Develop Your Intercultural Communication Skills. February 13, 2016 Orlando, FL Kyoung-Ah Nam, Ph.D.

Transcription

1 Develop Your Intercultural Communication Skills February 13, 2016 Orlando, FL Kyoung-Ah Nam, Ph.D.

2 Welcome!

3 Working with Host Family and International Students We all like diversity as long as everyone acts like us? Howard Phillips

4 Challenges Language issues. Better communication barrier strategies. Cultural differences and awareness: Effective ways to learn about other cultures How to better deal with cultural shock / reverse culture shock How to work effectively with an indirect communicator? Culture demeanor (what we would consider being rude here is actually just being direct) General overview of cultures by region. Common misconceptions about various cultures. Nonverbal communication that is often misunderstood. Trying to help them see things from another perspective. Similarities and differences in values, beliefs, differences in perception How to create realistic expectations What is important in one culture may be very unimportant in another (time for instance).

5 Intercultural Communication Drawing Your Ideal Dream House

6 The Iceberg Concept of Culture

7 Deep Culture Folk Culture High Culture The Iceberg Concept of Culture Fine Art Drama Literature Classical Music Etiquette Diet Dress Cooking Folk Dancing Popular Music Humor Games Courtship Practice Primarily in Awareness Primarily out of Tempo of Work Gender Role Awareness Ordering of Time & Space Concept of Beauty Eye Behaviors Family Relationship Decision-Making Method of Problem-Solving Nature of Friendship Conversational Patterns Non-Verbal Behaviors Theory of Disease

8 The Onion Concept of Culture

9 The Tree Concept of Culture Behavior Clothing Food Meanings Beliefs Attitudes Values Cultural Roots

10 Looking at Culture from Our Own Lenses/Frames

11 What do you see?

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14 Stumbling Blocks in Intercultural Communication By LaRay Barna Assumption of Similarities Language Differences Nonverbal Misinterpretations Preconceptions and Stereotypes Tendency to Evaluate High Anxiety (culture shock, physical reactions, etc.)

15 High-school students

16 Culture Shock: Intercultural Adjustment The Revised W-Shape Adjustment Model

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18 Intensity Factors (Paige, 1993) Intensity Factors: factors that raise the level of psychological intensity Cultural Differences Ethnocentrism Language Cultural Immersion Cultural Isolation Status Power and Control Prior intercultural experience Expectations Visibility and Invisibility

19 Cultural Difference The greater degree between cultures, the more psychologically intense the experience will be

20 Cultural Difference The more negatively a different culture is viewed, the more psychologically intense the experience will be

21 Ethnocentrism The more ethnocentric you are, the more psychologically intense the experience will be

22 Ethnocentrism The more ethnocentric the host is, the more psychologically intense the experience will be

23 Ethnocentrism The more racist, prejudiced and sexist a host culture is, the more psychologically intense the experience will be

24 Language The less language ability, the more psychologically intense the experience will be The more essential language skills are needed for functioning in a target culture, the more psychologically intense the experience will be

25 Cultural Immersion The more immersed you are in another culture, the more psychologically intense the experience will be

26 Cultural Isolation The less contact with your own cultural group, the more psychologically intense the experience will be

27 Prior Intercultural Experience The less interaction or exposure you have had with intercultural experiences, the more psychologically intense the experience will be

28 Expectations The more unrealistic you are about the host s culture, the more psychologically intense the experience will be

29 Expectations Three Meals Time for Shower 29

30 Visibility and Invisibility The more visibly different you are from the host s culture, the more psychologically intense the experience will be Feeling invisible to your host culture because they do not accept aspects of your identity, the more psychologically intense the experience will be (e.g., Western feminism)

31 Status If you are in another culture and do not feel as though you are commanding deserved respect, the more psychologically intense the experience will be

32 Power and Control The less power and control you have in another culture, the more psychologically intense the experience will be

33 Communication Style Differences A. LINEAR/DIRECT Straight to the point WHAT (content) matters most, HOW is secondary Task-oriented Don t beat around the bush Cut to the chase Give me the bottom-line Yes means yes, no means no

34 Communication Style Differences B. NON-LINEAR/INDIRECT Detours are taken HOW is most important WHAT (content) is secondary Relationship-oriented Non-verbal communication matter (gestures, tone of voice, facial expressions, etc.) Rank, age, gender, class, ethnicity of the person communicating matter 'Yes means yes, maybe or no

35 Communication Style Differences (Hall,1976) Low Context Cultures: explicit communication is important. High Context Cultures: norms are understood and not needed to be explained because everyone knows them (and each other).

