Interpersonal

Communication and
Cultural Diversity:
Adapting Others
Understanding Diversity :
Describing Our Differences
 Gender
 Sexual Orientation
 Race and Ethnicity
 Age
 Social Class
Understanding Culture
 Culture is a learned system of knowledge,
behavior, attitudes, values, beliefs norms
that is shared by a group of people

 Cultural Elements.
Categories of things and ideas that identify
the most profound aspects of cultural
influence. (school, governments, music,
language etc)
 How We Learn Our Culture

- Enculturation – process of communicating

a group’s culture from generation to
generation

- Acculturation – process through which an

individual acquires new approaches,
beliefs and values by coming into contact
with other cultures
 Cultural Values
what a given group of people values or
appreciates can provide insight into the behavior
of an individual raised within that group.
Hofstede identifies four variables for measuring
values that are significant in almost every
culture.
1. Masculine and feminine perspectives
2. Avoidance of uncertainty
3. Distribution of power
4. Individualism
1. Masculine vs feminine
- Masculine cultures value achievement,
assertiveness, heroism, material wealth
and more traditional sex roles
- Feminine cultures value relationships,
caring for the less fortunate, overall quality
of life and less traditional distinctions
between sex roles
2. Tolerance of Uncertainty vs Avoidance of
Certainty
- Cultures that value certainty do not like
ambiguity and value feeling secure
- Cultures that value uncertainty are
comfortable with ambiguity and less
information
3. Decentralized vs Centralized Distribution
of Power
- Centralized power cultures value having
power in the hands of a small number of
people
- Decentralized power cultures favor
equality and an even distribution of power
in government and organization
 Individual vs Group Achievement
(Individualistic and Collectivistic)
- Individualistic cultures value individual
achievement and accomplishments
- Collectivistic cultures value group and
team collaboration
BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
 Intercultural Comm. occurs when individuals or
groups from different cultures communicate.
 Communication between 2 people from different
culture is very challenging
 Research suggest that culture has a direct effect
on how we communicate with one another
 Miscommunication and misunderstanding occur
because of different coding rules and cultural
norms. Cultural Shock, a sense of confusion,
anxiety, stress and loss may happen.
1. Ethnocentrism
 Ethnocentrism stems from a conviction
that our own cultural traditions and
assumptions are superior to those of
others
 A problem that occurs when a group views
its own preferences as always the best
way.
2. Different Communication Codes
 Your culture and ethnic background have
direct effect on the way you listen to
information from others.
 Your ability to communicate effectively and
appropriately depends on whether you can
understand each other’s verbal and
nonverbal codes.
 Translation of one language to another
can be missed or mangled. (E.g. pg. 104)
3. Stereotyping and Prejudice
 Stereotype – to place a person or group of
persons into inflexible; all-encompassing
category.
 *remember thin slice – we judge other
based on a small sample of behavior.
 Prejudice – a judgment or opinion of
someone formed before you know all of
the facts or the background of that person.
4. Assuming Similarities
 It is wrong to assume that others act and
think just like we do. Cultural difference
DO exist. Even if they appear to be like
you, all people are not alike.
 You must take time to explore a person’s
background and cultural values before you
can determine what you really have in
common.
5. Assuming Differences
 Communication effectiveness is lessen
when we assume we’re all different from
one another in every aspect.
 Failing to explore common values and
experiences that can serve as bridges to
better understanding
IMPROVING INTERCULTURAL
COMPETENCE
 IC competence – is the ability to adapt your
behavior toward another in ways that are
appropriate to the other person’s culture.
 Be more aware of what is appropriate or
simply sensitive to cultural differences
 Due to that individual needs to have
knowledge about another culture and the
motivation to adapt or modify his or her
behavior
Developing Bridging Strategies
 3 strategy to help you bridge differences
between yourself and people from
different cultural backgrounds.
a. Develop Appropriate Knowledge
b. Develop motivation
c. Develop Skill
 a. Developing Knowledge to enhance
understanding
Seek Information About the Culture
- Learn about a culture’s world view - individual perception or
perceptions by a culture or group of people about key beliefs
and issues, such as death, God and the meaning of life
which influence interaction with others.
Ask Questions and Listen
- Reduce uncertainty by asking for clarification and listening to
the answer
Develop a Third Culture
- Create common ground where people from separate
cultures create a third ‘ new’ more comprehensive and
inclusive culture
b. Developing Motivation : Strategies to
Accept Others
Tolerate Ambiguity
- Be patient and try to expend your capacity to
tolerate ambiguity if you are speaking to someone
with a noticeably different world view
Develop Mindfulness
- Be conscious of cultural differences, rather than
ignoring the differences
Avoid Negative Judgments
- Resist thinking that your culture has all the

answers
c. Developing Skill: Strategies to Adapt
to Others
 Cont…
3 ways to socially decenter or take another’s
perspective :
i. Develop an understanding of another based on
how you have responded when something
similar has happened to you.
ii. Base your understanding of others on the
knowledge you have about a specific person

iii. Make generalizations about someone based

on your understanding of how you think most
people would feel or behave.
The end