Culture, Language, and Communication

1. Culture, Language, and Communication Part Two

2. Culture and Social Cognition • This has to do with how we interpret the actions of others—the causal attributions we make. • Basically, the cultural differences in this area refer to proneness to make dispositional versus situational attributions of others behavior.

3. Definition of communication • Message: Information and meaning exchanged during communication • Encoding: Process by which people select, imbed messages in signals, and send signals to others • Signals: Specific verbal language and nonverbal behaviors that are encoded when message sent • Channels: Sensory modalities by which signals sent and messages retrieved • Decoding: Process by which people receives signal from encoder and translates those signals to meaningful messages

4. Intercultural Communication • Unlike intra-cultural communication where message senders and receivers share the same ground rules, intercultural communication is associated with a host of additional social and psychological issues.

5. Uncertainty • To start, there is uncertainty or ambiguity concerning the ground rules by which the interaction should occur. • Given the pervasive influence of culture, it’s always difficult to figure out the rules being employed by two people from different cultures. • And this uncertainty is inherent in verbal as well as nonverbal communication, in both encoding and decoding modes.

6. Uncertainty (cont.) • How can we package messages into precise words to convey our thoughts as accurately as possible and how can we interpret the sender’s messages exactly as intended?  • Uncertainty can easily mount to the point of utter miscommunication. Hence, uncertainty reduction is the initial major goal of intercultural communication.  • Unless uncertainty is reduced, it’s impossible for senders and receivers to begin processing the intended message content.

7. Conflict • Once we engage in intercultural communication, some conflict and misunderstanding is inevitable.  • Conflict arises when people’s behavior does not confirm to our expectations.   • We tend to interpret such behaviors as transgressions against our values. • Of course, uncertainty can contribute to this conflict.

8. Context • As we have said earlier, context has to do primarily with how communication takes place when cultures vary in context orientation. Here are several possible combinations. • 1.      High Context with High Context • 2.      Low Context with High Context • 3.      Low Context with Low Context

9. Context (cont.) • But the “context of intercultural communication” also includes several other dimensions of cultural variability: • Individualism-collectivism, • Power Distance, • Uncertainty Avoidance, and • Masculinity-femininity

10. CULTURAL INFLUENCES ON NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

11. Nonverbal behaviors: all behaviors that occur during communication that do not include verbal language • Nonverbal channels are more important in understanding meaning and emotional states of speakers than verbal language • It is imperative to be most attentive to nonverbal cues that occur in communication

12. The Types of Nonverbal Behaviors • Culture and Gestures • The American A-OK sign is an obscene gestures in may cultures of Europe • Culture and Gaze • Contact cultures engage in more gazing and more direct orientation when interacting with others • Culture and Interpersonal Space • Arabs and Latin Americans interact with others at closer distance than Americans

13. The Functions of Nonverbal Behaviors • Always keep in mind that Nonverbal behaviors serve as emblems, speech illustrators, conversation regulators, and convey emotions.

14. INTRACULTURAL AND INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

15. Cultural Influences on Encoding • Cultures differ in how nonverbal behavior is used in communication • Cultural Influences on Decoding • Cultures influences decoding process through ethnocentrism, cultural filters, emotions, value judgments, stereotypes and expectations • Decoding rules

16. Intracultural communication • Communication between people of the same cultural background • Interactants share same ground rules; they encode and decode using the same cultural codes • Can be negative because of expectations created by cultural filters and ethnocentrism • We tend to read more than is intended

17. Intercultural communication • Communication between people of the different cultural background • Interactants do not share same ground rules; they encode and decode using different cultural codes • Can lead to • Uncertainty and ambiguity • Conflict

18. Barriers to Effective Intercultural communication • Assumptions of similarities • Language differences • Nonverbal misinterpretations • Preconceptions and stereotypes • Tendency to evaluate • High anxiety or tension

19. Barriers to Intercultural Communication • Source: Barna, L. M. (1997). Stumbling blocks in intercultural communication. In L. Samovar and R. Porter (Eds.), Intercultural communication: A reader (pp. 370-379). Belmont CA: Wadsworth.

20. Barriers (cont.) 1. Assumptions of similarities • We need to keep in mind that communication is a uniquely human trait shaped by culture. • In fact, communication itself is a product of culture, and cultures vary in their assumptions of similarities.

21. Barriers (cont.) 2. Language differences • The use of words which may be highly effective at conveying meaning within a particular culture often communicate unintended meanings across cultures. • Add to this the nonverbal channel of communication and you have a recipe for conflict and misunderstandings.

22. Barriers (cont.) 3. Nonverbal misinterpretations • This is the single most frequent cause of breakdowns in the communication process across cultures. 4. Preconceptions and stereotypes • These are natural and inevitable psychological processes that have a strong influence on our perceptions and communications.

23. Barriers (cont.) 5. Tendency to evaluate • We make attributions about the behavior of others based on our own cultural values. 6. High anxiety or tension • While some degree of anxiety may be conducive to optimal performance, too much anxiety or stress can lead to dysfunctional thought processes and behaviors.

24. Improving Intercultural Communication: Concluding Remarks • Mindfulness and uncertainty reduction • Mindfulness offsets uncertainty and anxiety • Uncertainty reduction leads to focus on the content of signals and messages • Face • Should be mindful of face (public appearance of person) in collectivist culture • Emotion Regulation • Controlling negative emotions aroused from conflict is important