Intercultural Competence Research Project:South Korea

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Section 1: Country/ Culture Mapping

A. Geography

B. History

C. Politics

D. Economy

E. Demographics

F. Society, Culture and Religion

G. Education

H. Videos and General Tourism Information

Section 2: Theories and Research Concerning Intercultural Competence

Chapter 10: Intercultural Competence in Interpersonal Relationships

Chapter 11:Episodes, Contexts, and Intercultural Interactions

Chapter 12: The Potential for Intercultural Competence

Chapter 1: Introduction to Intercultural Competence

Chapter 2: Culture and Intercultural Communication

Chapter 3: Intercultural Communication Competence

Chapter 4:Cultural Patterns and Communication- Foundations

Chapter 5: Cultural Patterns and Communication- Taxonomies

Chapter 6: Cultural Identity and Cultural Biases

Chapter 7: Verbal Intercultural Communication

Chapter 8: Nonverbal Intercultural Communication

Chapter 9: The Effects of Code Usage in Intercultural Communication

Section 3: Resources

Book Review

Section 4: Personal Connections/Reflective Analysis

Article of Explanation

Informal Interview

Reflective Analysis

Section 5: Portfolio, Reflective Writing and Collegial Sharing

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Home

Section 1: Country/ Culture Mapping

A. Geography

B. History

C. Politics

D. Economy

E. Demographics

F. Society, Culture and Religion

G. Education

H. Videos and General Tourism Information

Section 2: Theories and Research Concerning Intercultural Competence

Chapter 10: Intercultural Competence in Interpersonal Relationships

Chapter 11:Episodes, Contexts, and Intercultural Interactions

Chapter 12: The Potential for Intercultural Competence

Chapter 1: Introduction to Intercultural Competence

Chapter 2: Culture and Intercultural Communication

Chapter 3: Intercultural Communication Competence

Chapter 4:Cultural Patterns and Communication- Foundations

Chapter 5: Cultural Patterns and Communication- Taxonomies

Chapter 6: Cultural Identity and Cultural Biases

Chapter 7: Verbal Intercultural Communication

Chapter 8: Nonverbal Intercultural Communication

Chapter 9: The Effects of Code Usage in Intercultural Communication

Section 3: Resources

Book Review

Section 4: Personal Connections/Reflective Analysis

Article of Explanation

Informal Interview

Reflective Analysis

Section 5: Portfolio, Reflective Writing and Collegial Sharing

Sitemap

Navigation

Section 2: Theories and Research Concerning Intercultural Competence >

Chapter 8: Nonverbal Intercultural Communication

Nonverbal Codes

Encompass all communication that takes place without the use of words
Not entirely separate from verbal communication

Multichanneled, occurring in many ways and simultaneously

Multifunctional, they can acheive many goals simultaneously

Often spontaneous and subconscious

Lie to Me Intro

They are sent and received with less awareness than verbal messages

They are natural and continuous

Cultural universals in nonverbal communication are as follows:

Cultural differences in nonverbal communication:

Nonverbal Culture Conflict

Repertoires: behaviors that are enacted. Movements, body positions, postures, vocal intonations,
gestures, spatial requirements, and even dances

Display rules: govern when and under what circumstances various non verbal expressions are required,
preferred, permitted, or prohibited

Interpretations: meanings that are attributed to particular nonverbal patterns. Random interpretations
have no meanings to anyone. Idiosyncratic interpretation suggests that behaviors are unique to special
individuals or relationships, and have particular meanings to those people only

"Nonverbal repertoires, their corresponding display rules, and their preferred interpretations are not
taught verbally. Rather, they are learned directly through observation and personal experience in a
culture. Because they are frequently acquired outside of conscious awareness, they are rarely
questioned or challenged by their users and are often noticed only when they are violated. In
intercultural communication, therefore, misunderstandings often occur in the interpretations of
nonverbal behaviors because different display rules create very different meanings about the
appropriateness and effectiveness of particular interaction sequences."

Nonverbal Functions in Intercultural Communication

Providing Information

Managing Impressions

Expressing Emotions

Regulating Interactions

Conveying Relationship Messages

Nonverbal Messages in Intercultural Communication

Physical Appearance: includes body characteristics, modifications and adornments

Environment: includes levels of formality, emotional tone, privacy, familiarity, constraint, and spatial
arrangment

Body movements: gestures, head movements, facial expressions, eye behaviors...

Emblems: nonverbal behaviors that have a direct verbal counterpart. 2 fingered peace symbol, arm wave
hello or bye. Emblems have to be learned to be understood, they are culture-specific. Meaning in one
culture may be different than in anoth

Illustrators:nonverbal behaviors that are directly tied to, or accompany the verbal message. Used to
emphasize, explain and support a word or phrase. Less arbitrary more likely to be understood.

