Intercultural Communication Summary

Intercultural
Communication

Summary



European
Studies

2019/2020





Chapter
1
(pg.
3
-­‐
41)

(Assume
that
names
mentioned
in
this
summary
are
intercultural
scholars)

The
importance
of
Intercultural
Communication

Marshall
McLuhan
thought
of
the
term
global
village.
This
is
world
culture

formed
by
technology.
The
rise
of
this
global
interconnected
world
is
causing
a

rise
in
xenophobia
–
the
fear
of
that
which
is
unknown.

However
the
benefits
outweigh
the
challenges:

1. Healthier
communities
–
people
working
together
to
achieve
goals
for

the

benefit
of
everyone



2. Increased
commerce
-­‐
internationally,
nationally
and
locally



3. Reduced
conflict
–
conflict
is
often
the
cause
of
miscommunication
which

can
be
solved
by
effective
intercultural
communication



4. Personal
growth
through
tolerance
–
helps
people
learn
their
way
of

achieving
things
is
not
the
only
way
and
helps
people
recognise
how
they

conduct
their
own
lives



Communication
is
the
ability
to
symbolize
and
use
language.
It
separates
humans

from
animals.
Intercultural
communication
occurs
whenever
two
or
more
people

from
different
cultures
come
together
and
exchange
verbal
and
non-­‐verbal

messages.



Dimensions
that
define
communication



Process
anything
on
going,
ever
changing
and
continuous



Dynamic
something
considered
active
and
forceful
(because
of
transaction



and
interaction)



Symbol
an
arbitrarily
selected
and
learned
stimulus
representing

something
else
(e.g.
words,
hand
gestures)



Communication
is
dependant
on
the
context
in
which
it
occurs.
Context
is
the

cultural,
physical,
social
and
psychological
environment.


,Communication:



The
simultaneous
encoding,
decoding
and
interpretation
of
verbal
and
nonverbal

messages
between
people.



Communication
apprehension:


The
fear
or
anxiety
associated
with
either
real
or
anticipated
communication

with
another
person
or
group
of
persons.



Personal
Report
of
Communication
Apprehension
(PRCA-­‐24):

Self-­‐report
instrument
designed
to
measure
communication
apprehension.



Culture:



An
accumulated
pattern
of
values,
beliefs
and
behaviours
shared
by
an

identifiable
group
of
people
with
a
common
history
and
verbal
and
nonverbal

symbol
system.



Micro
culture:


Group
who
share
an
individual
culture
that
is
similar
to
but
systematically
varies

from
the
larger,
often
dominant
cultural
milieu.



Intercultural
Communication:


Two
people
from
different
cultures
or
micro
cultures
exchanging
verbal
and

nonverbal
messages.
Intercultural
communication
takes
place
in
certain
contexts

such
as
the
place
(environmental
context).



Intercultural
communication
apprehension:


The
fear
or
anxiety
associated
with
either
real
or
anticipated
interaction
with

persons
from
a
different
culture.








































, An
interculturally
competent
communicator
is
motivated
to
communicate,

knowledgeable
about
how
to
communicate,
skilled
in
communicating
and

sensitive
to
the
context.



Intercultural
communication
can
also
be
defined
by
five
assumptions:

1. During
intercultural
communication,
the
message
sent
is
not
usually
the

message
received.

Ethnocentrism:


The
tendency
to
place
one’s
own
group
(cultural,
ethnic
or
religious)
in
a

position
of
centrality
and
highest
worth,
while
creating
negative
attitudes

and
behaviours
towards
other
groups.



GENE
(Generalised
Ethnocentrism)
Scale:


Self-­‐report
instrument
designed
to
measure
generalised
ethnocentrism.



2. Intercultural
communication
is
primarily
a
nonverbal
act
between
people

(body
odour,
hand
gestures,
eye
contact).



3. Intercultural
communication
necessarily
involves
a
clash
of

communicator
style.



4. Initial
intercultural
communication
is
a
group
phenomenon
experienced

by
individuals.



5. Intercultural
communication
is
a
cycle
of
stress,
adaption
and
growth.





Five
approaches
to
determine
whether
behaviour
is
ethical:

1. The
utilitarian
approach


Ethical
actions
are
those
that
pose
the
greatest
balance
of
good
over
evil.



2. The
rights
approach


Acts
are
ethical
to
the
extent
that
they
respect
the
rights
of
others.
Acts

are
wrong
if
they
violate
the
rights
of
others.



3. The
fairness
or
social
justice
approach


An
act
that
shows
favouritism
or
discrimination
is
unethical;
people

should
be
treated
with
consistency.




4. The
common
good
approach


An
ethical
act
is
one
that
ensures
community
policies
are
not
violated,

especially
those
that
may
affect
vulnerable
members
of
the
community.



5. The
virtues
approach


There
are
certain
ideals
individuals
should
strive
to
have
(truth,
beauty,

compassion).
Actions
manifested
in
these
virtues
are
considered
ethical.