Communication with other cultures

Many years ago it seemed just impossible to interact with people that didnt belong to the culture they were brought up. Things have been changing as time passes by and nowadays there is more than one way to go beyond and know what is going on in other parts of the world, not necessarily traveling. For instance, the arrival of immigrants to Punta Arenas has been, on the one hand, a benefit for our society due to the fact that it encouraged people to raise tolerance and kind with other races they are not accustomed to live with. On the other hand, racism is also noticeable wherever we go, hindering the good relationship among different cultures and races. This can be seen in the newspaper, where racism has been in the front page more than once. The main reason of these issues to happen is that people refuse to communicate because of stereotypes that can be seen in the internet, TV or any other media source, resulting in closedminded people that do not even care about their fellows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How does this affect our society and culture in a negative, but also in a positive way? . . . . . . . . . . . ............................... Firstly, it is good to highlight that communication can be considered in simple terms as the sending and receiving of messages, as both elements must be present for communication to happen. However, the fundamental transaction of words or messages sent and received doesnt always mean that communication actually existed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thus, many people become unaware of the needs of other people trying to get used to our culture and be inserted in a society that judges what is different or never before seen. The issue in question can be defined as ethnocentrism, which is the belief in the intrinsic superiority of the nation, culture, or group to which one belongs, often accompanied by feelings of dislike for other groups. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . It is rather normal to have the values of the community or culture in which you were born and raised. These are the ways in which you live your life and interact with others. They are the things you take for granted. To make an example, it is not bad to have Peruvian values or to have Argentinean values, but what is important, is an understanding that your way of doing things may not be the same as everyone elses and that you have to be tolerant, starting by trying to communicate and show respect to be respected as well. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . As an addition to ethnocentrism, stereotypes are one of the obvious barriers to intercultural communication. Samovar & Porter (1991:280) define stereotypes as the perceptions or beliefs we hold about groups or individuals based on our previously formed opinions or attitudes. As this definition suggests, stereotypes do not develop suddenly but are formed over a period of time by our culture. They are made up of bits and pieces of information that we store and use to make sense of what goes on around us. Stereotypes can be either positive or negative and as points out they help us to make sense of the world by categorizing and classifying people and situations we encounter. We may revert to stereotyping, for example, when we are overseas and are faced with people and situations we are not accustomed to. While stereotyping may reduce the threat of the

unknown, it interferes with our perceptions and understanding of the world, when applied to individuals or groups. Often stereotypes are problematic because they are oversimplified, overgeneralised or exaggerated. Statements such as Blacks are, Athletes are not or women should are stereotypes due to the fact that their content are beliefs based on halftruths or distortions about a group of people. Jandt, (2001) identified a number of ways in which stereotypes are harmful and impede communication. First, stereotypes can cause us to assume that a widely held belief is true, when it may not be. Second, the continual use of stereotypes reinforces our beliefs and can also cause us to assume a widely held belief is true of any one individual in the group. If a group is stereotyped as dishonest, for example, we tend to apply that stereotype to all members of that group, regardless of individual differences. Third, when we use negative stereotypes to interpret the behavior of individuals within a group, this further impedes intercultural communication by reinforcing those negative stereotypes. Such negative stereotyping can become a self-fulfilling prophecy for those who are stereotyped and hence place them at risk. An example of this would be the prevalent stereotype that women are not good at math and science, which in turn may cause women to internalise such beliefs and avoid studying or pursuing maths or science related professions. Prejudice, like stereotypes, can be either positive or negative although it is generally referred to as the unfair, biased, or intolerant attitudes or opinions towards another person or group simply because they belong to a specific religion, race, nationality, or another group (Samovar and Porter, 1991: 281). A person who thinks, I dont want (name of group) living in my neighborhood, for example, is expressing a prejudice. Again like stereotypes, prejudice involves the preconceptions of individuals or groups based on unfounded opinions, attitudes, or beliefs. Jandts (2001: 75) definition of prejudice further elaborates the damaging effect of prejudice as persons within the group are not viewed in terms of their individual merit but according to the superficial characteristics that make them part of the group. Prejudice can take many forms, ranging from those that are almost impossible to detect (unintentional) to those that are clearly blatant (intentional). Brislin (1988) discusses six ways in which prejudice can express itself in intercultural communication: 1) red- neck racism, 2) symbolic racism, 3) tokenism, 4) arms length prejudice, 5) real likes and dislikes, and 6) the familiar and unfamiliar. Red-neck racism, which Brislin (1988: 341) maintains is found all over the world, occurs when certain people believe that members of a given cultural group are inferior according to some imagined standard and that the group members are not worthy of decent treatment. Clear examples of this form of prejudice can be found throughout history in the treatment of indigenous groups of people all over the world. Symbolic racism, according to Brislin, is when members of one culture have negative feelings about another culture because they believe the outside culture is a threat to their group. For example, people may be against affirmative action programs if they believe that members of certain groups are being given preferential treatment and pose as a threat to their view of equal treatment for all. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

