Intercultural Communication for the The Study of Intercultural Communication

CHAPTER THE STUDY OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION Learning Outcomes When you have completed this chapter , you should be able to do the following List and describe the six imperatives . Identify which imperative is most closely related to your reason for studying intercultural communication . Understand how communication meets various needs . Have a working knowledge of the linear , interactional , and transactional models of the process . Be able to explain how various might impact communication .

CHAPTER THE STUDY OF What is your reason for studying intercultural communication ?

Maybe it was a requirement on the road to achieving your major , and you dutifully signed up without having given it much thought . Maybe you ve spent time overseas or enjoyed spending time with an exchange student at your high school or in your community . Maybe a friend found the class surprisingly interesting and suggested that you take it . Possibly , it was the only class that worked in your limited schedule so you are giving it a try . Whatever your personal come ! Even if you have never taken a communication studies class before , you have a lifetime of experience , and this experiential knowledge provides a useful foundation from which you can build upon . This book is designed to help us to take a look at what we already know by applying principles that will guide our understanding of intercultural communication competence . The Six Imperatives or Reasons Why We Study Intercultural Communication When considering the various reasons for studying intercultural communication , most answers will fall into what scholars Martin ( 2011 ) call the six imperatives or reasons for studying intercultural . The six imperative categories are ' Peace ' Demographic ' Economic ' Technology ' Ethics Let take a quick look at each imperative individually .

CHAPTER THE STUDY OF Figure Ban meets with . Executive Secretary , Comprehensive Organization . The Peace Imperative History is full of conflict . Contemporary life is full of conflict . over politics , religion , human rights , climate change , wealth , medical care , plus food , water , and mineral resources are often in the news . It would be naive to assume that simply understanding intercultural communication principles would end conflict , but there is a need for all of us to learn more about cultural groups other than our own ifwe wish to be competent communicators . The peace imperative begs the question as to whether individuals races , ties , languages , and cultures can exist together on this planet ?

If so , what does that look like ?

If not , what does that mean ?

The Demographic Imperative Demographics are the characteristics of a population such as gender , age , race , ethnicity , economic status , status , and more . Demographics are generally those traits and characteristics that we can count . demographics , as well as those around the rest of the world , are changing quickly and dramatically . Migratory

I CHAPTER THE STUDY OF INTERCULTURAL populations escaping from climate and economic issues are crossing borders in record numbers . Borders are more as countries on land in nei . Pandemics don reco ders at all . The demographic imperative is not only about immigration though , it also about change . As demo ra chan , culture chan es . that describes rou of eo and are associated with the demo ra hic im include the terms , heterogeneous , homogeneous , diversity , and nativistic . If a population is considered heterogeneous , there are differences in the group , culture , or population . If a population is considered homogeneous , there are similarities in the group , culture , or population . Diversity is the quality of being different . A nativistic group is extremely patriotic to the point of being . The Economic Imperative To compete and be effective in the global market , an accurate understanding of the economies and ways of doing business around the world is crucial . The interdependence of our world market in consumer goods , vices , labor , and capital has been dramatically illustrated by the shortages produced by the COVID pandemic . Formerly efficient supply chains were disrupted . Economically affordable products became expensive for lack of local sources . Labor shortages around the world impacted everyone on the planet . The economic tive is reflected by the impact that business globalization has on the average person .

CHAPTER THE STUDY OF Figure Man reading newspaper The Technology Imperative Technology has made communication easier than ever before . Information has become so easy to access and manipulate that we are now confronted with the impact of fake news and purposeful disinformation along with the closely related economic issue of the digital divide . The digital divide refers to people who grew up with access to technology versus those who did not have access to technology and did not develop the skills , Digital natives , or people who grew up using technology , are often citizens of wealthy nations that live lives of comparable privilege and often have better economic prospects . Technology is also used as an identity management tool and will be discussed as such in a later chapter .

CHAPTER THE STUDY OF , I Figure A world map colored to show the level of Internet penetration as of 2016 The Ethical Imperative Does the idea of a digital divide challenge your sense of social justice ?

