Lecture 3 Flashcards
What is intercultural communication?
“Language and the context in which words are interpreted, including gestures, postures, spatial relationships, concepts of time, the status and hierarchy of persons, the role of the individual within a group, and the setting
What is the cultural iceberg?
- Comes into play how we act an treat others
- Most visible can be debated too
Representation of apparent personal characteristics of a person versus unseen characteristics that may influence a person’s communication
What are the visible characteristics of the ice burg?
Race
Age
Gender
What are the least visible characteristics of the iceberg?
Degree of acculturation or assimilations SES (rich people dress down and vie versa) Health (mental health not visible) Religion (sometimes clothes) Sexual orientation Political affiliation Education
what do people assume about the bottom of the iceberg?
Areas below the iceberg typically assumed
-Incorrect assumptions can lead to distrust of health care professional
Below play a more important role than those visibla too people
What is communication related too?
An action chain
One phrase or action > reciprocated action
“Thank you” > “You’re welcome”
What do reciprocated and unreciprocated actions lead to with communication?
Reciprocated actions = potential for successful relationship
Unreciprocated actions = potential for communication breakdown
Why do we use cultural norms?
When comply with cultural norms is positive outcomes
What do we do when we meet someone for the first time in terms of cultural norms?
Meeting a person for the first time
- Automatic assumption to comply with cultural norms
- Prediction of communication pathway
- Communication breakdown with unanticipated response
What re the concepts for intercultural communication?
Communication uses codes to represent objects, ideas, or behaviours
-These are decoded to language and non verbal communication
Thoughts, emotions, attitudes > decoded into language and non-verbal communication
What are the components of marriage?
Content
Relationship between speaker and receiver
What type of communication is best for delivering and conveying info?
Verbal communication is best for delivering content
Non-verbal communication convey relationship information
What makes or breaks a conversation with someone?
Communication can only be correctly interpreted within context
What is verbal communication explained by?
Low- and High-Context Cultures
Individuals and Groups
Uncertainty Avoidance
Power, Authority, and Status
Time Perception
What is the different between low and high-contact cultures?
Affective and physical cues a speaker uses to indicate meaning
Tone of voice
Facial Expression
Gestures
Posture
What are characteristics of low contacts cultures?
Ideas presented in a logical, linear sequence
Use of precise, objective wording
May overuse medical jargon
“To the point”
little reading between the lines
E.g., Swiss, Germans, Scandinavians, Americans, Canadians
What are characteristics of high context cultures?
Meaning of the message is found in the context, not in the words
“Read between the lines”
Wording may be vague or incomplete
Word choice focused on the individual person, rather than objectively
-Varies depending on relationship
Attitudes and feelings more prominent than thought
Use different languge wuth each person based on your relatipnship with them
E.g., Asians, Middle Easterners, Indigenous people
What is relationship of the individual to the group determined by?
low vs high-context cultures
What are low context culture groups like?
Individuality, self-realization, and self-esteem predominate
Gain acceptance from a group through communication of one’s self
Canada, Great Britain, US, Australia, Netherlands, etc.
What are high context culture groups like?
Individual is defined by group association
Desire for “oneness” within a group
Affiliation with a group tells outsiders all that is needed about that person
Denmark, Ghana, El Salvador, Indonesia, Nigeria, Taiwan, Thailand, etc.
how tolerant are high uncertainty avoidance cultures?
Exhibit great discomfort with the unknown and things that are different
Typically have a history of central rule and laws that regulate individual action
Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Turkey, etc.
how tolerant are low uncertainty avoidance cultures?
Curious about the unknown and things that are different
Willing to accept dissent within a group, open to change
Canada, Denmark, Great Britain, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Netherlands, Philippines, Sweden, US, etc.
What is the perception of power and its influence on communication like in low context/individualistic cultures?
Power or status usually in the role/job a person fulfills
Power distance remains small due to equality focus
Questioning accepted > Focus on understanding why before a task can take place