Stumbling Blocks in Intercultural Communication.docx

Stumbling Blocks in Intercultural Communication.docx

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StumblingBlocksinInterculturalCommunication

StumblingBlocksinInterculturalCommunication

LARAYM.BARNA

Whyisitthatcontactwithpersonsfromotherculturessooftenisfrustratingandfraughtwithmisunderstanding?

Goodintentions,theuseofwhatoneconsiderstobeafriendlyapproach,andeventhepossibilityofmutualbenefitsdon'tseemtobesufficienttomanypeople'ssurprise.Aworsescenarioiswhenrejectionoccursjustbecausethegrouptowhichapersonbelongsis"different."It'sappropriateatthistimeofmajorchangesintheinternationalscenetotakeahardlookatsomeofthereasonsforthis.Newproximityandnewtypesofrelationshipsarepresentingcommunicationchallengesthatfewpeoplearereadytomeet.

TheSixStumblingBlocks

I.AssumptionofSimilarities

Oneanswertothequestionofwhymisunderstandingandorrejectionoccursisthatmanypeoplenaivelyassumetherearesufficientsimilaritiesamongpeoplesoftheworldtomakecommunicationeasy'.They'expectthatsimplybeinghuman,havingcommonrequirementsoffood,shelter,security,andsoon,makeseveryonealike.Unfortunatelytheyoverlooktheactthattheformsofadaptationtothesecommonbiologicalandsocialneedsandthevalues,beliefs,andattitudessurroundingthemarevastlydifferentfromculturetoculture.Thebiologicalcommonalitiesarenotmuchhelpwhenitcomestocommunication,whereweneedtoexchangeideasandinformation,findway'stoliveandworktogether,orjustmakethekindofimpressionwewanttomake.

Anotherreasonmanypeopleareluredintothinkingthat"peoplearepeople"isthatitreducesthediscomfortofdealingwithdifference.Ifsomeoneactsorlooks"strange"（differentfromthem）,it'sthenpossibletoevaluatethisas"wrong"andtreateveryoneethnocentrically

Theassumptionofsimilaritydoesnotoftenextendtotheexpectationofacommonverballanguagebutitdoesinterferewithcautionindecodingnonverbalsymbols,signs,andsignals.Nocross-culturalstudieshaveproventheexistenceofacommonnonverballanguageexceptthoseinsupportofDarwin'stheorythatfacialexpressionsareuniversal.Ekman（1976）foundthat"theparticularvisiblepatternontheface,thecombinationofmusclescontractedforanger,fear,surprise,sadness,disgust,happiness{andprobablyalsoforinterest）isthesameforallmembersofourspecies"（pp.19-20）.

Thisseemshelpfuluntilitisrealizedthataperson'sculturalupbringingdetermineswhetherornottheemotionwillbedisplayedorsuppressed,aswellasonwhichoccasionandtowhatdegree（Ekman&Friesen,1969,p.1）.Thesituationsthatbringabouttheemotionalfeelingalsodifferfromculturetoculture,forexamplethedeathofalovedonemaybeacauseforjoy,sorroworsomeotheremotion,dependingupontheacceptedculturalbelief.

Sincethereseemtobenouniversalsor"humannature"thatcanbeusedasabasisforautomaticunderstanding,wemusttreateachencounterasanindividualcase,searchingforwhateverperceptionsandcommunicationmeansareheldincommonandproceedfromthere.ThisissummarizedbyVinTheDo:

"Ifwerealizethatweareallcultureboundandculturallymodified,wewillacceptthefactthat,beingunlike,wedonotreallyknowwhatsomeoneelse'is.'Thisisanotherwaytoviewthe'peoplearepeople'idea.Wenowhavetofindawaytosortouttheculturalmodifiersineachseparateencountertofindsimilarity."

PersonsfromtheUnitedStatesseemtoholdthisassumptionofsimilaritymorestronglythansomeothercultures.TheJapaneseforexample,havethereversebeliefthattheyaredistinctivelydifferentfromtherestoftheworld.Thisnotionbringsinterculturalcommunicationproblemsofitsown.Expectingnosimilaritiestheyworkhardtofigureouttheforeignstrangerbutdonotexpectforeignerstobeabletounderstandthem.Thisresultsinexclusionaryattitudesandonlypassiveeffortstowardmutualunderstanding（Tai.1986,pp.45-47）.

AsWesterntrappingspermeatemoreandmoreoftheworldtheillusionofsimilarityincreases.Alook-alikefacadedeceivesrepresentativesfromcontrastingcultureswheneachwearsWesterndress,speaksEnglish,andusessimilargreetingrituals.ItislikeassumingthatNewYork,Tokyo,andTehranareallalikebecauseeachhastheappearanceofamoderncity.Butwithoutbeingalerttopossibleunderlyingdifferencesandtheneedtolearnnewrulesforfunctioning,personsgoingfromonecitytotheotherwillbeinimmediatetrouble,evenwhentakingonsuchsimplerolesaspedestrianordriver.Also,unlessaforeignerexpectssubtledifferencesitwilltakealongtimeofnoninsulatedlivinginanewculture（notinanenclaveofhisorherownkind）beforeheorshecanbejarredintoanewperceptualandnonevaluativethinking.

