international.com/

4. National Institutes of Health: clear communication

http://www.nih.gov/clearcommunication/culturalcompetency.htm

COMM5 Instructor Manual Chapter 3

Diverse Voices

Individualism and Collectivism

by Min Liu

Assistant Professor of Communication

Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville

I was born and raised in China, a collectivist country. I arrived in the United States for the

first time in August of 2002 when I entered the Ph.D. program as a graduate student at

North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo, North Dakota. I chose NDSU for a number

of reasons, but the most important is the fact that Fargo was listed as among the safest

cities in the United States at the time. My family was concerned about sending their

daughter to study in the United States, which is the most individualistic country in the

world. They felt a bit more at ease knowing I would be studying in one of the safest cities in

that country. Even my decision to come to NDSU was influenced by my family and our

collectivist ideals. Little did I know, however, how much culture shock I would experience

beginning with the first day I set foot on the NDSU campus.

I officially became an international student studying Communication at North Dakota

State University in August of 2002. I felt prepared to study in the United States because I

had learned English and was trained to become a college English instructor back in China. I

also scored well on the English proficiency test (TOEFL) required of international students. I

remember feeling pretty confident about communicating with my American colleagues. As I

walked across campus for my first day of orientation, I thought to myself, “Worst-case

scenario, I’ll forget how to say something in English and that’s what my digital Chinese-

English dictionary is for.”

I would soon learn, however, that the issue of translating vocabulary was not the worst-

case scenario. For most of my communication struggles, I could not find an answer in the

dictionary. For example, in one of my first graduate classes, the professor asked everyone

to call her by her first name (Deanna). Without hesitation, all my American classmates

began doing so. Calling a professor by her first name was unheard of for Chinese students

like me! As a sign of respect, we always call our teachers by their titles—Dr. Sellnow,

Professor Sellnow, or Teacher Sellnow. Wherever you are on a college campus in China, it’s

clear who is the teacher and who are the students. I thought, “How I am to call my

professor by her first name?”

For a long time, I felt torn about what to do—continuing to call her Dr. Sellnow may

seem too distant and she might correct me. I want to honor her request out of respect for

her authority. But everything in my collectivist values suggested that calling her Deanna

was simply too disrespectful. So, I simply avoided calling her anything. This solution worked

fairly well in face-to-face communication situations. I would walk up to her, smile, and then

start the conversation. This approach was working fairly well for me until the day came

when I needed to e-mail her. I remember sitting in front of my computer for almost an hour

trying to fine-tune a one-paragraph e-mail. Soon I realized the e-mail message was fine.

The reason I couldn’t bring myself to press “Send” was with the beginning of the e-mail,

which read “Hello Deanna.” I finally changed it to Dr. Sellnow, followed by an apologetic

explanation asking her to understand my dilemma and why I addressed her in this way. To

my surprise, she responded by saying there was nothing wrong in addressing her as “Dr.

Sellnow” and that I should continue to do so if that is what feels most appropriate to me.

In another class, I studied intercultural communication concepts. What I learned there

proved helpful in reconciling my collectivist-individualistic predicament and to better

understand the cultural shock I was experiencing. In China, I grew up in a high power-

distance, high context culture. Professors and teachers are seen as having more power than

students because, in my culture, people hold more or less power depending on where they

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are situated in certain formal, hierarchical positions. Students respect and honor their

teachers by acknowledging their higher positions of authority and status. The United States,

however, is a low power-distance culture. People demonstrate respect for one another by

addressing each other more as equals regardless of the formal positions they may hold. So,

as uncomfortable as I felt, I tried to call my professors by their first names when they

suggested it was appropriate to do so. I reminded myself that in the United States doing so

was culturally appropriate and not a sign of disrespect.

Another culture shock experience I had to reconcile as a result of the differences

between my collectivist values and the individualistic values of the United States had to do

with disagreeing with my professor. In the United States, students learn to form opinions

and defend their viewpoints and are rewarded for doing so in classroom presentations and

debates. Professors perceive students who challenge their viewpoints with evidence and

reasoning as intelligent and motivated. Students who do so are perceived very differently in

the Chinese culture, where public disagreement with an authority figure is not only rare, but

also inappropriate. Because of this value clash, I found it difficult to express and defend my

opinions in class, especially if they differed from something the professor said. Doing so, it

seemed to me, would be extremely disrespectful. Yet I observed classmates doing so and

being lauded for their comments. Many times, I chose not to say anything during a face-to–

face meeting with a professor, but found the courage to write an e-mail later. In the online

environment, I found I could be honest and explain my disagreement with respect.