If so , you are concerned with the ethical principles of conduct that help govern the behaviors of individuals and groups . Generally , there are two basic ways that humans apply ethical values to or relatively . If you are viewing a behavior as a relativist , you believe that no behavior is inherently right or wrong , rather everything depends on perspective . In other words , you might not make the same choice yourself , but are willing to understand why others would make that choice . If you are viewing a behavior as a universalist , you believe that cultural differences are only , and that fundamental notions of right and wrong are universal . In other words , everyone should be making the same choices for the same reasons . Although universalism and relativism are thought of as an or choice , realistically most people are a combination of both views . There are some issues you might hold strict opinion about while other issues you are willing to be more open about . The Self Awareness Imperative One of the most important reasons for studying intercultural communication is the awareness it raises of our own cultural identity and background . The imperative helps us to gain insights into our own culture along with our own intercultural experiences , All cultures are ethnocentric by their very natures . is a tendency to think that our own culture is superior to other cultures . Most of us don even

CHAPTER THE STUDY OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION I realize that we think this way , but we do . Sure , we might admit that our culture isn perfect , yet we still think that we are doing better than everyone else . Ethnocentrism can lead to stereotyping , prejudice , and nation . These ideas will be discussed in greater detail later in the book . Learn A Little More ! Ever since I was very before I could it on a have wanted to go to the ple Republic of China . For much of my lifetime , China was almost impossible to visit . There were no direct available . Invitations had to be issued from work units in the . Various and permits had to be arranged before entry . Special money called foreign exchange currency ( was required for use . Upon return to your home country , many travelers were requested to describe their trip in great detail to their family and friends as well as various governmental who were also interested in the . It was quite an adventure ! For a long time , I thought that my interest in the was based on the exotic and restricted nature of the location , but it turned out that was . It was Bennett . Bennett family was from the old Canton ( now Guangzhou ) Because of famine , political unrest , and civil war , they made their way to Hong Kong which was a leased British colony at the time . As alone young man , Bennett grated first to Canada , and then to the United States . He worked with my father as a chemist in the Midwest for many years spending most weekends and holidays with my extended family . To my young ears , his thickly accented stories were that much different than my grandparents thickly accented stories . Histories , stories of adversity , and fairy tales are commonly shared at ily gatherings . Eventually , Bennett married Pat , started a family , and moved to another part of the Midwest . Slowly visits became yearly holiday cards and then we lost touch as Bennett faded from my scious memory . Unconsciously , my early contact with Bennett fueled a lifelong desire to visit and learn more about the civilization that produced someone who was once so important to me . So , what your story ?

Why are you taking intercultural communication ?

What do you already know about this topic that could help guide your learning ?

Communication Principles and Processes 10 CHAPTER THE STUDY OF The imperatives help us to organize our personal reasons for studying intercultural communication , but what about the communication process in general ?

Most of us think that communication is important , but it not something that we are often focusing on so we have a tendency to think that it just becoming aware of the communication process and noticing how you communicate is a fundamental goal of this class . Studying the communication process will allow you to understand more of what is going on around you , and this understanding will allow you to become a more competent communicator in . If you have taken another communication class , the following sections will be a review of what you have learned previously . If you have never taken a communication class , the following sections are foundational to understanding the basic communication principles and processes so pay close attention . Everything that we learn in this class will be grounded in these principles and processes . Figure Communication Communication Principles In this section , we will learn the principles of communication . You are encouraged to note the aspects of that you haven thought about before and begin to identify the principles in the various parts of your communication life .