So in what ways could these positive stereotypes be of any use? Although stereotypes generally have negative implications, they aren't necessarily negative. Stereotypes are basically generalizations that are made about groups. Such generalizations are necessary: in order to be able to interact effectively, we must have some idea of what people are likely to be like, which behaviors will be considered acceptable, and which not. For example, elsewhere in this system there is an essay about high-context and low-context cultures. People in low-context cultures are said to be more individualistic, their communication more overt, depending less on context and shared understandings. High-context cultures are more group-oriented. Their communication is more contextually based, depending more on shared understandings and inferences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Such generalizations are, in essence, stereotypes. They allow us to put people into a category, according to the group they belong to, and make inferences about how they will behave based on that grouping. There will still be differences between individuals from one culture, and with the same individual in different situations. But the stereotype is reasonably accurate, so it is useful. Stereotypes are only a problem when they are inaccurate, especially when those inaccuracies are negative and hostile. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where do prejudices and stereotypes come from? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . We can infer that it comes from our homes. Parents are in some degree guilty of this behavior since children imitate everything their parents do and the way they act. There are good reasons to start teaching the importance of and strategies for positive intergroup relations when children are young. But early intervention is not enough. As children mature, they become more conscious of racial and ethnic differences and the many sources of prejudice and discrimination they experience can influence them in negative ways. Lessons learned at an early age or at the time a person becomes a member of an organization may not stick even though they do make later lessons related to prejudice and discrimination easier to teach and learn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . In many organizations, new participants are told of the organizations commitment to positive intergroup relations. This introduction may include workshops on diversity or other activities aimed at facilitating racial and ethnic harmony in the organizations. As people experience racial and ethnic tension, or perceive that the commitment to equity and positive intergroup relations is not complete, they need to have opportunities to learn how to deal with these problems.

As a conclusion it can be said that stereotypes are not bad or good, but they can influence intercultural interactions in different ways. An observer tends to favor information that is consistent with existing expectancies, and tends to ignore, or reject information that is inconsistent with the stereotypes. According to some studies, people tend to favor hypotheses based on stereotypes even when they have a reason to suspect the validity of the stereotype

(Johnston & Macrae 1994). Stereotypes are often resistant to change. Experiences at variance with the stereotype usually do not change the stereotype but are interpreted as exceptions. Anyone can overcome prejudices or stereotypes, here are some tips and suggestions on how to accomplish that: - Learn from generalizations about other cultures, but don't use those generalizations to stereotype, "write off," or oversimplify your ideas about another person. The best use of a generalization is to add it to your storehouse of knowledge so that you better understand and appreciate other interesting, multi-faceted human beings. - Practice, practice, practice. That's the first rule, because it's in the doing that we actually get better at cross-cultural communication. - Don't assume that there is one right way (yours!) to communicate. Keep questioning your assumptions about the "right way" to communicate. For example, think about your body language; postures that indicate receptivity in one culture might indicate aggressiveness in another. - Don't assume that breakdowns in communication occur because other people are on the wrong track. Search for ways to make the communication work, rather than searching for who should receive the blame for the breakdown. - Listen actively and empathetically. Try to put yourself in the other person's shoes. Especially when another person's perceptions or ideas are very different from your own, you might need to operate at the edge of your own comfort zone. - Respect others' choices about whether to engage in communication with you. Honor their opinions about what is going on. - Stop, suspend judgment, and try to look at the situation as an outsider. - Be prepared for a discussion of the past. Use this as an opportunity to develop an understanding from "the other's" point of view, rather than getting defensive or impatient. Acknowledge historical events that have taken place. Be open to learning more about them. Honest acknowledgment of the mistreatment and oppression that have taken place on the basis of cultural difference is vital for effective communication. - Awareness of current power imbalances -- and an openness to hearing each other's perceptions of those imbalances -- is also necessary for understanding each other and working together. - Remember that cultural norms may not apply to the behavior of any particular individual. We are all shaped by many, many factors -- our ethnic background, our family, our education, our personalities -- and are more complicated than any cultural norm could suggest. Check your interpretations if you are uncertain what is meant.

Bibliography and sources: Avruch, Kevin and Peter Black, "Conflict Resolution in Intercultural Settings: Problems and Prospects," in Conflict Resolution Theory and Practice: Integration and Application, edited by Dennis Sandole and Hugo van der Merwe. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1993. Cox, Taylor, Jr. (1991). "The Multicultural Organization. " Academy of Management Executive 5, No. 2. Barna, L. M. (1997). Stumbling blocks in intercultural communication. In L. A. Samovar & R. E. Porter (Eds.), Intercultural communication (eighth ed.). Belmont CA: Wadsworth. Bennett, M. (1993). Towards ethnorelativism: A developmental model of intercultural sensitivity. In R. M. Paige (Ed.), Education for the intercultural experience Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press. Brislin, R. (1988). Prejudice in intercultural communication. In L. A. Samovar & R. E. Porter (Eds.), Intercultural communication: A reader. Belmont CA: Wadsworth. James, R , & Devlin, M. (2001). Evaluation of the international student experience 2000: Report prepared for the vice-principal and academic registrar. Melbourne: University of Melbourne. Jandt, F. E. (2001).Intercultural communication: An introduction (third Ed.).Thousand Oaks: Sage. Klopf, D. W. , & Park, M. (1982). Cross cultural communication: An introduction to the fundamentals. Seoul: Hanshin Publishing Co.

Roberto Galindo Merino.