Fortunately, many of my professors soon realized my cultural-values dilemma and adapted

their communication styles toward me. Still today, though, I prefer to present my

viewpoints concerning controversial issues in a paper, a letter, an e-mail message, or an

online post rather than in a meeting or other face-to-face discussion. I have found a way to

honor my collectivist values in a way that also allows me to express myself in an

individualistic cultural setting.

Finally, I recall struggling with how to behave in group settings as a result of the cultural

differences along the individualism versus collectivism continuum. When I first arrived in the

United States, I was very conflict avoidant, probably because in collectivistic cultures

maintaining the harmony of the collective is an important priority. My peers and professors

in the United States negatively perceived the approaches I had learned to value and enact

in small group settings . My conflict avoidant style—which I engaged in as a sign of

respect—actually frustrated some of my group members. They perceived it as a sign that I

did not care about the group’s success and was a “slacker.” I felt frustrated, too, as I tried

to help the group become more cohesive and successful by avoiding conflict! I eventually

learned that, to be successful, we all had to begin by being upfront about where we come

from and our values. Once we all understood the differences, we could create a workable

plan for success.

I have been in the United States for seven years now, am married, and have a son. I

have also earned my Ph.D. and am working as an assistant professor of communication at

the University of Southern Illinois at Edwardsville. Even now, I continue to learn new things

about how to communicate best in this individualistic culture as compared to my collectivist

home in China. Based on my experiences, I would have to say the most important thing for

successful communication when interacting with people who come from a different place on

the collectivism-individualism continuum is for all of us to always be mindful.

Discussion Questions

1. Why is it so hard for Min Liu to conform to American cultural communication

expectations? When Americans go abroad, they are taught “when in Rome, do as the

Romans do,” but what cultural inferences can you make about why this same advice does

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not work for Chinese students?

2. What specific competent communication strategies might Min Liu implement?

3. What strategies might American educators implement to accommodate Min Liu?

Video Conversation

Brad Atchison wanted to get away. He had just graduated from college and, although he

was in debt, figured he could afford a one-week vacation. He heard that it didn’t cost that

much to travel to Mexico, an the dollar was doing particularly well there. He figured he

would spend most of his time in the bars and one the beach, which shouldn’t be too

expensive. And he thought this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get away before job

responsibilities set in.

As he waited at the airport for his plane to Cancun, Brad set next to Miguel, a 22-

year-old Mexican-American who was studying in the U.S. Miguel and Brad hit it off

immediately. They talked about life, college, women, tattoos, and their mutual interest in

cycling. But one ignorant comment by Brad prompted Miguel to reconsider his new

acquaintance.

Miguel wanted to take this chance to educate Brad. He didn’t want to push the issue,

but he thought that Brad was a good conversationalist and could use some education. And,

as a first-generation college student studying in the U.S., Miguel was used to dispelling

fictional images of his country. Why not take this chance to explain to Brad some cultural

facts about Mexico?

After you’ve watched the video of Brad and Miguel, consider the following questions.

1. What barriers to effective intercultural communication does Brad exhibit? Explain how he

shows those barriers.

2. What strategy for intercultural communication competence should Brad develop?

3. How can either Brad or Miguel show cultural communication competence?

Discussion and Assignment Ideas

I. A. Think about your own family’s cultural identity. How did you identify yourself growing

up as a child? Do you see your family as a part of the dominant culture or from a co-

culture? What values, attitudes, beliefs, and customs lead you to this conclusion?

B. Do you feel integrated into your family’s specific culture, or do you feel alienated?

What steps could you or your family employ for greater uniformity? (while allowing

each member’s individuality)

2. II. Quotes: These can be used to introduce topics, questions perspectives, or gain

individual opinion. Providing students with a quote and prompting them to write or

reflect on their personal feelings about the quote can help to spark discussion and

interest. Suggested prompts may include “Define this concept in your own words”;

“Do you agree with this statement? Explain”; “What text material can be used to

support or refute this idea?” “How can any or all of these quotations be applied

concepts from chapter 3”; “What might these people say to Min Liu (see “Diverse

Voices” above) or vice versa?”