Affect displays: facial nad body movements that show feelings and emotions. Universally recognized.
Primary affect displays are basic emotional states. There are 30 affect blends or combos of the primaries
(happiness, sadness, fear...)

Regulators: nonverbal behaviors that help to synchronize the back and forth nature of conversations.
Head nods, eye contact, postural shift, back-channel signals. Taking turns is required in all conversations.
They are culture-specific- Rude to look in eyes etc.

Adaptors: personal body movements that occur as a reaction to an individuals physical or psychological
state. Itching, fidgeting, tapping. Usually unintentional

Personal Space: called proximics, the study of how people use their personal space. Very culture
specific. Intimate, Personal, Social, and Public.
Territoriality: set of behaviors that people display to show that they "own" or have the right to control
the use of a particular geographic area

people mark territories differently

can be exhibited in 3 ways:

1) differ by degree of territoriality that its members exhibit

2) range of possible places or spaces which are territorial

3)typical reactions exhibited in response to invasions or contamination's

Synchrony of Nonverbal Communication Codes

Cultures train their members to synchronize the various nonverbal behaviors to form a response
pattern that typifies the expected behaviors in that culture. Subtle variations in the response patterns
are clearly noticed, even when they differ by only a few thousandths of a second.

Nonverbal Communication and Intercultural Competence

Nonverbal codes are important to an understanding of intercultural communication because virtually

everything we say, do, create, and wear can communicate messages about our culture and ourselves.
Indeed, as Peter A. Andersen suggests, “One of the most basic and obvious functions of nonverbal
communication is to communicate one’s culture.”

Some examples on nonverbal communication in intercultural communication:

Cultural meanings of touch

Touch means different things in different cultures. High contact cultures are the Middle east, latin
america, southern europe touch more in social conversations that noncontact cultures such as Asia and
Northern Europe.
Cultures may also differ as to where people can be touched (head sacred in some cultures.) Vary in
expectations of who can touch whom. Vary in settings or occasions in which touch is acceptable.

Cultural meanings of time

Chronemics- study of time how people use it, structure it, interpret and understand it

Time orientation- value or importance the members of a culture place on the passage of time

Past oriented:regard previous experiences and events as most important. Primary emphasis on tradition
and the wisdom passed down from older generations

Present Oriented: view current experiences most important, major emphasis on spontaneity, and
immediacy

Future Oriented:believe that tomorrow or other moment is more important

Time systems: implicit cultural rules that are used to arrange sets of experiences in some meaningful way
3 types:

1) technical- precise, scientific measurements of time that are calculated in such units as nanoseconds

2)Formal- Seconds, minutes, hours, days weeks months and years, differs by culture

3)Informal- assumptions cultures make about how time should be used or experienced

4) Polychronic: several things are happening at once

Cultural meanings of voice

Voice: voiced sounds are not necessarily verbal, a belch for example.

Application

Nonverbal South Korea United States

Table Etiquette Slurping and burping at the table are seen as compliments and that you are satisfied
with your meal. Slurping and burping at the table are considered rude and of poor manners.

Public Etiquette Spitting and blowing snot in public are also acceptable gestures. These behaviors are
seen as cleaning yourself. In the United States, these actions are not seen as acceptable.
Public Display of Affection Females friends are allowed to sit on each others laps in public and can
often be seen walking arm in arm or holding hands. If two members of the opposite sex were to engage
in these behaviors, it would depict sexual vulgarity. In the United States, these behaviors would not
be seen as sexual vulgarity.

Eye Contact Eye contact is seen as disrespectful. Here in the United States, eye contact is seen as
a sign of respect.

Peace Sign The peace sign symbolizes happiness and enjoyment. For Americans, this simply
symbolizes peace and meaning no harm.

Physical Contact Koreans do not touch strangers, especially those of the opposite sex.
Americans also avoid physical contact with strangers.

Arm Gestures Crossed arms or making an X with your hands means No or we don’t have it here.
In the United States, this gesture does not have a specific meaning.

Hand Gestures A limp hand means come here. Where as an upright palm and waving towards oneself
means come here.

Facial Expressions Too much smiling is related to shallowness. Smiling is our way of being
friendly and polite.

Biblical Links

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make straight in the
desert a highway for our God. Is 40:3

As messengers of the most high God, it is our job to prepare the way for the gospel and not to create
obstacles. Obstacles we must be mindful to tear down in interacting with other cultures are those
created by our own culture. Truth may offend but we need not offend in our gestures or actions.

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