Introduction
Be it verbal or nonverbal,
communication is part of everyday activity. Engaging in the act of
communication will need an encoder (sender), message (content), medium
(channel), a decoder (receiver) and in some cases a feedback. This is true with
both intercultural and international communication which could be rigged with
some biases as a result of certain misconceptions and stereotypes or s simple
lack of knowledge of the cultures. Given that such factors affect
communication, this essay will try to identify and explain the role of
interpersonal, collective and /or institutional discrimination, how our
cultural identities are influenced by the choices we make with regards to
popular culture and how our attitudes work could lead to intercultural
conflicts. Finally, this paper will examine my role as a savvy intercultural
communicator as well as the communications nuances/barriers that could exist when
two people do not speak the same language.
Identify
and explain interpersonal, collective and/or institutional discrimination.
According to Martin and Nakayama
(2014), discrimination is a “behavior that results from stereotyping or
prejudice–overt action to exclude, avoid, or distance oneself from other groups”
(p.62). Discrimination has been used over the years a means of power especially
from someone that could exert some form of influence over others. Discrimination
may vary from verbal to subtle nonverbal cues as well as from an interpersonal
to a collective/institutional manner.
Interpersonal discrimination is more
on personal level that is the case with collective discrimination. With
interpersonal discrimination, the discrimination act is done by singling out
one person or scapegoating them out from a group treating them differently in
an often-negative manner. Institutional or collective discrimination as the
name suggest has to do with discrimination done to a group. The case of
apartheid in South Africa is good example of collective or institutional
discrimination (economic, social, health and educational) that was meted on the
black by the whites. Other than South Africa, there are some forms of
discrimination that are apparent in the US especially with regards to the criminal
system. Even though some people may choose to justify their act of discrimination,
it still goes a long way attest to the idea that discrimination does exist in
every society.
How
do the choices we make about popular culture influence the formation of our
cultural identity?
The only permanent thing in life is
change and popular cultures do not defy the law of gravity when it comes to
this. Popular cultures that existed in the 1990s and 2000s are not necessarily
the same that exist now. Given that we tend to be products of our environment,
it possible that the choices we make influence our cultural identity.
The adoption of pop cultures as mainstream
live is a common phenomenon. However, not every popular culture is adopted but
most American. At the base of every popular culture there must be something
appealing to those willing to adopt that particular culture and use them to
define their cultural identity. What is more important about the choices we
make when adopting a culture is determined by how well that culture fits within
our personal lives. There is no doubt that we are being bombarded with a
variety of cultures on both TV and especially with rapid growth in social
media. However, not everything we see defines our cultural identity. In my
opinion it is difficult to have a full appreciation of popular cultures and how
these cultures influence our identity without understanding how our cultures
relate to popular cultures. Changfu et al (2016) explains that “a different culture
and society serves as a mirror which, through self-reflection, literally and figuratively
reveals to us who we are and what we are made of” (p.9). This is especially
true given that we tend to assume that every culture is similar to ours. Being
exposed to popular culture is the best
way to relate with others as well as avoiding some of the nuances that are
associated with intercultural communication
How
might different attitudes toward work lead to intercultural communication
conflicts?
Most places of work are experiencing
increasingly culturally diverse employees. This gives priority to the issue of
intercultural communication at work. When individuals of different cultural
backgrounds are working together without any knowledge of how each group
communicates, there will be a clash of cultures especially with regards to how
communication is carried out. Such conflicts in communication may not arise
necessarily as a result of a lapse in communication but could be a result of
what their job represents to them and their perception of the type of treatment
they receive at work. Like Nwogbaga et al (2015) put it, “the emergence,
escalation, de-escalation, resolution, and management of conflicts and crisis
all depend on the information sent and received, how they are interpreted, and
how they are perceived accordingly” (p.33). The perception of a conflict is
very important in understanding why some conflicts last longer than others.
Given the different context
individuals regards their jobs, frustrations usually translate in the way communication
is carried out. For employers and employees who have not engaged their
employees and coworkers respectively with regards to their culture conflicts
may be inevitable. Apart from posting anti-discrimination laws, it is also important
for each organization to encourage coworkers to get to know each other. Understanding
the cultural context people communicate can make the difference in the
perception of attitude at work.
Describe
your plan to become more interculturally savvy in communication.
This class has offered me an array skills
that are vital when engaging with other people. We live in a culturally diverse
country and it is important to treat everyone and their culture with respect. I
come from a country whose culture is entirely different from that of most
Americans. Initially, I had a hard time understanding how to communicate or
even relate to the American culture. Over the years, being open minded and
accepting of other cultures has proven to be the best way not only to relate
but communicate with others. The resource provided in this class will only be
helpful if I apply them in everyday interaction with others. In this regards, I
have to be willing to widen my scope about what I read and be willing to engage
in conversations about culture with others. Traveling is learning. I have
learned a great deal living in the US. I have met people of different cultures in
this melting pot of cultures and it important for me to take advantage of this
unique opportunity to put into practice all that I have learned.
Is
it possible for two people to communicate effectively if they don't speak the
same language? How?
In my opinion, the key word here is “effective”.
It is more than possible for two people who do not speak the same language to
communicate. However, with regards to the effectiveness of that act of communication,
some doubts can be raised. Nonverbal communication forms of communication have
been used over the years especially by people who do not share the same
language. However, such nonverbal cues may still pose a problem. For instance,
the way Italians use their hands to indicate that something is right, correct
or perfect is different from how an American will do it. Clearly, if they do
not speak the same language, then even the use of such nonverbal cues might
place a toll on the effectiveness in communicating with each other.
However, there is no doubt two
people who do not speak the same language can communicate. According to Phutela
(2015), “nonverbal communication
can become a
barrier or tear
down barriers to effective communication” (p.43). There was
at least some form of communication between the Indians and the first Europeans
to set foot on America. This is also the case with the case with the colonial masters
when they first set foot in Africa. There was bound to be some form of
communication and understanding. May be the effectiveness of the type of
communication is what latter led to the resistance by both the Indians in the
US and the Africans in Africa.
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