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If you see in any given situation only what everybody else can see, you can be said

to be so much a representative of your culture that you are a victim of it.

—S. I. Hayakawa

Men’s natures are alike; it is their habits that carry them far apart.

—Confucius

When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you

comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.

—Clifton Fadiman

III. Hold a discussion with the class about their various experiences with culture shock.

Who has experienced culture shock? What was it like? How difficult was this for you?

Did you experience differences in cultural norms such as individualism/collectivism?

Uncertainty avoidance? Power distance? Masculine/feminine norms? What are some

techniques you have learned from this chapter that would help you prepare for

culture shock in the future?

IV. Write a short scene from a play, a film, or write a dialogue and action-driven short

story in which the characters show cultural conflict. Include descriptions and conflict

related to time, uncertainty avoidance, and power distance. Then, write a reflection

essay in which you reflect on ways to incorporate the strategies for overcoming

barriers.

Chapter Activities

3.1: An Intercultural Cocktail Party

Purpose: To enable students to identify barriers to effective intercultural

communication and to develop ways to overcome those problems

Time: 20 minutes for role-plays, 20 minutes for discussion.

Process: Before class, prepare 3 x 5 cards with the following instructions on them:

A. You are a North American. You do not know much about any other

culture, nor do you wish to learn. When talking to someone from another

culture, make inaccurate statements about them and their culture. When

they make a statement to correct you, act bored and don’t listen. After all,

your culture is better.

B. You are from an Asian culture and the only person from your culture at

this party. You are very anxious to fit in and don’t know what to talk

about. You may change subjects frequently, or suddenly stop talking when

you realize that you are different from the person you are talking to. You

may wish to cut the conversation short if you really feel as if you have

little in common with this person. Your anxiety might cause the

conversation to wander all over the place.

C. You are from a Native American culture. You don’t like to talk much with

people you don’t know. Give only minimal response to questions. Don’t

offer comments or information. In your culture, people who talk a lot are

considered to be bragging.

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D. You are a North American and interested in learning as much as possible

about everyone at this party. You assume that everyone is interesting and

exotic. You want them to tell you all the interesting ways they are

different from you. When they start to share stories about themselves that

are too “normal,” you try to get them to share differences. For example,

you might say, “You’re Japanese—don’t you eat on the floor?

E. You are from Europe and you believe many stereotypes about North

Americans. For example, you think they are ignorant and self-centered.

When talking with a North American, interrupt frequently and talk for long

stretches of time. It is your job to educate them about the world. You feel

very sorry for the Native American because of the horrible way the white

North Americans have treated them, and you want to get the Native

Americans to tell you all about how horrible the white North Americans

have treated them. When talking with another European, you should be

yourself.

F. Be yourself. Converse with others as you normally would at a party.

Prepare two cards each for situations A–E and enough for situation F for the

rest of the class. Distribute the cards to the entire class and tell them they

are going to role-play at an intercultural cocktail party at which they know

very few people. They are to strike up conversations as they would in that

setting, and they should begin by introducing themselves and where they are

from in the world. Let them know that periodically you will ask them all to

change conversational partners. Start the role-play and change partners at 5,

10, and 15 minutes, ending the role-play at 20 minutes. Process the

experience using the following questions:

1. What intercultural barriers and miscommunication did you encounter in

your conversations? (Students should be able to identify anxiety,

stereotyping, ethnocentrism, different cultural norms and values, and

assuming difference.)

2. What strategies could help these people? What strategies would help you

in dealing with such a situation in the future? For example, how could you

apply open-mindedness, tolerating ambiguity, and being altruistic to these

situations?

3. How did you feel during the conversations?

3.2: Intercultural Norms and Values Simulations

Purpose: To illustrate intercultural norms and values

Time: 20 minutes

Process: Divide the class into four groups. Assign each group a cultural norm

(individualism/collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, and

masculinity/femininity). Instruct each group to create a simulation that will

illustrate an intercultural misunderstanding based on their assigned cultural

norm. Between two to four of the group’s members should participate in the

skit, with remaining group members serving as “directors” as the whole group

works toward presenting their simulation to the rest of the class. After each

group presents its skit, ask the other groups to identify the cultural norm

being portrayed and to offer alternative communicative behaviors to the

performing group.

