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3: Inter-Act, 133: Inter-Act, 13thth

EditionEdition

CultureCultureCultureCulture

Intercultural Intercultural CommunicationCommunication

Interactions that occur between people whose

cultures are so different that the communication between them is altered

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• The system of beliefs, values, and attitudes shared by a particular segment of the population

• The psychological discomfort of adjusting to a new cultural situation

CultureCulture Culture Culture Shock Shock

Dominant CultureDominant Culture

Culture within a society whose attitudes, values, beliefs, and customs hold

the majority opinion

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Co-CulturesCo-Cultures

Groups of people living within a dominant culture who are clearly different from the dominant culture

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Co-CulturesCo-Cultures1. Gender

2. Race

3. Ethnicity

4. Sexual orientation and gender

identity

5. Religion

6. Social class

7. Generation

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Identifying Cultural Identifying Cultural Similarities and Similarities and

DifferencesDifferences• Individualism-Collectivism: Individualism-Collectivism: extent to which people in a culture are integrated into groups

• Uncertainty Avoidance: Uncertainty Avoidance: extent to which people in a culture avoid unpredictability regarding people, relationships, and events

• Power Distance: Power Distance: amount of difference in power between people, institutions, and organizations in a culture

• Masculinity-Femininity:Masculinity-Femininity: extent to which notions of "maleness" and "femaleness" are valued in a culture

• Time Orientation: Time Orientation: differences in how cultures perceive time

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Individualism-Individualism-CollectivismCollectivism

Individualistic cultures value:

Personal rights and responsibilities

Competition and personal achievement

Self-expressionPrivacy

Collectivist cultures value:

Community, strong connection to groups

Harmony and cooperation

Avoiding embarrassment

Group interests over self-interests

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Uncertainty AvoidanceUncertainty AvoidanceLow Uncertainty Avoidance

Comfortable with unpredictability

Takes risksFew rulesAccepts multiple perspectives of “truth”

High Uncertainty Avoidance

Creates systems of formal rules

Believes in absolute truth

Less tolerant of deviant ideas or behaviors

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Power DistancePower DistanceHigh Power Distance

Power distributed unequally

Power imbalances seen as natural

Power is respected

Low Power Distance

Power is distributed equally

Inequalities are downplayed

People with power are not feared

Democracy is valued

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Masculinity-FemininityMasculinity-FemininityMasculine Cultures

Traditional sex-based roles followed

Men are assertive and dominant

Women are nurturing, service-oriented

Male traits valued over female traits

Feminine CulturesRoles not based on one’s sex

People free to act in nontraditional ways

Feminine traits valued

Both men and women demonstrate both masculine and feminine behaviors

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Time OrientationTime OrientationMonochronic

Value punctualityFollow plans

PolychronicValue flexible schedules

Multitasking

U.S. RankingsU.S. Rankings(among 53 Countries/Regions)(among 53 Countries/Regions)

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15t

h

43r

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38t

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Cultural ContextCultural ContextLow-Context

Direct verbal messages

Speakers expected to say what they mean

High-ContextIndirect meaningUnderstood by referring to unwritten cultural rules and subtle nonverbal behavior

“Read between the lines”

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Barriers to Effective Barriers to Effective Intercultural Intercultural CommunicationCommunication

• Anxiety

• Assuming similarity or difference culture

• Ethnocentrism

• Stereotyping

• Incompatible communication codes

• Incompatible norms and values

Pyramid Model of Pyramid Model of Intercultural CompetenceIntercultural Competence

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Intercultural Intercultural Communication Communication CompetenceCompetence• Intercultural competence: effective

and appropriate behavior and communication in intercultural situations

• Internal outcomes: • Informed frame of reference, filter shift

• Adaptability, flexibility • Ethnorelativism: point of view that allows you to see value in other cultural perspectives

• Empathy

Intercultural Intercultural CompetenceCompetence

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External outcome: Behaving and communicating effectively and appropriately to achieve your goals