Intercultural communication

the challenges and opportunities associated with living in a diverse world.

Mac Luhan : village global (70's)

In our world, the need for intercultural communication is vital for our existence

sharing our differences enhances each of us

difference and diversity

the importance of recognising and valuing diversity, and the ability to communicate across cultures, in our world of diferences

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SESSION 1

What does intercultural communication mean : communication between cultures

book : The meaning of meaning :

1. Meaning" is multi-dimensional... : intersection of three dimensions : language (semiotic), thoughts (conceptual), things (physique)...

Communication is the process of creating meaning

2. Meaning is contextual. Culture shapes the creation of meaning

---> chine... : nous avons tout à gagner à nous confronter à d'autres cultures, langues... d'autres manières de penser la réalité.

We want to communicate to create meaning through our interaction with others but human communication is note perfect. Communication with others can function better because we share culture, because we have more in common with them.

A culture can be defined as a community of meaning makers, of communicators that share a stable state of understanding of the world.

We belong to different cultures : language, nationality, geographic region, religion, age groups, gender, socioeconomic status... and many many more... all teh communities of meaning makers that shape my view of the world when we engage in the process of communication.

As we learn how our culture shapes meaning, we learn more about what we have in common with others ans how to bridge our differences, to learn from each others and how to get along with each others.

it's very hard to have a clear idea of all the different cultures in the world, of the diversity on earth.

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SESSION 2

Culture is made of building blocks

No matter how much we are exposed to different cultures...

Cultures involves : beliefs, values, norms, social practices

BELIEFS : beliefs are values people assume to be true about the world, they are the product of many factors. Ex : Feng Sui in China

VALUES : Good or bad, right or wrong, fair or unfair, beautiful or ugly, valuable or worthless. Values are balance that can be positive or negative. Also depending on intensity : strength or importance of the value. For example, chinese people use medicine herb. One may feel that only one is right, or one may use both medicine herb and chemical treatment.

NORMS : Socially shared expectations of appropriated behavior. Ex : go to herbal store rather than to a pharmacy.

SOCIAL PRACTICES : predictable behavioral paterns a society follows.

Livre : libérez la rue... pratiques divergentes, créatives...

The chinese have a way to handle funerals that can appear very strange to a stranger. But once we realise why these behaviors are done, one begins to understand and develop some level of acceptance and respect.

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SESSION 3 : Hofstede's taxonomies

- Taxonomies : ways of classifying things

- Cultural patterns are classified in the Hofetede's taxonomy, in 5 independent and validated dimensions of national culturae differences.

- Controversial : western centric, focused on business

1/ individualism / collectivism : degree of allegeance to the self vs the group

2 / Extent culture feels threatened by ambiguous situations and establishes structures/rules to avoid these situations. avoid uncertainty, risk.

US, GB, Sweden = ok with dealing with uncertainty != greece, guatemala, japan

3/ Power distance : degree of acceptance of unequal institutional and organizational power.

High power distance : Mexico, Arab countries, Ecuador, India : clear rules regarding social class differentiation or high gender inequality... People think it's normal and they don't question the rightness of the situation.

In Sweden, Norway, Israel.. : much expectation that people are all equal and should be treated as such.

The Us is relatively low inpower distance but not in the bottom 10 : on the one hand equality is in the US constitution, on the other hand, capitalism and competition leads in inequality.

4/ Masculinity / Feminity. The definition of what is feminine and what is feminine. Western notion :

Masculine : assertiveness, acquisition of wealth, achievement

Feminine : nurturing, caring

These notions are shifting : ex : women in the US can be assertive and competitive, plus stay at home dads.

Gender wage gap

Scandinavian countries are considered more feminin in the continuum of masculinity vs feminity.

5/ Long term vs short term orientation

long term : thriftiness, persistence and humility = Asian countries

short term : wanting quick results from one's actions. US = relatively short. Contries with shorter history = short term : Pakistan, Nigeria, Canada, the Philippines

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Hall : High contexts/low contexts (explicit code)

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practicing Hofstede's taxonomy :

ex : collectivism vs individualims ; asian = education brings pride to the family / african americans : race

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Kluckholm and Strodtbeck's cultural patterns

Different frames exists :

- The importance of achievement and competition

- How people create hiearchies of values

- Le vel of happiness, hedonism

Kluckholm and Strodtbeck's cultural patterns :

1/ people in different culture face common human problems :

- sickness and health...

2/ The range of possible interpersonal solutions is limited

In a culture, there are preferred solutions that shape the culture's worldview acted over and over

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Clutton and Scott Beck :

1/ Level of activity

3 activity orientations :

- being

- being in becoming : ici et maintenant : south america, boudhism

- doing : US

2/ The nature of relationships

Authoritative : Africa, arab countries : authority is to be followed without question

Collective : Africa, Part of the US...

Individualism : US

3/ Human nature

evil : people are evil : puritan

good and evil : yin and yang : people are good and evil

good : people are good : buddhism

4/ Relation with nature

- people are subjects to nature. Ex native americans : nature is bigger than us.

- people are working in conjonction with nature

- people are controlling nature

5/ Relation with time. Time orientation :

- toward the past : chinese (ancestors)

- toward the present

- toward the future : USA