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3.3: Intercultural Communication Competence

Purpose: To illustrate the nature of intercultural competence even in the face of

stereotyping and cultural insensitivity.

Time: 30 minutes

Process: Print the following statements on an overhead transparency. Ask the class to

imagine that an acquaintance has made these statements to each of them in

a conversation. Lead the class in a discussion about possible responses that

are both honest and polite, and that deal with the stereotype by being

appropriately tolerant, open-minded, and altruistic.

A. But you’re white. You can’t really be from South America.

Possible response: Yes, I am. I’m from Chile.

B. Japanese people are so uptight.

Possible response: My best friend is Japanese, and she’s not at all uptight.

C. I guess Jewish people really don’t know how to throw a party.

Possible response: I’m Jewish, and I helped my friend, who is also Jewish,

plan this party.

D. James just got into this college because he is a good basketball player.

Possible response: James is a friend of mine. He is black, but he is on a

partial basketball scholarship.

E. Well, you know what those stay-at-home mom types are like.

Possible response: My mother was a stay-at-home mom.

F. I can’t believe anyone still goes to church these days.

Possible response: I go to church.

3.4: Intercultural Anxiety

Purpose: To help students identify fears and concerns about intercultural

communication

Time: 20 minutes

Process: Have student break into groups and brainstorm various reasons that

individuals may be afraid of intercultural communication. Also have each

group come up with techniques for conversation preparation and anxiety

reduction. Share the ideas with the class.

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Journal Assignments

A. Incompatible Communication Codes

Observe a group of people who seem to have a communication code with which you are

unfamiliar. Perhaps they are speaking a different language, or perhaps they have certain

“in–group” language behavior. How can you attempt to interpret the particular conversation

you observe so as to avoid jumping to incorrect conclusions about the conversation?

B. Cultural Norm Violation and Intention

Have you ever intentionally violated a cultural norm described in this chapter? Describe the

circumstance. Is it ever appropriate or effective to violate any of these norms?

C. Cultural Identity

Think about your own family’s cultural identity. How did you identify yourself growing up as

a child: Did you see your family as a part of the dominant culture or from a co-culture?

What values, attitudes, beliefs, and customs led you to this conclusion? Has your

assessment changed now that you are an adult?

D. Culture Shock at Home

When we think about different cultures, we tend to think about foreign lands or places far

beyond our own experiences or perceptions. What ways are you constantly immersing

yourself in various cultures? College? Dorm rooms? College discussion in classrooms? Think

about these cultures and co-cultures and freewrite about your experiences in these cultures

or situations, including any fears or anxieties about personally integrating into them.

Without looking at the keyboard, or stopping to correct grammar or punctuation or spelling,

write for twenty minutes. Then, explore your unconscious revealed in your writing and

identify various moments in your writing when you uncover something notable or novel.

How might you strategize to fix these issues? Do you notice ethnocentrism or prejudice?

What kinds of barriers do you anticipate? Write a sequel essay that reflects on these ideas

in a more concrete way, one in which you discuss your own nascent cultural identity.

*Students have access to these journal assignments on tear-out cards at the back of their

textbooks.

What Would You Do?

A Question of Ethics

Tyler, Jeannie, Margeaux, and Madhukar were sitting around Margeaux’s dining-room table

working on a group marketing project. It was 2:00 a.m. They had been working since 6:00

p.m. and still had several hours’ work remaining.

“Oh, the misery,” groaned Tyler, pretending to slit his own throat with his finger as an

Exacto knife. “If I never see another photo of a veggie burger, it will be too soon. Why

didn’t we choose a more interesting product?”

“I think it had something to do with someone wanting to promote a healthy alternative

to greasy hamburgers,” Jeannie replied sarcastically.

“Right,” said Tyler, “I don’t know what I could have been thinking. Speaking of greasy

hamburgers, is anyone else starving? Anybody want to order pizza or something?”

“No one will deliver up here this late,” Margeaux replied, “but I have a quiche that I

could heat up.”

