Intercultural communication means crossing more than borders

Living in a global village offers people numerous learning opportunities; however, it does not come with in a global village offers one numerous learning out challenges.

I think one of the biggest challenges is the culture clash, which is generally the result of poor intercultural communication. This occurs because people do not take the time to learn about one another. Instead, they make assumptions and end up forming prejudices and stereotypes that harm what could possibly be a good relationship.

I have traveled extensively and experienced many different cultures. I also have many friends who live in the United States, but come from different cultures. I have found my travels and friendships have afforded me wonderful education opportunities, but I have also learned another valuable lesson: Not all intercultural communications involve borders. Sometimes it is generational, such as between senior citizens and teenagers, or within subgroups in a society. Sometimes intercultural communication is regional, within a single country.

Communication means more than just learning the language of a culture. It also means understanding such things as a culture's belief, body language, value system, norms and symbols.

Senior citizens often mistake teenagers for being self-centered and as lacking manners and decorum. The truth is, there are a number of caring teens int he world who work to help make their communities and the world a better place. They just look different. Like generations of teens that came before them, they are attempting to stand out on their own. Their generation is more casual and laid back when it comes to dress; jeans and t-shirts are their staples. They also tend to make statements with tattoos, piercings and hair colorings. But put the two cultures in a room together and chances are they are likely to quickly discover they have much more in common than appears on the surface. Those original tensions and miscommunication are simply the result of not knowing each others' cultures.

Cultural differences can also be regional within a country.

I once had an executive editor who moved to Michigan from the South. The first thing he asked was who in town taught etiquette lessons. He wanted to enrol his young sons. Our response? We just laughed and told him such classes went the way of the newsroom typewriter and Edsel.

Still, it is equally important to know the cultural differences of other countries. In this day and age, business is more apt to be global, requiring employees to know more about their business contacts than past generations. In addition to language barriers, differences can include degrees of formality in communication; social customs; style of dress; different use of time, views of punctuality, etc.; tolerance for disagreement or conflict; gender roles; self-disclosures, and nonverbal behavior.

Some countries, such as Japan, are more high-context cultures than others. For example, the ojigi, or bow, is the most visible form of Japan's traditional etiquette. These bows are used for both greetings and farewells, as well as when expressing thanks or apologizing, or when asking an important question or favor (DeMente, August 1999). The ojigi actually sets the tone for the verbal communication that follows. It is a far cry from American culture.

America is considered a low-context culture and is much more verbal. In America, politeness is generally seen as being "nice," and it certainly isn't mandated. For the most part, Americans demonstrate politeness with a shake of the hand, smile or hug. Expressions such as "please" and "thank you" are also considered as a display of politeness.

Whether the cultural differences are generational, regional or a world apart, successful intercultural communication rests on the attitudes of the people involved in the communication. Both sides must bridge the differences and respect each others' differences as well as their similarities. When that occurs, then the communication stands a much better chance of being successful.

References:

DeMente, B.L. (1999, August). Politeness makes perfect. Retrieved from the Asian Business
Strategy and Street Intelligence Ezine Web site.

Han, M. (2007). Ten commandments of intercultural communication. Ezine@articles retrieved
from http://ezinearticles.com/?Ten-Commandments-of-Intercultural-
Communication&id=12-247