Theconfidencethatcomeswiththemythofsimilarityismuchstrongerthanwiththeassumptionofdifferences,thelatterrequiringtentativeassumptionsandbehaviorsandawillingnesstoaccepttheanxietyof"notknowing."Onlywiththeassumptionofdifferences,however,canreactionsandinterpretationsbeadjustedtofit"what'shappening."Withoutitsomeoneislikelytomisreadsignsandsymbolsandjudgethesceneethnocentrically.

Thestumblingblockofassumedsimilarityisatroublem,asoneEnglishlearnerexpressedit,notonlyfortheforeignerbutforthepeopleinthehostcountry（UnitedStatesoranyother）withwhomtheinternationalvisitorcomesintocontact.Thenativeinhabitantsarelikelytobelulledintotheexpectationthat,sincetheforeignpersonisdressedappropriatelyandspeakssomeofthelanguage,heorshewillalsohavesimilarnonverbalcodes,thoughts,andfeelings.IntheUnitedStatesnodding,smiling,andaffirmativecommentsfromaforeignerwillprobablybeconfidentlyinterpretedbystraightforward,friendlyAmericansasmeaningthattheyhaveinformed,helped,andpleasedthenewcomer.Itislikely,however,thattheforeigneractuallyunderstoodverylittleoftheverbalandnonverbalcontentandwasmerelyindicatingpoliteinterestortryingnottoembarrasshimselforherselforthehostwithverbalizedquestions.TheconversationmayevenhaveconfirmedastereotypethatAmericansareinsensitiveandethnocentric.

Ininstanceslikethis,partiesseldomcompareimpressionsandcorrectmisinterpretations.Oneplacewhereopportunitiesforachievinginsightsdoesoccurisinaninterculturalcommunicationclassroom.Here,forexample,U.S.studentsoftencomplainthatinternationalstudentmembersofadiscussionorprojectgroupseemuncooperativeoruninterested.Onepersonwhohadbeenthusjudgedofferedthefollowingexplanation:

IwassurroundedbyAmericanswithwhomIcouldn'tfollowtheirtempoofdiscussionhalfofthetime.Ihavedifficultytolistenandspeak,butalsowiththewaytheyhandlethegroup.Ifeltuncomfortablebecausesometimestheybelievetheiropinionstrongly.IhadbeenveryseriousaboutthewholesubjectbutIwasafraidIwouldsaysomethingwrong.Ihadtheideabutnotthewords.

Theclassroomisalsoagoodplacetotestwhetheronecommonnonverbalbehavior,thesmile,isactuallytheuniversalsignpeopleassumeittobe.ThefollowingenlighteningcommentscamefrominternationalstudentsnewlyarrivedintheUnitedStates.

Japanesestudent:

OnmywaytoandfromschoolIhavereceivedasmilebynon-acquaintanceAmericangirlsseveraltimes.Ihavefinallylearnedtheyhavenointerestforme,itmeansonlyakindofgreetingtoaforeigner.IfsomeonesmilesatastrangerinJapan,especiallyagirl,shecanassumeheiseitherasexualmaniacoranimpoliteperson.

Koreanstudent:

AnAmericanvisitedmeinmycountryforoneweek.HisinferencewasthatpeopleinKoreaarenotveryfriendlybecausetheydidn'tsmileorwanttotalkwithforeignpeople.MostKoreanpeopletaketimetogettobefriendlywithpeople.Wenevertalkorsmileatstrangers.

Arabicstudent:

WhenIwalkedaroundthecampusmyfirstdaymanypeoplesmiledatme.Iwasveryembarrassedandrushedtothemen'sroomtoseeifIhadmadeamistakewithmyclothes.ButIcouldfindnothingforthemtosmileat.NowIamusedtoallthesmiles.

Vietnamesestudent:

ThereasonwhycertainforeignersmaythinkthatAmericansaresuperficial-andtheyare,someAmericansevenrecognizethis-isthattheytalkandsmiletoomuch.Forpeoplewhocomefromplacidcultureswherenonverballanguageismoreused,andwhereasilence,asmile,aglancehavetheirownmeaning,itistruethatAmericansspeakalot.ThesuperficialityofAmericanscanalsobedetectedintheirrelationswithothers.Theirfriendshipsare,mostofthetime,soephemeralcomparedtothefriendshipswehaveathome.Americansmakefriendsveryeasilyandleavetheirfriendsalmostasquickly,whileinmycountryittakesalongtimeto-findoutapossiblefriendandthenshebecomesyourfriendwithaverystrongsenseoftheterm.

StatementsfromtwoU.S.studentsfollow.Thefirstcomesfromsomeonewhohaslearnedtolookfordifferingperceptionsandthesecond,unfortunately,reflectsthestumblingblockofassumedsimilarity.

U.S.student:

Iwaswaitingformyhusbandonadowntowncornerwhenamanwithababyandtwoyoungchildrenapproached.JudgingbysmallquirksoffashionhehadnotbeenintheU.S.long.IhaveababyaboutthesameageandinappreciationofhisfamilyandobviousinvolvementasafatherIsmiledathim.ImmediatelyIrealizedIdidthewrongthingashestopped.lookedmeoverfromheadtotoeandsaid"Areyouwaitingforme?

Youmeetmelater?

"ApparentlyIhadactedasaprostitutewouldinhiscountry.

U.S.student:

Ingeneralitseemstomethatforeignerpeoplearenotnecessarilysnobs