“Fancy,” Tyler quipped.

“You wish,” Margeaux said. “It came out of a box.”

“Sure, that sounds great, thanks,” Jeannie said. “I’m hungry too.”

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“It doesn’t have any meat in it, does it?” asked Madhukar. “I don’t eat meat.”

“Nope, it’s a cheese and spinach quiche,” Margeaux said.

Tyler and Margeaux went off to the kitchen to prepare the food. Tyler took the quiche,

still in its box, from the fridge. “Uh–oh,” he said. “My roommate is a vegetarian, and he

won’t buy this brand because it has lard in the crust. Better warn Madhukar. He’s a Hindu,

so I imagine it’s pretty important to him not to eat certain animal products.”

“Shhh!” said Margeaux, “I don’t have anything else to offer him, and he’ll never know

the difference anyway. Just pretend you didn’t notice that.”

“Okay,” Tyler said. “It’s your kitchen.”

Discussion Questions

1. What exactly are Margeaux’s ethical obligations to Madhukar in this situation? Why? Is it

more important to feed a hungry student or potentially exacerbate it by withholding the

only food available?

2. Does the fact that Tyler is not the host relieve him of all ethical responsibility in this

case?

3. Does gender play any role in this cultural encounter?

4. How does this situation bring up uncertainty avoidance?

5. Does power distance perhaps play a role here?

6. Who, if anyone, might you criticize for acting ethnocentrically?

PopComm!

Professor Gates, Sergeant Crowley, and the Rose Garden Beer Summit

In July 2009, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., a distinguished African-American Harvard professor,

was arrested at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for “disorderly conduct.” The

arresting officer was Sergeant James Crowley, a white police officer who teaches police

academy courses on how to avoid racial profiling. What might have been a national story for

one day became a cause célèbre for over a week when President Obama weighed in with his

opinion. The event culminated in what became known as the Rose Garden Beer Summit,

during which Gates and Crowley met with President Obama and Vice President Biden over a

beer in the White House’s Rose Garden and agreed to disagree about the events of that

night and to continue a dialogue.

It appears that during this incident both Professor Gates and Sergeant Crowley were

influenced by deeply ingrained co-cultural messages about race, police authority, and the

link between the two. Professor Gates, returning home after what must have been an

exhausting trip to China, was confronted with a front door that was stuck, so he had to

force his way into his own home. A short time later, when confronted by a white officer at

his door who claimed to be investigating a break-in, Gates’s normal civility was probably

overridden by his exhaustion and his co-cultural experience of racial profiling. According to

the police report filed by Sergeant Crowley, Gates’s response to Crowley’s request to step

out to the porch was to demand, “Why, because I’m a black man in America?”.

On the other hand, Sergeant Crowley was responding to a 911 call about a possible

home invasion. He followed standard police procedure when he asked Gates to step outside

and provide identification to support Gates’s statement that he was the homeowner. This

procedure is designed to ensure that a home invader, who may be holding hostages, is

drawn out of the residence. Crowley indicated in his police report that he was “surprised and

confused” by Gates’s continued accusations that he was a racist police officer. We can

speculate that Crowley, who prided himself on his race-neutral approach to his work, may

have been offended and angered by what he probably perceived as an unfair attack.

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So, when confronted with a stressful and personally humiliating situation, two otherwise

good men who make it their professional mission to overcome racism allowed their egos and

their co-cultural stereotypes to escalate a routine police call into a national incident.

That two men who seem especially understanding and aware about the issue of racial

profiling still clashed so intensely with one another is an example of how deep co-cultural

conflict runs in the United States. This event also illustrates how the approaches we

advocate in this chapter—listening, empathy, and flexibility—are often times easier said

than done, especially when sensitive buttons are pushed. Rosie Sizer, chief of police in

Portland, Oregon, says, “I think there’s been . . . very little attention [paid] to how

communications can sometimes break down in the heat of discussions of race”. To help

avoid these kinds of communication breakdowns, Reverend Jim Wallis, author of God’s

Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It, encourages respect even

when it might seem undeserved: “The best way to defuse, diminish, and ultimately

dismantle the power of [prejudice] is to show even excessive respect in potential situations

of conflict”. We can only hope that as Professor Gates and Sergeant Crowley continue their

dialogue, they will inspire all of us as we seek to overcome our own co-culturally ingrained

stereotypes.

