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Intercultural Communication
Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you will be able to demonstrate an understanding of intercultural
communication and show sensitivity to one's culture, gender, age, social status, and religion.

Intercultural Communication
You live in a culturally diverse world. In these rapidly changing times, you find many
opportunities for intercultural interaction. In school, you may have a classmate who differs
from you in ethnicity, race, religion, or nationality. Through technology, you can now easily
communicate with people of different social and cultural backgrounds.

Intercultural communication refers to communication between members of different

cultural, social, or linguistic groups. To engage in intercultural communication, participants
should essentially understand the following:

 Self-awareness, or an understanding of one's self and place in society, is essential for

better communication with others, especially with those who are different from you.
Knowing who you are and to which cultural and social group you belong will enable you
to relate better to others and to show sensitivity to them.
 The way you communicate with others is largely influenced by your view of them.
 Culture, gender, age, social status, and religion are some sociocultural factors that
influence and affect communication.

Culture
Through communication with others, culture is created, learned and shared. Without
communication, there is no way of preserving and transmitting cultural characteristics from one
person, place, and time to another. In turn, our culture influences the way we communicate
with others. Hence, there exists a dynamic relationship between culture and communication.

Culture has been described in many different ways. In general, culture refers to the learned
set of knowledge, norms, behaviors, values, beliefs, attitudes, customs, and practices that
people in a particular group share at a specific point in time. Moreover, according to Dr.
Bradford Hall in his article "Theories of Culture and Communication" (1992), culture can be
viewed as a set of learned and group-related perceptions. That is, people view the world in
certain ways because of the cultural group to which they belong. Note, however, that
differences in worldview also exist within cultures.

Cultural differences in nonverbal communication are among the main causes of

misunderstandings in intercultural situations. Most nonverbal signals (e.g., body language,
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space, gestures, clothing) are culturally defined, and they account for difficulties in
communicating with others. A participant acts according to his or her culture, while another
participant who has a different culture might interpret the actions of the other participant
differently.

Take a look at this dialogue between a Filipino and an

American.
Situation: Raul meets with his new friend Peter at a restaurant. Raul arrives late.
Raul: Hi, Peter! I'm sorry I'm late. I was stuck in traffic.
Peter: (looking irritated) Well, you should have called ahead of time. So, how are you?
Raul: I'm actually not feeling well. I went to the park yesterday and . . . (continuously
telling Peter the activities he did yesterday)

In this situation, Peter appears irritated because Raul arrived late. Unlike in Filipino culture,
punctuality is very important in American culture. If you know that you will be arriving late, it is
a must to telephone ahead of time to let the person know of the delay. Also, asking "How are
you" or "How have you been" is simply a greeting for Americans. They do not really expect you
to tell them about your health or all the things you did unlike in Filipino culture.

It is important that you become aware of and sensitive to the values and norms of people of
various cultural groups. To communicate with them effectively, you must be empathetic to
them.

Gender
Men and women in general differ in the way they express themselves or in how they
communicate with others. This is referred to as communication style. In men-only
conversations, some tend to dominate the conversation, and they seldom talk about their
private lives. On the other hand, in women-only conversations, they usually allow everyone to
participate, and they often talk about their personal relationships.

Here are more gender differences in communication styles. However, note that these
differences do not apply to all men and women and to all cultures.
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In intercultural communication, nonverbal communication also differs significantly between

genders and across cultures. Here are some examples:

 In most Western cultures, it is normal for women and men to hug even if they are not
close friends.
 In Middle Eastern cultures, public displays of affection (e.g., touching, holding hands)
are unacceptable.
 In most Western cultures, maintaining eye contact throughout a conversation is a sign
of respect and attentiveness. In many Latin American and Asian cultures, prolonged eye
contact can indicate rudeness, especially between people of different social hierarchies.
In Middle Eastern cultures, men and women are not supposed to make eye contact.
However, making eye contact with a person of the same sex, especially a man with
another man, is a sign of sincerity.

As you participate in intercultural communication, consider gender differences in

communication styles and across cultures to avoid conflict or misunderstanding. Also, your
awareness, adaptation, and correct interpretation of nonverbal signals are essential for
achievement of mutual understanding in any communication situation.

Aside from culture and gender, it is vital that you show sensitivity to the participants
regarding their age, social status, and religion.

Age
People of different ages or generations may have difficulty communicating with one
another. A person's age or the generation to which he or she belongs influences the way he or
she communicates with others. Younger generations tend to use digital formats (e.g., text
messaging, social networking), while older generations prefer face-to-face discussions.

Age-related communication also reflects culture. In Filipino culture, for

example, pagmamano and Filipino expressions like po and opoare taught to children at an early
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age as a sign of politeness and respect to the elders. In Turkish culture, kissing the right hand is
a common way of greeting the elders.

Social Status
Differences in social status may affect the way we communicate with others, especially in
intercultural communication. A person's standing or position in society can influence the way
that person chooses his or her peers. People are more likely to interact with others of the same
social standing as them. Also, communication gap is likely to happen between a person of a
higher status and that of a lower status since they differ in background, education, income, and
social habits, among others.

Status differences are evident across cultures. In many Western and Eastern cultures, a
person of a lower status is introduced to a person of a higher status in a formal business
setting. In Japanese business culture where titles are very important, people exchange business
cards that clearly state their ranks even before they shake hands or bow. Bowing in Japan also
indicates status. A person with a lower status must bow lower than the person with a higher
status.

Religion
Communication between persons belonging to different religions is a common source of
intercultural conflict. This usually arises when the participants engaged in a conversation
impose one's religious views on others who may not share those views.

Differences in religious views may lead to prejudice. For instance, some may find it difficult
interacting with others who do not share their religion. A person may even avoid talking to
someone from a particular religious group.

Religion deeply influences culture. In Thailand where Buddhism is the main religion, anger is
considered to be one of the three poisons (the other two are greed and ignorance). Buddhism
believes that "righteous" or “justifiable" anger does not exist. Thus, anger or aggression should
be avoided. In many religious groups, certain types of foods are prohibited. For example,
Muslims do not eat pork; most Hindus do not eat beef; and Jews do not eat pork and shellfish.

Being aware of religious differences and being open to the religious views of others foster
understanding and mutual respect.