Lesson 3

General Directions:
• Before going online for our synchronous sessions, you must
first read the key concepts and perform the required tasks
of this part of the module.
• Visit our digital learning platform for the instructions on the
online tools to be used and the mode and deadline of
Activity 1 submission of your activities.

Self-Inventory
Instruction: Assess your personal preparedness to communicate effectively with persons of
different cultures by labeling each of the following statements as true or false.

1. I enjoy communicating with persons unlike me as much as with persons like me.

2. I am equally sensitive to the concerns of all groups in our multicultural society.

3. I can tell when persons from other cultures do not understand me or are confused by my
actions.

4. I do not fear interacting with persons from minority groups any more than I fear interacting
with persons from the dominant culture.

5. Persons from other cultures have a right to be angry at members of my culture.

6. Persons from other cultures who don’t actively participate in a conversation, dialogue or
debate with others may act that way because of their culture’s rules.

7. How I handle disagreements with persons from other culture depends on the situation and
the culture(s) they are from.

8. My culture is not superior to other cultures.

9. I am knowledgeable of how to behave with persons of different cultures.

10. I respect the communication rules of cultures other than my own.

 The more TRUE responses you have, the more
prepared you are to engage in a multicultural
communication setting.
What’s your score?

Diversity refers to the differences in race, age, gender, income, religion, and ethnicity
among others.

Globalization requires that we pay attention to these differences as the global

community is formed.

Global Community refers to the people or nations of the world, considered as being
closely connected by modern telecommunications and as being economically, socially, and
politically interdependent. Examples: major offices and some homes linked with optical fiber
system; global multimedia services; and satellite transmissions that make communication
possible regardless of time and distance.

As the world moves to globalization, intercultural communication, an interaction with

individuals from different cultures, is possible.
Forms of Intercultural Communication:
A. Interracial Communication - the interpreting and sharing of meanings with individuals
from different races
B. Interethnic Communication - interaction with different individuals from different
ethnic origins
C. International Communication - communication between persons representing
different nations
D. Intracultural communication - interaction with members of the same racial or ethnic
group or co-culture as yours

Culture and Co-culture

Culture is a system of knowledge, beliefs, values, customs, behaviors, and artifacts that
are acquired, shared, and used by members during daily living.

Co-culture refers to the cultures within a culture. It is composed of members of the

same general culture who differ in some ethnic or sociological way from the parent culture
The means by which co-culture members attempt to fit in with the members of the dominant
culture is called assimilation. Meanwhile, the means by which co-culture members maintain
their cultural identity while striving to establish relationships with members of the dominant
culture is called accommodation. However, when co-culture members use to resist interacting
with members of the dominant culture, that is known as separation.

While ethnocentricism is the tendency to see one’s own culture as superior to all
others, cultural relativism is the acceptance of other cultural groups as equal in value to one’s
own. Cultural awareness is knowing that there are multiple different cultures – based on
religion, ethnicity, nationality, and other factors- that have different attitudes and outlooks.
 Cultural sensitivity involves accepting those differences without insisting your own
culture is better, or that everyone should do it your way (Sherman, 2018).

Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity Guidelines

1. View human difference as positive and a cause for celebration;

2. Have a clear sense of your own ethnic, cultural, and racial identity;
3. Be aware that in order to learn about others, you need to understand and be prepared to
share your own culture;
4. Be aware of your own discomfort when you encounter differences in race, color, religion,
sexual orientation, language, and ethnicity;
5. Be aware of the assumptions that you hold about people of cultures different from your
own;
6. Be aware of your stereotypes as they arise and develop personal strategies for reducing
the harm that they cause;
7. Be aware of how your cultural perspective influences your judgments about what
appropriate, normal, or superior behaviors, values, and communication styles are;
8. Accept that in cross-cultural situations, there can be uncertainty, and that uncertainty can
make you anxious. It can also mean that you do not respond quickly and take the time
needed to get more information;
9. Take any opportunity to put yourself in places where you can learn about differences and
create relationships; and
10. Understand that you will likely be perceived as a person with power and racial privilege
(or the opposite), and that you may not be seen as unbiased or as an ally.