Sources:

Associated Press. (2009, July 21). Charges against Harvard scholar dropped. MSNBC.com.

Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32010985/; Goodwin, S. (Executive

Producer). (2009, July 23). Black and blue: Police and minorities [Radio broadcast

transcript]. In Talk of the Nation. Retrieved from National Public Radio Web site:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106928434; Henry Louis Gates, Jr.,

police report. (2009, July 23). The Smoking Gun. Retrieved from

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0723092gates2.html; Jonsson, P.

(2009, July 31). Was there a better way to conduct the Gates-Crowley debate? Christian

Science Monitor. Retrieved from http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2009/07/31/was-

there-a-better-way-to-conduct-gates-crowley-debate/; Williams, J. (2009, July 31). Over

beers, a taste of what’s to come. Boston Globe. Retrieved from

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2009/07/31/over_beers_a_taste_

of_whats_to_come/

Experiential Assignments

Acquiring Accurate Cultural Knowledge (see student handout below)

For the next week, conduct research into a distinct culture with which you have little or no

familiarity. This can be a co-culture based on gender, race, religion, ethnicity, social class,

sexual orientation, age, or some combination of these factors, but whatever culture you

choose to study, be sure you can access it locally. First, arrange to observe members of the

culture engaged in a typical activity and note as many of their individual communication

behaviors as you can. Take your notes respectfully, being careful not to offend those you

observe. Next, spend some time, at a library or over the Internet, formally researching the

culture and its communication behaviors, consulting only reputable sources for your

information. Finally, observe members of the culture once more and then write a multi-

paragraph personal or analytical essay in which you answer these questions:

1. What were your impressions of the culture’s communication behaviors the first time you

observed its members?

2. How were these first impressions altered, if at all, by your formal research into the

culture?

3. How did your formal research affect your second observation of the culture?

4. What did you observe about cultural identity, co-cultures, or code switching?

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Sources for Cultural Knowledge

Choose a culture you’re not familiar with but are curious about. Prepare a 3- to 5-minute

speech to deliver in class by gathering materials from (a) reviewing an encyclopedia entry

(b) researching two or three academic sources about the culture, and (c) interviewing

someone from that country either face-to-face or online. Use what you learn from the

encyclopedia and the academic sources to shape the questions you ask in the interview. In

your speech discuss what you learned from each source, answering the following questions:

1. What did you know about the culture before you began your research?

2. What did you learn from the encyclopedia article that changed or deepened your

knowledge?

3. How was your understanding enriched from the additional academic sources you read?

4. What did you learn from your interviewee, and how did the interview compare to your

other sources?

Race and Ethnicity

What is the difference between race and ethnicity? Can you think of examples of people who

are ethnically different but racially the same? racially different but ethnically the same? Can

you think of anyone for whom both designations might be identical? for whom the two

designations might be contradictory? What does this analysis suggest about the accuracy

and legitimacy of such classification systems?

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Experiential Assignment Handouts

Acquiring Accurate Cultural Knowledge

For the next week, conduct research into a distinct culture with which you have little or no

familiarity. This can be a co-culture based on gender, race, religion, ethnicity, social class,

sexual orientation, age, or some combination of these factors, but whatever culture you

choose to study, be sure you can access it locally. First, arrange to observe members of the

culture engaged in a typical activity and note as many of their individual communication

behaviors as you can. Take your notes respectfully, being careful not to offend those you

observe. Next, spend some time formally researching the culture and its communication

behaviors at a library or over the Internet, consulting only reputable sources for your

information. Finally, observe members of the culture once more and then write a paragraph

in which you answer these questions: What were your impressions of the culture’s

communication behaviors the first time you observed its members? How were these first

impressions altered, if at all, by your formal research into the culture? How did your formal

research affect your second observation of the culture?

NOTE-TAKING LOG

Name of culture observed: ______________________________________________________

Communication Behavior Observations (time 1)

Individualism-collectivism ________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Uncertainty avoidance ___________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Power distance _________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Masculinity-femininity ___________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Other observations ______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

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Research on the Culture

Research source: ______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Summary ______________________________________________________________