MODULE :COM2603
,COM2603 Exam Study Notes
Contains:
• Comprehensive Exam Summary &
Study Notes
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INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Define Intercultural communication
Different culture groups differ, Individualist, collectivistic – views of the community.
Individualism
Refers to the culture values that emphasize on individual identity. Individual- orientated people
often value direct confrontation to solve problems, while collectivist prefer non-confrontational
ways.
Collectivism
------------------------?????????
Building Blocks
Culture
Communication
Context
Power (Economic and Social)
Communicating with different culture groups
--------------------??????????
IDENTITY
UNDERSTANDING IDENTITY
How do we come to understand who we are? What are the characteristics of identity?
Essentially, identity is our self-concept, who we think we are as a person. Identities are created
through communication, and they develop not smoothly but in spurts, over a long period of
time. Further, we have not merely one identity but multiple identities, which are influenced by
society and are dynamic. And the way identities develop depends on one’s cultural background.
Let’s look more closely at these five aspects of identities.
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Identities Are Created Through Communication
Identities emerge when communication messages are exchanged between persons; they are
negotiated, cocreated, reinforced, and challenged through communication. 1 This means that
presenting our identities is not a simple process. Does everyone see you as you see yourself ?
Probably not. Different identities are emphasized depending on whom we are communicating
with and what the conversation is about. In a social conversation with someone we are
attracted to, our gender or sexual orientation identity is probably more important to us than,
say, our ethnic or national identities. And our communication is probably most successful when
the person we are talking with confirms the identity we think is most important at the moment.
For example, if you are talking with a professor about a research project, the interaction will be
most successful if it confirms the relevant identities of professor and student rather than other
identities—for example, those based on gender, religion, or ethnicity.
Identities Are Created in Spurts
Identities are created not in a smooth, orderly process but in spurts. Certain events provide
insights into who we are, but these are framed by long periods during which we may not think
much about ourselves or our identities. Thus, we sometimes may feel that we know exactly
who we are and our place in the world and at other times may be rather confused.
Communication is crucial to the development of identity. For instance, our student Amanda felt
confident of her religious identity until she married into another faith. Following long
discussions with her in-laws about issues of spirituality, she began to question this aspect of her
identity. As this example suggests, we may occasionally need to take some time to think
through identity issues. And during difficult times, we may internalize negative identities as we
try to answer the question of who we are. For example, Judith didn’t tell any of her friends in
high school that she had an Amish background, because she was embarrassed and thought that
her friends would look down on her if they knew. Not until she became an adult would she
disclose her religious background. Similarly, our student Shawna didn’t want her friends to
know that her mother was White and her father was Black, because she was afraid it would
affect the way they felt about her.
Identities Are Multiple
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,COM2603 Exam Study Notes
Contains:
• Comprehensive Exam Summary &
Study Notes
, Stuvia.com - The study-notes marketplace
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Define Intercultural communication
Different culture groups differ, Individualist, collectivistic – views of the community.
Individualism
Refers to the culture values that emphasize on individual identity. Individual- orientated people
often value direct confrontation to solve problems, while collectivist prefer non-confrontational
ways.
Collectivism
------------------------?????????
Building Blocks
Culture
Communication
Context
Power (Economic and Social)
Communicating with different culture groups
--------------------??????????
IDENTITY
UNDERSTANDING IDENTITY
How do we come to understand who we are? What are the characteristics of identity?
Essentially, identity is our self-concept, who we think we are as a person. Identities are created
through communication, and they develop not smoothly but in spurts, over a long period of
time. Further, we have not merely one identity but multiple identities, which are influenced by
society and are dynamic. And the way identities develop depends on one’s cultural background.
Let’s look more closely at these five aspects of identities.
Downloaded by: zimbililulane |
Distribution of this document is illegal
, Stuvia.com - The study-notes marketplace
Identities Are Created Through Communication
Identities emerge when communication messages are exchanged between persons; they are
negotiated, cocreated, reinforced, and challenged through communication. 1 This means that
presenting our identities is not a simple process. Does everyone see you as you see yourself ?
Probably not. Different identities are emphasized depending on whom we are communicating
with and what the conversation is about. In a social conversation with someone we are
attracted to, our gender or sexual orientation identity is probably more important to us than,
say, our ethnic or national identities. And our communication is probably most successful when
the person we are talking with confirms the identity we think is most important at the moment.
For example, if you are talking with a professor about a research project, the interaction will be
most successful if it confirms the relevant identities of professor and student rather than other
identities—for example, those based on gender, religion, or ethnicity.
Identities Are Created in Spurts
Identities are created not in a smooth, orderly process but in spurts. Certain events provide
insights into who we are, but these are framed by long periods during which we may not think
much about ourselves or our identities. Thus, we sometimes may feel that we know exactly
who we are and our place in the world and at other times may be rather confused.
Communication is crucial to the development of identity. For instance, our student Amanda felt
confident of her religious identity until she married into another faith. Following long
discussions with her in-laws about issues of spirituality, she began to question this aspect of her
identity. As this example suggests, we may occasionally need to take some time to think
through identity issues. And during difficult times, we may internalize negative identities as we
try to answer the question of who we are. For example, Judith didn’t tell any of her friends in
high school that she had an Amish background, because she was embarrassed and thought that
her friends would look down on her if they knew. Not until she became an adult would she
disclose her religious background. Similarly, our student Shawna didn’t want her friends to
know that her mother was White and her father was Black, because she was afraid it would
affect the way they felt about her.
Identities Are Multiple
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