Multicultural Communication

Multicultural Multicultural CommunicationCommunication

• Culture rank what is importantCulture rank what is important

• Culture furnishes attitudeCulture furnishes attitude

• Cultural dictates behaviorCultural dictates behavior

Diversity and Diversity and communicationcommunication

• Diversity is a realityDiversity is a reality

• Culture shock for immigrantsCulture shock for immigrants– EuphoriaEuphoria– FrustrationFrustration– AdjustmentAdjustment– IntegrationIntegration

A typical reaction to A typical reaction to multiculturalism multiculturalism

• Assumption of superiorityAssumption of superiority

• EthnocentrismEthnocentrism

• Assumption of universalityAssumption of universality

The importance of self-The importance of self-knowledgeknowledge

• Know thyself; know thine enemiesKnow thyself; know thine enemies

• One hundred battles; one hundreds One hundred battles; one hundreds victories.victories.– Self-reference, self-importanceSelf-reference, self-importance– Bias/ personal preference Bias/ personal preference – Prejudice (emotion irrational judgment) Prejudice (emotion irrational judgment) – Discrimination … when bias is acted upon…Discrimination … when bias is acted upon…

Mental representations (Prototype) Mental representations (Prototype) vs. stereotyping (rigid)vs. stereotyping (rigid)

Prototypes are usefulPrototypes are useful

• Asian use silent in negation Asian use silent in negation

• Latino talks about their family in Latino talks about their family in business meetings.business meetings.

Stereotypes are generalization of Stereotypes are generalization of judgmentjudgment

• Chinese give you a fish-eye look Chinese give you a fish-eye look (emotionless and cold)(emotionless and cold)

• Blacks are hot tempered, … the are Blacks are hot tempered, … the are fast with wards…fast with wards…

Communication and cultureCommunication and culture

• It is all about transferring meaningIt is all about transferring meaning

• High contextHigh context– Emphasis on Physical environments and Emphasis on Physical environments and

Internalized social context.Internalized social context.

• Low contextLow context– Emphasis on wordsEmphasis on words

Elements in the Elements in the Communication ProcessCommunication Process

The Communication The Communication ProcessProcess

• Sender/ASender/A

• MessageMessage

• MediaMedia

• Receiver/BReceiver/B

• Encoding/culture Encoding/culture AA

• Decoding/culture Decoding/culture BB

• Response Response

• FeedbackFeedback• Context external and internal Context external and internal

Perception and Perception and communicationcommunication• Assignment of meaning to Assignment of meaning to

words/nonverbal behavior based on one’s words/nonverbal behavior based on one’s accumulated experience- one’s mental accumulated experience- one’s mental data bank.data bank.

• Developing of mental categories, Developing of mental categories, schemata. schemata.

• Other cultural schemata/schema Other cultural schemata/schema

Multicultural Communication Multicultural Communication SchemataSchemata

Culture A Culture B

B1

Just do it

Multicultural communicationMulticultural communication

CultureB1

Culture A1

Culture B

Culture A

Perception

Perception

Multiple MessagesMultiple Messages

Culture ACulture B

B1 B1 B1 HC culture

Play with relationship between meaning