INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION Flashcards
culture
a complex, abstract, and pervasive matrix of socially developed assumptions that provide a framework for living, thinking, and behaving
characteristics/nature of culture
learned, transmissible, dynamic, selective, interconnected, ethnocentric
Intercultural communication
communication between members of distinct social groups
social groups of intercultural communication
macro-cultural identities, speech communities
Three types of culturally significant discourse
myths/narratives, social dramas, totemizing rituals
Assumptions about cultural identities
- cultural identities vary in salience (importance, prominence)
- different facets of cultural identities can be salient at different times
- communication is intercultural when people interact based on group identity rather than individual identity
face
the image of the self that people display in their conversations with others; metaphor for the boundaries people have in their relationships
positive face
desire to be liked and admired by others
negative face
desire to be autonomous and unconstrained
facework
the actions taken to deal with the face needs of self and others
three types of facework
tact facework, solidarity facework, approbation facework
tact facework
protecting someone’s right to make their own decisions and actions, avoiding intrusion or imposition
solidarity facework
showing support and establishing connection with others, emphasizing shared values or experiences
approbation facework
minimizing criticism and emphasizing positive qualities, to maintain a person’s self-esteem
Assumptions of face negotiation theory
- self identity is important in interpersonal interactions
- individuals negotiate their identities differently across cultures
- the management of conflict is mediated by face and culture
- certain acts threaten one’s projected self-image
face threatening acts
attacks on our positive or negative face needs
face saving
efforts to prevent events that impair one’s self-image or create embarrassment
face restoration
efforts to repair face after it has already been damaged
individualism
a cultural value that places emphasis on the individual over the group; self-face oriented
collectivism
a cultural value that places emphasis on the group over the individual
Five styles of conflict management as they relate to individualism and collectivism
- obliging (accommodating)(collectivist)
- compromising (bargaining) (collectivist)
- avoiding (withdrawing)(collectivist)
- integrating (problem solving) (individualistic)
- dominating (competing) (individualistic)
Assumptions of communication accommodation theory
- similarities and dissimilarities in speech and behavior exist in all conversations
- the manner in which we perceive another’s speech and behavior will determine how we evaluate a conversation
- language and behaviors impart information about social status and group belonging
- accommodation varies in its degree of appropriateness and norms guide the accommodation process
Three ways to accommodate speech in conversation
convergence, divergence, over-accommodation
convergence
adapting speech to become more similar to the other person
divergence
adapting speech to emphasize differences from the other person
over-accommodation
over-adjusting speech in a way that may come across as patronizing or inappropriate
Three forms of over-accommodation
- Sensory overaccommodation: physical limitations (louder to old person)
- dependency overaccommodation: make someone feel inferior or dependent (assume less capable, oversimplify)
- intergroup overaccommodation: stereotyping based on group’s identity
Motivations for communication accommodation
- desire for social approval
- need for distinctiveness (cultural collectivism, distressing interaction history, stereotypes, norms for treatment of groups, group solidarity/dependence)
Assumptions of muted group theory
- women perceive the world differently than men
- division of labor leads women to different experiences and makes them responsible for different activities
- male dominated society suppresses the free expression of women’s alternative world view
- women must transform their own models to fit with the accepted male system of expression
Four ways that women are silenced in society
- Ridicule: dismissing women’s speech as unimportant or trivial
- Ritual: social traditions that reinforce women’s subordinate roles, like taking a man’s last name in marriage
- Control: limiting women’s ability to speak or interrupting more often in conversations
- Harassment: using threats or unwanted attention to intimidate or silence women
standpoint
a location shared by a group experiencing outsider status within the social structure that lends to a particular kind of sense-making to a person’s lived experience
assumptions of standpoint theory
- our view of the world is shaped by our social location—our group memberships that shape our experience of the world and our ways of understanding it
- the vision of the dominant group structures social hierarchy
- the vision available to the oppressed group represents struggle and achievement
- the understanding of the oppressed makes visible the inhumanity of the existing relationships among groups and moves us toward a better and more just world
Assumptions of co-cultural theory
- in a hierarchical culture, certain groups are favored over others and accrue power based on these preferences
- the “lived experiences” of under-represented groups are valuable and must be identified and embraced
- members of underrepresented groups share an “outsider” view of dominant culture
- individuals from marginalized groups select strategies for communicating with people from the dominant group
Communication strategies of co-cultural groups and co-cultural communication orientations
Preferred outcomes: assimilation, accommodation, separation
communication approaches: nonassertive, assertive, aggressive
Factors that influence communication choices for co-cultural groups
field of experience, perceived costs and rewards, capability, situation
