Barriers to Intercultural Communication
Stereotypes
Ethnocentrism
Prejudice
Anxiety
- Anxiety
- Assuming similarity instead of difference
- Ethnocentrism
- Stereotypes and prejudice
- Nonverbal misinterpretations
- Language
- Uncertainty of expectations results in decreased interactions and communication
- Increased self-consciousness
- Negative judgements of another culture on the basis of one's own culture
- Cultural relativism: an individual's beliefs and behaviors should be evaluated in the context of that individual's culture
- Cultural nearsightedness: accepting one's own culture and ignoring the others
- "Negative or positive judgement made about individuals based on any observable or believed group membership"
- Believed to be a mistake our brain makes
- Cultural sensitivity vs. ethnic stereotyping
- Profiling
- Is profiling a useful and necessary law enforcement tool, or is it a form of stereotyping that unfairly targets minorities?
- "Irrational suspicion or hatred of a particular group, race, religion, or sexual orientation"
- Individuals are viewed according to superficial characteristics that make them part of a particular group
- Authoritarian personality: prevalent in highly prejudiced individuals; tend to overgeneralize and think in bipolar terms
Assuming Similarity Instead of Difference
- With no information, assume no differences exist
- Assuming differences ignores possible similarities
Negative Effects on Communication
Uncertainty Reduction Theory (Berger and Calabrese)
During initial phase of interaction with another person, your primary communication goal is to reduce your uncertainty about that person
- Rejects other cultures
- Hinders communication
- Blocks mutual exchanges
- Restrictive and limiting
"...while cultural differences may be the most visible among people, they may not be the differences most likely to cause conflict..."
- Assumes a widely held belief is true when it may not be
- Self-reinforcing
- Assumes a widely held belief is true of any one individual
- Can become a "self fulfilling prophecy"
"In April 2001, a U.S. spy plane made an unauthorized emergency landing on Hainan island after colliding with a Chinese fighter jet, killing its pilot"
U.S. Letter of Regret:
- U.S. was "very sorry" ("feichang baoqian")
State-run Chinese media used "shenbiao qianyi" (to express profound apology)
- Chinese wanted the word "daoqian" (to apologize)
- A sincere and serious apology requires a bow
- China requested a globally televised apology
Communication Barriers between the U.S. and China
- Status of Taiwan
- Tibet
- Human Rights and Free Speech
- Boradcast Media and the Internet
- Energy and Sustainability
- Economic Issues
"The belief that non-Western peoples should adopt Western values, institutions, and culture is immoral because of what would be necessary to bring it about... If non-Western societies are once again to be shaped by Western culture, it will happen only as a result of expansion, deployment, and impact of Western power... As a maturing civilization, the West no longer has the economic or demographic dynamism required to impose its will on other societies and any effort to do so is also contrary to the Western values of self-determination and democracy"
- Samula P. Huntington (1996)