36 Communication Patterns A Low-Context Direct B A B High-Context Indirect

37 High Context vs. Low Context Learning Styles High Context Low Context Multiple sources of information used. Learning occurs first by observing others as they model. Groups are preferred for learning and problem solving. Accuracy is valued. How well something is learned is important. One sources of information used. Learning occurs by following explicit directions and explanations of others. Individual orientation are preferred for learning and problem solving. Speed is valued. How efficiently something is learned is important. Japanese Korean Chinese Arab Greek Spanish Italian English North American Swiss German High Context Low Context

38 Different Concepts of Time monochronic Do one thing at a time. Concentrate on the job Take time commitments (deadlines, schedules) seriously Are low-context and need information Are committed to the job Adhere religiously to plans Show great respect for private property; seldom borrow or lend Emphasize promptness polychronic Do many things at once Are highly distractible and subject to interruptions Consider time commitments an objective to be achieved, if possible Are high-context and already have information Are committed to people and human relationships Change plans often and easily Base promptness on the relationship

39 Geert Hofstede Hofstede (born1928) is an influential Dutch organizational sociologist, who studied the interactions between national cultures and organizational cultures. Power Distance Index (PDI) Individualism (IDV) vs. Collectivism Masculinity (MAS) vs. Femininity Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI) Long-Term Orientation (LTO) vs. Short-Term Orientation (STO) Subjective Well-Being (SWB)

40 Individualism vs. Collectivism Situation Individualistic Cultures Collectivistic Cultures General I Identity We Identity Family Nuclear Family Extended Family Relationship Privacy Regulation Relational Harmony School Individual Competition Teamwork Workplace Group Orientation Communication Personality Equivalence Personal Competence Direct Communication Patterns Independent Self In-group Emphasis Indirect Communication Patterns Interdependent Self Ting-Toomey & Chung (2005)

41 Small vs. Large Power Distance Situation Small Power Distance Cultures Large Power Distance Cultures General Emphasize Interpersonal Emphasize Status-Based Equality Difference Family Relationship School Workplace Group Orientation Communication Personality Equivalence Children May Contradict Parents Children Should Obey Parents Younger People Are Smart Older People Are Wise Teachers Ask for Feedback Subordinates Expect Consultation Informal Communication Patterns Horizontal Self Teachers Lecture Subordinates Expect Guidance Formal Communication Patterns Vertical Self Ting-Toomey & Chung (2005)

42 Building Bridges between the U.S., China and Mexico

43 Language and Culture Feel free to jump in! How are you? I like your necklace! Please make yourself at home It is a bit difficult

44 Direct vs. Indirect Communication (Nam, in-press) No. I disagree I don t think that s a good idea This may not work It might be a little difficult I understand what you mean, but Do you think perhaps there might be different ideas we can possibly think about? That is an interesting idea I will think about it I will get back to you later Maybe Hum. or (Lean backward with sigh). (Silence)

45 Interactive Exercise: DAE D escribe A nalyze E valuate Source: Nam, K.-A. & Condon, J. (2010). D.I.E. is cast: The continuing evolution of Intercultural communication s favorite exercise. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 34 (1),

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47 Purpose: To have a more accurate view of the situation

48 Process Problems Skipping step one (jumping to I/A or E) Incorrectly applying step two (subjective interpretation / analysis) Incorrectly applying step three (wrong evaluation)

49 Key Objectives Encountering the unfamiliar To foster greater self-awareness and discernment between: What can be said objectively What can be said in the realm of inference or speculation What may be expressed as value judgment and personal opinion

50 Perception = Reality We don t see things how THEY are, we see things how WE are - Anaïs Nin

51 Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) (Bennett, 1993; Hammer, 2009)

52 Interactive exercise What to avoid? What to do instead?

53 Thank you! Kyoung-Ah Nam, Ph.D.