Along with the cultural awareness and sensitivity, it is important to understand that there is
an equally important concept known as gender sensitivity. This term refers to the to the aim
of understanding and taking account of the societal and cultural factors involved in gender-
based exclusion and discrimination in the most diverse spheres of public and private life.

Gender-sensitive language - is the realization of gender equality in written and spoken

language. It is attained when women and men and those who do not conform to the binary
gender system are made visible and addressed in language as persons of equal value, dignity,
integrity, and respect.
Gender-neutral words
1. Ancestors, forebears (instead of forefathers)
2. Artificial, manufactured (instead of man-made)
3. Average/ordinary person (instead of common man)
4. Chair, chairperson, coordinator (instead of chairman)
5. Courteous, cultrues (instead of ladylike)
6. First-year student (instead of freshman)
7. Flight attendant (instead of stewardess)
8. Human resources (instead of manpower)
9. Legislator, representative (instead of congressman)
10. Mail carrier, letter carrier, postal worker (instead of mailman, postman)
11. People, human beings (instead of mankind)
12. Person, individual (instead of man)
13. Police officer (instead of policeman)
14. Solidarity (instead of brotherhood)
15. To operate, to cover, to staff (instead of to man)

Checklist for gender revisions:

1. Have you used man or men or words containing one of them to refer to people who may be
female? If so, consider substituting another word.

2. If you have mentioned someone’s gender, was it necessary to do so? If you identify someone
as a female architect, for example, do you (or would you) refer to someone else as a male
architect? And if you then note that the woman is an attractive blonde mother of two, do
you mention that the man is a muscular, square-jawed father of three? Unless gender and
related matters – looks, clothes, parenthood – are relevant to your point, leave them
unmentioned,

3. Do you use any occupational stereotypes? Watch for the use of female pronouns for nurses
and male ones for scientists, for example.

4. Do you use language that in any away shows a lack of respect for either sex?

5. Have you used he, him, his or himself to refer to people who may be female?
Activity 2

1. Visit the Google Jamboard link to be provided by the teacher.

(Check the fb messenger to identify the link to be used by the class for the activity).

2. Since you will be one of the “editors” of the Jamboard, do not modify posts done by the
teacher or by your other classmates.

3. Indicate your name for notes or post its that you are going to share

4. Be a responsible digital citizen.

5. Check our LMS for updates on our schedule to be online.

Activity 3

1. The groups will be presenting their 10-slide presentation of the communication culture
of the assigned continents.

2. Groups must already prepare their presentation and assign a representative to present
the output before going online.

3. Each group is only given 5 minutes maximum time for the presentation.

4. Check our digital classroom for updates on our schedule to be online.

Evaluation

• Visit our digital learning platform for the evaluation to be posted by the teacher.
Assignment

Write a four-paragraph essay that explains the importance of awareness and

understanding of cultural diversity and communication in multicultural settings. Be guided by
the rubric below.

Needs
Excellent Good
Description Improvement
(5) (3)
(1)
Knowledge, content, and ideas are well
conceived and developed.
Organization and structure of ideas are
logically presented and executed using
transitions.
Vocabulary and choice of words are
appropriate and clear to the reader.
Grammar, punctuation, and spelling are
accurate and correct.
Format in the use of font type, font size,
margin, spacing, and citation are followed
correctly.
Total: 25 pts.
Adapted from faculty.kutztown.edu/nunez/Composition%Rubric.com

References

Madrunio, M.R. and Martin, I.P. Purposive Communication: Using English in Multilingual
Contexts. Quezon City: C&E Publishing Inc. 2018.

Mercado, M.C. et al. Purposive Communication: Connecting to the World. Malabon City: Mutya
Publishing House Inc. 2018.

Sevilla, J.R. Communication in Multicultural Setting: A Lecture Presentation during the General
Education Curriculum Training at Ateneo de Naga University. 2017.