week 12 Flashcards
Intercultural communication and intracultural
Intercultural communication is the sharing of meanings between individuals from different cultures
Intracultural communication is shared communication between members of the same cultural group
Enculturation
- process of learning or absorbing one’s own culture
- It involves internalising ‘rules’ of interaction
- Internalised rules surface in a range of intercultural contexts including business, social and personal contexts
- Context includes all the factors that shape and influence the ways in which we understand an interaction
Acculturation
- Acculturation is the process of cultural adjustment and adaptation people experience as they move from one culture to another
- Involves learning, adjusting and adapting to the values, symbols and/or behaviour of the host culture
Enculturation can be:
- unconscious
- E.g. as we absorb and imitate daily habits, behavioural patterns and roles from infancy
- deliberate
- E.g. as we are taught specific manners for greeting people, religious rites and rituals
Acculturation is
Acculturation is a multi-dimensional process. Adjusting to a new culture can involve difficulties:
- conflicting social norms and attempts to retain the previous culture
- focusing on differences between own and new culture
- perceiving differences as weaknesses
In a low-power-distance culture
employees do not readily recognise a power hierarchy. They accept directions only when they think the boss is right or when they feel threatened
Masculinity/Femininity
-In this context, masculinity refers to an emphasis on assertiveness, success and competition.
-At the other end of the continuum
is femininity, which refers to an emphasis on personal relationships, caring for others, and a high quality of life.
High context cultures
Not everything is said or signaled
Reading between the lines necessary for interpretation
Contextual understanding needed in interpretation
Low context cultures:
Large part of the message is verbally transmitted
Less contextual information needed in interpretation
During business negotiations or formal communication between two parties -
Low context culture:
Brief greetings are exchanged
Brief ice-breakers (e.g., trip, weather)
Individuals get straight to the point
Not much of the context/history of the two parties or organisations discussed
Expression or disapproval or assertiveness during negotiations considered okay.
During business negotiations
High context culture:
Formal and often long sessions of greetings
Longer discussions on family and business networks (not in all high context cultures)
The context/history of the two parties or organisations discussed in depth
Individuals rarely ever get straight to the point
Overt expression or disapproval or assertiveness during negotiations not acceptable.
Cultural components to intercultural communication: Perceptions of power
Power differentials within a culture can be divided into two dimensions:
- a permanent dimension of gender, race, age and sexual orientation
- a more changeable dimension of educational background, socioeconomic status and marital status
Cultural components to intercultural communication: Language
- Language and the meaning of words learnt within a culture reflect the culture’s values and shape its members’ view of the world
- Language is dynamic and changes over time
- It is important to be aware of meaning of words and idiomatic expressions
Cultural components to intercultural communication: NVC
Nonverbal communication
- any communication not encoded in words
- can be personal to the individual, common to the group or culture, or universal
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Cultural components to intercultural communication: NVC
what can it be classified as?
It can be classified as:
- relational nonverbal
- status messages
deceptive nonverbal