CHAPTER THE STUDY OF COMMUNiCATiON i 11 Communication Meets Needs Communication is far more than the transmission of information . The exchange of information is important for many reasons , but it is not enough to meet the various needs we have as human beings . The content or message of our communication may help us meet certain physical , instrumental , relational , and identity needs . Physical needs include needs that keeps our bodies and minds functioning like air , food , water , and sleep . Instrumental needs include needs that help us get things done in our lives and achieve and goals . Relational needs include needs that help us maintain social bonds and interpersonal ships . Identity needs include our need to present ourselves to others and be thought of in desired ways . Communication is A Process Communication can be as the process of understanding and sharing meaning ( Pearson Nelson , 2000 ) When we refer to communication as a process , we imply that it doesn have a distinct beginning and end or follow a predetermined sequence of events . It can be to trace the origin of a communication encounter , since communication doesn always follow a neat format . Communication is by Culture and Context Culture and context influence how we perceive and communication . Cultural values are embedded in how we communicate . All people in all cultures are socialized from birth to communicate in culturally ways that vary from COl CO COl . Communication is Learned Most of us are both capable of the capacity and ability to communicate , but we all communicate differently . This is because communication is learned rather than innate . As already discussed in the previous principle , communication patterns are relative to the context and culture in which one is communicating . We are all socialized into different languages , but we also speak different languages based on the situations we are in . This idea will become more understandable in the verbal and nonverbal communication chapters .

12 I CHAPTER THE STUDY OF INTERCULTURAL Figure The International Center sign Communication Your Thinking About Yourself And Others Humans share a fundamental drive to communicate . You share meaning in what you say and how you say it . On the Hip side , your communication skills also help you to understand just their words , but also their tone of voice , their nonverbal gestures . Your success as a communicator is based on your ability to actively listen and actively interpret others messages . The Communication Process Communication is a complex process , and it is difficult to determine where or with whom a communication encounter starts and ends . Models of communication simplify the process by providing a visual representation of the various aspects of a communication encounter . Models allow us to see concepts and steps within the process of communication . Although the three models differ , they all contain some common elements such as , messages , encoding , decoding , and channels . Other elements to remember include feedback and noise . In all the communication models , the participants are referred to as and receivers . initiate the message conveyed through the communication process and receivers are the recipients of the message . The message is the verbal or nonverbal content being conveyed from sender to receiver .

CHAPTER THE STUDY OF 13 The internal cognitive processes that allow participants to send , receive , and understand messages are known as the encoding and decoding processes . Encoding is the process of turning thoughts into cation . Decoding is the process of turning communication into thoughts . For example , you may realize you are hungry and encode the following message to send to your roommate I hungry . Do you want to get pizza tonight ?

As your roommate receives the message , they decode the message you are expressing and turns it back into thoughts in order to make meaning out of it . Of course , we just don communicate have various options , or channels for communication . Encoded messages are sent through a channel , or a sensory route on which a message travels , to the receiver for decoding . Communication can be sent and received using any sensory route ( sight , smell , touch , taste , or sound ) Nor does communication have to be sent using only one can be . The Linear Model of Communication The linear model of communication describes communication as a linear , process in which a sender intentionally transmits a message to a receiver ( Ellis , 1990 ) Although the receiver is included in the model , this role is viewed as more ofa target or end point rather than a part of an ongoing process . The receiver either successfully receives and understands the message or they do not . An example of a linear message is listening to the radio in your car . The sender is the radio announcer ( the sender ) encodes a verbal message that is transmitted by a radio tower ( the channel ) and eventually reaches your ears ( the receiver ) via the speakers in order to be decoded . The radio announcer doesn really know if you receive their message or not , but if everything is working as it should be , there is a good chance that the message has been received . Most communication situations are more complex than the linear model , but the linear model is always a good place to start as you begin to dissect a communication situation for greater understanding . The Linear of Communication Sender Figure Linear Model The Model of Communication The interactional model of communication describes communication as a process in which participants

