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Intercultural communication is a vast area to study, but with the ever expanding collaboration of cultures, it is becoming more and more necessary. Martin and Nakayama (2014) present six imperatives that demonstrate why the need for effective intercultural communicators is significant. Successful communication between cultures would bring benefits to intercultural peace, economy, technology, demography, self-awareness, and ethics (p. 3). “ A child born today will be faced as an adult, almost daily, with problems of a global interdependent nature, be it peace, food, the quality of life, inflation, or scarcity of resources” (Muller, as cited in Martin & Nakayama, 2014, p. 2). Without intercultural communication skills, they will not be prepared to face these issues. I will be reviewing specific portions of these skills, including, discrimination, popular culture, intercultural workplace conflicts, and language barriers.
“The behavior that results from stereotyping or prejudice - overt actions to exclude, avoid, or distance oneself from other groups - is called discrimination” (Martin & Nakayama, 2014, p. 62). Discrimination can be based on any specific trait of a certain cultural group; race, gender, age, social status, etc. Discriminatory acts can be as small as a wealthily man averted his eyes as not to make eye contact with a homeless man, or as large as Hitler’s genocide of those individuals who did not meet his Aryan standards. Discrimination can be interpersonal, prejudice between individuals such as kids at a school, collective, bias against a certain culture in it’s entirety, or institutional, favoritism shown by an complete organization.
To counter institutional discrimination, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was established in July of 1965. This organization enforces “employment discrimination law aims to prevent discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, sex, physical disability, and age of employees” (Olison, 2008, p. 2). Even with the EEOC however, several companies have been found guilty of employee prejudice. One explanatory example is the Abercrombie & Fitch case; this retail store is one, among many, known for hiring employees based on their attraction and sex appeal. “Abercrombie & Fitch is a chain that has continued to thrive largely because of its prominent and persuasive marketing and brand identity called the ‘A&F Look’, which has come under escalating attack for being discriminatory” (Olison, 2008, p. 10). Employees have been fired or asked to work in the stock room instead of in public because they do not have the ‘A&F Look’, white, skinny, and attractive. While Abercrombie lawyers argue that their hired ‘brand representatives’ are best for their company and not in any way biased, “one wonders how this case could be seen as anything BUT discriminatory” (Olison, 2008, p. 20).
Popular culture is all around us and therefore subconsciously influences our lives, friends, and decisions. According to Martin and Nakayama (2014). Popular culture is ubiquitous. We are bombarded with it, every day and everywhere. On average, U.S. Americans watch more than 40 hours of television per week. Movie theaters beckon us with the latest multimillion-dollar extravaganzas, nearly all U.S.-made. Radio stations and TV music stations blast us with the hottest music groups performing their latest hits. And we are inundated with a staggering number of advertisements and commercials daily (p. 208-209).
The pop culture we listen to, watch, or experience will help us form our individual cultural identity. For example, “contemporary christian music (CCM) is a genre that uses American rock and pop styles to express religious ideas” (Radwan, 2004, p. 191). By choosing to listen to this type of music, one would be solidifying their cultural identity as an American Christian. The same can be said about any popular culture product. If an Asian-American chooses to watch Asian films with American subtitles, they are encouraging their Asian-American cultural identity.
Conflict is usually defined as involving a perceived or real incompatibility of goals, values, expectations, processes, or outcomes between two or more interdependent individuals or groups” (Martin & Nakayama, 2014, p. 231). Intercultural communication conflicts can occur in the workplace due to the fact that different cultures place a different value on a strong work ethic. For example, with the gradual increase in the number of Korean companies in the United
States, and the growing demand for bi-cultural employees who are competent in English as well as Korean, many Korean-Americans now work with traditional Koreans. “However, many managers in these Korean companies face struggles in managing the differences between traditional Korean employees and Korean-American employees” (Han, 2007, p.3).
According to Han (2007), the way in which traditional Korean employees and Korean-American employees interact and express their views relating to work values and ethical issues within the workplace are significantly different (p. 5). Additionally, traditional Koreans tend to be collectivists, while a Korean-American has generally already began to pick up on the individualistic way of America. These dissimilarities among employees attempting to work together would lead to to significant intercultural communication conflicts.
I do not currently have specific plans to become more inter culturally savvy in communication. I was raised to have an open mind when meeting new people and to always treat people with respect, even if they are different from my norm. Living in America, which is already so culturally diverse, I feel as if those around me are apart of various cultures that differ from my own and I am constantly learning new customs and traditions just by being around them. Furthermore, I enjoy travel and experiencing new adventures in unfamiliar cultures. I intend to continue traveling and am constantly broadening my range of discovery. Through these experiences, I hope to expand my knowledge of intercultural communication.
Often the largest part of culture shock is the language barrier, and “it can be frustrating not to be able to understand what is being said” (Martin & Nakayama, 2014, p. 298). However, to a degree, I do think that two people can communicate effectively if they don’t speak the same language. Without a verbal understanding of one another, communicators would need to rely on non-verbal cues to communicate, which I think could only cover the basics. By using visual cues, pointing to specific areas, or using basic sign language, I think language barred communicators could find the restroom, a car, a drink, or some food. Beyond these basic requests, the use of a translator would be necessary.
