Apply cross-cultural communication skills in working with clients from different cultural backgrounds Flashcards
Explain the Kinesics in Non-verbal Communication under Components of cross-cultural communication.
Kinesics refers to the study of hand, arm, body, and face movements, the use of gestures, head movements and posture, eye contact, and facial expressions as nonverbal communication.
• Smiling
While North Americans smile primarily as an expression of friendliness, in many Asian countries it is used to signal sadness, happiness, anger, apology, confusion, or gratitude. Other cues such as eye expression and forehead movements help clarify the intended meaning.
• Greetings
The rituals surrounding greetings vary greatly among cultures, especially in terms of body contact when initially establishing a relationship. In general, avoid body contact (handshakes) with Asians, Middle Easterners, and Orthodox Jews. Westerners generally expect some body contact. Following the lead of the recipient is a safe way to avoid offending them. Addressing individuals in a formal way (Mr., Mrs.) is also expected in many cultures, especially when addressing the elderly.
• Eye Contact
Maintaining eye contact is valued during interpersonal interactions in most Anglo-based cultures, and is seen as conveying trustworthiness and sincerity. Alternately many African Americans when speaking tend to stare intently at the listener but while listening will mostly look away. However, in a number of cultures, making eye contact with someone in authority is seen as a sign of disrespect, avoidance of eye contact may be intended as a sign of respect, and in some cultures eye contact between strangers may be considered shameful.
• Head movements and posture
These include the orientation of movements of our head and the orientation and positioning of our body and the various meanings they send. Head movements such as nodding can indicate agreement, disagreement, and interest, among other things. Posture can indicate assertiveness, defensiveness, interest, readiness, or intimidation, among other things.
• Using left/right hand to give or receive objects
Hand use and specific gestures take on considerable significance in certain cultures. The most common popular belief about hands, for instance in Hindu, Islam, and some African cultures, is to consider the left hand as “unclean” and reserved solely for “hygienic” reasons, while it is thought culturally imperative to use the right hand for offering, receiving, eating, for pointing at something or when signalling.
Explain the Proxemics in Non-verbal Communication under Components of cross-cultural communication.
Proxemics: refers to the study of how space and distance influence communication. It is recognised that people of different cultures do have different ways in which they relate to one another spatially.
However, different cultures dictate different distances in personal space. For Latin Americans, Africans, and Indonesians, conversing with a person dictates a much closer stance than normally comfortable for Anglos. A client from these countries may cause the counsellor to back away. The client may interpret the counsellor’s behaviour as indicative of aloofness, coldness, or a desire not to communicate. On the other hand, the counsellor may misinterpret the client’s behaviour as an attempt to become inappropriately intimate or as being pushy.
Thus, how furniture in an office is arranged, where the seats are located, and where you sit with the client - the spatial distance can either enhance or impede the interaction.
Explain the Paralanguage in Non-verbal Communication under Components of cross-cultural communication.
Paralanguage refers to the vocalized but nonverbal parts of a message. Paralanguage looks at the vocal qualities that go along with verbal messages, such as pitch, volume, rate, vocal quality, and verbal fillers. It provides important context for the verbal content of speech.
A social worker, when interpreting parallel features of voice, accompanying the speech content of a patient, with his “body language”, can better predict the consistency or its lack in the simultaneously transmitted content, in both – verbal and non-verbal channels.
For example, when a client emphasizes more strongly the issues that are important for him, manifests a higher tone of voice, its volume, speed and clarity of speech, it must be assumed that the information given are quite reliable. In a situation, however, when the verbal utterance is dominated by different non- language sounds (without verbal content), such as sighs, groans, munching and grunting, it is more reliable connected in terms of communication that the signals may be sent at an emotional (relational) plane.
According to P. Watzlawick, it is impossible not to communicate. Even short interruptions and moments of silence also may communicate something. Many junior workers generally are uncomfortable of silence that they begin to speak before they can understand why the patient remains silent.
Meanwhile, the cause of this silence may be that client:
o Is thinking intensely.
o Experiencing strong emotions.
o Does not want to talk or talk about what s/he is thinking
o Is concerned about the reaction of the worker
o Is trying to get a grip
o Not able to choose the right words
o Is concerned that the conversation will be overheard
o Is wondering whether to reveal what was up to that moment carefully hidden, kept in secret, etc.
What is high context communication?
High context communication - Collectivistic cultures: emphasise more on the “we” identity over the “I” identity, group rights over individual rights. Group loyalty, role obligations and responsibilities to the group are emphasised. Key cultural values include harmony, face-saving and fillial piety.
High context refers to societies or groups where people have close connections over a long period of time and they learn what to do and what to think from years of interaction with each other i.e. more internalized understanding of what is communicated and less reliance on stating things explicitly verbally, written or formal expression. There is greater use of nonverbal elements such as voice tone, facial expression, gestures and eye movements to carry significant parts of conversation in these groups. Family is a good example of a high context environment. High context cultures are more common in the eastern nations than in western, and in countries with a low racial diversity.
What is low context communication?
Low context communication - Individualistic cultures: focus more on “self” and promote values of independence, self-efficiency, individual responsibiloty, accountability, personal autonomy, freedom, personal equity and privacy.
Generally, cultures that favor low context communication will pay more attention to the literal meanings of words than to the context surrounding them.
Low context communication on the other hand refers to societies or groups where people tend to have many connections but for shorter period of time/duration or for some specific reason. In these societies, cultural behavior and beliefs need to be spelled out explicitly so that those coming into the cultural environment know how. It is rule oriented where more knowledge is public, external and accessible. Message is carried more by words than nonverbal means.
What kind of cross cultural communications skills can be applied when working with clients?
- Rules guiding behavior and attitude when interacting with people of different cultural backgrounds
- Show respect for every person regardless of ability, culture, and language
- Identifying if a person is totally new to your culture, or to what extent he / she is familiar
- Impact of kinesics, proxemics and paralanguage
- Impact of communication: verbal and non-verbal
How do you apply CAPEE model in cross cultural communications skills?
C-uriosity A-cknowledge P-erspective taking E-mpathy E-xplore alternatives and strengths