14 CHAPTER THE STUDY OF alternate positions as sender and receiver and generate meaning by sending messages and receiving feedback within physical and psychological ( et , 1997 ) Rather than illustrating communication as a linear , process , the interactional model incorporates feedback , which makes communication a more interactive , process . Feedback includes messages sent in response to other messages . The inclusion of a feedback loop also leads to a more complex understanding of the roles of participants in a communication event . The interactional model is focused on both the message and the interaction . While the linear model is focused on transmitting a message , the interactional model is more concerned with the communication loop itself . Feedback and context help make the interactional model a more accurate illustration of the typical process . Figure Interactional Model gee receiver receiver . feedback The Transactional Model of Communication Currently , many scholars view communication as more than a process that is used to carry on conversations and convey meaning . People don send messages like computers , and they don neatly alternate between roles of sender and receiver as the communication event unfolds . People also can decide to stop communicating , because communication is more than verbally sending and receiving messages . The transactional model of communication describes communication as a process in which don just communicate to exchange communicate to create relationships , form cultural alliances , shape , and engage with others to create community . In other words , people don communicate about their reality , communication helps to construct the reality . The roles of sender and receiver in the transactional model differ from the other models . Instead of being the sender or the receiver , people are both and receivers at the same time . are simultaneously sending messages and receiving messages adapting the message being sent as we are

CHAPTER THE STUDY OF COMMUNICATION I 15 receiving messages from others . Communication is a force that shapes our and events , therefore social , relational , cultural and physical frame and our social encounters . Context refers to the factors that work together to determine the meaning in communication events . In other words , we learn the norms and rules for communicating through the process of ing . The norms and rules are different based upon the types of relationships we have , and the cultural of the communicators . Like the idea of context in the communication process , noise refers to things that or block the effectiveness of communication . Noise can be caused by various things ranging from illness and faulty cell phone reception to stereotyping and poor grammar . While often overlooked as having an impact on the communication process , noise can subtly impact competent communication by acting as a disruption to the channel as well as within receivers . Figure . Transactional Model receiver receiver context or environment Conclusion We live in a rapidly changing world with larger forces driving us to interact with others who are culturally different from ourselves , There are six major categories of imperatives that our reasons for wanting to study intercultural communication . These imperatives are peace , demographics , economic , technology , cal and . Regardless of which imperative is personally most important to an individual , one fact is important to remember the communication choices we make determine the personal or national or national outcomes that follow . Understanding that communication is a linear , interactional , or transactional process rather than something that just happens helps communicators see more of what is going on around them . Whether you are a

16 CHAPTER THE STUDY OF COMMUNICATION sender or receiver or both at the same time , communication is far more than just transmitting information . There are social , relational , cultural , and physical that frame our communication norms and rules . This class will encourage you to look for and take note of the and communication processes that you haven been aware of before . The opposite of ethnocentrism is or the process of learning to understand oneself and one in . about others hel us to understand ourselves , Cultures are made of eo le attempting to make good decisions about how to live a life . Like you , they have values and beliefs that govern their choices . Analyzing the communication of people who are different than you can lead to a whole new appreciation of the diversity of humankind . Maybe this idea is new to you , but the study of intercultural is actually the study of YOUR story within the human ' Peace Imperative Universalist ' Technological Imperative ' Heterogeneous ' Nativistic Relativist ' Communication Principles ' Message ' Channel ' Demographic Imperative ' Ethical Imperative ' Homogeneous ' Digital Divide Sender Encoding Feedback Interactional Model Economic Imperative Imperative Diversity Digital Natives Ethnocentrism Receiver Decoding Context Transactional Model Reflection Questions . The book shares six studying intercultural communication . Choose the that most closely your own reason ( for studying intercultural

CHAPTER THE STUDY OF INTERCULTURAL 17 tion and write two or three paragraphs that explains your motivation for being in this class . Consider an instance in which you didn intend to communicate a message , but someone saw your behavior as communication . How did this person misinterpret your behavior ?

What were the ?

What did you say or do to correct the misperception ?

Recall an interaction that took a sudden turn for the worse . How did each person communication contribute to the change ?

What are some of the variables that effect meaning ?

What did you say or do to deal with the situation ?

Is communication intentional or unintentional ?

Can I send messages that I don mean to send ?

How can I tell if someone receives a message that I didn mean to send ?

Can I have a whole conversation without understanding the mixed message ?

Does it matter ?

What is competent intercultural communication ?

What is the difference between competent communication and effective intercultural communication ?

Can I be effective and not tent ?

Explore this . Give a personal or historical example .