By reviewing and internalizing communication skills that help manage discrimination, popular culture, intercultural workplace conflicts, and language barriers we can better prepare for our future. Our children will not have to ask: “Why was I not warned? Why was I not better educated? Why did my teachers not tell me about these problems and indicate my behavior as a member of an interdependent human race?” (Muller, as cited in Martin & Nakayama, 2014, p. 2).
“The behavior that results from stereotyping or prejudice - overt actions to exclude, avoid, or distance oneself from other groups - is called discrimination” (Martin & Nakayama, 2014, p. 62). Discrimination can be based on any specific trait of a certain cultural group; race, gender, age, social status, etc. Discriminatory acts can be as small as a wealthily man averted his eyes as not to make eye contact with a homeless man, or as large as Hitler’s genocide of those individuals who did not meet his Aryan standards. Discrimination can be interpersonal, prejudice between individuals such as kids at a school, collective, bias against a certain culture in it’s entirety, or institutional, favoritism shown by an complete organization.
To counter institutional discrimination, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was established in July of 1965. This organization enforces “employment discrimination law aims to prevent discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, sex, physical disability, and age of employees” (Olison, 2008, p. 2). Even with the EEOC however, several companies have been found guilty of employee prejudice. One explanatory example is the Abercrombie & Fitch case; this retail store is one, among many, known for hiring employees based on their attraction and sex appeal. “Abercrombie & Fitch is a chain that has continued to thrive largely because of its prominent and persuasive marketing and brand identity called the ‘A&F Look’, which has come under escalating attack for being discriminatory” (Olison, 2008, p. 10). Employees have been fired or asked to work in the stock room instead of in public because they do not have the ‘A&F Look’, white, skinny, and attractive. While Abercrombie lawyers argue that their hired ‘brand representatives’ are best for their company and not in any way biased, “one wonders how this case could be seen as anything BUT discriminatory” (Olison, 2008, p. 20).
Popular culture is all around us and therefore subconsciously influences our lives, friends, and decisions. According to Martin and Nakayama (2014). Popular culture is ubiquitous. We are bombarded with it, every day and everywhere. On average, U.S. Americans watch more than 40 hours of television per week. Movie theaters beckon us with the latest multimillion-dollar extravaganzas, nearly all U.S.-made. Radio stations and TV music stations blast us with the hottest music groups performing their latest hits. And we are inundated with a staggering number of advertisements and commercials daily (p. 208-209).
The pop culture we listen to, watch, or experience will help us form our individual cultural identity. For example, “contemporary christian music (CCM) is a genre that uses American rock and pop styles to express religious ideas” (Radwan, 2004, p. 191). By choosing to listen to this type of music, one would be solidifying their cultural identity as an American Christian. The same can be said about any popular culture product. If an Asian-American chooses to watch Asian films with American subtitles, they are encouraging their Asian-American cultural identity.
Conflict is usually defined as involving a perceived or real incompatibility of goals, values, expectations, processes, or outcomes between two or more interdependent individuals or groups” (Martin & Nakayama, 2014, p. 231). Intercultural communication conflicts can occur in the workplace due to the fact that different cultures place a different value on a strong work ethic. For example, with the gradual increase in the number of Korean companies in the United
States, and the growing demand for bi-cultural employees who are competent in English as well as Korean, many Korean-Americans now work with traditional Koreans. “However, many managers in these Korean companies face struggles in managing the differences between traditional Korean employees and Korean-American employees” (Han, 2007, p.3).
According to Han (2007), the way in which traditional Korean employees and Korean-American employees interact and express their views relating to work values and ethical issues within the workplace are significantly different (p. 5). Additionally, traditional Koreans tend to be collectivists, while a Korean-American has generally already began to pick up on the individualistic way of America. These dissimilarities among employees attempting to work together would lead to to significant intercultural communication conflicts.
I do not currently have specific plans to become more inter culturally savvy in communication. I was raised to have an open mind when meeting new people and to always treat people with respect, even if they are different from my norm. Living in America, which is already so culturally diverse, I feel as if those around me are apart of various cultures that differ from my own and I am constantly learning new customs and traditions just by being around them. Furthermore, I enjoy travel and experiencing new adventures in unfamiliar cultures. I intend to continue traveling and am constantly broadening my range of discovery. Through these experiences, I hope to expand my knowledge of intercultural communication.
Often the largest part of culture shock is the language barrier, and “it can be frustrating not to be able to understand what is being said” (Martin & Nakayama, 2014, p. 298). However, to a degree, I do think that two people can communicate effectively if they don’t speak the same language. Without a verbal understanding of one another, communicators would need to rely on non-verbal cues to communicate, which I think could only cover the basics. By using visual cues, pointing to specific areas, or using basic sign language, I think language barred communicators could find the restroom, a car, a drink, or some food. Beyond these basic requests, the use of a translator would be necessary.
By reviewing and internalizing communication skills that help manage discrimination, popular culture, intercultural workplace conflicts, and language barriers we can better prepare for our future. Our children will not have to ask: “Why was I not warned? Why was I not better educated? Why did my teachers not tell me about these problems and indicate my behavior as a member of an interdependent human race?” (Muller, as cited in Martin & Nakayama, 2014, p. 2).